Hello, new panther owner here!!

Hello all!!
I've been looking over the forums for quite some time and have been doing my reading . I was back and forth with what kind of cham i wanted and what setup etc since there are so many different views and opinions. I was about to purchase a screen cage and piece everything together with a Sambava panther but a friend of mine just gave me his 1 year old Nosy be male. I have some questions about his setup and would love some imput!! Thank you!!

30x18x36" screen cage
2 live ficus trees
1 little dripper
1 24" reptiglo 5.0
1 100w basking lamp

Ive been misting as much as possible, 3-4 times a day to keep humidity high.
the UV bulb is on 8 hours and the basking lamp 10.
My friend was feeding him 24 crickets a week, gutloading etc. Im going to continue with this and mix up the diet a little bit. worms, roaches etc.

He is not used to me yet and is very timid, runs away when i reach in to grab him. Ive only had him 3 days so i know he will get used to me eventually especially when he knows i feed him. I do not have a humiudity gauge or a temperature gauge, i wanted to look on here and find a hobbiest liked one and order it online. My questions are just about the set up. He looks in great health! loves to eat and drinks water from the screen when i spray the cage down. He has a little "horn" on top of his head, i dont know if this is normal? a small little bump pretty much.
The cage doesnt seem lit up very well besides from the basking lamp. He sits about 12" down from it and loves to hang out.

Sorry this is so long, i wanted to give you a good idea of what my setup is and my chams background. Thanks for reading!!

Chameleon Info:
• Your Chameleon – Male Nosy Be
• Handling – once so far, he is still to nervous with me.
• Feeding – 24 crickets a week is what hes used too.
• Watering – Misting 3-4 times a day, the little dripper
• Fecal Description – the size of a lg cricket, brown/black
• History – Friend raised him from a baby, now in my care for 3 days.

Cage Info:
• Cage Type – 30x18x36" screen cage
• Lighting – 100w basking spot lamp. Exo Terra Repti Glo 5.0 24"
• Temperature – Need to get a thermometer
• Humidity – need hygrometer
• Plants – 2 ficus trees and vines
• Placement – On a table in the corner of a room, about 36" off floor.
• Location – Pasadena, CA

100 watt basking light is way too hot!!!! depending on how close it is to the cage, but a standard 60 watt is usually good for getting temps in the 80s for panthers. you will burn him if he gets too close and sits in front of it.

this is some very basic info but gives a good summary

http://www.pantherchameleoncaresheet.com/

First of all welcome to the forums! I am not sure what you mean by a horn or even a bump. Panther chameleons definitely do not have anything that resembles a horn but their head is divided into two "bumps" sort of. those are their fat pads. You should post a pic so we can see what your are talking about and just make sure there is nothing wrong with him. You did not mention anything about supplements which are SUPER important. Has your friend not been dusting his feeders with calcium with and without d3? A multivitamin? As far as you "grabbing him" that is not the way to handle a chameleon. You want to approach him slowly and put your hand under his two front legs and try and gently lift up under his chin. Did your friend ever handle him much? If not, it is going to be tough for you to start that when he is a year old. Basking lamp wattage is ok as long as you lower your basking branch or vine or raise the light off the screen to achieve a basking temp of about 90 or so. Feed him every other day about 6-7 feeders. Good that you are going to mix up his diet. What are you using for gutload? Best is fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ficus

Be careful using ficus trees, they are known to cause eye problems because of the sap on them. I say this from personal experience. It causes bad eye rubbing. Maybe he will be fine with it, but I would recommend keeping an eye on his eye lol.

Besides that welcome and good luck

I dont mean i open up the cage and grab him, i attempt to hold him by placing my hand under him. He rocks to the side and twice has opened his mouth at me. My friend used to handle him often, so i think he is just getting used to me. As for the "horn" im talking about, the best way to describe it is a Wart looking callus. Im trying to upload a picture to show you guys him. Ive never kept a cham before, but i work in the Saltwater industry and understand the needs of delicate species. This is not necessarily a hard to keep pet, they just need the right conditions which is what im making sure he has. As for supplementing, the crickets were dusted but i dont believe they were ever gutloaded.

Ill try and get some pictures up of him so you all can see how he is. He is a good eater, straight from my hand with superworms already. Has great color, and seems to be in good health. Thanks for the replies.

Okay so i have two photos up of my little guy, can you let me know what you all think?? Thanks!

https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/browseimages.php?c=3&userid=11469

Im going to wait and see the opinions of the Sr.s here about the white growth on his head

Sr5Reef said:

This is not necessarily a hard to keep pet, they just need the right conditions

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That's true. Then you really need a thermometer, you could do with some more leafy cover in the viv, you need to gut load feeder insects with various fruit and veg, and dust properly with vitamins (but not too much).The more variety in insects the better too. I have no idea what that thing on his head is..........having said that he looks good, your friend must have done ok, and if a chameleon is eating well it almost always is well.

I would get that "wart" on his head looked at by a vet.

I ordered two of each thermometers/hygrometers, rept cal w/ and w/o and the herptivite with a cricket keeper to gutload my feeders. Since i was given this i did not have all necessary supplies. I would just like to say that we are all trying to reach the same end point. A healthy Chameleon. Everyone has there own way of doing things, and if i ask 1 question to 100 people i might get 100 different answers that may work depending on the factors of the chameleon and its environment. As for that, i feel im taking the appropriate steps in ensuring the health of my chameleon.

Is the 24" 5.0 bulb and the 100w basking bulb enough for my cham and plants?

Anymore imput on this growth?

Thank you!!

Sr5Reef said:

Is the 24" 5.0 bulb and the 100w basking bulb enough for my cham and plants?

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Yes, as long as you keep the bulb far enough away to make the basking site, and you have a decent gradient. We know you are wanting to do your best, and a lot of it is about guesswork leading to experience to find out what works for you and your pet. I'm sure he'll do great because you are asking the right questions. People can be a bit blunt when giving tips on the internet, but don't take it personally. Lots of people ask the same sort of questions...