Fat male Vieled

[brooklynelizabeth]

I was just wondering, our JV Veiled is a fatty, he was tiny tiny when we first got him but now as he is growing he has become very fat. I suppose it means he is doing really well? We have been looking at other chameleons in pics and a few in person and none come close to the size he is in thickness. We feed him crickets daily but a normal portion, we give him silkworms once or twice a week, and hardly ever give him meal worms. The crickets are gutload and vegetables etc around the house with calcium powdered etc. I feel as if he has a typical diet yet he is much fatter and bigger then alot of the other chams from the same clutch. Is he just doing well or should we cut back his diet? etc, can a cham get to fat lol. il include pic, if he lets me, Lambeau hates cameras.

 

[Bizzle90]

I was just wondering, our JV Veiled is a fatty, he was tiny tiny when we first got him but now as he is growing he has become very fat. I suppose it means he is doing really well? We have been looking at other chameleons in pics and a few in person and none come close to the size he is in thickness. We feed him crickets daily but a normal portion, we give him silkworms once or twice a week, and hardly ever give him meal worms. The crickets are gutload and vegetables etc around the house with calcium powdered etc. I feel as if he has a typical diet yet he is much fatter and bigger then alot of the other chams from the same clutch. Is he just doing well or should we cut back his diet? etc, can a cham get to fat lol. il include pic, if he lets me, Lambeau hates cameras.

Overeating is just as dangerous as under-eating, so feed in moderation. If you think he is fat, you may want to cut back on the food intake, maybe feed him every other day or less food every day.

I'm no expert, so I can't really tell you if he's too fat or not, but another member of the forum will be sure to let you know!

 

[jannb]

You have a female veiled and she looks ready to lay eggs. Get a laying bin in with her now so she will not become egg bound. My blog linked below on egg laying and the laying bin.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

My blog for new keepers with a section for the female veiled.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ung-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment835

 

[allencg101]

You have a female veiled and she looks ready to lay eggs. Get a laying bin in with her now so she will not become egg bound. My blog linked below on egg laying and the laying bin.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

lol i was just about to say the same thing she looks female to me!!!

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

the herp center sexed lambeau as Male, his back feet have the stubs, il get some pics up

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

lol i was just about to say the same thing she looks female to me!!!

Tarsal Spurs very visible

 

[jannb]

Now that pic looks like a male. I am on my phone.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

Now that pic looks like a male. I am on my phone.

i see how the first pic was not a great visual, he hangs next to his feeder bucket in the morning... so any idea s to his size

 

[jannb]

How old is he? My adults I feed 3 times a week.

 

[Alexl]

Perhaps worth mentioning: There are definitely females with tarsal spurs, not so many, but they exist.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

How old is he? My adults I feed 3 times a week.

Lambeau is just about 4 months old, he feeds 2 times a day 5 days a week, i offer about 5 or 6 crickets each feeding, once a week he gets his silkworms along with his regular diet, he loves them, he is a excellent eater, we picked mondays and saturdays as his days off from feeding simply because he was kinda showing us his own feeding pattern, and he would take a day here and there without eating just drinking (drip system). He always has a good stool, and is active during the day time, and only really shows anger or stress when we are entering his habitat, a custom screen 50X24X24. allowing as much room and free range as possible with many live (cham safe plants/trees). The cage is a hand me down we cleaned up real nice for Lambeau when our Iguana Ruben grew out of it. If i need to cut down on the feeding i most certainly will, and im about 95% positive Lambeau is a Male, his features are pretty clear, he just happens to be a beast of a cham, others most have chams this size, il post a pic from the top of him, so you can get a idea of the girth and location, if he is a she...i will certainly get a box xet up at the bottom of the enclosure, but im pretty sure considering he came from a clutch at the Herp Center, and was sexed at the Herp Center, that he is a he.

 

[laurie]

Hello there, yes you have a pretty chubby male. If he were mine I would cut the second daily feeding down to half that amount for a week, then stop it altogether. He may want more food but he doesn't need all that extra food if you want him healthy with a long life. jmo. He has nice patterns.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

Chubby indeed, i will take your advice and cut his second feeding down and probably stop it all together over a week or so, he really enjoys feeding time and i just assumed a healthy appetite went along with a happy healthy chameleon. Im glad i posted the thread, i was beginning to get worried with his size, i did some interent searches and was able to find some chams around his age with similar trates (big boned) and often the post would suggest cutting back the diet, so i will definitely get Lambeau on a diet....oh and by the way (Go Packers Tonight)

 

[ataraxia]

this chameleon confuses the shit out of me.

1. the small casque and the skin being stretched as if the cham has eggs.

2. has tarsal spur and has the coloring of a male.

A. put a laying bin for some giggles. i would like to see what happens.
or
B. put that cham on a diet
or
C. what are you gutloading with exactly and what are your supplements and schedule. edema of sort maybe?

 

[jannb]

I would start feeding every other day very soon and offer other well gut loaded feeders besides just crickets. If you'll answer the questions that ataraxia ask we can better help you with your cham.

 

[heartben]

i think if i were me i would just have a laying bucket ready anyways... see what happens. i think its worth a shot.

i dont know almost anything about veileds, but i would've assumed with that body weight its cask would be..chubbier? maybe thats not how it works with veileds..

 

[Thezillaman21]

yeah looks female with the small crest.

 

[Elizadolots]

Perhaps worth mentioning: There are definitely females with tarsal spurs, not so many, but they exist.

If that's true, then a laying bin as a precaution is a good idea.

In most (maybe all?) animals there are those who do not cleanly fit the gender norms.

My guess is that the sole method used for sexing this animal was "hey, there are spurs!". The overwhelming majority of the time, that would be sufficient.

However, there is that tiny possibility, so better safe than sorry.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

yeah looks female with the small crest.

Well the age of Lambeau would explain the small crest, correct me if im wrong.

 

[bnolsen2]

....oh and by the way (Go Packers Tonight)

Haha Go Pack Go! I was wondering if you were a cheesehead based on the cham's name. Good choice.


In my opinion he's just a chubby young male, but the egg laying bin for posterity's stake wouldn't be a bad idea. It never hurts to be cautious.