Are you new to the world of chameleons?
Have you just brought a baby chameleon into your home, but aren’t sure what is best to be feeding him or her?
When you are trying to figure out what your baby chameleon should be eating, you might ask:
What are the best worms for a baby chameleon?
When you have baby chameleons, the best worms to feed to them are mealworms and silkworms.
Commonly, you will see crickets as the main staple of a chameleon’s diet at any age, but worms are just as important.
Keep reading for more information about the best worms to feed your baby chameleon.
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Best Worms For A Baby Chameleon
A baby chameleon will have an extensive appetite because it is rapidly growing with a fast metabolism.
When it comes to feeding your baby chameleon, worms are a great option to provide them with a bounty of nutrients.
The best worms to feed your baby chameleon are mealworms and silkworms.
These worms should be small in size, to accommodate the smaller mouth.
At this age, you cannot feed the baby chameleon worms the same size you would be feeding adult chameleons.
These worms will fit in with the size requirement and offer a bounty of nutrients for your growing chameleon.
How Much Should I Feed My Baby Chameleon?
A baby chameleon has such a high metabolism, and they are growing so quickly, making it difficult to overfeed them.
Throughout the day, these young chameleons should be fed between 12 and 18 small insects.
They have a large appetite at this age, requiring far more insects daily than the adults of their species.
These insects should be gut loaded and dusted with supplements to give the animals the best nutrition possible.
How Often Do Baby Chameleons Need To Be Fed?
Baby chameleons are growing rapidly and have a very high metabolism.
Because of this, these babies will need to be fed two times per day, if your schedule permits, and should have near-constant access to a food source.
As the baby chameleon grows into adulthood, the feedings are dialed back to once per day or even every other day.
What Else Can I Feed A Baby Chameleon?
In the wild, chameleons will eat whatever insects come along, mostly because they never know when they will get their next meal.
This means they see a wide range of insects and get a lot of great nutrients.
Chameleons in captivity don’t have the same access to insects, but you should still be looking at giving them different kinds of insects.
Besides feeding worms to your baby chameleon, they are also able to and should eat a variety of other insects.
Variety will help give them a better opportunity to absorb a range of nutrients from their food.
In addition, some species of chameleons enjoy eating veggies, fruits, and greens.
A list of possible food for your chameleon includes:
- Crickets
- Flightless Fruit Flies
- Grasshoppers
- Cockroaches
- Kale
- Squash
- Sweet Potato
- Bell Peppers
There are many more options, especially when it comes to veggies and fruits, but be sure to research before you attempt to feed something new to your pet.
Some insects, veggies, and fruits are toxic to your chameleon.
As a rule of thumb, the insects you feed your chameleon, at any age, should not be larger than the space in-between their eyes.
If an insect is too large, your animal could choke and even die.
Ways To Feed My Baby Chameleon
There are a couple of methods to use for feeding your chameleon when it is a baby or at any age.
The first, and the most natural method, is to let the insects loose into the enclosure free range.
Your chameleon will begin to learn how to catch their food like they do in the wild, the natural way.
They are also keeping active and flexing those tongue muscles, but as a downside, the insects have the opportunity to hide in the enclosure.
This will happen if the enclosure is too large for the baby chameleon to catch their prey.
Another option is cup feeding.
With this method, you will place a small low dish full of insects into the enclosure, and the chameleon will then be able to eat from the cup.
This is a great way to keep the insects contained, making it easier for the babies to catch them.
The cup should not be clear, as the chameleon can injure their tongue while attempting to catch an insect and not realizing there is a barrier.
Not all insects are fed to the chameleon in this way.
Worms do not move so quickly or so much to need to be placed in a cup, and flying insects cannot be contained in this manner.
What Are Feeder Insects?
Feeder insects have been bred specifically to be given to reptiles and other animals for food.
You should avoid feeding your chameleon any insects you happen to catch in your home or the outdoors as they could contain pesticides and other chemicals.
These chemicals and pesticides would pass to your pet as they are digested.
If digested, your chameleon could become very sick and even have a shortened lifespan.
Feeders are purchased online or your local pet stores.
You will find a wider variety of insects online as opposed to your pet store, making online purchases more attractive.
Online retailers usually have around 30 options for you to choose from, and while you aren’t likely to find so many options in your pet store, they are a great option if you can’t wait for the shipping.
As another option, become your own feeder farm, ensuring you will have a healthy amount of insects on hand.
Conclusion
When you have a chameleon, it is a good idea to feed them a varied diet of insects.
While crickets are among the most popular options to feed a pet chameleon, it should be noted; worms are a great way to offer variety and nutrition.
When you have baby chameleons, offer them small mealworms and silkworms to fill their constantly hungry bellies.
We hope you now have a better understanding of what worms are the best to feed your baby chameleons.
