Female Veiled acting weird?

[Clumbian]

Hello, I'm rather new to owning a chameleon but mine has been acting somewhat odd lately. She's been trying to get out quite frequently and claws at the sides of her cage often (for the past few days anyways). Temperatures and humidity are all correct and she rarely goes to the bottom of the enclosure. She also does sleep normally. I just wasn't sure of the whole trying-to-get-out thing is normal.

 

[nightanole]

U sure shes not trying to dig a hole for eggs?

How old is she?

 

[Clumbian]

I'm pretty sure she's about 5 months old, maybe a little younger.

 

[Tyaeda]

If you don't have an egg laying bin - you'll need one. Many people keep them in their female's cage at all times.

According to the veiled care sheet, veileds can start producing eggs at 4-6 months old, so this very well could be the case.

Could you post some pictures of her and her enclosure?

Also, if you could, please fill out the Ask for help form that you can find here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

 

[Clumbian]

I know I'll need one but doesn't she need to be more sexually mature in order to lay any? I think she's still got a while before that happens.

 

[Tyaeda]

According to the veiled care sheet on this site, females can start at the age of 4-6 months. Posting pictures of her, and filling out the form will help. If she's not ready to lay eggs, there might be something wrong with the husbandry that would explain the behavior.

 

[Clumbian]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Female Veiled Chameleon
Handling - I've only handled her 2 or 3 times in the past 2 weeks (I've had her for 2 weeks)
Feeding - 5-6 crickets every other day
Supplements - ReptiCal w/ D3 every feeding
Watering - I hand-spray 2-3 times daily
Fecal Description - Brown with white urates
History - I bought her about 2 weeks ago from Petco

Cage Info:

Cage Type - 12x12x18 Exo Terra glass terrarium (I live in Colorado so the air is very dry, it holds more moisture)
Lighting - Reptisun 10 uvb bulb
Temperature - During the day it ranges from 84-86 degrees at the top and can drop to around 80 at night (temperature/humidity gauge)
Humidity - 70 percent consistantly (temperature/humidity gauge)
Plants - No live plants. Only the ones you can buy at petco
Placement - My cage is in the corner of my room away from doors and windows
Location - I live in Colorado, about an hour away from Denver

I'll post pictures soon

 

[Clumbian]

I'm getting a bigger enclosure soon

And this is Ellie; She changes back and fourth from this to a bright green color:

 

[Clumbian]

Also, she is rather skinny (not unhealthily skinny, just not bloated looking like I've seen in other pictures)

 

[Tyaeda]

Thanks for providing some more information.

Hopefully your next cage is a screened one that is at least 18X18X36. Screened cages provide chams with the ability to choose which temperature they want, which is very important for them. I know it's dry, but there are better ways to contain moisture than to have a glass cage. Live plants are awesome for it, and I would suggest a pothos as they are very common, grow fast, and are very easy to care for. Some people will close off a couple sides of their cage with a shower curtain if they really have to. %50 humidity is fine as the regular humidity, but it should dry out (no water droplets on the leaves) between mistings.

Your temps could be a little too high for her, especially at that young of an age. Night time temperatures should go down at least 10 degrees for her to be comfortable. Also, if possible, you should lower your UVB to 5.0... the bulb you have may be disturbing her.


Young chameleons like yours should be eating as many small crickets they want for 15 minutes, 2-3 times a day. She needs plain calcium dusted (with no d3) on her crickets at every feeding. Calcium with D3 and a Multivitamin should be given only twice a month.

I would also suggest some more horizontal branches for her to bask on. It doesn't look like she has a designated spot to bask, which might be hard in the small cage she's in now.

I don't personally think she wants to lay eggs right now, but an egg laying bin is a MUST and you should do that as soon as possible, before she produces eggs and is ready to lay.

 

[Tyaeda]

What is your lighting schedule?

 

[Clumbian]

Thanks. I do know that the temperature may be a little high on the thermometer but that's due to it being closer to the heat lamp. I turn the uvb light off at 9pm and then back on when I get up in the morning at around 9 to 10am.

 

[Tyaeda]

Thanks. I do know that the temperature may be a little high on the thermometer but that's due to it being closer to the heat lamp. I turn the uvb light off at 9pm and then back on when I get up in the morning at around 9 to 10am.

Schedule is good. The closest spot to the heat lamp that your chameleon can get to is called the basking spot. The temperature of that spot is the most important part to monitor. It should be around 75 - 80 at the basking, and the ambient should be lower so she can choose between cool and warm. I have a digital sensor positioned in that exact spot in my chams cage so I know what his basking temp is. I also have a heat lamp on a dimmer so I can get the exact temperature I want. I didn't see you mention a heat lamp, but in a small cage like that with those temps, you might not need one.

Be careful with those dial thermometers.... I had two and they were both inaccurate. Digitals are much better, and not that much more expensive. Definitely worth the investment, because I think your cham might be hanging around the bottom and pawing the glass because she's too hot, and is looking for a place to cool down. It's hard to provide that range in temps in glass, especially a glass cage that small.

 

[Clumbian]

I do have a heat lamp. It's a 60w night heat bulb. This is my noobieness but what do you mean by "dimmer"?

 

[Clumbian]

And also she isn't going to the bottom and pawing at the glass. When I come in to the room, she'll stand up (if she's close to the glass) and start pawing at me and sometimes when she's near the side she'll randomly do it. But she never goes to the bottom and does that.

 

[Tyaeda]

A dimmer allows you to dim the light or make it brighter, and thus warmer if you need to. You can find dimmer lamps pretty much anywhere you find reptile lighting and fixtures.

Night time lights are a big no-no with chameleons. Like I said, chams need a drop in temp at night of about 10 degrees. Any light will also disturb them - even the coloured ones, and black lights. Chameleons can withstand night temps of 50 degrees, but 65 - 70 is best, so there is no need for night lights. If it gets extremely cold in your house at night, a ceramic heat emitter (no light) bulb on the top of the cage will provide enough ambient heat.

 

[Tyaeda]

And also she isn't going to the bottom and pawing at the glass. When I come in to the room, she'll stand up (if she's close to the glass) and start pawing at me and sometimes when she's near the side she'll randomly do it. But she never goes to the bottom and does that.

I would still lower the heat a bit, see if she stops pawing at the glass.

 

[Clumbian]

Okay, I'll definitely try that! Thanks a lot