Constantly hissing at me

Somalol

New Member
Veiled Chameleon, male, about 3-4 months old, my care for 2 months
I do not handle him
I feed him crickets and soldier fly larvea I gutload the feeders with sweet potato, apple, and mustard greens, crickets are dusted with calcium powder and vitamin powder once a week
Vitamins, and Calcium
I mist him 2 times a day with 2 hand mister bottles, it takes about 5 minutes each time, once right before lights on, and once right before lights off
His fecal matter is black with a white tip

Cage
16x16x36 (I know I need bigger, I am purchasing an upgrade soon)
I use a 75w Heater and 5% UVB bulb
His basking spot is 85-87 degrees
Humidity is around 85% at night, 30% throughout the day, and 85% again right before his lights come on
I have a golden pothos plant and a Yucca plant as his main perch spot, along with many branches for climbing,
The cage is located away from my air vent all the way in the back of my room where he is disturbed the least. At the very top of his perch spots he is about 5’7 in height
I am located on the East Coast of Florida

Concern- He wont stop hissing at me, if i open his cage to mist or feed, he will either puff up, hiss, or thrash at me. I tong feed him, he used to never hiss at the tongs, but now he will look at my hand and hiss or thrash at it, before focusing on the tongs and eating the insect. Its only when i open his cage otherwise he ignores my presence.
 
Welcome on here! If you could post a pic of your cham, his lights, and his entire enclosure, that’d be super helpful! How many feeders do you give him and at what time(s) of day? The gutload could be better, as more variety is key (same with feeder choices, too)! I’ve attached feeder and gutload charts below, along with a plant link! For supplements, you want a phosphorus-free calcium without D3 to use on all feedings, except for once a week. On that one day per week, you’ll alternate weekly between a phosphorus-free calcium with D3 and a quality multivitamin without D3 (and a multivitamin with preferably preformed Vit. A in it), so that each is used once every two weeks. What brands and types of supplements do you have? Is the UVB bulb a compact (coil one that is the size of a regular light bulb) or a T5 High Output or T8 linear fixture, and what is the distance between your cham’s basking branch and the UVB bulb? His basking spot should be between 80-85*F (preferably 80*F for right now, and as an adult , going up to only 82-83*F is fine, along with just leaving it at 80*F, too). How do you measure your temps and humidity levels? Is your cage screen, glass, hybrid, or homemade, etc? Does he have any moss vines, Exo Terra vines, fake plants, or fake vines with leaves on them? How much coverage does he have in his cage, he might be hissing because he feels threatened and exposed. Sorry for all of the questions! I’m just trying to get some info so we can help you with this!
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
 

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I give him 4 crickets in the morning around 9 am, then 4 BSFL around 3pm and around 7pm 2 crickets and 2 soldiers, I use rep-cal calcium without d3 and reptivite with d3, the uvb is a reptisun bulb, Im working on getting a uvb strip once I get my paycheck, the distance between his basking spot and his branch is about 5 inches along with the uvb bulb, I measure temp and humidity with 2 gauges, its a full screen cage, he has plenty of hiding spots he uses throughout the day under his yucca tree, and some of his branches link down into darker areas he can hide away in, he has 2 fake plants, one is a very thin vine with silk leaves on them that he uses to hide in and climb on, and the other is almost like a condensed grape vine, the he sleeps on, he never uses it until its time to sleep, I intend on switching out the fake plants for real ones soon, he also has a fake bended around vine that is on most of the lower half of the cage and some of the upper half, he uses it occasionally, the real branches are used constantly through out the day they are his main spots.
the first image is his two fake plants, the 2nd is an upclose of him (he just finished a shed) and the 3rd is the entire cage. His main hiding spot can be seen in the 3rd photo, its the back right corner under the fake vines.
 

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Hi there welcome to the forum. See feedback in bold.

