My New Baby Veiled Cham

[g0thicfairy08_]

Hiii! , I just got my first baby veiled chameleon yesterday from a pet Store near me ,she is about 3-4 months old, I’m using the Reptibreeze enclosure with measurements of 16x16x30 , I made the mistake of not completely setting up the enclosure because my store did not have all of the materials for my chammie in stock and the home depot/Lowe’s was closed so I couldn’t get any live plants ,i have to unfortunately wait until tomorrow to get more appropriate things for her ( still don’t know the gender ,but I’ve guessed a female because I’ve identified no tarsal spurs and the casque is low) I’ve been monitoring her ever since i got her and she has been showing signs of stress like puffing up and squeaking noises, and becoming darker with some dark green spots , she has not eaten the small mealworms I’ve given her yet but I’m not forcing it, i just gradually tried holding the bowl in her site for about 5 mins but no interaction. The fake plants and jungle vine do not hold the water for very long which has been making me worry she won’t get any hydration and there is not a lot in the cage for her to climb or hide and I know she feels so threatened and exposed but I have no other plants , I’ve found branches and I’ve washed and scrubbed them today , still waiting for them to dry . I covered her enclosure with tapestry to Give her privacy and everyone won’t gawk at her plus it’s light so there’s still much ventilation, I didn’t want to overstuff the enclosure with a bunch of fake so I made the harsh decision to wait, i did notice she pooped and it was white and brown ,But it dried up after a while so the white started to look a tad off-white, it wasn’t too messy I just cleaned it right up. i will admit that ive been a helicopter mom but also giving her lots of space , I haven’t tried to handle her or touch her because I'm respecting her boundaries and letting her know I’m safe for her and have an understanding. This is a pic I took last night of her sleeping and the second one is how she looks tonight.

 

[GrannyK]

Hello! Welcome to the forum! You have a cutie there! While we wait for experienced keepers to chime in I’ve attached a husbandry form for you to copy and past with your answers so we can get you and your beautiful little one started in the right direction! I know sometimes pet stores sell chameleon kits and if you got yourself one of those you may need some upgrades soon!
You’re in great hands here!!

 

[GrannyK]

Hello! Welcome to the forum! You have a cutie there! While we wait for experienced keepers to chime in I’ve attached a husbandry form for you to copy and past with your answers so we can get you and your beautiful little one started in the right direction! I know sometimes pet stores sell chameleon kits and if you got yourself one of those you may need some upgrades soon!
You’re in great hands here!!

I mean here it is lol

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. long has it been in your care?How
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

 

[Andrew1283]

Looks to be a beautiful female veiled chameleon. Congratulations!

You will need these items fairly quickly to keep her healthy:

XL Reptibreeze enclosure

A stand or table to elevate the enclosure off the floor

Live chameleon safe plants like pothos.

Heat lamp

Linear T5 UVB light

Wired temp probe to confirm basking temp is correct

Hand sprayer for misting

Calcium and vitamin powder to dust her feeder insects.

 

[GrannyK]

In addition to this form I recommend reviewing chamaeleon academy and watch Neptune the chameleon on you tube. Excellent resources and guides to proper care of our tiny dinos. Great information.

 

[Sherbertsmysunshine]

Hello and welcome! Just wanted to tell you that @GrannyK And @Andrew1283 are awesome! They will help your little one thrive! Always feel free to ask any questions and post lots of pictures!

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

I mean here it is lol

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. long has it been in your care?How
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon ( Chamaeleo Calyptratus), Female , 3-4 months old. She’s been in my care for 1 day and a half.

Handling - I have not handled her yet, working up to that in about 2 weeks or so.

Feeding - when I got her she just ate crickets they said at the pet store ,today I tried giving her 5 small mealworms to start off in case she wasn’t feeling up to eating which she wasn’t, I am going to try having her on a morning eating schedule once she’s comfortable and adjusted. I have not done any gut-loading yet because I do not have the food for the food lol.

Supplements - I am using the Repti-calcium w/o d3 and reptivite with d3 because that’s what came in the kit for right now. I will start to have her on a bi-weekly schedule.

Watering - spray bottle , since the fake plants don’t hold the water ive been spraying almost 3 times a day with the reptisafe water conditioner that also came in the kit , for like 2 minutes. I have not seen her drink yet.

