Help. Filled out the help forum, a few questions!

[happiness]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Female, Over 6 months old.. I just got the chameleon about a week ago.
Handling - I've held it once, she gets mad when my hand gets near her.
Feeding - I feed my Cham crickets, about 10-15 in the morning only. Today I just bought Wax worms and gave my Cham one at around 6pm
Supplements - I was using the Flukers Vitamin powder on the crickets when I fed them in the beginning of the day, once a day, but I just got in the Rep cal brand of Multivitamin, Vitamin D and regular Vitamin.
Watering - I use the drip method with a dripper.. I mist about 2-3 times a day.. and I haven't seen my Chameleon drink since the first day I got her..
Fecal Description - Brown and white from what i see from a very dried up poop looks like. And No I haven't personally had her checked, not sure if the past owner did..
History - The previous owner said hes had the chameleon for 6 months .. and the chameleon barely grew.. he said she was almost the same size when he first got her..

Cage Info: Zoo Med Type
Cage Type - Screen, 16x16x20
Lighting - Zilla Day White 75w 120v Basking lamp, Exo Terra UVB 100 bulb,
Temperature - I just put a temperature gauge in and at the basking spot it was around 91F.. I'm not sure what the cage floor is.. And no clue about the overnight temp. I have a heater on the floor near the cage that is set to 68
I measure by the temperature gauge.
Humidity - 40% I have a humidity gauge,
Plants - I just put in Marble Queen Pothos and a very small schefflera plant
Placement - My cage is on a table, there is a ceiling fan about 4 feet away and a area that we always pass by.. The top of the cage is 3foot 6 inches from the ground.
Location - East coast US

Current Problem - .. My chameleon has been brown a lot.. I recently placed a branch where she can bask right under the light and I've noticed sometimes she'll turn green underneath the lamp and she will open her mouth, or even move away from the lamp after sometime.. I put the temperature gauge about 3 inches down from the basking lamp and it is showing 90F..

Another problem.. She is pretty skinny looking, I can sometimes see her ribs going all the way across her belly, and most of the time only see the ribs down toward her underside.. I asked a woman at Petsmart and she suggested feeding her Wax Worms.. I just put one in the cage tonight and she actually ate it, which I'm pretty happy! Considering the owner said she wouldn't eat meal worms..

I also want to know if her cage is too filled with foliage? I currently have the Marble Queen Pothos, a small schefflera, a bendable fake brown stick/vine thing and long fake vine leaves.. I figured the more areas she could climb around the better.. but I don't want it to be too much...

I really would like for her to be comfortable with me and my hands.. when I put my hands anywhere near her, she gets scared and opens her mouth at me.. How do I get her to not be afraid of me?

Thank you for your help!

 

[browncofan]

HI and wecome to the forums. Congratulations on the new chameleon. If you could post some pictures of your girl and her home that would be very helpful.

The only thing I can see is that your cage is very small, most people will recommend at least 36inches high or even better 48inches. Chameleons love the space and like to be high off the ground. Try placing the cage up higher they feel safer.

I didn't see you post aything about what you are gutloading your feeders with. Feeding your feeders is just as important as feeding your chameleon. Search for some blogs on here from sandrachameleon she has great receipes. Also a variety of feeder insects is better. Crickets, Dubi a Roaches, silkworms, superworms and hornwoms are a great start. Butterworms and Phoenix worms are smaller but are very nutritous

Your supplimentation is probably fine but I was a little confused on what you are using. Rep-Cal plain clacium should be every day. Then a multivitamin 2 times a month and calcium with D3 added twice a month.

I am sure some others will chime in soon, in the mean time use the resources tab at the top of this page to find some great care sheets.

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. Do you have any pictures of just your chameleon....not in the cage? IMO you are keeping her to warm. Attached below is my blog for how I keep young veileds and my laying bin blog. At 6 months old I would recommend a laying bin in her enclosure at all times. Females can and often do lay eggs without a male even being around.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

A video to show you how to make a laying bin.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/

Female info: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

More great info: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

 

[happiness]

Sorry about the confusion!

I have a Large Critter tank that I hold about 100 crickets in, and I've been putting in carrots and green bean pieces.. they didn't seem to like it so I tried Wheat germ (hope that's okay!) and they were tearing it up! So I've been leaving wheat germ in there, and continue to put green beans and carrots in there.. My "Bug Burger" has finally made its way to me, so I have a smaller plastic container with about 15 crickets in with the Bug burger, green beans, and some Flukers Water gel. (I got the water gel today too, put that in the large cage as well for all my crickets)

I will look for a bigger cage for her, would you suggest just buying one of the bigger ones right away even though she is pretty small? I'd hate to buy one that is just taller, if I'm going to need a wider one when/if she gets bigger.

I'll post a few more pictures in just a second.

Edit**

.. I was looking for Her just the other day and finally found her laying underneath on the rocks under the leaves of the pothos that I had placed to avoid her eating the dirt. Could this possibly be because she wanted to lay eggs?

 

[jannb]

Sorry about the confusion!

I have a Large Critter tank that I hold about 100 crickets in, and I've been putting in carrots and green bean pieces.. they didn't seem to like it so I tried Wheat germ (hope that's okay!) and they were tearing it up! So I've been leaving wheat germ in there, and continue to put green beans and carrots in there.. My "Bug Burger" has finally made its way to me, so I have a smaller plastic container with about 15 crickets in with the Bug burger, green beans, and some Flukers Water gel. (I got the water gel today too, put that in the large cage as well for all my crickets)

I will look for a bigger cage for her, would you suggest just buying one of the bigger ones right away even though she is pretty small? I'd hate to buy one that is just taller, if I'm going to need a wider one when/if she gets bigger.

I'll post a few more pictures in just a second.

Don't put the water gel in the chameleon cage. She could eat them and it could be deadly.

I recommend gut loading with allot of different veggies and fruits. Most here use a 48" high cage.

 

[happiness]

Don't put the water gel in the chameleon cage. She could eat them and it could be deadly.

I recommend gut loading with allot of different veggies and fruits. Most here use a 48" high cage.

I just put the water gel in the cricket cages. Her belly looks a little fuller tonight, I was trying to get a good picture of her.. and she was hiding behind a few leaves and my phone is locking up.. Is there an easy way to grab her and hold her without stressing her out? Like I said before, I'd really like to get her comfortable to me.. but right now shes really scared.

I'll look the 48" up Thank you

 

[jannb]

I just put the water gel in the cricket cages. Her belly looks a little fuller tonight, I was trying to get a good picture of her.. and she was hiding behind a few leaves and my phone is locking up.. Is there an easy way to grab her and hold her without stressing her out? Like I said before, I'd really like to get her comfortable to me.. but right now shes really scared.

I'll look the 48" up Thank you

I would not grab her. You will only scare her more. I'll find you a blog for taming your chameleon and link it below.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/psychobunny/746-taming-chameleon.html

 

[happiness]

I watched the video on laying the eggs.. Does the bucket have to be 12"? My cage seems a bit small for something so big.. How would I fit a 12" pot into the cage? I guess remove the pothos plant? And what if she isn't laying any eggs any time soon?

And thank you so much !!!

And are bananas okay?

 

[jannb]

You could use something a little smaller until you get a larger cage. She will probably love banana. All my veiled girls did.
DIY is a good place to buy a cage.
http://www.diycages.com/15201/15243.html

 

[happiness]

You could use something a little smaller until you get a larger cage. She will probably love banana. All my veiled girls did.
DIY is a good place to buy a cage.
http://www.diycages.com/15201/15243.html

would you suggest this cage over a zoomed?