Jabba93
Established Member
Hey guys! Just got my very first Cham! Leonard is a spry little veiled chameleon but is understandably skittish with his recent move. He stays brown during most of the day and changes green at night. I gave a big misting session recently and he flared bright green, ran around the terrarium drinking all the droplets, then went totally black after the misting stopped. Could I get any tips on normal and abnormal chameleon behavior during the acclimation period? I want him to be relaxed and happy, so that I can try hand feeding or some mild handling soon.
◦ Your Chameleon- Veiled Chameleon, Male. He was about 2-3 months when we got him. Roughly 6-8” long from snout to tail. Very thin but very active.
◦ Handling - I got him just 2 days ago, so I have not handled him at all. He already seems very shy and skittish whenever I open the cage to feed him, so I am keeping my distance
◦ Feeding - I feed him 5-6 crickets a day. Always in the evening. I also have 5-10 mealworms that I add in the morning. He is a skinny little guy and has cleaned the bowl every time.
◦ Supplements - no schedule in place yet for supplements. I plan on dusting the crickets with d3 calcium powder every other day. Too much? They are being gut-loaded with Fluker's Orange cubes
◦ Watering - I have a misting spray bottle that I fill with water from a Britta filter every day. Mist the cage twice a day for 1 minute, but I have never seen him drink yet (again only had him for 2 days)
◦ Fecal Description - Never had him tested for parasites but feces look fine from what I’ve researched. Brown poop and the white slimy urate.
◦ History - No other history or knowledge since I got him from a local petstore. One of the few places that actually housed their Chams in screen cages and gave some good beginner advice.
Cage Info:
◦ Cage Type - Exo Terra Screen Terrarium 24”x18”x36”
◦ Lighting - Both uvb and uva (25 w each) are on 12 hours a day in the winter. At night both are off. I also have a 100 w basking lamp kept on and off with the other lights.
◦ Temperature - thermometers on the bottom middle and top on the enclosure. It’s between 75-82 F during the day and around 65 at night.
◦ Humidity - Honestly I’m having problems figuring out how to keep it humid in a screen cage and not a tank. Currently humidity is at 47% and jumps up to about 65% after misting.
◦ Plants - live India Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) Exo Terra jungle vines (large and small) fake English ivy climbing vines as well.
◦ Placement - it’s on a table in our guest bedroom next to a window that gets shade and some sunlight. No other pets at the moment.
◦ Location - Pensacola FL
◦ Any advice on what I should expect as far as problems with Leonard acclimating to his new home and any tips on handling and possibly taming would be very much appreciated.
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