Providing Your Pet Chameleon With a Diverse Diet

In the wild, chameleons eat a diverse diet that includes small vertebrates and insects. While your chameleon is living in captivity as opposed to the rain forest or desert, he can still enjoy a healthy, delicious, and diverse diet.

Determining How Much to Feed

Most chameleons, including the panther chameleon and Jackson’s chameleon, can eat their fill as babies and juveniles. Because their growth from a newborn to an adult happens slowly, you can offer baby and juvenile chameleons as much food as they will eat, and you should have fresh food available for them every day. One exception to this is the popular veiled chameleon, which grows from a juvenile to an adult at a much faster rate. When planning to feed your veiled chameleon, take care not to overfeed as excess fat deposits can be dangerous, particularly for females.

Alternating Food Choices

Chameleons can be notoriously picky eaters. Much like a toddler would, your chameleon might see his favorite food on the menu and ignore—and refuse to eat—everything else offered. To make sure he eats a well-rounded diet, alternate the foods available on a daily basis. Once your chameleon reaches an adult age, he can safely go several days without eating. The most important thing you can do is offer him a healthy and nutritious diet.

Planning Your Menu

We recommend offering your baby or juvenile chameleon a variety of insects like waxworms, mealworms, and Dubia roaches. You should dust all insects with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements to promote your chameleon’s health. While some chameleons do enjoy occasional bites of greens or fruit such as apple or mango, there is no nutritional need to offer your chameleon vegetables or fruit on a regular basis.

After your chameleon is done with his meal, be sure to remove any uneaten food and feeder insects from his enclosure and discard them. Chameleons need to stay hydrated, but they will not drink from a bowl. They will get most of their hydration through the moisture in their habitat and regular misting. Aim to mist your chameleon several times a day.

We are here to help answer any questions you have about feeding your newborn or juvenile chameleon. Shop ABDragons live feeder insects today and give your pet the highest quality of food sources available.

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