Veiled Chameleon, male, about 3-4 months old, my care for 2 months
I do not handle him
I feed him crickets and soldier fly larvea I gutload the feeders with sweet potato, apple, and mustard greens, crickets are dusted with calcium powder and vitamin powder once a week... Ok you want to be feeding more and all in the morning. At this age he should get 12-15 feeders every single morning. You will reduce to every other day feedings at 9 months old. At 12 months old every other day feedings of 3-4 feeders. Calcium WITHOUT D3 at every feeding except 2 times a month you would use the Reptivite WITH D3 say the 1st and the 15th. All feeders are lightly dusted and immediately fed. You should be cup feeding him not tong feeding. The less he has to interact with you the better he will eat and the healthier he will be.
Vitamins, and Calcium
I mist him 2 times a day with 2 hand mister bottles, it takes about 5 minutes each time, once right before lights on, and once right before lights off Provide a dripper during the day so he is getting plenty of opportunity to drink. plastic solo cup with tiny pin holes in the bottom and ice cubes in it provide a slow drip down onto the plants.
His fecal matter is black with a white tip

Cage
16x16x36 (I know I need bigger, I am purchasing an upgrade soon) Good you will want a 2x2x4 ft size.
I use a 75w Heater and 5% UVB bulb You will need to get the Linear t5ho fixture and the 5.0 bulb for it. The compact do not provide the UVB they need. Distance from the bottom of the new fixture to the branches below should be no closer then 8-9 inches.
His basking spot is 85-87 degrees Too hot at basking 80-85 max end. Reduce the bulb strength down to a 60 watt bulb.
Humidity is around 85% at night, 30% throughout the day, and 85% again right before his lights come on
I have a golden pothos plant and a Yucca plant as his main perch spot, along with many branches for climbing, Need to get all fake plants out of the cage. Use Veiled test plants from the list below. fake are dangerous with Veileds because they eat them. Not sure what the white plastic is in the bottom of the cage. But you would not want any plastic in the bottom
The cage is located away from my air vent all the way in the back of my room where he is disturbed the least. At the very top of his perch spots he is about 5’7 in height
I am located on the East Coast of Florida

Concern- He wont stop hissing at me, if i open his cage to mist or feed, he will either puff up, hiss, or thrash at me. I tong feed him, he used to never hiss at the tongs, but now he will look at my hand and hiss or thrash at it, before focusing on the tongs and eating the insect. Its only when i open his cage otherwise he ignores my presence.

They do not tend to like human interaction. Most prefer their home with very little interaction from us. You should be cup feeding or using a feeder run. I would recommend this one so you can hook it onto the door so when you open the door you are farther away from him and can pour the insects into the feeder. https://tkchameleons.com/collections/accessories/products/shooting-gallery


Here is a great resource for you. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/



chameleon-gutload.jpg
chameleon-food(1).jpg
chameleon academy plants.png
 
Hi there welcome to the forum. See feedback in bold.

Veiled Chameleon, male, about 3-4 months old, my care for 2 months
I do not handle him
I feed him crickets and soldier fly larvea I gutload the feeders with sweet potato, apple, and mustard greens, crickets are dusted with calcium powder and vitamin powder once a week... Ok you want to be feeding more and all in the morning. At this age he should get 12-15 feeders every single morning. You will reduce to every other day feedings at 9 months old. At 12 months old every other day feedings of 3-4 feeders. Calcium WITHOUT D3 at every feeding except 2 times a month you would use the Reptivite WITH D3 say the 1st and the 15th. All feeders are lightly dusted and immediately fed. You should be cup feeding him not tong feeding. The less he has to interact with you the better he will eat and the healthier he will be.
Vitamins, and Calcium
I mist him 2 times a day with 2 hand mister bottles, it takes about 5 minutes each time, once right before lights on, and once right before lights off Provide a dripper during the day so he is getting plenty of opportunity to drink. plastic solo cup with tiny pin holes in the bottom and ice cubes in it provide a slow drip down onto the plants.
His fecal matter is black with a white tip

