A couple questions

[andresaveiro]

Hi guys, I have a 4 m/o panther chameleon called Mr. Livingston that i bought from screameleons like a week and a half ago. He is great, I will soon post pics of him! I do have a couple questions I need to ask...

Do baby chameleons need a live plant on the bottom of the cage?
-I figured that the 3 vines that come with the ultimate setup kit that screameleons sells would be enough for him. I already saw some umbrella plants at home depot.

Is he scared of humans?
-I always try to hand feed him and he always goes for it. I can tell he is kind of scared of me though, he doesn't like my hand but he likes the crix. I try to give him as much privacy as I can (sometimes is hard not to stare at him and see what he is doing)

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE

I live in Minnesota, I'm planning on going to Mexico this winter break, the first thing that came to my mind was Mr. Livingston, I do have a couple friends that I know would do a good job taking care of him, but that does not compare to the professionals chameleon care takers from the chameleon forums. I was wondering if you are/ or you know someone from Minnesota that owns a chameleon and would be willing to take care of my baby for 2 weeks . I live in the Twin Cities/St. Paul area.

That's Mr. Livingston's cage.

 

[panthercrazy]

Hi guys, I have a 4 m/o panther chameleon called Mr. Livingston that i bought from screameleons like a week and a half ago. He is great, I will soon post pics of him! I do have a couple questions I need to ask... .

Congrats!!
Do baby chameleons need a live plant on the bottom of the cage?
-I figured that the 3 vines that come with the ultimate setup kit that screameleons sells would be enough for him. I already saw some umbrella plants at home depot. It would be better if you can add live plant(s). It will fill in the holes some and help with humidity. Just make sure to clean the leaves and replace with fresh soil, no chemicals or fertilizers added..

Is he scared of humans?
-I always try to hand feed him and he always goes for it. I can tell he is kind of scared of me though, he doesn't like my hand but he likes the crix. I try to give him as much privacy as I can (sometimes is hard not to stare at him and see what he is doing) Chams for the most part do not like to be handled. Yours being new should be allowed some time to get use to his new home. I wouldn`t try to force yourself on him to much at this point, there will be plenty of time later. You may also find that you have a cham that will never like handling. Some do but most don`t.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE

I live in Minnesota, I'm planning on going to Mexico this winter break, the first thing that came to my mind was Mr. Livingston, I do have a couple friends that I know would do a good job taking care of him, but that does not compare to the professionals chameleon care takers from the chameleon forums. I was wondering if you are/ or you know someone from Minnesota that owns a chameleon and would be willing to take care of my baby for 2 weeks . I live in the Twin Cities/St. Paul area. I cannot comment on this question as I am not from the area. You could post something in the wanted section of classifieds on the site.
That's Mr. Livingston's cage.[/QUOTE]

 

[warpdrive]

personaly I feel that live plants do wonders for chameleons in many ways...
helps with humidity, they drink from the leaves, more hiding spots, more sleeping and walking areas...so on, and so on.

Harry

 

[hallenhe]

We'll wait for the real Minnesotans to chime in (I'm from St. Paul, but now a long term Michigander), but I can tell you that several people have taken care of my chams over the years, one guy who had an iguana and nobody else had any lizards, and everything has gone fine. A few bugs, and make sure Mr. Livingston has water daily, and that should take care of things if you can't find a local with more expertise. (Note: if you do go this route, it's helpful to mention that chameleons shed. One of my sitters was terrified once when Thaxter went through a shed under her care; she thought he'd been burned [until the next day, when he was fresh and happy]).
I second the live plants; umbrella plant, Ficus and Pothos are all popular ones. They do help keep humidity up (which may very well be an issue as the heat kicks on), and give leaves for him to lap water off of, places to hide and feel secure, and things to climb on. It's best to wash a new plant thoroughly first (in case of pesticides), and many people replace the soil (for the same reason), and cover the soil with rocks to keep him from ingesting it. Sounds like more work than it really is.

 

[andresaveiro]

Ok thanks guys, I will def go get the umbrella plant... The only thing I'm worried about is that the plant itself, it's way bigger than Mr. Livingston's enclosure, like 4 to 5 feet tall. Can I cut the plant in half and re-plant it? Will the plant still be alive?

Thanks again for the responses, it's a huge advantage that these forums exist!!!

 

[justjumpit621]

I would probably be safer to find a smaller plant, so you don't end up paying for a plant that dies within a few days lol.