Chameleon food

What do chameleons eat?

Chameleons eat live insects: they are strict insectivores and will not accept pellets or dead food. The staple diet in captivity is crickets and Blaptica dubia roaches, which are high in protein and low in fat, supplemented occasionally with worms. Offering several insect species in rotation is key to a balanced diet, because no single insect covers everything a chameleon needs.

The value of the prey depends on how it has been fed: an unfed insect is just a chitin exoskeleton with no nutritional value. That is why our insects are reared on feed and vegetables, and it is worth continuing to feed them at home with an insect feed until they are offered. Before feeding, dust them with calcium and, depending on the day, with reptile vitamins.

What size insect does a chameleon need?

The right prey size for a chameleon is an insect no wider than the gap between the chameleon's eyes: prey that is too big can cause problems when swallowed. That is why we stock each insect in several sizes, according to the animal's age:

• Hatchlings: micro crickets (about 1 week old), XS crickets (0.5 cm) and micro Blaptica dubia (0.5-1 cm).
• Juveniles: S crickets (0.9-1.3 cm) and S Blaptica dubia (1-2 cm).
• Adults: M crickets (1.5 cm) and L/XL (1.8-2 cm), recommended for large chameleons such as the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis), and M Blaptica dubia (2-3 cm) or L/XL (over 3 cm).

Young chameleons need small prey and more frequent feeds than adults.

Can chameleons eat worms?

Yes, chameleons can eat worms, but as a supplement rather than the staple of their diet, because worms are high in fat. They are useful as a treat, for variety or for animals with a poor appetite, as most reptiles cannot resist trying them.

• Mini mealworm (1.2-1.4 cm): for young chameleons.
• Mealworm (2-3 cm): for adults, occasionally.
• Zophoba or superworm (4 cm): the largest and fattiest, for adults only and now and then.

Worms are also the easiest to keep at home: they last a long time in wheat bran with vegetable peelings before turning into pupae. So that the chameleon does not have to search for them around the terrarium, offer them in a raised feeding cup. All types are in our live worms collection.

What calcium and vitamins does a chameleon need?

A chameleon with a UVB lamp needs calcium without vitamin D3 as its base supplement, because UVB radiation already allows it to make its own D3 and an excess of this vitamin can be toxic. Calcium with D3 is reserved for days of lower exposure to UVB light. Both are made by Zoo Med, in 85 g and 227 g tubs.

The third supplement is the multivitamin, which provides vitamins, essential amino acids and trace elements. In chameleons it is used with caution, because excess vitamin A is toxic to this species. Supplements are dusted directly onto the insects just before offering them. Supplementation is especially important for the chameleon, a species that is very sensitive to nutritional deficiencies: without calcium, metabolic bone disease sets in. All three products are in calcium and vitamins for reptiles.

How do you feed a chameleon?

A chameleon is fed from a raised feeding cup and, from time to time, by letting it hunt at a distance. The simplest option is a plastic tub tied to a high branch with a cable tie, which stops the insects escaping around the terrarium. But a chameleon also needs chances to shoot its tongue out over a distance: it is necessary physical and mental exercise for this species.

Any insects it does not eat are removed after each feed, because crickets have strong jaws and can bite the animal while it sleeps. Water does not go in a bowl either: chameleons do not drink standing water and need to see it as droplets on the leaves, by misting or with a misting system. The full set-up is in our chameleon terrarium guide. Live food is shipped within 24 hours to mainland Spain and Portugal, Monday to Thursday.