MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok. Give me a few minutes and I’ll give you a full review. While I’m working on that, can you please take some pics of your entire enclosure, including floor and lights please.
Dalmatian like spots
- Thread starter ambxrlxnn
- Start date
please let me know if anything is wrong. I was unaware of her gender and age and I will gladly fix anything she needs to make her happiest and most comfortable
Attachments
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Putting my feedback in red.
Cage Info:
- Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, female and between 1 and 2 years old. She has been in my care for 4 days. Honestly I’m very surprised that if the girl you got her from had her for 1-2 years, she never laid eggs. Something here is strange.
- Handling - 1 time so far Very good! She needs time to adjust and settle in.
- Feeding - She has not eaten since we've had her. we tried mealworms, crickets (dead and alive) and a variety of vegetables. Before we had her she was eating calciworms and wax-worms which are being delivered tonight. Chameleons will only eat live bugs. Mealworms are not good at all to give. Attaching feeder and gutloading sheets. You have to feed the buggies well in order to pass nutrition on to her.
What about supplements? Are you using any? If so, what and when? - Watering - A dripper, a water spray bottle and a humidifier. I have seen her drinking once a day so far. How often and when for each?
- Fecal Description - She has not been tested for parasites, and her feces is solid and light brown.
- History - She was housed with another chameleon. The person we got her from told us she was a male and was housed with a male but now that I know she is a female I'm not sure about the chameleon she was housed with. Ok. Did you see the other chameleon she was housed with? Did it look just like her or did it have a large casque? If it was a male, she could indeed have fertile eggs when she lays.
Chameleons should never ever be housed with another cham or any other animal.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - It's a screen cage, she also has some trees around the room if she wants to leave the cage and wander. The cage is 2 feet by 2 feet by 3 1/2 feet. Ok...good. Close enough to recommended minimum of 2x2x4’ .
- Lighting - I'm not sure what the model is but it's a zoomed kit for lighting. The lights are on from 7/8 am to 8/9 pm. This is really important...is the uvb a coil screw in bulb or a long tube?
- Temperature - Cage floor is 72, basking is 84. Lowest temp at night so far has been 63. We have three thermometers. One on the floor, one at the same height as her basking area and one in the middle near her ladder (which she often hangs out on) Great with all the thermometers! You do need to cool her basking down a few degrees though. Should be no higher than about 80.
- Plants - Right now she has both live and fake plants, The fake plants are being in the process of being switched to real plants. Perfect! Fake plants are only good for fake chams. I attached my fake ones to the outside of the enclosure to provide a bit more privacy. We have a bamboo plant, and a fern plant for her. As well as a twisty tree stump and a bamboo ladder. You do need to be careful of what plants you use as she will nibble on them. Here’s the list I use. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
- Placement - The bottom of the cage is about 3 feet off the ground. She is next to a window in the corner of the room and not in a high traffic area unless we are going over to see her. Good. They like and feel safest when they are up higher than us.
- Location - Portland, Oregon
So she will be needing a lay bin and is best to just make it a permanent part of her enclosure. It’s pretty simple to prepare. Get a plastic container that is approx 10x10x10” ...may want to drill a few tiny drainage holes in the bottom. Fill to around 6-8” with washed play sand. It needs to be kept moist enough that it can hold a tunnel without collapsing. They don’t just dig down...they will also dig across a it. 
I attached an image of the lights in my prior comment. We are not currently using supplements but I surely will start! We have Flukers calcium to coat her food in currently. I use the sprayer often, when her plants are looking too dry I will spray some water on them as I've seen her drink that water fairly often. The dripper is used 3 times a day, 30 minutes after she wakes up, around 2/3 pm and around 7pm. The humidifier is on the whole time her lights are on. I did not see the chameleon she was housed with. This chameleon was apparently "horribly aggressive" and she didn't want her any longer/ was neglecting her so we rushed over to get her so she would have a better home. The girl told us she had "him" for a year and a half and that the pet store told her "he" was 6 months old when she bought "him" based on pictures how old are you assuming she is? Also I know she was housed with a tree frog as well, however he was rehired about two weeks before we got her. Also how close do you think she is to laying eggs. I will get the set up but getting it tomorrow will be easiest for me if she can wait that long.Putting my feedback in red.
- Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, female and between 1 and 2 years old. She has been in my care for 4 days. Honestly I’m very surprised that if the girl you got her from had her for 1-2 years, she never laid eggs. Something here is strange.
- Handling - 1 time so far Very good! She needs time to adjust and settle in.
- Feeding - She has not eaten since we've had her. we tried mealworms, crickets (dead and alive) and a variety of vegetables. Before we had her she was eating calciworms and wax-worms which are being delivered tonight. Chameleons will only eat live bugs. Mealworms are not good at all to give. Attaching feeder and gutloading sheets. You have to feed the buggies well in order to pass nutrition on to her.
