Chameleon climbing on mesh

TSW

TSW

New Member
Hi all, my 4 month old Veiled seems to favour climbing on the mesh sides of the viv rather than the foliage and bamboo. Is this strange or is he just exploring, i only got him yesterday.

Thanks
IMG-20200424-WA0000.jpg
 
Hmm I do see some trouble with your husbandry though. Could you fill out this form?

Welcome to the Chameleon Forums, by the way!

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
Ares05 said:
Hmm I do see some trouble with your husbandry though. Could you fill out this form?

Welcome to the Chameleon Forums, by the way!

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
Click to expand...
  • Your Chameleon - 4 month old, Male Veiled/Yemen. Had him since 23/04/2020
  • Handling - haven't handled him at all as he is very nervous
  • Feeding - around 10 small silent crickets a day with a dusting of calcium. Crickets are gut loaded with orange, lettuce, carrot peel, tomato.
  • Supplements - ProRep Calci dust (no D3) Exo terra calci dust (with D3) Exo terra Multi vitamin. calci dust twice a weak, multivits and D3 twice a month.
  • Watering - Exo terra dripping plant, Spray bottle for manual misting 3 - 4 times a day to keep humidity up.
  • Fecal Description - haven't seen any sign of droppings at the moment but did see him urate which was yellowish in colour
  • History - other than he came from blackpool reptiles, not alot of history

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Screen terrarium 60 x 45 x 90
  • Lighting - Exo terra daylight basking spot on all day, Zoo med reptisun 10.0 UVB tube.
  • Temperature - temps are measured with exo terra digital thermometers. Bottom temp: 21⁰c, Basking temp: 29⁰c, at night it get down to 18⁰c - 19⁰c ish
  • Humidity - humidity is around 50% and i use an exo terra digital hygrometer
  • Plants - Devils Ivy/Golden Pothos, hibiscus, and Yucca
  • Placement - in a bedroom not near any foot traffic. Cage bottom sits 40cm off the floor. No fan nearby.
  • Location - Cambridgeshire, United kingdom
 

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No @PabloTheCham , vitamin twice a month and d3 twice a month, alternating weeks.

My corrections:


  • Your Chameleon - 4 month old, Male Veiled/Yemen. Had him since 23/04/2020
  • Handling - haven't handled him at all as he is very nervous
  • Feeding - around 10 small silent crickets a day with a dusting of calcium. Crickets are gut loaded with orange, lettuce, carrot peel, tomato.
I wouldn't gutload with tomato. You want to use lots of different leafy greens, and veggies. Maybe from fruit for hydration. Since most cant go out regularly for fresh greens, I would just blend an assortment of greens and veggies together, add some commercial gutload (ill get to that), and freeze it. It will last for months, just take some out each day, thaw it out and give it to your feeders. They love it.

Its recommended to use some commercial gut load for your feeders as well as greens and veggies.. some examples would be Bug Burger or Cricket crack.

(ill post a gutloading and food sheet at the end)\

So he should be allowed to eat quite a bit. I would put about 15 crickets in a feeding cup (so he can find it easily) and let him eat his fill. He should be taking down at least 10-15 small feeders at this age each day.
  • Supplements - ProRep Calci dust (no D3) Exo terra calci dust (with D3) Exo terra Multi vitamin. calci dust twice a weak, multivits and D3 twice a month.
I would dust with the plain calcium every day. Then do the multivitamin once every other week (twice a month) and once every other week with the d3. Alternate the weeks. Dust lightly, the food shouldn't look like a powdered donut! :)
  • Watering - Exo terra dripping plant, Spray bottle for manual misting 3 - 4 times a day to keep humidity up.
Mist for 2-3 minutes in the morning, and then 2-3 minutes in the evening. If you are having humidity problems, you can wrap a couple sides of the enclosure with a shower curtain.
  • Fecal Description - haven't seen any sign of droppings at the moment but did see him urate which was yellowish in colour
Urate should be at least half bright/off white. Also, have you ever gotten a fecal done on him?
  • History - other than he came from blackpool reptiles, not alot of history

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Screen terrarium 60 x 45 x 90
  • Lighting - Exo terra daylight basking spot on all day, Zoo med reptisun 10.0 UVB tube.
I see you basking light is on the inside. Please please please move it to the outside, in a heat lamp. Chameleon can and will burn themselves if they reach it, and if they start to burn, they will not move. They normally will continue to burn themselves.

How far away is the highest branch to the uvb?

Lol I thought you had a red basking bulb .. is it an LED light or something?
  • Temperature - temps are measured with exo terra digital thermometers. Bottom temp: 21⁰c, Basking temp: 29⁰c, at night it get down to 18⁰c - 19⁰c ish
Those temps are good.
  • Humidity - humidity is around 50% and i use an exo terra digital hygrometer
Humidity during the day should be 30-40 and during the night 80-100. The nighttime humidity can be achieved by using a fogger (only at night).
  • Plants - Devils Ivy/Golden Pothos, hibiscus, and Yucca
  • Placement - in a bedroom not near any foot traffic. Cage bottom sits 40cm off the floor. No fan nearby.
  • Location - Cambridgeshire, United kingdom
  • Screen Shot 2020-01-09 at 6.55.18 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2020-01-09 at 6.55.10 PM.png
 
Ares05 said:
No @PabloTheCham , vitamin twice a month and d3 twice a month, alternating weeks.

