Am I Doing Everything Right ? (New Chameleon Owner)

[Yash]

Hi Guys !

I have been visiting and reading up on the forums for a long time and today I finally decided to register myself and thought I would introduce myself to some fellow Herps

My boyfriend and I had been wanting a pet for a long time and after a lot of debate we decided to get a Chameleon. (My initial choice was a Corn Snake and my boyfriend was insisting on a Bearded Dragon, but we both decided to negotiate and settled on a Chameleon instead )

Here is some information about our Chameleon and its set up, any sort of feedback will be highly appreciated as I would like to provide our Chameleon with the best possible care in the world !


Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), Male, Around 4-6 months old but we cannot be sure because the pet store where he was bought from wasn't exactly sure either :/. (I will post some pictures and if someone can guess his age we would be extremely happy)

Handling - Once a day for around 2-5 minutes, he is a bit shy but once he is on my shoulder he seems to relax and doesn't mind being held at all !

Feeding - Gut Loaded Crickets(Around 10-12 a day), Occasional Wax Worm as a treat(1-3 a week), Small Sized Locusts. Once or twice a week, I also cut some Apples in the shape of a small worm and dangle it from the top of the terrarium from a string, after a few minutes of baiting he falls for it and eats the Apples.

Supplements - Calcium Supplements without D3 everyday and Calcium Supplement with D3 once a week.

Watering - Misting by hand 2-3 times a day for 1-2 minutes. Often he comes to the hand mister and drinks from the nozzle.

Fecal Description - White urate and dark brown solid stool.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - Glass, 60*45*90 CM. [I know I am supposed to keep Chameleons in Wire Mesh cages because it helps with fresh air, however I live in France and in order to maintain humidity inside the cage, a glass cage is ideal. Also, the insides are covered with special paper that make sure there are no reflections so that the Chameleon does not get stressed by seeing its own reflection.]

Lighting - ZooMed PowerSun for UVA and UVB along with a regular bulb for his basking spot.

Temperature -Basking Spot is usually 31 Degrees Celsius and the bottom of the terrarium is around 25. The temperature drops around 10 degrees at night.

Humidity - 80-90 Peaks after misting, and it drops down to 60 sometimes.

Plants - Yes, I am using a Fern, a Ficus Ali and a Ficus Benjamina. Along with 1 fake plant at the top.

Current Problem - No problem, the Chameleon seems to be eating and drinking well, likes his enclosure and is friendly. I just want some opinions on what can be improved and if I am doing anything wrong.

Here are some pictures of Maurice and his set up

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum and Bonne Année 2013!

Most of what you are doing is great.
The only things I would change are below.

Handling - Once a day for around 2-5 minutes, he is a bit shy but once he is on my shoulder he seems to relax and doesn't mind being held at all !

Most species of chams in the wild live solo lives, so they are thought to be stressed by handling.
It's generally said that the less handling the better--but it's an area for debate.
Letting him/her settle in without handling usually is agreed upon .

Feeding - Gut Loaded Crickets(Around 10-12 a day), Occasional Wax Worm as a treat(1-3 a week), Small Sized Locusts. Once or twice a week, I also cut some Apples in the shape of a small worm and dangle it from the top of the terrarium from a string, after a few minutes of baiting he falls for it and eats the Apples.

the more variety in the diet the better.
Glad to see you are gutloading--hopefully with a variety of veggies.

Supplements - Calcium Supplements without D3 everyday and Calcium Supplement with D3 once a week.

Calcium with D3 should be limited to 2x a month
A multivitamin supplement 2x a month is also good to try to prevent any deficiencies.

Watering - Misting by hand 2-3 times a day for 1-2 minutes. Often he comes to the hand mister and drinks from the nozzle.

If you add a dripper, then he can fill up on water however often he neds to.


Fecal Description - White urate and dark brown solid stool.

Cage Type - Glass, 60*45*90 CM. [I know I am supposed to keep Chameleons in Wire Mesh cages because it helps with fresh air, however I live in France and in order to maintain humidity inside the cage, a glass cage is ideal. Also, the insides are covered with special paper that make sure there are no reflections so that the Chameleon does not get stressed by seeing its own reflection.]

I believe that many people, particularly in Europe, successfully use glass enclosures, as long as they are designed for reptiles so there is enough air movement/circulation to prevent molds/respiratory problems.

I'm not sure what is on the bottom of the enclosure but typically, the bottom is kept bare or just lined with paper towels.
One very important reason for this is that chams sometimes ingest the substrate and become impacted (intestines blocked so nothing can pass through).
This is also to prevent something from being constantly damp which allows mold/bacteria to grow.

