Could someone please review my husbandry?

Bazelthechameleon

Avid Member
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Male 1 1/2 year old panther chameleon. I have had him for 1 year
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I handle my chameleon about twice a week for 10-15 minutes. He is very social and always wants to come sit on your shoulder.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed my chameleon dubia roaches, super worms, black soldier flies, and the occasional hornworm for hydration. He usually eats 2 super worms or 1 dubia every day or so along with 2-5 black soldier flies. Sometimes he’ll take a break from eating for a few days every couple months or so. I feed my feeders sweet potatoes, carrots, carrot greens, and kale
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use Repashy superfood calcium with no vitamin D for daily dusting and every 2 weeks I dust with Repashy superfood calcium plus vitamin d for a day. Sometimes I also mix in a bit of bee pollen.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have dripper going all day and at 8 am and 8 pm my mister goes off for 1 minute. I see my chameleon drinking every couple weeks.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? My chameleon has dark brown droppings with bright white urates. My chameleon has never been tested for parasites but has had a vet visit where they said he was very healthy.
  • 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? My cage is a mesh 2ftx2ftx4ft
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I use the philip’s 75w plant light for basking but sometimes switch to a lower wattage during hot summer months. I use the reptisun 10.0 uvb and a separate light for the live plants (LED?? I’m not sure but it helps the plants grow and is not uvb and does not produce any heat.)
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? The average temperature in the center of the cage is 66.2 F and his basking spot is 85 F. The lowest overnight temp is 62 F. I measure the temps using a govee wifi thermometer hanging in the cage and a temperature gun.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? The average humidity is 55.5% in the center of the cage. I measure it with the govee wifi thermometer.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I am using live plants in my cage. I have a large pothos and some other smaller ones. I’m not sure what they are called but I know I checked if they are safe for chameleons and cleaned and repotted them before putting them in the cage.
  • 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? My cage is in my bedroom and is relatively close to a fan but it’s rarely on. My room is not highly traffic. The top of the cage is approximately 7 ft from the room floor.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? I’m located in Westchester, NY
 
Just about all looks pretty good, but I can make a few suggestions to improve.
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Male 1 1/2 year old panther chameleon. I have had him for 1 year
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I handle my chameleon about twice a week for 10-15 minutes. He is very social and always wants to come sit on your shoulder. My panther guy is like that too, but it is unusual. Usually they only come out to us willingly if they don’t like their enclosure. Just look at his enclosure…does he have shaded spots, lots of live plants, plenty of branches/vines to travel, etc. If you post a pic we can take a look with fresh/unbiased eyes. I’m still looking every day at my guy’s enclosure for something he may not like.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed my chameleon dubia roaches, super worms, black soldier flies, and the occasional hornworm for hydration. He usually eats 2 super worms or 1 dubia every day or so along with 2-5 black soldier flies. You could add some occasional crickets or silkworms. Superworms should only be for treats as they are fatty. You should also feed him less frequently like every other day or even 3 days a week. Sometimes he’ll take a break from eating for a few days every couple months or so. I feed my feeders sweet potatoes, carrots, carrot greens, and kale You should stop the kale as it binds to calcium. You could add a bit more to provide more nutrition. Attaching some graphics below.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use Repashy superfood calcium with no vitamin D for daily dusting and every 2 weeks I dust with Repashy superfood calcium plus vitamin d for a day. Sometimes I also mix in a bit of bee pollen. Excellent!
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have dripper going all day and at 8 am and 8 pm my mister goes off for 1 minute. You’d be better to mist for at least 2 minutes each time and use the dripper for only 20-30 minutes mid day. You want to give his enclosure time to dry out in between. I see my chameleon drinking every couple weeks.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? My chameleon has dark brown droppings with bright white urates. My chameleon has never been tested for parasites but has had a vet visit where they said he was very healthy. Having a fecal test is always a good idea. If your vet visit was recent enough, you should be able to just drop off a fresh sample for testing.
  • 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? My cage is a mesh 2ftx2ftx4ft Excellent
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I use the philip’s 75w plant light for basking but sometimes switch to a lower wattage during hot summer months. I use the reptisun 10.0 uvb As has been said, you should switch to a 5.0 (or Arcadia 6%) If you aren’t due for a bulb change soon, you can raise the uvb so that it is about 10-11” above basking area. I use little wire baskets from the dollar store to elevate my lights. and a separate light for the live plants (LED?? I’m not sure but it helps the plants grow and is not uvb and does not produce any heat.)
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? The average temperature in the center of the cage is 66.2 F and his basking spot is 85 F. The lowest overnight temp is 62 F. I measure the temps using a govee wifi thermometer hanging in the cage and a temperature gun. Perfect
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? The average humidity is 55.5% in the center of the cage. I measure it with the govee wifi thermometer. Perfect. Since you have an ideal temp drop at night, if you wanted you could use a cool mist humidifier to boost night humidity all the way up. That simulates the natural hydration provided by fog in the wild.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I am using live plants in my cage. I have a large pothos and some other smaller ones. I’m not sure what they are called but I know I checked if they are safe for chameleons and cleaned and repotted them before putting them in the cage. Excellent
  • 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? My cage is in my bedroom and is relatively close to a fan but it’s rarely on. My room is not highly traffic. The top of the cage is approximately 7 ft from the room floor. Excellent
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? I’m located in Westchester, NY
So just a few tweaks to make everything better is all that I see. Otherwise you’re doing great! 😃
05B5E326-6381-4431-9145-A4A7EFC4EA68.jpeg
F53C5B4F-BF88-48F3-A0F6-971C9BBDB279.jpeg
 
