Chameleon Wonders

[Crayola2]

Recently, my 2 year old male veiled chameleon has been going to the bottom of his cage walking around in his poop and pee .I don't have anything at the bottom of the cage it's just a glass bottom. Is it okay if I put the reptile calcium sand at the bottom that way it's easier for cleaning up his fecal matter and also safe for him to walk at the bottom.

 

[carol5208]

No, I would not use that. Sometimes they will eat the sand and it can cause problems. You are better off cleaning up the poop right away and not leaving it there for your chameleon to walk through it. They do not poop that much(they are not birds) so you should not have that much to clean up.

 

[Crayola2]

What would you recommend for it then cause the bottom has water and fecal matter and it glass and he likes to go down there so id like to have something at the bottom?

 

[xraygirl]

Paper towels... Or use one of those shammy cloth things.

 

[Crayola2]

Can't I use moss or bark?

 

[Decadancin]

Can't I use moss or bark?

If you are concerned with cleaning being difficult, I would stay away from substrate. It will tend to be more difficult to clean than just a bare bottom of the enclosure. I would use paper towels if you are looking for quick clean ups. This will also stop the water from pooling and still help maintain the humidity levels you want. There is the possibility that your chameleon could eat the substrate as well. I know my little veiled started eating the moss from his first enclosure and had quite a difficult time passing it. I was lucky he was able to. I would just get a routine of cleaning a couple times a day if needed.

If you still want something on the bottom, they have that green reptile carpet that you can place there, and just switch out with a new piece every few days. They can be washed and reused.

If you are talking about a 2 year old male, how much are you feeding him? He probably wouldn't be pooping that often, so I wouldn't think this should be too much of an issue.

 

[Olimpia]

Or shelf liner - it's easy to wash, much more eco-friendly than paper towel, and a roll of the stuff costs you very little.

 

[Crayola2]

Thank you I will go get some of the reptile carpet. yes he is 2 years old but he had eating issues when I first had him. So he isn't the size of a normal 2 year old chameleon. He eats about 6 crickets and 4 worms twice a day..

If you are concerned with cleaning being difficult, I would stay away from substrate. It will tend to be more difficult to clean than just a bare bottom of the enclosure. I would use paper towels if you are looking for quick clean ups. This will also stop the water from pooling and still help maintain the humidity levels you want. There is the possibility that your chameleon could eat the substrate as well. I know my little veiled started eating the moss from his first enclosure and had quite a difficult time passing it. I was lucky he was able to. I would just get a routine of cleaning a couple times a day if needed.

If you still want something on the bottom, they have that green reptile carpet that you can place there, and just switch out with a new piece every few days. They can be washed and reused.

If you are talking about a 2 year old male, how much are you feeding him? He probably wouldn't be pooping that often, so I wouldn't think this should be too much of an issue.

 

[symphonica]

Don't forget, that just because you put something in there to wick up the moisture doesn't mean that you can get away with going longer without cleaning it. Wet material like repticarpet, especially if combined with fecal matter, becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, etc. that can make your cham very sick.

 

[Olimpia]

Don't forget, that just because you put something in there to wick up the moisture doesn't mean that you can get away with going longer without cleaning it. Wet material like repticarpet, especially if combined with fecal matter, becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, etc. that can make your cham very sick.

I agree with this, definitely. I'm partial to solid flooring (whether it's bare or something like shelf liner, acrylic, whatever) because you can go in with a disinfecting spray and a paper towel and really clean things up as they happen. Something like carpet is such a hassle to wash, it will start smelling damp, etc.

If excessive water is a problem figure out a solution for that, like a catch tray or a drainage hole at the bottom of the cage.