Fecal Description - she’s pooped once since I got her and it was brown with white cream colo on the opposite end. I did not ask the place if she was tested for parasites but I will contact them to ask.

History - nope , all new experiences with her from here .



Cage Info:

Cage Type - Reptibreeze medium screen enclosure with dimensions of 16x16x30

Lighting - zoo med reptisun 10.0 uvb and zoo med daylight blue heat bulb 60W( came with kit ) I turn her lights on when I wake up which can vary between 8-10am and I will shut them off that same time at night.

Temperature - day 80-90 , Night 70-80 , I did not measure them correctly because I don’t want to permanently place the lightly somewhere knowing I have to add a lot more in for her.

Humidity - I do not have a hygrometer yet so I can not tell the humidity , I try to keep the basking area the hottest and have the uvb on the opposite branch for lower temp

Plants - not yet

Placement - on top of a desk ( she will not be there permanently because I have to travel with her for about 30-45 minutes tomorrow ) room oscillating FA no air vents or high traffic area, approx. 70in

Location- Melbourne, Florida.

I mean here it is lol

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. long has it been in your care?How
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

Looks to be a beautiful female veiled chameleon. Congratulations!

You will need these items fairly quickly to keep her healthy:

XL Reptibreeze enclosure

A stand or table to elevate the enclosure off the floor

Live chameleon safe plants like pothos.

Heat lamp

Linear T5 UVB light

Wired temp probe to confirm basking temp is correct

Hand sprayer for misting

Calcium and vitamin powder to dust her feeder insects.

Thank you so much ! I’m wringing down my list currently so I know what all I need to pick up tomorrow.

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

Hello and welcome! Just wanted to tell you that @GrannyK And @Andrew1283 are awesome! They will help your little one thrive! Always feel free to ask any questions and post lots of pictures!

great ! I’m glad to have heard back from a few members , it really makes me feel way more calm than before.

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! I’m glad you found us! You’ve been given some great tips already.

I do want to address the squeaking sound you mentioned. Do you hear any popping or clicking sounds when she breathes?

 

[Andrew1283]

https://www.amazon.com/Arcadia-Reptile-Forest-6-UV-B-Single/dp/B09T96TPHJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=245TQZPV27YKQ&keywords=arcadia+6%+uvb&qid=1699282604&sprefix=arcadia+6%+,aps,65&sr=8-5


https://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Dawn-...rds=arcadia+jungle+dawn&qid=1699282713&sr=8-5

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

Hello and welcome! I’m glad you found us! You’ve been given some great tips already.

I do want to address the squeaking sound you mentioned. Do you hear any popping or clicking sounds when she breathes?

Not all the time but , I have good hearing like a hawk and I feel like I’ll hear her make a tiny popping noise and I will dart up to see what’s wrong with her, she is doing the thing where she has her head tilted up towards the basking light but I think I maybe didn’t position the little vines right for her which is my mistake. She does do some gaping too, I try not to look at her too much so she has privacy but since she’s a baby , it’s my responsibility to ensure she’s nurtured properly, everyone has helped me amazingly so far on top of the info I had already known. I wanted to ask advice on the cage set up I have because it is too small for her and I just bought the medium one , should I wait to get a bigger cage in a couple months or just buy another one now. she also still won’t eat the small mealworms so I’m guessing I have to get insects with more movement or just wait for her to gain the appetite?

still no name for her yet , but i think ive decided with Moona , and Oona as her nickname. ( this is a pic from this morning )

 

[Andrew1283]

Check this out when you have some time. Bill Strand is a leader in the community and his expertise is a life saver.

https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/


She may be overheating which is why she’s gaping. Chameleons don’t sweat, they can expel heat from their mouths by gaping. Also any noise up in the air with an odd squeal or popping noise could be a sign of upper respiratory infection. Make sure to get the proper equipment asap and check her basking temps and humidity. Everyone on here is glad to help you be as successful as possible with your new baby!

My first cham was a young female veiled. She had issues but they were straightened out with help from forum members and the right stuff. It doesn’t have to be terribly expensive. You can use clean hardwood branches from outside, cheap chameleon-safe plants from a big box store, and an incandescent bulb of 40-60 watt for basking. The heat probe is fairly inexpensive but a life saver. You just adjust the wattage and branch distance to get the right temp, around 82 degrees.