What about supplements? Are you using any? If so, what and when?- Watering - A dripper, a water spray bottle and a humidifier. I have seen her drinking once a day so far. How often and when for each?
- Fecal Description - She has not been tested for parasites, and her feces is solid and light brown.
- History - She was housed with another chameleon. The person we got her from told us she was a male and was housed with a male but now that I know she is a female I'm not sure about the chameleon she was housed with. Ok. Did you see the other chameleon she was housed with? Did it look just like her or did it have a large casque? If it was a male, she could indeed have fertile eggs when she lays.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - It's a screen cage, she also has some trees around the room if she wants to leave the cage and wander. The cage is 2 feet by 2 feet by 3 1/2 feet. Ok...good. Close enough to recommended minimum of 2x2x4’ .
- Lighting - I'm not sure what the model is but it's a zoomed kit for lighting. The lights are on from 7/8 am to 8/9 pm. This is really important...is the uvb a coil screw in bulb or a long tube?
- Temperature - Cage floor is 72, basking is 84. Lowest temp at night so far has been 63. We have three thermometers. One on the floor, one at the same height as her basking area and one in the middle near her ladder (which she often hangs out on) Great with all the thermometers! You do need to cool her basking down a few degrees though. Should be no higher than about 80.
- Plants - Right now she has both live and fake plants, The fake plants are being in the process of being switched to real plants. Perfect! Fake plants are only good for fake chams. I attached my fake ones to the outside of the enclosure to provide a bit more privacy. We have a bamboo plant, and a fern plant for her. As well as a twisty tree stump and a bamboo ladder. You do need to be careful of what plants you use as she will nibble on them. Here’s the list I use. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
- Placement - The bottom of the cage is about 3 feet off the ground. She is next to a window in the corner of the room and not in a high traffic area unless we are going over to see her. Good. They like and feel safest when they are up higher than us.
- Location - Portland, Oregon
So she will be needing a lay bin and is best to just make it a permanent part of her enclosure. It’s pretty simple to prepare. Get a plastic container that is approx 10x10x10” ...may want to drill a few tiny drainage holes in the bottom. Fill to around 6-8” with washed play sand. It needs to be kept moist enough that it can hold a tunnel without collapsing. They don’t just dig down...they will also dig across a it.- View attachment 279973View attachment 279974
Thank you so much
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok, so you have some upgrades to make. You do have the coil uvb bulb which isn’t able to provide adequate uvb levels. You’ll need to get a linear T5 ho fixture with either a 5.0 or Arcadia brand 6% uvb bulb. It needs to be long enough to span the width of your enclosure...so 24”. Proper uvb is essential! Your basking light is the blue one. Colored lights aren’t good for sensitive cham eyes. You can use a plain old fashioned incandescent light bulb for basking. LED won’t put off enough heat. Halogen would work too. Start with around a 60w. Basking branches should be around 9” below your lights.
Next I suggest getting rid of the green repticarpet. It just becomes a bacterial breeding ground and bare floor is easiest to keep clean.
Your sweet lady needs so much more to walk on...all of the empty space is of no use to her. Go outside and gather some branches...avoid pine and other trees with sap. Wash with some dish soap, rinse well, dry in the sun if possible and put them in. If you get a live pothos plant, that will provide vines as it grows that you can wind around the branches that she can climb, hide in the leaves and nibble safely from. If you have the funds, dragon ledges are awesome for hanging plants, branches and vines in screen enclosures. https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ Many keepers have gotten very creative in hanging and supporting things too.
The food bowl being so low could be another reason she isn’t eating. Chams live in trees and don’t like going down as it doesn’t feel safe for them. Her food needs to be at around or just a little below where she basks. Many of us use one of these, which are especially great if you feed crickets as they don’t really escape.https://tkchameleons.com/products/shooting-gallery?variant=30018608595032 Some crafty members have made their own. If you do make your own, just make sure to dull the sharp edges. What else do you have in that feeding dish besides bugs? While veileds may eat various fruits and greens, they really don’t need anything other than live bugs. There’s a few different ideas on why they eat their plants, but IMO the jury is still out.
I forgot to ask...what are your humidity levels?
While each of these things may seem small, they do add up and are more than likely the reason she isn’t wanting to eat.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Holy crap! They housed her with not only another chameleon but tree frogs too! Oh Lord! Thank goodness you have her and are going to give her a great home!
Supplements are super important. There are as many different regimens as there are ideas about supplementing. I’m going to give you two different options and you can choose which one you prefer. Option 1: phosphorus free calcium without D3 at every feeding except one per week. That one weekly feeding on 1st week use a phos free calcium with D3, the next week use a multivitamin and keep rotating them.
