What Do Chameleons Eat?

Are you looking to bring in a reptile pet such as a chameleon into your home?

One question you’re probably asking is, What Do Chameleons Eat?

Like any living thing, chameleons’ survival to a large extent depends on their diet.

Chameleons are unique and exotic pets, and won’t just accept your typical pet diet for their food. You need to provide them with the right nutrients if you want them to be healthy and happy.

As you read on, you will learn more about the various diets that you’ll need to feed your chameleons with for their optimal health.

As insectivores, chameleons primarily survive on insects as a source of their food. Insects are known to provide all the necessary nutrition they will need for healthy living. But, that doesn’t mean that they do not require and consume other types of food.

Other foods you can feed them with include mice, worms, plants, fruits, supplements, and of course water.

Let us discuss the common choices of diet you can provide your chameleon with.

Insects

This is without a doubt chameleon’s favorite type of food. You can find it in their wild habitat or many dedicated stores.

These insects include flies, cicadas, grasshoppers, spiders, crickets and can be fed live or dead-frozen.

The insects fed will vary depending on the chameleon’s size. Small insects such as flies and cicadas are recommended for smaller chameleons.

On the other hand, insects such as grasshoppers, spiders, crickets, and roaches should be fed to larger chameleons.

Mice

This is considered another favorite for a chameleon as a diet. Given together with insects translates to an excellent protein-rich snack for your pets; especially in adulthood.

Although they are nutritious, they are also somewhat high in fat and should be consumed in moderation.

Worms

This is another food you should consider for feeding your chameleon. From meal worms to earthworms, silkworms, and wax worms, they are packed with a lot of nutrition your pet needs.

These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins. They can be easily found in pet shops, or in your backyard.

Plants

This is not so much popular as a chameleon’s food. But, it doesn’t seem to pose any harm to your pet when consumed. But, there are certain beneficial nutrients that may be useful to your pet.

However, not all chameleons may be keen on plants, but if yours happen to fall among the not so picky ones, do not hesitate to make them available as much as possible.

In the case that your chameleons refuse plants; you can opt for gut loading. This is where you feed the insects with nutrient-rich plants and then in turn feed the insects to your pet.

Supplements

The truth remains that in the wild, chameleons are exposed to a broader diet than what is obtainable in captivity. There are always chances that what you consider the best diet may be missing out on some nutrients.

This is where supplements come in. These supplements are specially designed to contain all the required nutrients a chameleon needs.

They usually come in the form of tablets. All you have to do is put the tablets in water and melt, and then drop-feed your pets.

Water

As much as this might sound weird, no diet given to a chameleon can be complete if there is no good source of water. After all, water is an essential food for all living things, if they must survive.

Any form of food goes a long way to circulate nutrients all through your chameleon’s body system and keep them hydrated as well.

It is recommended to give your chameleons water using a water bottle, as compared to a bowl. This can easily be found in most pet stores.

Another option is the use of a water mister. This works by forming droplets on various surfaces on your chameleon’s home. Your pet can simply drink from these droplets when they get thirsty. (1)

Additional Tips

It is important we know that there are foods that can be harmful to your reptile pet. You should watch out for insects that have come in contact with toxins such as pesticides, probably in and around your home.

This is why it is advised that chameleon’s food be sourced from organic sources and healthy environments.

The frequency of feeding your chameleons is also important. For instance, you should feed baby chameleons on a daily basis and in large amounts too.

It is essential that they eat a lot to meet up with their high rate of growth.

Also, ensure that insects fed to them are small enough to get through their mouth with ease.

For adult chameleons, you must not feed them every day. An average of 4-5 days every week is enough. This goes without saying that, you can and should feed them with larger insects.

Final Words On What Do Chameleons Eat

Like humans, chameleons no doubt need a proper diet, and every responsible reptile enthusiast knows it’s essential to identify these diets.

So if you are planning to keep chameleon as pet lizards, this article should get you started on what chameleons eat.

Generally, insects should be your primary focus, but their diet can also consist of worms, mice, plants, supplements, and so on.

This is not in any way to say that this article is all-inclusive. Should you notice any unusual eating habit that you don’t feel is of benefit to your pet, it is only wise to seek help.

I hope this post proves to be valuable in identifying the right diet for your chameleon buddy. If you enjoyed the information or have any questions you wish to ask or contributions you want to make, kindly drop them in the comment section below.

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