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

Check this out when you have some time. Bill Strand is a leader in the community and his expertise is a life saver.

https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/


She may be overheating which is why she’s gaping. Chameleons don’t sweat, they can expel heat from their mouths by gaping. Also any noise up in the air with an odd squeal or popping noise could be a sign of upper respiratory infection. Make sure to get the proper equipment asap and check her basking temps and humidity. Everyone on here is glad to help you be as successful as possible with your new baby!

My first cham was a young female veiled. She had issues but they were straightened out with help from forum members and the right stuff. It doesn’t have to be terribly expensive. You can use clean hardwood branches from outside, cheap chameleon-safe plants from a big box store, and an incandescent bulb of 40-60 watt for basking. The heat probe is fairly inexpensive but a life saver. You just adjust the wattage and branch distance to get the right temp, around 82 degrees.

Thank you , I am going to get most of what I can for her today like the dripper and maybe the mist system, timer outlets , uvb and basking lights, hopefully I can get the plant lights soon. I am concerned because it's taking a bit to get everything I need for her and I'm not to sure how long she's able to last without the proper things, is she going to be alright while waiting for the rest of her materials and also should I keep her in there while I'm adding and moving things or should I take her out and put her inside a box or a plastic container with holes for ventilation?

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi neighbor! I’m a bit north of you in Cocoa. You’ve gotten some great feedback so far. I’m going to go thru all of your husbandry and will probably be repeating some of it, so pardon in advance. I will be splitting this into two parts - I talk a lot.
Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon ( Chamaeleo Calyptratus), Female , 3-4 months old. She’s been in my care for 1 day and a half. She is definitely a she as I don’t see any tarsal spurs. I’m not sure about age…at least 4 months old, so that is what I’ll go by.
Handling - I have not handled her yet, working up to that in about 2 weeks or so. Perfect! She needs time to settle in and feel comfortable and safe. It is important to build trust with her and here is a fantastic blog on how to do that. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

Feeding - when I got her she just ate crickets they said at the pet store ,today I tried giving her 5 small mealworms to start off in case she wasn’t feeling up to eating which she wasn’t, I am going to try having her on a morning eating schedule once she’s comfortable and adjusted. I have not done any gut-loading yet because I do not have the food for the food lol. Mealworms aren’t a very good choice. Crickets are a good staple, but we want to give a good variety. I’m attaching a couple of graphics on feeders and what to feed them. I don’t gut load, but I do keep my bugs well fed and as healthy as possible, so that they’re more nutritious. Along with fresh produce, I add a little bit of bug burger. We are super fortunate to have Incredible Pets on Wickham and they usually have a good selection of feeders. I was there a few weeks ago and they even had silkworms! Whatever you feed, make sure that the bugs are smaller than the space between her eyes. I prefer to feed bugs that are a bit smaller to make it so my chams don’t have to struggle.

Supplements - I am using the Repti-calcium w/o d3 and reptivite with d3 because that’s what came in the kit for right now. I will start to have her on a bi-weekly schedule. This is great! When you run out of the ReptiVite, switch over to Repashy Calcium Plus LoD (it has a Jackson’s chameleon on the label). It’s just a little better.

Watering - spray bottle , since the fake plants don’t hold the water ive been spraying almost 3 times a day with the reptisafe water conditioner that also came in the kit , for like 2 minutes. I have not seen her drink yet. Good! It’s best to spray for 2 minutes right before lights go on and off. At mid day you can spray for a minute or so or use a dripper for about 15 minutes if needed. Many chameleons are secretive about drinking, so you may never see her drink. Look at her urates (the white part of the poos) to judge hydration. It should be all white or maybe with a small amount of yellow on one end. If it’s mostly dark or orange, that indicates dehydration.

Fecal Description - she’s pooped once since I got her and it was brown with white cream colo on the opposite end. I did not ask the place if she was tested for parasites but I will contact them to ask. Most pet stores don’t test…not worth it for them. A wellness check - especially since she’s squeaking -is a good idea and take a fresh poo for parasite checking. We do have some great vets in Orlando. I go to Dr Bogoslavsky https://myavho.com/staff/Bruce-Bogoslavsky-DVM For just wellness checks and minor issues, I’ve started going to Dr Brenner at https://cocoaveterinary.com/ There is also Aloha animal hospital, but I’ve heard very bad about them.

History - nope , all new experiences with her from here .