Here is one of my favorite posts about Veiled care
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

 

[Yash]

Welcome to the forum and Bonne Année 2013!

Most of what you are doing is great.
The only things I would change are below.

Most species of chams in the wild live solo lives, so they are thought to be stressed by handling.
It's generally said that the less handling the better--but it's an area for debate.
Letting him/her settle in without handling usually is agreed upon .

Calcium with D3 should be limited to 2x a month
A multivitamin supplement 2x a month is also good to try to prevent any deficiencies.


If you add a dripper, then he can fill up on water however often he neds to.

I'm not sure what is on the bottom of the enclosure but typically, the bottom is kept bare or just lined with paper towels.
One very important reason for this is that chams sometimes ingest the substrate and become impacted (intestines blocked so nothing can pass through).
This is also to prevent something from being constantly damp which allows mold/bacteria to grow.

Here is one of my favorite posts about Veiled care
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

Thanks for the quick reply and sorry for my delayed response I have been busy the last couple of days..

I will try to handle him less, but he doesn't seem to mind being handled too much.

And I shall change the D3 supplementation to 2ce a month.

He had a dripper for quite a while but he doesnt like to drink from it and thats why we removed the dripper from the cage. His seems hydrated even though he does not have a dripper because he drinks when we mist him and his urate seems is white. We have tried moving the dripper to different places but he just doesnt want to drink from it.

At the bottom of the enclosure we have a substrate called eco earth with a layer of reptile safe moss. Yes ideally we should not have substrate but the terrarium is in our living room and without substrate it looks extremely ugly. With the moss and the eco earth it looks much more natural and beautiful. We have never seen him try to hunt from the ground and he always hunts on the leaves or on the vines and therefore we don't think the soil is of much concern.

Regarding mould and bacteria, we make sure the soil is just damp and not soaking wet, clean his poop every day and make sure no food or leaves are rotting on the floor of the terrarium. We also plan to instal some clay balls underneath the soil very soon the soak up any excess water.


Let me know if anything needs changing thanks

 

[Cadance]

Welcome to the forums!

Hi Guys !

I have been visiting and reading up on the forums for a long time and today I finally decided to register myself and thought I would introduce myself to some fellow Herps

My boyfriend and I had been wanting a pet for a long time and after a lot of debate we decided to get a Chameleon. (My initial choice was a Corn Snake and my boyfriend was insisting on a Bearded Dragon, but we both decided to negotiate and settled on a Chameleon instead )

Here is some information about our Chameleon and its set up, any sort of feedback will be highly appreciated as I would like to provide our Chameleon with the best possible care in the world !


Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), Male, Around 4-6 months old but we cannot be sure because the pet store where he was bought from wasn't exactly sure either :/. (I will post some pictures and if someone can guess his age we would be extremely happy)

Handling - Once a day for around 2-5 minutes, he is a bit shy but once he is on my shoulder he seems to relax and doesn't mind being held at all !

Feeding - Gut Loaded Crickets(Around 10-12 a day), Occasional Wax Worm as a treat(1-3 a week), Small Sized Locusts. Once or twice a week, I also cut some Apples in the shape of a small worm and dangle it from the top of the terrarium from a string, after a few minutes of baiting he falls for it and eats the Apples.

Supplements - Calcium Supplements without D3 everyday and Calcium Supplement with D3 once a week.

Watering - Misting by hand 2-3 times a day for 1-2 minutes. Often he comes to the hand mister and drinks from the nozzle.

Fecal Description - White urate and dark brown solid stool.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - Glass, 60*45*90 CM. [I know I am supposed to keep Chameleons in Wire Mesh cages because it helps with fresh air, however I live in France and in order to maintain humidity inside the cage, a glass cage is ideal. Also, the insides are covered with special paper that make sure there are no reflections so that the Chameleon does not get stressed by seeing its own reflection.]

Lighting - ZooMed PowerSun for UVA and UVB along with a regular bulb for his basking spot.

Temperature -Basking Spot is usually 31 Degrees Celsius and the bottom of the terrarium is around 25. The temperature drops around 10 degrees at night.

Humidity - 80-90 Peaks after misting, and it drops down to 60 sometimes.

Plants - Yes, I am using a Fern, a Ficus Ali and a Ficus Benjamina. Along with 1 fake plant at the top.

Current Problem - No problem, the Chameleon seems to be eating and drinking well, likes his enclosure and is friendly. I just want some opinions on what can be improved and if I am doing anything wrong.

