Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:49 am Post subject: Damn Crickets

I have a gravid Panther cham, very pretty she is to. I fed her some crickets the other day, a little while later I noticed late in the afternoon that a cricket was sitting on her back, a normal house brown. She was clearly irritated by this. So I removed it for her, on the top of her back along the spine is a nasty quite deep bite mark that has left a 3mm deep hole where the crix has been nibbling away.

I have cleaned the wound with Tamodine, she does not seem to phased and is quite a tame cham anyway.

First time I have seen a brown house crix do this! I don't use blacks as they can be quite nasty also my chams don't eat the blacks.

I allways try to feed the correct amount that each individual cham will eat in one go. I also leave some veg in the vivs in case there is a stray crix about.

It makes me wonder if the cricket was attracted to her because she is gravid? Perhaps the crix can detect a different smell due to hormonal changes within the cham? Or maybe it was just a rogue cricket that was being opportunistic and grabbing a quick live meal!

Just goes to show you can never be to vigilant. Needles to say I shall be monitoring the back wound.
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linda · Key Member Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 442 Location: UK

rick you have to watch out for the locuats too, they have done this to my cham, and she is scarred by it, nasty little beggars!
not seen my cirx do this as i was told the black ones will eat her...
good luck

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:29 am Post subject:

Yeah blacks are notorious nippers, have heard browns can be like this but not seen it until now, I hand feed locusts the majority of the time so not such a problem there.
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johne.ev · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:07 pm Post subject:

hi Rick.
sorry about your cham. i hope no permanent damage has been done. dont really know how to avoid this other than only hand feeding which i know isn't always possible. i usually make apoint of checking and removing any crickets at night, but sometimes miss the odd one. My male panther will occasionally eat the odd black crix, but female won't touch e'm. also both mine show a preferance for the brown banded crix.

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:18 pm Post subject:

Peter Parrot · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:20 pm Post subject:

Is it the little red female Rick? Have you tried her with your lobster roaches yet?
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Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:33 pm Post subject:

Jan O · Key Member Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 360

Crikey!! I knew black crix were known for this but browns too- this is news to me. Now you can see why the only crix allowed in this house are UP TO size 3 browns.Fortunatley the only ones of mine who relish them are the pygmy chams and the FBT's and theres no chance any crix will be left after a feed with them.None of my others are fussed if they have crix or not so I tend to use more locusts than anything else.
I hope shes ok Rick and what a good job you witnessed it before any real damage was done- just goes to show how vigilant over our pets you have to be.Glad shes ok, I wonder if the cricket detected and was drawn to some sort of hormone emitted by her.
Love Jan

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:39 pm Post subject:

Thanks Jan she is doing fine now.

Yes I wondered if it was a chemical / hormonal thing that attracted the crix to her as she is gravid. I think I said this in my initial post, does make one wonder?

Just glad I spotted it before the damage was worse, allthough it was quite a deep hole!
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