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you , I am going to get most of what I can for her today like the dripper and maybe the mist system, timer outlets , uvb and basking lights, hopefully I can get the plant lights soon. I am concerned because it's taking a bit to get everything I need for her and I'm not to sure how long she's able to last without the proper things, is she going to be alright while waiting for the rest of her materials and also should I keep her in there while I'm adding and moving things or should I take her out and put her inside a box or a plastic container with holes for ventilation?

I would suggest maybe getting one of Neptune the Chamleon’s kits. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon There is also an advanced version that includes a Mist King system. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...vanced-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon Either one is a great deal. If you were to buy each item separately, you’d be paying more. I don’t know how long the shipping takes, but I think your little girl would be ok for a few days more.

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

Hi neighbor! I’m a bit north of you in Cocoa. You’ve gotten some great feedback so far. I’m going to go thru all of your husbandry and will probably be repeating some of it, so pardon in advance. I will be splitting this into two parts - I talk a lot.
Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon ( Chamaeleo Calyptratus), Female , 3-4 months old. She’s been in my care for 1 day and a half. She is definitely a she as I don’t see any tarsal spurs. I’m not sure about age…at least 4 months old, so that is what I’ll go by.
Handling - I have not handled her yet, working up to that in about 2 weeks or so. Perfect! She needs time to settle in and feel comfortable and safe. It is important to build trust with her and here is a fantastic blog on how to do that. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

Feeding - when I got her she just ate crickets they said at the pet store ,today I tried giving her 5 small mealworms to start off in case she wasn’t feeling up to eating which she wasn’t, I am going to try having her on a morning eating schedule once she’s comfortable and adjusted. I have not done any gut-loading yet because I do not have the food for the food lol. Mealworms aren’t a very good choice. Crickets are a good staple, but we want to give a good variety. I’m attaching a couple of graphics on feeders and what to feed them. I don’t gut load, but I do keep my bugs well fed and as healthy as possible, so that they’re more nutritious. Along with fresh produce, I add a little bit of bug burger. We are super fortunate to have Incredible Pets on Wickham and they usually have a good selection of feeders. I was there a few weeks ago and they even had silkworms! Whatever you feed, make sure that the bugs are smaller than the space between her eyes. I prefer to feed bugs that are a bit smaller to make it so my chams don’t have to struggle.

Supplements - I am using the Repti-calcium w/o d3 and reptivite with d3 because that’s what came in the kit for right now. I will start to have her on a bi-weekly schedule. This is great! When you run out of the ReptiVite, switch over to Repashy Calcium Plus LoD (it has a Jackson’s chameleon on the label). It’s just a little better.

Watering - spray bottle , since the fake plants don’t hold the water ive been spraying almost 3 times a day with the reptisafe water conditioner that also came in the kit , for like 2 minutes. I have not seen her drink yet. Good! It’s best to spray for 2 minutes right before lights go on and off. At mid day you can spray for a minute or so or use a dripper for about 15 minutes if needed. Many chameleons are secretive about drinking, so you may never see her drink. Look at her urates (the white part of the poos) to judge hydration. It should be all white or maybe with a small amount of yellow on one end. If it’s mostly dark or orange, that indicates dehydration.

Fecal Description - she’s pooped once since I got her and it was brown with white cream colo on the opposite end. I did not ask the place if she was tested for parasites but I will contact them to ask. Most pet stores don’t test…not worth it for them. A wellness check - especially since she’s squeaking -is a good idea and take a fresh poo for parasite checking. We do have some great vets in Orlando. I go to Dr Bogoslavsky https://myavho.com/staff/Bruce-Bogoslavsky-DVM For just wellness checks and minor issues, I’ve started going to Dr Brenner at https://cocoaveterinary.com/ There is also Aloha animal hospital, but I’ve heard very bad about them.

History - nope , all new experiences with her from here .

