my chams are eating good now but all they want to eat are waxworms. does anyone know if these are nutritious for them. i do add calcium and vitamins to them thru the shake and bake method

Here is an exerpt from a Jackson care sheet.

FEEDING: Jackson's should be fed food no larger than the width of its mouth. Food should be dusted with vitimin mineral supplement every other feeding or so. The supplement must contain on top of regular vit/min must have calcium and vitimin d or metobolic bone disease will kill the chameleon. the importance of a varied diet cannot be ignored. Chameleons need to eat a variety of insects. Good feeder insects are crickets, silkworms, butterworms. Additionally good feeders to offer to vary the diet would be mealworms, waxworms, and superworms. It is important to note that waxworms may be difficult to digest and are not very nutritous, but they are a good treat to occasionally feed to a chameleon in small amounts.

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Fran
January 9, 1940 - June 1, 2006 (R.I.P)

thanks, ill try to use more crickets. the mealworms they arnt eating at all

oops there not waxworms there silk worms is there a difference in nutrition? i also got some hornworms, how are these in nutrition. there a bit big for my cams but they still eat em up!

Silk worms are good nutritionally as they contain an enzyme called SERRPEPTASE. This is good for their calcium absorbtion levels and can reduce inflammation, pain and can break down arterial plaque. They are low in fats and contain about 60% protein. (I've been doing lots of research on herp nutition lol).

Not too sure on the hornworms although a company over here does sell them alond side the silks as a good nutritious treat.

The reason why waxworms are to be used a a treat only is, apart form the fact that chams can become addicted to them and refuse other foods, that they have a very high phosphorous level (1:7) and high fat leves at around 22%.

Try to vary your chams diet for them. There is no harm in offering some wax worms as a treat each week - I give George about 1 a day as his bonding time treat (the only time he will come onto my hand!).

You could also offer supers (you have to cut them up though ewww as they're generally too large for chams) but make sure you give them an extra good dusting of calcium as they also have a very high phosphorous level (1:18).

I find that adding some veg as an option to their diet helps too even though George doesn't really eat them. I provide his greens either from his live plants (safe list of plants here :- www.bluebeastreptile.com/plantlist ) or from washed dandelion leaves from the garden. I bought some aquarium clips from the pet shop (ones for veg eating water snails!) and clip them to the sides of his tank by his basking area and by his feeding cup so if he fancies a nibble they are there for him.

Hope this has been of some help Mitzi

thanks for that info, i tried mealworms but they wont touch em. they do love the silkworms and the hornworms though. but the hornworms are big. but they manage to get em down.lol

If you want them to eat more mealworms, try rubbing some (mealworms) on a silkworm. Maybe the sent will rub off and your cam with take the mealworms.

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Josh Shrader

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