Here are some pictures of Maurice and his set up

 

[Lovereps]

The only thing you may have missed is:
A multivitamin supplement 2x a month is also good to try to prevent any deficiencies.

I'm familiar with eco-earth and the moss--and I agree that they look very attractive.
Unfortunately the chance of intestional impaction and death from a cham accidentally eating some of it is too great a risk for me to take.
That and the very real potential for respiratory infection from mold/bacteria/dampness are the main reasons it is not recommended for chams.

Maurice is a very handsome cham and I hope he has a long healthy life with you.

 

[Decadancin]

Welcome to the forums! I would suggest lowering the humidity a bit if possible. For a veiled, I would suggest about 40 to 60% but in a glass enclosure I think dropping down to 60% "sometimes" may not dry out enough. I would make a guess of about 5 months for his age based on the amount of color and his size. As for handling, I would normally say to give Maurice some time to get used to his surroundings, but if there is no stress showing when trying to handle him, then it shouldn't be a big problem. It is always a good thing to have your animals used to being handled just in case you need to give medications, etc. Fruits and veggies are not necessary if you incorporate them into your gutload. I do however usually put some fresh greens in the enclosure so there is an additional source for hydration. (veiled's often eat plants in the wild during dry times) I would suggest to add a few leaves at the top of the enclosure. This will allow him to get away from the basking area if needed, allow him to feel more secure, and offer more leaves to drink from after misting. A couple more vines would be good as well. Maurice is a very good looking young cham! Best of luck with him and again, welcome to the forums!!!

 

[ForrestJungle]

I would have to agree with a above...the substraigt can cause great problems. i would say that the care of the cham is more important then the over all "look" of his cage. humidity also should be lower you dont want the chance of URI. Welcome and i hope you learn alot...i know i have.

 

[creddjobs]

I have a awesome PDF one of the members of this forum wrote out for me. I can send it if you like. Just inbox me your email address. Its for Panthers but its pretty much the same for the most part

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello, welcome to the forum to you and little Maurice I love the first photo of him.
I think a few more little branches and leaves would be good too, and it's great you are giving him some variety of food already. The little ones love fruit flies!
Here is a great all-round caresheet I recommend to all new people with Veileds - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

 

[DavidBuchan]

I use soil in with my chams and never had a problem with them eating it, but the moss is much more easily caught up in a cricket and accidentally eaten, so I also would recommend taking it out just to be safe

 

[Yash]

The only thing you may have missed is:
A multivitamin supplement 2x a month is also good to try to prevent any deficiencies.

I'm familiar with eco-earth and the moss--and I agree that they look very attractive.
Unfortunately the chance of intestional impaction and death from a cham accidentally eating some of it is too great a risk for me to take.
That and the very real potential for respiratory infection from mold/bacteria/dampness are the main reasons it is not recommended for chams.

Maurice is a very handsome cham and I hope he has a long healthy life with you.

Yes, I shall go to the pet store to get him a mumtivitamin and feed it to him twice a month. I was advised by the pet shop to change the eco earth in the terrarium once every month and I intend to do so, also I remove his poop and irate from the tank daily and any leftover food as well..I am not worried about any sory of mold or bacteria.

Thanks

Welcome to the forums! I would suggest lowering the humidity a bit if possible. For a veiled, I would suggest about 40 to 60% but in a glass enclosure I think dropping down to 60% "sometimes" may not dry out enough. I would make a guess of about 5 months for his age based on the amount of color and his size. As for handling, I would normally say to give Maurice some time to get used to his surroundings, but if there is no stress showing when trying to handle him, then it shouldn't be a big problem. It is always a good thing to have your animals used to being handled just in case you need to give medications, etc. Fruits and veggies are not necessary if you incorporate them into your gutload. I do however usually put some fresh greens in the enclosure so there is an additional source for hydration. (veiled's often eat plants in the wild during dry times) I would suggest to add a few leaves at the top of the enclosure. This will allow him to get away from the basking area if needed, allow him to feel more secure, and offer more leaves to drink from after misting. A couple more vines would be good as well. Maurice is a very good looking young cham! Best of luck with him and again, welcome to the forums!!!

Thanks ! I thought he was around 5-6 months as well. Yes we plan to get him some more vines and plants as soon as we go to the pet store the next time.
He is very handsome indeed ^^.

I would have to agree with a above...the substraigt can cause great problems. i would say that the care of the cham is more important then the over all "look" of his cage. humidity also should be lower you dont want the chance of URI. Welcome and i hope you learn alot...i know i have.

