Baby Veiled from LLLReptile

[Entold]

My WC flapneck died last week after only a month with me. He wouldn't drink on his own and I attempted to give him water via syringe but he wouldn't take to it. So I decided to go with a CB veiled from LLL.

This is him/her
http://imageshack.us/a/img812/5853/imagectmn.jpg

Is anybody able to tell if its a he/she? Does it look good? And what size crickets would you feed it? 1/8, 3/4?

 

[Decadancin]

Very cute! (and small!) Can't see the rear portion of the back foot, but there should be a noticeable bump on there if it is a male. It is rather small on a baby that size, but you should still see it. From the pic that you showed, I would guess female, but that is only because I don't see any bump from the angle you showed. Try to post a close-up of the rear foot and we can tell instantly! Good luck with your little one.

 

[Entold]

Yeah it is a small one lol. Ill try to get a better pic for you. My terrarium is 24x24x30 . What wattage bulb should I use? A chameleon breeder told me 40W but my boss (I work at a mom and pop pet shop) told me 100W.

 

[Decadancin]

You will need two bulbs. (at least ) A UVB bulb, most will suggest a 5.0 tube UVB, and I use a 6% Arcadia bulb. Other options for the UVB include a UVB 10.0 (usually for desert enclosures, but many use these successfully for their chams) or an Arcadia 12% UVB. I wouldn't use these unless you have a well planted and vined enclosure with many shady spots. This will allow your cham a way to get "out of the sun" so to speak. As for the other bulb, you will want a basking site for your little one. If a male, I would suggest a 65 watt household bulb to start, and a basking temperature of about 88 to 92 degrees. However if you have a female, this should be less. Around 82 to 84 degrees should be fine. Lower temps for a female will result in fewer egg clutches and better/longer lifespan. All this being said, with a small little one like you have, basking temps do not need to be that high yet. You may want to start with a 40 watt bulb and a lower basking site temp. 100 watt basking bulb could cook your new friend if it is too close to the screen. Here is a look at my lighting setup and times. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/decadancin/754-winter-lighting-schedule.html
The third type of bulb is a plant bulb (if necessary) You could use a 6500k bulb for live plants and this will add to the overall spectrum of lighting in the enclosure. Hope this answers your question, and I highly recommend Arcadia lights for UVB. If you need any info, send me a PM and I will be glad to help!

 

[Entold]

I'm using a reptiglo 5.0 but it's due for a changing so ill prob get a new bulb today. And thanks for the help!

 

[pssh]

Reptiglo work too, but they tend to not work as long. The only way to know for sure is to use a UV meter. For a baby that small, of any gender, i would not let the basking spot get any higher than 85 at the very most. Also try and do more shorter mistings throughout the day since it is a baby.

Feed as much as it can eat in 5-10 minutes 2-3 times a day since it is so small. The general rule of thumb for chameleons is not to feed bugs wider (from side to side, not head to butt) than the space between the eyes. So judge cricket size accordingly. Its always better to feed bugs a little smaller than necessary rather than larger. Plus, if you get large numbers of bugs, buying smaller means that they probably wont get too big before you run out.

 

[Entold]

Thanks. I'm gonna start her on feeding tomorrow. I misted her a little while ago and she started drinking. Is it appropriate to feed her on meal worms because I'm concerned my cage is too big for her. Plus the crickets would get lost in all the plants. What do you think?

 

[Decadancin]

Crickets would be better. The fatty, chitinous mealworms could lead to health issues, including becoming impacted due to the not so easy to digest skin and should be avoided, especially as a main feeder. You could try cup feeding if you think the enclosure is too big. I used a small glad container at first, and after a few tries through the side (see-through ) he was able to get it! I was giving him small crickets gut loaded for at least 12 hours and he would eat about 5 or so a couple times a day. As he got bigger I switched to once a day feeding early in the morning. I still cup feed now, and this is a good way to monitor their feeding.