Cage
16x16x36 (I know I need bigger, I am purchasing an upgrade soon) Good you will want a 2x2x4 ft size.
I use a 75w Heater and 5% UVB bulb You will need to get the Linear t5ho fixture and the 5.0 bulb for it. The compact do not provide the UVB they need. Distance from the bottom of the new fixture to the branches below should be no closer then 8-9 inches.
His basking spot is 85-87 degrees Too hot at basking 80-85 max end. Reduce the bulb strength down to a 60 watt bulb.
Humidity is around 85% at night, 30% throughout the day, and 85% again right before his lights come on
I have a golden pothos plant and a Yucca plant as his main perch spot, along with many branches for climbing, Need to get all fake plants out of the cage. Use Veiled test plants from the list below. fake are dangerous with Veileds because they eat them. Not sure what the white plastic is in the bottom of the cage. But you would not want any plastic in the bottom
The cage is located away from my air vent all the way in the back of my room where he is disturbed the least. At the very top of his perch spots he is about 5’7 in height
I am located on the East Coast of Florida

Concern- He wont stop hissing at me, if i open his cage to mist or feed, he will either puff up, hiss, or thrash at me. I tong feed him, he used to never hiss at the tongs, but now he will look at my hand and hiss or thrash at it, before focusing on the tongs and eating the insect. Its only when i open his cage otherwise he ignores my presence.

They do not tend to like human interaction. Most prefer their home with very little interaction from us. You should be cup feeding or using a feeder run. I would recommend this one so you can hook it onto the door so when you open the door you are farther away from him and can pour the insects into the feeder. https://tkchameleons.com/collections/accessories/products/shooting-gallery


Here is a great resource for you. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/



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Do i have to dust BSFL with calcium? I read that they have enough calcium to not need dusting, I dust them with the D3 vitamin powder though. The plastic at the bottom is a solid dome Im using to lift his pothos plant higher up so he can actually hide in it without having to go to the bottom of his cage, once I get the Dragon Strand though I will be attaching it to the sides. He stopped being as fiesty now that its been a few days since his shed (When i made the post he still had some shed on his feet and tail). But he still does get pissy with me sometimes, He has never minded being tong fed, and I only went to it because he wouldn't cup feed. I put it out for him with crickets and BSFL and he never even checked it out. Im working on trying to find better plants to replace the fake ones but the local nursery and home depot have been out of stock of Hibiscus and the more common Veiled plants. I constantly stop by though to check. I use a gallon jug with 3 tiny holes in it and place it right above the plants, I dont fill it all the way due to worry for water damage of my floors, but I constantly fill it back as needed. I havent had any experience with him trying to eat his plants so im not horribly worried about the fake vine but I am doing my best to try and replace it.
 
Do i have to dust BSFL with calcium? I read that they have enough calcium to not need dusting, I dust them with the D3 vitamin powder though. The plastic at the bottom is a solid dome Im using to lift his pothos plant higher up so he can actually hide in it without having to go to the bottom of his cage, once I get the Dragon Strand though I will be attaching it to the sides. He stopped being as fiesty now that its been a few days since his shed (When i made the post he still had some shed on his feet and tail). But he still does get pissy with me sometimes, He has never minded being tong fed, and I only went to it because he wouldn't cup feed. I put it out for him with crickets and BSFL and he never even checked it out. Im working on trying to find better plants to replace the fake ones but the local nursery and home depot have been out of stock of Hibiscus and the more common Veiled plants. I constantly stop by though to check. I use a gallon jug with 3 tiny holes in it and place it right above the plants, I dont fill it all the way due to worry for water damage of my floors, but I constantly fill it back as needed. I havent had any experience with him trying to eat his plants so im not horribly worried about the fake vine but I am doing my best to try and replace it.
No you do not have to dust bsfl with the plain calcium without D3. But if it is a multivitamin or D3 dusting day you should dust everything including the BSFL.
 
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