Just about all looks pretty good, but I can make a few suggestions to improve.
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Male 1 1/2 year old panther chameleon. I have had him for 1 year
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I handle my chameleon about twice a week for 10-15 minutes. He is very social and always wants to come sit on your shoulder. My panther guy is like that too, but it is unusual. Usually they only come out to us willingly if they don’t like their enclosure. Just look at his enclosure…does he have shaded spots, lots of live plants, plenty of branches/vines to travel, etc. If you post a pic we can take a look with fresh/unbiased eyes. I’m still looking every day at my guy’s enclosure for something he may not like.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed my chameleon dubia roaches, super worms, black soldier flies, and the occasional hornworm for hydration. He usually eats 2 super worms or 1 dubia every day or so along with 2-5 black soldier flies. You could add some occasional crickets or silkworms. Superworms should only be for treats as they are fatty. You should also feed him less frequently like every other day or even 3 days a week. Sometimes he’ll take a break from eating for a few days every couple months or so. I feed my feeders sweet potatoes, carrots, carrot greens, and kale You should stop the kale as it binds to calcium. You could add a bit more to provide more nutrition. Attaching some graphics below.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use Repashy superfood calcium with no vitamin D for daily dusting and every 2 weeks I dust with Repashy superfood calcium plus vitamin d for a day. Sometimes I also mix in a bit of bee pollen. Excellent!
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have dripper going all day and at 8 am and 8 pm my mister goes off for 1 minute. You’d be better to mist for at least 2 minutes each time and use the dripper for only 20-30 minutes mid day. You want to give his enclosure time to dry out in between. I see my chameleon drinking every couple weeks.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? My chameleon has dark brown droppings with bright white urates. My chameleon has never been tested for parasites but has had a vet visit where they said he was very healthy. Having a fecal test is always a good idea. If your vet visit was recent enough, you should be able to just drop off a fresh sample for testing.
  • 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? My cage is a mesh 2ftx2ftx4ft Excellent
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I use the philip’s 75w plant light for basking but sometimes switch to a lower wattage during hot summer months. I use the reptisun 10.0 uvb As has been said, you should switch to a 5.0 (or Arcadia 6%) If you aren’t due for a bulb change soon, you can raise the uvb so that it is about 10-11” above basking area. I use little wire baskets from the dollar store to elevate my lights. and a separate light for the live plants (LED?? I’m not sure but it helps the plants grow and is not uvb and does not produce any heat.)
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? The average temperature in the center of the cage is 66.2 F and his basking spot is 85 F. The lowest overnight temp is 62 F. I measure the temps using a govee wifi thermometer hanging in the cage and a temperature gun. Perfect
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? The average humidity is 55.5% in the center of the cage. I measure it with the govee wifi thermometer. Perfect. Since you have an ideal temp drop at night, if you wanted you could use a cool mist humidifier to boost night humidity all the way up. That simulates the natural hydration provided by fog in the wild.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I am using live plants in my cage. I have a large pothos and some other smaller ones. I’m not sure what they are called but I know I checked if they are safe for chameleons and cleaned and repotted them before putting them in the cage. Excellent
  • 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? My cage is in my bedroom and is relatively close to a fan but it’s rarely on. My room is not highly traffic. The top of the cage is approximately 7 ft from the room floor. Excellent
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? I’m located in Westchester, NY
So just a few tweaks to make everything better is all that I see. Otherwise you’re doing great! 😃
View attachment 324086View attachment 324087
Thanks so much for your input! Will definitely use this :)
 
I agree with MissSkittles on everything. Also, although 6 percent arcadia is a little more expensive, it saves money in the long run because you only have to replace it every 12 months, compared to 6 months for ZooMed.
 