Option 2: phos free calcium without D3 every feeding except once every 2 weeks when you’ll use Reptivite multivitamin with D3.
Now, the humidifier should never be on during the day. Only use it for a few hours at night when it is cool. Heat+high humidity=respiratory infections. I’d suggest misting/spraying for at least 2 minutes either right before or right after her lights go on and right before they go off at night. During the mid day, use the dripper for 20-30 minutes or so. You want her enclosure to dry out between watering. Ideal humidity should be between 30-50% during the day and at night can go all the way to 100%.
Yes, she probably was “horribly aggressive”. Veileds are not the sweetest creatures, especially if not kept well. Although she will never like or love you and may always lunge and hiss at you, with much time and patience, you can build her trust in you. My ladies hate me and aren’t afraid to show it at every chance, but they do know that they can trust me. My male is still learning.
Will add a separate reply about laying.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Laying really takes a great deal out of chams and shortens their lives. There are ways to try and reduce not only the number of egg, but the frequency that they lay. Since we have no idea where in her cycle your lady is, I’m going to go over it.
First comes the receptive period. She puts on her finest colors and patterns and gets very restless. As your cham is an adult already, you may not see any drastic color or pattern changes...just the restlessness. One of mine climbs up and down all day. The other circles her enclosure endlessly. This will last about 1-2 weeks. A few weeks after, she’ll start getting plump and you may even see lumpy egg bulges. Anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after being receptive, she’ll find her lay bin and start digging. She may dig several holes until she likes one and will reverse with her butt in and lay her eggs. When done, she’ll cover her hole completely and you’ll find her sitting on her basking branch looking dirty and much thinner.
Once she starts digging, she’ll need complete privacy. I cover the visible sides with a light sheet. I’ve cut little holes so I can peek in and monitor. Use a dripper for hydration (not over the lay bin though) and don’t worry about feeding until she’s done.
To reduce laying and complications like egg binding, which are usually fatal without immediate vet treatment and possibly surgery, you need to limit heat and food. This is why you don’t want basking temps over 80. I feed my ladies 3 appropriately sized feeders just 3 days a week, plus the occasional small treat. Both of my ladies are a healthy weight and each laid eggs only once this year so far, rather than 3-4 times.
After laying her eggs, you’ll want to feed and hydrate your lady very well for 2-3 days. Hornworms are great for hydration...they are basically bags of water. Silkworms are also very juicy and nutritious.
Since we know so little about your lady, the sooner you start her on supplements, correct uvb and reduced heat and feedings, the better. Just in case, you may also want to just look around for a good vet experienced with chameleons. It’s always best to know who and where well before and while not needing vet care.
Of course the forum is an awesome place for asking questions and learning.https://chameleonacademy.com/ is a truly comprehensive site of all things chameleon and then some. The podcasts are awesome! If you prefer videos, Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube is also an awesome resource to learn proper husbandry.
First comes the receptive period. She puts on her finest colors and patterns and gets very restless. As your cham is an adult already, you may not see any drastic color or pattern changes...just the restlessness. One of mine climbs up and down all day. The other circles her enclosure endlessly. This will last about 1-2 weeks. A few weeks after, she’ll start getting plump and you may even see lumpy egg bulges. Anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after being receptive, she’ll find her lay bin and start digging. She may dig several holes until she likes one and will reverse with her butt in and lay her eggs. When done, she’ll cover her hole completely and you’ll find her sitting on her basking branch looking dirty and much thinner.
Once she starts digging, she’ll need complete privacy. I cover the visible sides with a light sheet. I’ve cut little holes so I can peek in and monitor. Use a dripper for hydration (not over the lay bin though) and don’t worry about feeding until she’s done.
To reduce laying and complications like egg binding, which are usually fatal without immediate vet treatment and possibly surgery, you need to limit heat and food. This is why you don’t want basking temps over 80. I feed my ladies 3 appropriately sized feeders just 3 days a week, plus the occasional small treat. Both of my ladies are a healthy weight and each laid eggs only once this year so far, rather than 3-4 times.
After laying her eggs, you’ll want to feed and hydrate your lady very well for 2-3 days. Hornworms are great for hydration...they are basically bags of water. Silkworms are also very juicy and nutritious.
Since we know so little about your lady, the sooner you start her on supplements, correct uvb and reduced heat and feedings, the better. Just in case, you may also want to just look around for a good vet experienced with chameleons. It’s always best to know who and where well before and while not needing vet care.
Of course the forum is an awesome place for asking questions and learning.https://chameleonacademy.com/ is a truly comprehensive site of all things chameleon and then some. The podcasts are awesome! If you prefer videos, Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube is also an awesome resource to learn proper husbandry.