View attachment 346172View attachment 346173

That is so awesome! Very nice to meet someone close by and I'm always willing to accept info and feedback for my chammie whether overshared or notthank you for taking time out of your day to help me care for mine . It means a lot that all of u are here to help and I'm not alone. , I just called to schedule a vet appointment for her tomorrow morning but I think I might have to switch it to a different place because I'm currently staying over at my sister's house in Merritt island and I don't live here. I will admit I think I'm nervous in the areas of feeding her and dusting the right supplements on time and making sure her temps are exquisite because it's one of the most important parts. Once I have all I get for her later today I will post pictures of her new enclosure set up to get any new point of views or advice on it. My mom said I should wait at least 3 months before getting her a new cage because I just bought her current one this week. If this is not a good option please let me know and I will immediately order her the correct equipment. Once again thank you so so much love

 

[MissSkittles]

Here’s the grand finale!
Cage Info:

Cage Type - Reptibreeze medium screen enclosure with dimensions of 16x16x30 This is ok for now, but veileds grow super fast and she’ll soon be needing more space. The 2x2x4’ is minimum size. Of course, if you can go bigger, do that. I’ve combined XL enclosures and created double wides for some of my chams.

Lighting - zoo med reptisun 10.0 uvb and zoo med daylight blue heat bulb 60W( came with kit ) I turn her lights on when I wake up which can vary between 8-10am and I will shut them off that same time at night. Using a timer is easiest and ensures consistency for them. A 12 hour on/off schedule is best. No heat or lights at night. The dual dome fixture is nice, but replace the useless uvb coil with a nice little plant light. Something like this is good for basic plants. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BRKG7X1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 For uvb, you need the linear T5HO fixture with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb. There is ReptiSun and Arcadia…I prefer Arcadia…bulbs last longer. Then, the distance between your uvb light and her basking area needs to be about 8-9”. This gives her the ideal uvb level. The basking bulb sounds ok.

Temperature - day 80-90 , Night 70-80 , I did not measure them correctly because I don’t want to permanently place the lightly somewhere knowing I have to add a lot more in for her. This is too warm for her. Basking temps for little ones and ladies should be around 80 and no higher. It’s hard for us to get a decent temp drop at night, but if you can, then do. Veileds are pretty hardy and can handle temps as cool as the 50’s (but we never want to intentionally keep them that
at cold)

Humidity - I do not have a hygrometer yet so I can not tell the humidity , I try to keep the basking area the hottest and have the uvb on the opposite branch for lower temp It’s super important to accurately measure humidity. Ideal daytime range for her is between 30-50%. This is usually the same level that we’re comfortable at. You want the uvb and basking light next to each other. We want her to get uvb as she basks. If it gets too warm at her basking spot, you may need to get a lower wattage bulb.

Plants - not yet Veileds like to nibble their plants - especially the girls. It only takes one nibble of a fake leaf to get a bowel obstruction. Pothos is one of the best plants for chameleons imho. I always like to have a taller center plant like a schefflera and then surround it with pothos, tradescantia zebrina, spider plant, dracaena, etc. It is important to clean the plants as we need to assume they may have pesticide or fertilizer on them. Wash in a gentle dish soap, rinse well and then rinse again, even better. I also suggest repotting in organic soil (can be hard to find). Some cover the soil with larger river rocks to prevent soil eating. Just make sure the rocks are too big to be eaten. Attaching branches and plants is a challenge. There are these https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ which are better than sliced bread! I’ve also used scraps of plastic garden trellis and created little branch scaffolds. However you do it, you need to attach the main support to the frame and nothing to the screen.

Placement - on top of a desk ( she will not be there permanently because I have to travel with her for about 30-45 minutes tomorrow ) room oscillating FA no air vents or high traffic area, approx. 70in
Good. Height = safety. They prefer if they are able to look down upon their world.
Location- Melbourne, Florida.
Do you know that she will be laying eggs as she gets a bit older? It’s super important to get everything as perfect as possible to prevent problems. There are ways to reduce and possibly even stop her egg production. More on that later.

 

[g0thicfairy08_]

Here’s the grand finale!
Cage Info:

Cage Type - Reptibreeze medium screen enclosure with dimensions of 16x16x30 This is ok for now, but veileds grow super fast and she’ll soon be needing more space. The 2x2x4’ is minimum size. Of course, if you can go bigger, do that. I’ve combined XL enclosures and created double wides for some of my chams.

Lighting - zoo med reptisun 10.0 uvb and zoo med daylight blue heat bulb 60W( came with kit ) I turn her lights on when I wake up which can vary between 8-10am and I will shut them off that same time at night. Using a timer is easiest and ensures consistency for them. A 12 hour on/off schedule is best. No heat or lights at night. The dual dome fixture is nice, but replace the useless uvb coil with a nice little plant light. Something like this is good for basic plants. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BRKG7X1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 For uvb, you need the linear T5HO fixture with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb. There is ReptiSun and Arcadia…I prefer Arcadia…bulbs last longer. Then, the distance between your uvb light and her basking area needs to be about 8-9”. This gives her the ideal uvb level. The basking bulb sounds ok.

