Burns
- Thread starter Fred
- Start date
Fred
New Member
currently he is in 10 gallon aquarium, I know this is bad now, but its what the stupid pet shop boy told me I needed, I've only had him for 1 week and have already ordered a aluminum screen habitat from flchams which is being delivered tomarrow, we also ordered an ultra sonic fogger which we recieved today (another thing pet shop boy didn't mention) We are using a UVB 5.0, 50 watt basking spot lamp, which are both attached to a metal hood, repti therm under tank heater, with reptitemp 500R remote sensor thermostat (Which now we know was a huge waste of money since alot of this aquarium stuff is inappropriate for chams 
Thank you for any imput you can provide us with !!
Thank you for any imput you can provide us with !!
Fred
New Member
So what watts should I be using? I don't know if what he sent me home with are the same as what he was using in his AQUARIUM in the store, I know when I asked him about how often the habitat should be cleaned he told me never b/c the more moisture the better, I knew then I'd better do my own research because that couldn't be right!!
Fred
New Member
Is there anything I can do or not to do until its better? Are all lights suppose to go out at night?
Lancecham
New Member
Here is a care sheet of a veiled chameleon. I know you have a flapneck, but the care, setup, is very close to a veiled.
http://www.kingsnake.com/rockymountain/RMHPages/RMHveiled.htm
http://www.kingsnake.com/rockymountain/RMHPages/RMHveiled.htm
kenya
Avid Member
Yes, all lights should go out at night and the temp drop is good for your cham. You should have two lights- the basking bulb (a regular house bulb that will get a basking temp of about 90 degrees for a veiled- wattage will vary) and the flourescent UVB light- a LINEAR tube style (not coil) ReptiSun 5.0 (lllreptile.com has the best prices and the bulb should be changed every six months)
You should take back any supplies that you have and don't need or that were inappropriate for your cham.
This site will help you a lot: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
Also, you should go to a vet and get the burn looked at and maybe get some Silvadene for it. You could also try putting some vitamin E oil on it. Be very careful that he doesn't burn it again- that would be bad.
You should take back any supplies that you have and don't need or that were inappropriate for your cham.
This site will help you a lot: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
Also, you should go to a vet and get the burn looked at and maybe get some Silvadene for it. You could also try putting some vitamin E oil on it. Be very careful that he doesn't burn it again- that would be bad.
Fred
New Member
Thank you, I have a dripper, mister, Vitiman E and aloe spray and just got an ultra sonic fogger today, that thing is awesome!! Thanks for your help, I'm sure I'll be getting alot of it over the next few weeks!!
Julirs
New Member
Ditch that undertank heater-did the Petstore people sell you that? Also-when you get your screen cage-you might want to get a clamp lamp to create a basking spot-it sounds like they sold you a hood that holds the basking bulb, and having one in a hood like that gives you no freedom to move the bilb or adjust the temps. A good digital thermometer is an absolute necessity-the kind with a probe. You MUST know what your temps are and I would go no higher than high 80's for a basking spot. Did the Petstore mention that you ned supplements? Where in Florida are you so that we an avoid (or yell at) that Petstore?
Fred
New Member
sorry but what does montane mean?
ChromaChameleons
New Member
Montane species are often found in cooler temperature , higher altitude environments.
If you still have the rheostat, you could set up a basking light with a 100 watt household incandescent bulb and adjust the rheostat to produce the desired temp at the basking spot. This assumes the rheostat can handle 100 watts.
If you still have the rheostat, you could set up a basking light with a 100 watt household incandescent bulb and adjust the rheostat to produce the desired temp at the basking spot. This assumes the rheostat can handle 100 watts.
Fred
New Member
yes the petstore people sold me $300 worth of stuff i won't be able to use with the screened enclosure, no they didn't say anything about supplements which means up until now in his life he hasn't been getting them, fortunitly the day we brought him home we got online and read about them and have been doing it, so should i keep the hood and only use it for the UVB light and buy a separate clamp type for basking? with having a bigger enclosure now do I need more than 1 UVB light? right now I have only the temp/humidity gauges i will get a digital one soon, We live near St.Augustine Florida but the petshop/ Ace hardware is located in a small town called Interlachen, I'm so upset with them!!
Fred
New Member
I do still have that, it says it can accommodate up to 500 watts of combination heaters not to include heating rocks
Trace
Captain Awesome
Hi Tricia!
I'm going to answer your private message here, only because I need to correct some information that was presented to you in this thread. It may be beneficial to somebody else in the future.
Welcome to the world of chameleon keeping. Unfortunately you've started the hard way but things can certainly be changed.
