Carpet Chameleons

[Shinybeetles]

Does anyone have any particularly good tips for keeping wild-caught Furcifer Lateralis (mino carpets). My new aquisitions are very very timid indeed, I was told they were CB but I'm not at all convinced. I have followed all major guidlines, kept apart, screen cages, lots of plants, lots of spraying etc. It is early days but they seem very wary of people.

Any good hints or tips? I'm hopefully having them wormed v.soon too.

 

[Snarfit]

I've had 1.1 carpets since December. CB from Jim at Chameleon Company. Very fine specimens from Jim. My first time with Carpets, and MAN are they shy!

In all that time, I have only seen either of them eat once, and I had to go full ninja to catch that glimpse.

I am keeping them free range, each in their own ficus schefflera. Sometimes I think they have powers of invisibility - takes me forever to find them and they are just sitting there staring at me.

Had an odd moment a few weeks ago when I wore an orange ball cap into the chameleon room. I could not figure out for the life of me what had gotten into the male, but he went completely apes#!t. Kind of funny to see a little five inch long critter acting like he wanted to tear my arm off. As soon as I took off my hat, he was completely fine.

Ryan Jarosek (sp?) has given me some great tips. He has carpets and knows his stuff. Hopefully he will weigh in...

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Sounds like you have things in order. The basics are

1- 60+% humidity
2- lots of cover
3- 85f basking
4- 70-72 in the coolest area of the cage

They will probably never warm up to you like say a panther would. They will be very shy. Just like snarfit, I have only seen one of the 18 carpets I have kept eat one time. They are sneaky little suckers.

Make sure that your female has a laying bin in the cage at all times. If not gravid already she will eventually be. Keep her out of site of the male unless you want to get her clock going. They do not always dig to lay. They just drop them sometimes so keep an eye out if she is gravid.

Any idea on age?

Oh and pics pics pics... gotta see them

 

[Shinybeetles]

Hi guys, thanks for that. I actually have seen the male feed a few times, it was really funny, he ran down the crickets! Chased them all over.

Anyway, I will post some pictures soon promise, but have a few quick questions for now.

1) seems rather obvious but how do you get a high humidity in a screened cage?! I have heard that you can use a bowl of water with a fish tank heater in it (and a mesh net of course to prvent drowning), but I already have 100s of plugs, worried I'm going to burnm my house down one of these days....anyway I'll do it if that's the best way.

2)This is interesting, if carpet chameleons lay on the ground (which I have actually had already as you swill see in a previous post), then isn't it a lot easier to find and collect the eggs, I know many people who didn't even notice their cham was gravid and only found the eggs way too late by accident....

Your thoughts! Thanks

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Here is my setup for a few of my carpets

Carpet Setup / Humidifier and Mister.

To increase humidity I prefer one of these three methods along with more mistings. One or a combination of the three will take care of it. I wouldn't mess with any water in the cage in a bowl etc.

#1- More plants

#2 - Dripper

#3 - humidifier (cool mist)

and always more misting.

As for laying it is easier IMO but you run the risk of the eggs going bad because they get wet or dry out before you find them. Just look often and you should be fine.