My corrections:


  • Your Chameleon - 4 month old, Male Veiled/Yemen. Had him since 23/04/2020
  • Handling - haven't handled him at all as he is very nervous
  • Feeding - around 10 small silent crickets a day with a dusting of calcium. Crickets are gut loaded with orange, lettuce, carrot peel, tomato.
I wouldn't gutload with tomato. You want to use lots of different leafy greens, and veggies. Maybe from fruit for hydration. Since most cant go out regularly for fresh greens, I would just blend an assortment of greens and veggies together, add some commercial gutload (ill get to that), and freeze it. It will last for months, just take some out each day, thaw it out and give it to your feeders. They love it.

Its recommended to use some commercial gut load for your feeders as well as greens and veggies.. some examples would be Bug Burger or Cricket crack.

(ill post a gutloading and food sheet at the end)\

So he should be allowed to eat quite a bit. I would put about 15 crickets in a feeding cup (so he can find it easily) and let him eat his fill. He should be taking down at least 10-15 small feeders at this age each day.
  • Supplements - ProRep Calci dust (no D3) Exo terra calci dust (with D3) Exo terra Multi vitamin. calci dust twice a weak, multivits and D3 twice a month.
I would dust with the plain calcium every day. Then do the multivitamin once every other week (twice a month) and once every other week with the d3. Alternate the weeks. Dust lightly, the food shouldn't look like a powdered donut! :)
  • Watering - Exo terra dripping plant, Spray bottle for manual misting 3 - 4 times a day to keep humidity up.
Mist for 2-3 minutes in the morning, and then 2-3 minutes in the evening. If you are having humidity problems, you can wrap a couple sides of the enclosure with a shower curtain.
  • Fecal Description - haven't seen any sign of droppings at the moment but did see him urate which was yellowish in colour
Urate should be at least half bright/off white. Also, have you ever gotten a fecal done on him?
  • History - other than he came from blackpool reptiles, not alot of history

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Screen terrarium 60 x 45 x 90
  • Lighting - Exo terra daylight basking spot on all day, Zoo med reptisun 10.0 UVB tube.
I see you basking light is on the inside. Please please please move it to the outside, in a heat lamp. Chameleon can and will burn themselves if they reach it, and if they start to burn, they will not move. They normally will continue to burn themselves.

How far away is the highest branch to the uvb?

Lol I thought you had a red basking bulb .. is it an LED light or something?
  • Temperature - temps are measured with exo terra digital thermometers. Bottom temp: 21⁰c, Basking temp: 29⁰c, at night it get down to 18⁰c - 19⁰c ish
Those temps are good.
  • Humidity - humidity is around 50% and i use an exo terra digital hygrometer
Humidity during the day should be 30-40 and during the night 80-100. The nighttime humidity can be achieved by using a fogger (only at night).
  • Plants - Devils Ivy/Golden Pothos, hibiscus, and Yucca
  • Placement - in a bedroom not near any foot traffic. Cage bottom sits 40cm off the floor. No fan nearby.
  • Location - Cambridgeshire, United kingdom
  • View attachment 264561View attachment 264562
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it?

Do you have any tips for keeping crickets in the cup?

The basking lamp is held within an anti scald cage is that okay, picture wasnt that clear.

Highest branch is about 5 inches from the uvb and the unit is a reptisun Red/white LED Hood with intergrated uvb tube.

Haven't had any blood tests or fecal exams done yet as i only got him yesterday.
 
Okay so even with scald cage, it still must be outside of the enclosure. What is warm to you is hot to them. They will climb on the light cage and burn themselves. Trust me on this, burns are irreversible.

Just get a 4-6 inch deep cup.. some crickets will escape but most should stay in the cup. Secure it to a branch in a mid point in the cage.

Move the highest branch down to at least 12 inches away. You may even want to get 5.0 a 10.0 may be too strong.

Blood tests aren't really necessary unless the chameleon is having problems. Fecals should be done regularly, every 6 months is what I've heard, and of course right when you get a reptile you want to get a fecal on it to make sure it doesn't have parasites.
 
Ares05 said:
Okay so even with scald cage, it still must be outside of the enclosure. What is warm to you is hot to them. They will climb on the light cage and burn themselves. Trust me on this, burns are irreversible.

Just get a 4-6 inch deep cup.. some crickets will escape but most should stay in the cup. Secure it to a branch in a mid point in the cage.

Move the highest branch down to at least 12 inches away. You may even want to get 5.0 a 10.0 may be too strong.

Blood tests aren't really necessary unless the chameleon is having problems. Fecals should be done regularly, every 6 months is what I've heard, and of course right when you get a reptile you want to get a fecal on it to make sure it doesn't have parasites.
Click to expand...
Okay so ive moved the basking lamp to outside the viv, and ive just found a 4 inch deep feeding cup. Do you recommend feeding him 3 times a day at like 5 crickets a time or just put 15 in the cup and he eats them when he wants them.

And also ive moved the branch to the uvb down to 12 inch but he still seems to want to climb up the mesh and sit as close to the uvb bulb as possible.
 
All at once.

That is pretty normal. as they get older they will get too heavy and stop screen climbing.

I forgot mention, you are going to want to raise the basking bulb up off the screen a bit aswell because if he climbs underneath it he will burn himself.
 
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I meant if he climbs on the screen directly under the basking bulb he will burn himself, don't know if that was clear in what I said lol
 
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