Temperature - day 80-90 , Night 70-80 , I did not measure them correctly because I don’t want to permanently place the lightly somewhere knowing I have to add a lot more in for her. This is too warm for her. Basking temps for little ones and ladies should be around 80 and no higher. It’s hard for us to get a decent temp drop at night, but if you can, then do. Veileds are pretty hardy and can handle temps as cool as the 50’s (but we never want to intentionally keep them that
at cold)

Humidity - I do not have a hygrometer yet so I can not tell the humidity , I try to keep the basking area the hottest and have the uvb on the opposite branch for lower temp It’s super important to accurately measure humidity. Ideal daytime range for her is between 30-50%. This is usually the same level that we’re comfortable at. You want the uvb and basking light next to each other. We want her to get uvb as she basks. If it gets too warm at her basking spot, you may need to get a lower wattage bulb.

Plants - not yet Veileds like to nibble their plants - especially the girls. It only takes one nibble of a fake leaf to get a bowel obstruction. Pothos is one of the best plants for chameleons imho. I always like to have a taller center plant like a schefflera and then surround it with pothos, tradescantia zebrina, spider plant, dracaena, etc. It is important to clean the plants as we need to assume they may have pesticide or fertilizer on them. Wash in a gentle dish soap, rinse well and then rinse again, even better. I also suggest repotting in organic soil (can be hard to find). Some cover the soil with larger river rocks to prevent soil eating. Just make sure the rocks are too big to be eaten. Attaching branches and plants is a challenge. There are these https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ which are better than sliced bread! I’ve also used scraps of plastic garden trellis and created little branch scaffolds. However you do it, you need to attach the main support to the frame and nothing to the screen.

Placement - on top of a desk ( she will not be there permanently because I have to travel with her for about 30-45 minutes tomorrow ) room oscillating FA no air vents or high traffic area, approx. 70in
Good. Height = safety. They prefer if they are able to look down upon their world.
Location- Melbourne, Florida.
Do you know that she will be laying eggs as she gets a bit older? It’s super important to get everything as perfect as possible to prevent problems. There are ways to reduce and possibly even stop her egg production. More on that later.

Yea I don’t have it fully set up I just have what came in the kit for right now. im Not able to determine any other temps accept her basking area because it came with a distal thermometer and probe. It’s at like 85 right now. She’s still sitting in the same positing and looking dark. I’m not able to control the temps also because I do not have a mist system or hygrometer yet, looking at her makes me more stressed out and feel like an awful parent because she’s not comfortable and I know that…..I did not create a laying egg area yet because I don’t think my cage can fit a lot in there right now , so i will have to wait a while to order the new enclosure from Neptune the chameleon.

 

[MissSkittles]

Yea I don’t have it fully set up I just have what came in the kit for right now. im Not able to determine any other temps accept her basking area because it came with a distal thermometer and probe. It’s at like 85 right now. She’s still sitting in the same positing and looking dark. I’m not able to control the temps also because I do not have a mist system or hygrometer yet, looking at her makes me more stressed out and feel like an awful parent because she’s not comfortable and I know that…..I did not create a laying egg area yet because I don’t think my cage can fit a lot in there right now , so i will have to wait a while to order the new enclosure from Neptune the chameleon.

You’ve got some time before you’ll need to worry about her laying eggs. They need to be at least 5-6 months old and there’s warnings that it’s soon to be happening. I won’t go over it right now as it’s more important to get her basic husbandry down first. Don’t stress! Breathe. Besides getting a lower wattage basking bulb, you can always raise the basking light a few inches above the screen top. This is always suggested for little ones who can and will walk upside down along the top for fun and at risk for getting burns. Get some nice plants and prepare them for her. I forgot to give this link. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ Give her places to take shade and hide and nice clean big leaves to drink from. A few weeks ago Walmart had some nice full pothos for just under $9. They may still have some. Start looking outside for some natural branches to use. Oak is great. Avoid pine, eucalyptus and anything else with odor or sap. Here’s a couple of pics of how I set up without dragon ledges. Of course I added more later - I just wanted to show the basics.