senegal cham questions

tony103

New Member
hey guys whats going on... ive had my senegal cham for a week now the first day he ate alot but now hes not eating much at all a meal worm or cricket like once every other day im going to try to attach some pics of my set up and him and let me know what you guys think and if he looks healthy...the temp is usually around 80-85 during the day and the humidity is around 60-70 for now i have him in a tank but one of my buddies is giving me his old chameleon setup soon hopefully... thanks ... im having trouble uploading the pics.. the files are too large
 
this should work
 

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I feel sorry for your chameleon :(
He is unhappy in that aquarium. You need a complete redesign of your setup. I would get your friend's setup today or purchase a temporary 'baby cage' from petsmart.

I can not say for sure, but I assume the problems your chameleon is having is husbandry related. These are delicate animals and you need to get him into a proper environment asap.


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The aquarium is the first thing that bothered me. There are a few species of chameleon where an aquarium might be appropriate, but a Senegal is definitely not one of them. There are many reasons why an aquarium is a bad idea for chameleons, too many to list here. Two very valid reasons are the stale humid air that is trapped in an aquarium, and the reflection the chameleon sees of itself. The chameleon thinks it is seeing another chameleon, and remains stressed.

Next, the gravel. That is only going to lead to problems. From the humidity and watering in the tank, bacteria will grow and infections will occur. Also, your cham could easily eat some on accident causing obvious problems.
 
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Alright well.. how bad is it for him.. i mean i could go to petco right now and buy a small screen cage... or i can wait till next week to get this other screen cage that is like 4 or 5 ft high...? i mean if you think this is why hes not eating then id probabnly go out and get something for now
 
I understand the dilemma.

I can not say for sure why he is not eating. I assume he is heavily stressed from his setup. It is possible he never fully adjusted after the move to his new home. A 4-5 foot cage sounds very nice and will be great for your cham. From the pic and the fact that you just obtained the chameleon, I assume he is young. A 4-5 foot cage might actually be too big for him right now; he could have a hard time finding food/water.

I would go ahead and purchase a screened cage to use until the larger one is needed. The cages can be disassembled easy and stored away for future use. I have one of the cages myself, and used it when my current chameleon Ezhno was a baby.

Add a live plant that fills the cage. You should be able to find them locally without a problem. You may need to repot (new soil) the plant if pesticides were used.

No gravel or bottom is needed in your cage.
 
I would say it is urgent you get him in a proper cage. The photo of him shows he is stressed and not very healthy. He is underweight, just look at his tail and you will see it showing bone. The substrate in that photo is suitable only for fish. Yes I 'd say sort his habitat out asap or you will probably lose him:(
 
hey thanks alot... i went and got a new screen cage, ill just use this until i get my buddies cage...but its actually really nice..
 

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That is great to see Tony! Make sure you are providing the correct temp/humidity and give him a few days to adjust. What size cage did you get? I think I have the medium sized one; worked great when my cham was 3-6 months.
 
yea thanks for the help.. oh and thats my next question what should i keep the temp at i know that senegals like it cooler than some other chams.. or so ive heard ... the cage is 22" tall and 18" and 12" deep
 
I have never kept a Senegal, but according to various care sheets they require a temperature range of 72-85°F during the day and in the high 60's and the low 70's°F at night. This means you need to provide a temperature gradient during the day from 72F to 85F.
 
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