Well I am not compromising on the care of the chameleon at all, I have observed him numeruous times for hours and during his feeding and I don't believe the substrate possesses any kind of risk to my chameleon. To me my terrarium is a 'show piece' in the main living room and I am sorry but I cannot compromise on the way it looks at all !

Hello, welcome to the forum to you and little Maurice I love the first photo of him.
I think a few more little branches and leaves would be good too, and it's great you are giving him some variety of food already. The little ones love fruit flies!
Here is a great all-round caresheet I recommend to all new people with Veileds - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

Thanks ! Yes its my favorite as well

I use soil in with my chams and never had a problem with them eating it, but the moss is much more easily caught up in a cricket and accidentally eaten, so I also would recommend taking it out just to be safe

No I don't think he will have a problem with the moss, the moss is very attached to the soil and even if he tried to throw his tongue at it he will not be able to get some.








Guys, I noticed that Maurice had a bit of white stuff coming out of his nose today, that means I am supposed to reduce the amount of calcium I am giving him right ?


Also, he seems to be getting a little tired of eating crickets, and seems to love eating worms. However in France the only worms available to feed are Phoenix worms, meal worms, wax worms... And from what I researched I cannot feed any of those to him on a regular basis as a staple part of his diet.

We tried to feed him dubia roaches as well, but he doesn't want to eat them at all. He prefers to 'hunt' in his terrarium and the dubia roaches prefer to just stay at the bottom of the tank and hide, they are also extremely fast and pose the risk of escaping out of the terrarium which is why we don't like them at all !

Does anyone know a supplier for silk worms in Europe that will ship to France or somewhere where I could buy silk worms and mullberry leaves around here ? Or maybe some alternatives to silk worms, roaches and crickets that I can feed him everyday ??


Thanks a lot for your reply guys.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Calcium with D3 should be limited to 2x a month

I just want to mention that this depends on the brand of powder, and on outside sunshine exposure, and on gutload content too. It's the most usual schedule, but everyone needs to read up on the supplements and decide themselves what to do really I think

Well I am not compromising on the care of the chameleon at all, I have observed him numeruous times for hours and during his feeding and I don't believe the substrate possesses any kind of risk to my chameleon.


Guys, I noticed that Maurice had a bit of white stuff coming out of his nose today, that means I am supposed to reduce the amount of calcium I am giving him right ?

Does anyone know a supplier for silk worms in Europe that will ship to France or somewhere where I could buy silk worms and mullberry leaves around here ? Or maybe some alternatives to silk worms, roaches and crickets that I can feed him everyday ??


Thanks a lot for your reply guys.

I really like your attitude Yash.......
The great nose crust debate I think I am correct to say that this forum has decided we are not certain if there is excess calcium there, but it is harmless (calcium?) salts and no health issue .
I don't think anyone would recommend reducing calcium powder, any cosmetic benefit is outweighed by the fact that she needs a good amount of calcium.
My personal opinion is that is more likely to do with water quality. We have very 'hard' water in Yorkshire and I use tap water. My female sometimes has a bit of white stuff on her nose.
It will just wash off when you mist him. If it stays and you think it looks bad you could try using purified water.
I wish I could offer help finding silkworms, but my English supplier hasn't had any for a couple of months......
have you tried indian stick insects? Here is a good list to look at - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

 

[MCSEB]

Let me just say your pictures are AMAZING!! I love your chameleon too

 

[Lovereps]

The great nose crust debate I think I am correct to say that this forum has decided we are not certain if there is excess calcium there, but it is harmless (calcium?) salts and no health issue .
I don't think anyone would recommend reducing calcium powder, any cosmetic benefit is outweighed by the fact that she needs a good amount of calcium.

You're right in that you should not reduce calcium for the nose crusts.
However, it is known that they are not the result of excess calcium, as per cham keeper and helpful veterinarian Ferretinmyshoes in one of her informative blogs:

"Q: What is the white stuff around my chameleon’s nose?
A: Some reptiles have a salt gland near the nose to get rid of excess salts from their diet or water source. This causes crusty white buildup around the nose sometimes. It is NOT excess calcium (a common myth). The salts are primarily excess sodium or potassium with just the tiniest bit of calcium sometimes. Do not change your calcium supplementation as the buildup is completely harmless and not a cause for concern. Check your water for sodium content and you may need to use distilled water. If the crusts bother you or your cham then gently wipe them away with a moist q-tip."

Link to the blog is:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/frequently-asked-questions-71620/#post668825