Am I Doing Everything Right?

[BriannaHaynie]

Awesome! I'm still waiting for mine to be willing to eat out of my hand. One doesn't like you to even come near the cage, she hisses and gets this pissed off look the minute you go near it.... And heaven forbid you open the door! The other is fine with you opening the door and cleaning, etc but still prefers not to be held. I'm going to try holding a hornworm for her if I can get some small ones at the expo next weekend, she loves them so I think that will be the secret weapon...if I can get over the He-bee gee-bees of touching the things!

He's still not fond of being held at all so we're giving him plenty of space! I'm the same way about the worms I make my boyfriend do all the bug holding!

 

[BriannaHaynie]

Chameleons do eventually move to thermo regulate but it takes them forever to realize they are hot and can easily get burned from being in the heat too long. As babies their Temps should be lower anyway around 84 degrees at most. Are you sure he is a boy? Does he have the spurs on his back feet?

I want to ask you the same questions so I'll send you what I sent in an earlier comment!

Thank you for the response!! I'm extremely confused/conflicted with the whole light situation. I was told by multiple breeders that a 100 watt would be okay and everything seems normal with the way he's acting, eating, etc. We have a thermometer in there that is reading 75 degrees and he's always basking in the highest spot on the cage. Do you still think I should switch it out?

Also, I just checked and yes he's a boy

 

[nick barta]

Ya, I was thinking of a post on the Reptariums; I have never owned either, I think the 100 watts pushed me over the edge!

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[Andee]

I would get a infrared heat thermometer and measure the Temps directly where he is sitting. Those are the only thermometers I trust. Analogs are always wrong and probes can only measure certain areas.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Thank you for the response!! I'm extremely confused/conflicted with the whole light situation. I was told by multiple breeders that a 100 watt would be okay and everything seems normal with the way he's acting, eating, etc. We have a thermometer in there that is reading 75 degrees and he's always basking in the highest spot on the cage. Do you still think I should switch it out?

The wattage of the bulb isn't so much a concern as the temperature of the basking spot. The temps need to be in cue with your animal, and whatever bulb you need to use to achieve the required temps is fine. The bulb isn't the important factor. The important factor is making sure your temps are all where they should be. Check the caresheet for Veiled Chameleons here:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/


You said you have a baby male veiled. According to the tried-and-true caresheets, the temps should be as follows:
Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

So as long as your basking spot is close to 85 degrees, you should be fine. You said your thermometer is reading at 75.... is that for the ambient temperature or the basking spot temperature?

We let the fogger run most of the day and also spray with a spray bottle! I do this to make sure there's always water droplets on the leaves in case he wants to drink! The humidity stays between 65%-80% at all times but never gets below 65% or above 80% at all.

I forgot to comment on the fogger earlier. There is no need to run it constantly all day. You don't want water to ALWAYS be on the leaves for him to drink because you want to give your cage some time to air out and dry out in between the wet sessions. If you always have water on everything at all times, then that can cause mold issues and it can also make the air stagnant, which could lead to respiratory infections. Giving the cage a couple hours or so to dry out In between spraying it down will save you a lot of heartache in the long run. As for the humidity levels, please refer to the same Veiled Chameleon caresheet I linked above.

"Humidity is an important aspect of chameleon husbandry. Veiled chameleons require levels around 40-70%, which can be achieved by several misting sessions a day over all areas of the cage. Live plants help increase and maintain humidity."

You'll want it to spike to the 70% range or around there a few times a day, but otherwise, you'll want to keep it more towards the 40-50% range. It's definitely okay to let the humidity drop to lower than 65% that you currently do, as they can tolerate 40% humidity levels. It won't hurt the chameleon.

If you have any questions, one of our members here, @jannb is an absolute expert on Veiled Chameleons. She can probably answer just about any question you can come up with. She has some awesome chameleons. Check her out!

 

[BriannaHaynie]

The wattage of the bulb isn't so much a concern as the temperature of the basking spot. The temps need to be in cue with your animal, and whatever bulb you need to use to achieve the required temps is fine. The bulb isn't the important factor. The important factor is making sure your temps are all where they should be. Check the caresheet for Veiled Chameleons here:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/


You said you have a baby male veiled. According to the tried-and-true caresheets, the temps should be as follows:
Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

So as long as your basking spot is close to 85 degrees, you should be fine. You said your thermometer is reading at 75.... is that for the ambient temperature or the basking spot temperature?



I forgot to comment on the fogger earlier. There is no need to run it constantly all day. You don't want water to ALWAYS be on the leaves for him to drink because you want to give your cage some time to air out and dry out in between the wet sessions. If you always have water on everything at all times, then that can cause mold issues and it can also make the air stagnant, which could lead to respiratory infections. Giving the cage a couple hours or so to dry out In between spraying it down will save you a lot of heartache in the long run. As for the humidity levels, please refer to the same Veiled Chameleon caresheet I linked above.

"Humidity is an important aspect of chameleon husbandry. Veiled chameleons require levels around 40-70%, which can be achieved by several misting sessions a day over all areas of the cage. Live plants help increase and maintain humidity."

You'll want it to spike to the 70% range or around there a few times a day, but otherwise, you'll want to keep it more towards the 40-50% range. It's definitely okay to let the humidity drop to lower than 65% that you currently do, as they can tolerate 40% humidity levels. It won't hurt the chameleon.

If you have any questions, one of our members here, @jannb is an absolute expert on Veiled Chameleons. She can probably answer just about any question you can come up with. She has some awesome chameleons. Check her out!