Just replaced my UVB with the 5.0 bulb. Replaced the Kale in the bug cage with collard greens. I also forgot to mention that I also feed the bugs the bug burger stuff. I’m gonna start misting a third time in the middle of the night to up the humidity and dial back how long the dripper is going.
 
Just about all looks pretty good, but I can make a few suggestions to improve.
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Male 1 1/2 year old panther chameleon. I have had him for 1 year
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I handle my chameleon about twice a week for 10-15 minutes. He is very social and always wants to come sit on your shoulder. My panther guy is like that too, but it is unusual. Usually they only come out to us willingly if they don’t like their enclosure. Just look at his enclosure…does he have shaded spots, lots of live plants, plenty of branches/vines to travel, etc. If you post a pic we can take a look with fresh/unbiased eyes. I’m still looking every day at my guy’s enclosure for something he may not like.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed my chameleon dubia roaches, super worms, black soldier flies, and the occasional hornworm for hydration. He usually eats 2 super worms or 1 dubia every day or so along with 2-5 black soldier flies. You could add some occasional crickets or silkworms. Superworms should only be for treats as they are fatty. You should also feed him less frequently like every other day or even 3 days a week. Sometimes he’ll take a break from eating for a few days every couple months or so. I feed my feeders sweet potatoes, carrots, carrot greens, and kale You should stop the kale as it binds to calcium. You could add a bit more to provide more nutrition. Attaching some graphics below.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use Repashy superfood calcium with no vitamin D for daily dusting and every 2 weeks I dust with Repashy superfood calcium plus vitamin d for a day. Sometimes I also mix in a bit of bee pollen. Excellent!
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have dripper going all day and at 8 am and 8 pm my mister goes off for 1 minute. You’d be better to mist for at least 2 minutes each time and use the dripper for only 20-30 minutes mid day. You want to give his enclosure time to dry out in between. I see my chameleon drinking every couple weeks.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? My chameleon has dark brown droppings with bright white urates. My chameleon has never been tested for parasites but has had a vet visit where they said he was very healthy. Having a fecal test is always a good idea. If your vet visit was recent enough, you should be able to just drop off a fresh sample for testing.
  • 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? My cage is a mesh 2ftx2ftx4ft Excellent
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I use the philip’s 75w plant light for basking but sometimes switch to a lower wattage during hot summer months. I use the reptisun 10.0 uvb As has been said, you should switch to a 5.0 (or Arcadia 6%) If you aren’t due for a bulb change soon, you can raise the uvb so that it is about 10-11” above basking area. I use little wire baskets from the dollar store to elevate my lights. and a separate light for the live plants (LED?? I’m not sure but it helps the plants grow and is not uvb and does not produce any heat.)
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? The average temperature in the center of the cage is 66.2 F and his basking spot is 85 F. The lowest overnight temp is 62 F. I measure the temps using a govee wifi thermometer hanging in the cage and a temperature gun. Perfect
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? The average humidity is 55.5% in the center of the cage. I measure it with the govee wifi thermometer. Perfect. Since you have an ideal temp drop at night, if you wanted you could use a cool mist humidifier to boost night humidity all the way up. That simulates the natural hydration provided by fog in the wild.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I am using live plants in my cage. I have a large pothos and some other smaller ones. I’m not sure what they are called but I know I checked if they are safe for chameleons and cleaned and repotted them before putting them in the cage. Excellent
  • 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? My cage is in my bedroom and is relatively close to a fan but it’s rarely on. My room is not highly traffic. The top of the cage is approximately 7 ft from the room floor. Excellent
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? I’m located in Westchester, NY
So just a few tweaks to make everything better is all that I see. Otherwise you’re doing great! 😃
View attachment 324086View attachment 324087
Here is a photo of my enclosure. I’m not home right now so this is a photo from a few months ago.
 

Attachments

  • DB847FDC-187B-49FD-85CF-23F6A53CE332.png
    DB847FDC-187B-49FD-85CF-23F6A53CE332.png
    557.6 KB · Views: 79
Back
Top Bottom