This particular species (and the sub-species I suppose) come from a wide range in Africa and thus occupy many different ecological habitats; dry forests, savannahs, jungles etc. Obviously each sub-species is exploiting different aspects of their environment to survive, but it's this vast variation that allows the Flapnecks some adaptability in captivity. To start, I keep my Flapneck Chameleons much like a Veiled. The "Raising Kitty" website is excellent for basic care; cage size, temps all that jazz. The only thing I do differently is I keep my humidity considerably higher than most people. I aim for 80% or more. Oh and contrary to what was said, the Flapnecks are not considered a true montane chameleon. They are lowland and thus can take higher temperatures. If you haven't seen it: here is an excellent article on the while dilepis complex. http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=49
It sounds like the habitat you've newly created for Fred is perfect. I've found the Flaps aren't very active so huge cage isn't necessarily needed - that 24x24x36 is great. Your lights are fine. I'd maybe ditch that fogger and replace it with a cool mist humidifier but that's up to you. I've used both with equally good results. Because I have multiple chameleons, it's easier for me to humidify my room than a fogger on individual cages. I've found the Flaps a little shyer than some species so having a densely planted cage will help him hide and feel more comfortable. I noticed you are in FL so putting him outside if you can is recommended. Nothing better than natural sunlight for chameleons. If you do put him outside, keep the cage in a shady area so he has options of where to sit and bask - direct hot sun doesn't offer him that. Even in the shade, he gets the beneficial UV rays.
As for the burns, I'd recommend a visit to a vet for a professional opinion. Fred may need antibiotics to properly heal. http://www.herpvetconnection.com/florida.shtml Ivan Alfonso in Orlando is wonderful if you are close to him. Perhaps other members can give some recommendations for vets in Florida? Otherwise pick up some Silvadene and apply that to the burns. Burns do take a while to heal up so don't get discouraged. He will end up with scars eventually but that won't affect him. Fred may also be a wild caught (WC) chameleon so having a check-up and/or fecal done is wise.
Now for some bad news - I'm not entirely convinced you have a Flapneck Chameleon. He definitely has the ventrolateral squamation (scales) that is reminiscent of a Flapneck, but not the regular scales, casque, patterns and the obvious flaps. He is, perhaps, a young guy and the lobes haven't fully developed yet? If you could post some more pics I'll be able to say for sure. Full body shots from above and from the side including the first part of the tail are the best. I should be able to sex him for you too if you include the tail base. Don't panic, if he turns out to be a different species, (Chamaeleo chameleon ?) all of the new items you have purchased will not change! Only slight modifications to basking spot temperatures and humidity levels will change and that's easy to do.
Good luck, keep me posted on his recovery. You've definitely made excellent steps to making Fred's life a better one. Now get that camera out!
Cheers,
t
I'm going to answer your private message here, only because I need to correct some information that was presented to you in this thread. It may be beneficial to somebody else in the future.
Welcome to the world of chameleon keeping. Unfortunately you've started the hard way but things can certainly be changed.
This particular species (and the sub-species I suppose) come from a wide range in Africa and thus occupy many different ecological habitats; dry forests, savannahs, jungles etc. Obviously each sub-species is exploiting different aspects of their environment to survive, but it's this vast variation that allows the Flapnecks some adaptability in captivity. To start, I keep my Flapneck Chameleons much like a Veiled. The "Raising Kitty" website is excellent for basic care; cage size, temps all that jazz. The only thing I do differently is I keep my humidity considerably higher than most people. I aim for 80% or more. Oh and contrary to what was said, the Flapnecks are not considered a true montane chameleon. They are lowland and thus can take higher temperatures. If you haven't seen it: here is an excellent article on the while dilepis complex. http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=49
It sounds like the habitat you've newly created for Fred is perfect. I've found the Flaps aren't very active so huge cage isn't necessarily needed - that 24x24x36 is great. Your lights are fine. I'd maybe ditch that fogger and replace it with a cool mist humidifier but that's up to you. I've used both with equally good results. Because I have multiple chameleons, it's easier for me to humidify my room than a fogger on individual cages. I've found the Flaps a little shyer than some species so having a densely planted cage will help him hide and feel more comfortable. I noticed you are in FL so putting him outside if you can is recommended. Nothing better than natural sunlight for chameleons. If you do put him outside, keep the cage in a shady area so he has options of where to sit and bask - direct hot sun doesn't offer him that. Even in the shade, he gets the beneficial UV rays.
As for the burns, I'd recommend a visit to a vet for a professional opinion. Fred may need antibiotics to properly heal. http://www.herpvetconnection.com/florida.shtml Ivan Alfonso in Orlando is wonderful if you are close to him. Perhaps other members can give some recommendations for vets in Florida? Otherwise pick up some Silvadene and apply that to the burns. Burns do take a while to heal up so don't get discouraged. He will end up with scars eventually but that won't affect him. Fred may also be a wild caught (WC) chameleon so having a check-up and/or fecal done is wise.
Now for some bad news - I'm not entirely convinced you have a Flapneck Chameleon. He definitely has the ventrolateral squamation (scales) that is reminiscent of a Flapneck, but not the regular scales, casque, patterns and the obvious flaps. He is, perhaps, a young guy and the lobes haven't fully developed yet? If you could post some more pics I'll be able to say for sure. Full body shots from above and from the side including the first part of the tail are the best. I should be able to sex him for you too if you include the tail base. Don't panic, if he turns out to be a different species, (Chamaeleo chameleon ?) all of the new items you have purchased will not change! Only slight modifications to basking spot temperatures and humidity levels will change and that's easy to do.
Good luck, keep me posted on his recovery. You've definitely made excellent steps to making Fred's life a better one. Now get that camera out!
Cheers,
t
