can Asaigo have the once over?

[maddashash]

Your chamelion- she is a young veiled, ive had her for almost 3 months

Handling- only when her cage gets cleaned about once weekly

Feeding- dubai roaches, crickets, silks, Phoenix, butter worms. Dubai and crix are fed finely chopped kale, yellow squash, butternut squash, sweet green pepper, colliflour, zucchini, and sweet potatoes, occasional carrots and broccoli. Its all chopped up together and i add water to it because i dont trust the crystals.

Supplements- i use repcal plain calcium daily, calcium w d3 and herpvite twice monthly

Watering- i mist three times daily, and she always has a dripper going

Poop- brown with white tops, never been tested for parasites

Cage type- screened cage, she is about to get her big girl cage.

Lighting- reptisun 5.0 it is a coil but have ordered the tube light. She has a basking lamp

Temp- stays around 90 at the top of her cage and about 75 towards the bottom. It is measured with Digital

Humidity- stays between 50 and 70 i mist theres a large pothos, and her dripper falls into her digging bin

Plants- a large pothos, and fake vines

Location- south Carolina

There are no known issues, i thought it was time to introduce to the cham world, and get a once over.

 

[Stoneleon]

Beautiful cham and it seems like your sups , gut loading and enclosure is on point. You should throw some pics up when you get her in the new enclosure

 

[maddashash]

Thanks for the quick response!! Im trying to decide if im building or buying her cage. Ive never built anything like that before. But she will be in her new cage by august.

 

[K9Luvn]

Hi looks like a very nice set up you have for your girl. I currently don't have any girls... but I hear they are very sweet and enjoyable. How does she feel about being taken out and held and climbing on you hands and such? My boys get out of their cages everyday and stay out playing in their play areas every day. I am home to supervise when they are out as sometimes they want to climb down and investigate other areas. Just curious how yours responds to interaction with you. I have one boy that thinks that I am his human jungle gym and would stay on me all day if I let him

 

[Seeco]

Dripper draining into the laying bin might be bad.

 

[maddashash]

She has her days where she is just ok getting on my hand. Its very reluctant but she will. Most days she will hiss and launch at my hand while i get her out, i just close in on her from behind and she will usually walk onto my hand. Once she is out she is fine, and she sometimes gets the most beautiful shade of green.

 

[maddashash]

Dripper draining into the laying bin might be bad.

I check it daily, it can make a tunnel if she needed to, but i can switch it and the pothos if you guys think it will be better.

 

[AngieL]

I think your basking site might be a little too hot. For the girls you want to keep it around 80 to help lessen egg production. This should be paired with a reduction in food intake to 1-3 bugs a day or 4-6 bugs every other day.

Egg production takes a lot out of the girls and the less she lays the longer life span she will have

Also, you want to try and avoid gutloads such as broccoli and kale tok often as they contain oxalic acid with inhibits the absorption of calcium.

 

[AngieL]

I also think you need to add a bit more foliage around the top and middle of the enclosure do she has more places to hide

 

[maddashash]

I think your basking site might be a little too hot. For the girls you want to keep it around 80 to help lessen egg production. This should be paired with a reduction in food intake to 1-3 bugs a day or 4-6 bugs every other day.

Egg production takes a lot out of the girls and the less she lays the longer life span she will have

Also, you want to try and avoid gutloads such as broccoli and kale tok often as they contain oxalic acid with inhibits the absorption of calcium.

Ok, is she at the size where she needs to be cut back now? What other "green" should i use? Kale always seemed the safe way to go. As far as the crix and roaches she is still getting the 1\4 inch mostly because we are feeding a very young bearded dragon as well, how many of those should she have?

 

[AngieL]

She is starting to look a little plump do I would start cutting back now I think. How big is she from her nose to the base of her tail?

The way I do it is I'll give 3 smaller bugs, 2 medium bugs or 1 bug if it's really big (the silks get really huge )

Here is a link to Sandrachameleon's blog about gutloading, that's where I learned about the kale.

 

[maddashash]

She is starting to look a little plump do I would start cutting back now I think. How big is she from her nose to the base of her tail?

The way I do it is I'll give 3 smaller bugs, 2 medium bugs or 1 bug if it's really big (the silks get really huge )

Here is a link to Sandrachameleon's blog about gutloading, that's where I learned about the kale.

Here is another pic. It looks like 4 inches. Im going to check out that blog. Thats where i originally got my info from, but i obviously mis- read.

 

[maddashash]

Ok, is she at the size where she needs to be cut back now? What other "green" should i use? Kale always seemed the safe way to go. As far as the crix and roaches she is still getting the 1\4 inch mostly because we are feeding a very young bearded dragon as well, how many of those should she have?

Ok after looking through her blog i would like to use grape vine leaves as a staple. The leafy type kind of hold the gut load together and i like alll the nutrition they have. My question is, we have wild muscidines every where here, are those ok to use and if not where could i find those at? If the wild ones are ok, how should i wash them?

 

[AngieL]

Sorry I can't help you there, I live in the uk on a tiny island. Maybe someone from the states can help you with where to find ingredients my guess would be a health food shop if there's one near you?

 

[sandrachameleon]

I agree with the advice not to use much broccoli or cauliflower, and not to overdo the kale either.

muscidine leaves are edible, and would be fine to add as part of your gutload. other "green" choices include dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, collards, arugula, basil, plus the kale you already use.... all in moderation. Also hybiscus leaves are good gutload or for the cham to eat directly.

You may find this blog entry useful, regarding leafy greens:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/659-green-leafy-goodness-gutloading.html

I also agree with adding More branches and plants, and lower basking temp. Perhaps have a small plastic bowl atop the laying sand, to catch the majority of the dripper water (for discarding), so the sand doesnt get too saturated.

Love the name - one of my favourite cheeses

 

[maddashash]

When i make my gutload i usually put 2 leaves of kale, half each of the squashes green pepper usually one little piece of broccoli and colliflouer like the pieces on a veggi tray, then a quarter of a butternut squash and half of a sweet potato. Should i use even less, or leave it out?
That is one of the articles that i read. I guess I just need to know the frequency and amount that is safe to use.

 

[maddashash]

Here is another pic. It looks like 4 inches. Im going to check out that blog. Thats where i originally got my info from, but i obviously mis- read.

After seeing her size is she at the age to cut back?

 

[sandrachameleon]

When i make my gutload i usually put 2 leaves of kale, half each of the squashes green pepper usually one little piece of broccoli and colliflouer like the pieces on a veggi tray, then a quarter of a butternut squash and half of a sweet potato. Should i use even less, or leave it out?

that little broc or cauli should be fine.

A couple more options have come to mind: clover and chickweed.

Is the above combination your only gutload?

 

[AngieL]

After seeing her size is she at the age to cut back?

Now I'm by no means an expert but IMO at that size she zcould be around 4-5 month.

If you can wiegh her to monitor her gain then you might get a better idea of when to cut down like if she's maintaining weight or putting it on.

Gradual weight gain is ok to a point but you need to look out for regular gains as this is a good indicator that she has become gravid with an infertile clutch. However, if you impliment these changes her clutch can be small and subtle so the trick is to always be prepared and have a laying bin available to her at all times.

 

[maddashash]

that little broc or cauli should be fine.

A couple more options have come to mind: clover and chickweed.

Is the above combination your only gutload?

Yes. Should I be giving more? I had thought aboutbuying that organic super gutload that is in the classifieds to put in the bin as well. Any thoughts on that? 2