This was EXTREMELY helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to write such an informative response! The 75 degree reading is for the ambient temperature. I'm currently not home but I will most definitely be taking the temperature of his basking spot as soon as I return! The humidity is something I'm very confused about because I've recieved such varied information from different people. I'm gone for a lot of the day so we usually keep the fogger running (on a very low setting) because leaving it off causes the humidity to drop RAPIDLY and stay low for most of the day until we return (we live in Texas!) this makes me worried because I don't want him being too dry/not having anything to drink for hours at a time. Maybe I should just leave the fogger off at night?

 

[trickedoutbiker]

I'm gone for a lot of the day so we usually keep the fogger running (on a very low setting) because leaving it off causes the humidity to drop RAPIDLY and stay low for most of the day until we return (we live in Texas!) this makes me worried because I don't want him being too dry/not having anything to drink for hours at a time. Maybe I should just leave the fogger off at night?

If you have it running all day on a very low setting, then it might be okay. Naturally, you'd want to allow the cage time to dry out in between watering sessions. A good way to do this is to get an automatic mister. Solves lots of problems and they can be set to go off for different intervals at different times. If you can't get a fogger, then leaving the fogger on the lowest setting possible would be the next best alternative.

As for leaving the fogger off at night? This is definitely the approach you want to take. If you leave the fogger on all day and there is no time to air out because the fogger is always on, then you'd DEFINITELY want to leave the fogger off at night to give everything to dry up completely. Even if the humidity drops a bit at night because the fogger is off, this is okay. That's because you will have lots of humidity spikes during the day, as well as the fogger that is running too. So letting the humidity drop at night would be perfectly fine.

 

[BriannaHaynie]

If you have it running all day on a very low setting, then it might be okay. Naturally, you'd want to allow the cage time to dry out in between watering sessions. A good way to do this is to get an automatic mister. Solves lots of problems and they can be set to go off for different intervals at different times. If you can't get a fogger, then leaving the fogger on the lowest setting possible would be the next best alternative.

As for leaving the fogger off at night? This is definitely the approach you want to take. If you leave the fogger on all day and there is no time to air out because the fogger is always on, then you'd DEFINITELY want to leave the fogger off at night to give everything to dry up completely. Even if the humidity drops a bit at night because the fogger is off, this is okay. That's because you will have lots of humidity spikes during the day, as well as the fogger that is running too. So letting the humidity drop at night would be perfectly fine.

I just get home and he's laying on the branch, very relaxed looking. Is this normal? Or should he be more active? He's a pretty green color which is a good sign, right?

I'm paranoid about his health

 

[trickedoutbiker]

If you can't get a fogger, then leaving the fogger on

I meant to say, if you can't get a mister, then leaving the fogger on the lowest setting possible would be the next best alternative.
(I had a typo and said if you can't get a fogger... That's my bad. Guess that's what happens when I type things in a hurry. Not exactly supposed to be on the net here at work for anything that isn't work related but hey, I love chameleons. What can I say.)

I just get home and he's laying on the branch, very relaxed looking. Is this normal? Or should he be more active? He's a pretty green color which is a good sign, right?

I'm paranoid about his health

Is he actually LAYING on the branch or is he standing on it and it just looks like he is laying down? They aren't typically super active as in moving around the cage all of the time, but they should be standing firm on the branches and their eyes should always be actively looking around. As for the color, a pretty green is pretty normal yes. You will learn in time what colors are "relaxed colors" and what colors mean "stressed out". Just examine them daily.

Don't be TOO paranoid. Most new chameleon keepers are that way. It's normal to worry about every tiny little thing though, especially with a new pet. Just keep everyone updated on everything and ask questions if you have them. This is a great community here and we are all willing to help you out if we can.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Looking at your profile picture there, the chameleon is a good color and seems to be in good health.

 

[BriannaHaynie]

I meant to say, if you can't get a mister, then leaving the fogger on the lowest setting possible would be the next best alternative.
(I had a typo and said if you can't get a fogger... That's my bad. Guess that's what happens when I type things in a hurry. Not exactly supposed to be on the net here at work for anything that isn't work related but hey, I love chameleons. What can I say.)



Is he actually LAYING on the branch or is he standing on it and it just looks like he is laying down? They aren't typically super active as in moving around the cage all of the time, but they should be standing firm on the branches and their eyes should always be actively looking around. As for the color, a pretty green is pretty normal yes. You will learn in time what colors are "relaxed colors" and what colors mean "stressed out". Just examine them daily.

Don't be TOO paranoid. Most new chameleon keepers are that way. It's normal to worry about every tiny little thing though, especially with a new pet. Just keep everyone updated on everything and ask questions if you have them. This is a great community here and we are all willing to help you out if we can.

Switching out the light seems to have made a HUGE difference, even in such a small amount of time. He's been exploring all over his cage since I changed it and has eaten a bunch of crickets! He is closing his right eye every once and a while for about 30 seconds. What could this mean?

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Switching out the light seems to have made a HUGE difference, even in such a small amount of time.

You made his basking bulb stronger or weaker? What's the basking and ambient temps now that you switched out the bulb?

Closing the eye could be a number of things. If it's an everyday thing and habitual, there could be something wrong. If it's every once in a great while and not that often, then it's probably nothing. Keep an eye on him closely though.

 

[BriannaHaynie]

You made his basking bulb stronger or weaker? What's the basking and ambient temps now that you switched out the bulb?

Closing the eye could be a number of things. If it's an everyday thing and habitual, there could be something wrong. If it's every once in a great while and not that often, then it's probably nothing. Keep an eye on him closely though.

I switched it to a weaker, 60 watt, bulb! The ambient temp is 75 and the basking temp is around 87...is this too hot? I can't imagine how hot it must have been with a 100 watt :'( I feel so terrible. How could the breeders tell me to use such a strong light?!?

His eye hasn't closed today at all so I'm not too worried!

 

[Andee]

87 will be fine, if you are really worried raise it a bit off the cage with small cinder blocks or blocks of wood