First Chameleon

[WitheredMantis]

Hi, all

First post here

I am looking into getting my first ever chameleon and had a couple of questions before purchasing one.

I have kept other reptiles in the past, as well as countless insects, arachnids, fresh and salt water aquariums, and amphibians.

I plan to get a Jackson’s Chameleon as i heard they are one of the harder and friendlier species. I plan on keeping it as a free range chameleon (something i’ve heard can be done) and have already set up vines all across the room and a perch area. It would be staying in my already animal proofed animal room. There are houseplants everywhere in the room, and I think the chameleon would feel right at home without a cage.

I have a suction-cupped bowl stuck to my window for feeding, and i rigged an old humidifier to blow a slight mist in his area. Humidity is always high in the room anyways, though.


I know i need to get a UVB bulb up and running on one area of its jungle, but was wondering if i need a basking bulb with my circumstances. I live in Florida and my animal room gets hot (80°-85° every day) and I plan on putting its perch in front of the large window with all of the plants (where it gets even hotter.) Should I still get a basking bulb? I have no issue doing so, but I also don’t want to overheat the cham.

Another question. I have a cast of free-roam land hermit crabs in the room as well, and was wondering if they’d get along. I think they will, since the crabs only climb at night and have their shell to protect them (and are fairly large) but I still wanted to make sure.

Any advice is appreciated !

 

[Kaizen]

Hi, all

First post here

I am looking into getting my first ever chameleon and had a couple of questions before purchasing one.

I have kept other reptiles in the past, as well as countless insects, arachnids, fresh and salt water aquariums, and amphibians.

I plan to get a Jackson’s Chameleon as i heard they are one of the harder and friendlier species. I plan on keeping it as a free range chameleon (something i’ve heard can be done) and have already set up vines all across the room and a perch area. It would be staying in my already animal proofed animal room. There are houseplants everywhere in the room, and I think the chameleon would feel right at home without a cage.

I have a suction-cupped bowl stuck to my window for feeding, and i rigged an old humidifier to blow a slight mist in his area. Humidity is always high in the room anyways, though.


I know i need to get a UVB bulb up and running on one area of its jungle, but was wondering if i need a basking bulb with my circumstances. I live in Florida and my animal room gets hot (80°-85° every day) and I plan on putting its perch in front of the large window with all of the plants (where it gets even hotter.) Should I still get a basking bulb? I have no issue doing so, but I also don’t want to overheat the cham.

Another question. I have a cast of free-roam land hermit crabs in the room as well, and was wondering if they’d get along. I think they will, since the crabs only climb at night and have their shell to protect them (and are fairly large) but I still wanted to make sure.

Any advice is appreciated !

Please reconsider a Jackson’s for this setup. Ambient temps of 80-85 are too high, and almost all sources will tell you that a Jackson’s needs a nightime drop in the 50’s. Is that something you can provide? Free ranging is really difficult to make work long-term. Personally, since you’re in Florida, I’d build an outdoor cage for a Jackson’s, year round. Your challenge will be the Florida heat in summer, but that you is something easier managed than an indoor free range.

 

[WitheredMantis]

Please reconsider a Jackson’s for this setup. Ambient temps of 80-85 are too high, and almost all sources will tell you that a Jackson’s needs a nightime drop in the 50’s. Is that something you can provide? Free ranging is really difficult to make work long-term. Personally, since you’re in Florida, I’d build an outdoor cage for a Jackson’s, year round. Your challenge will be the Florida heat in summer, but that you is something easier managed than an indoor free range.

I have thought about keeping it outside but my HOA does not allow animals being kept outside long-term. Would another species work better ? I have thought about a veiled chameleon.

 

[Kaizen]

I have thought about keeping it outside but my HOA does not allow animals being kept outside long-term. Would another species work better ? I have thought about a veiled chameleon.

So, almost all species of chameleon require a nightime temp drop, but it’s less dramatic in veileds and panthers. Personally, if you’re set on a free range setup, under those conditions, I’d do a panther. Veileds will work too, but panthers require less of a nightime drop (low 70s or high 60s is fine) and they’ll be able to cope with those kind of daytime ambients. Personally, if your room actually hits between 80 and 85 everyday, I wouldn’t get a basking lamp. Your challenge will be uvb. How are you going to make sure your Cham gets proper exposure with only one uvb bulb in a room? You’ll probably have to use several uvb tubes, placed strategically throughout the free range. Hydration will also be a challenge. You’ll want the humidity to rise into the 90% range over night, and provide a dripper during the day. Again, this can be done, but I really wouldn’t recommend a free range for your first Cham.

 

[hiddenflaws]

Hi! I just got my first chameleon Tuesday! He's a veiled named Pascal!
Sadly I can't give any advice since I am still learning about these animals myself, but I hope you find an answer to every question and that everything goes smoothly for you!

 

[Kaizen]

I have thought about keeping it outside but my HOA does not allow animals being kept outside long-term. Would another species work better ? I have thought about a veiled chameleon.

I’m glad you’re asking questions before getting your first Cham...good job! That being said, I would definitely recommend doing some more research before diving in.

 

[WitheredMantis]

So, almost all species of chameleon require a nightime temp drop, but it’s less dramatic in veileds and panthers. Personally, if you’re set on a free range setup, under those conditions, I’d do a panther. Veileds will work too, but panthers require less of a nightime drop (low 70s or high 60s is fine) and they’ll be able to cope with those kind of daytime ambients. Personally, if your room actually hits between 80 and 85 everyday, I wouldn’t get a basking lamp. Your challenge will be uvb. How are you going to make sure your Cham gets proper exposure with only one uvb bulb in a room? You’ll probably have to use several uvb tubes, placed strategically throughout the free range. Hydration will also be a challenge. You’ll want the humidity to rise into the 90% range over night, and provide a dripper during the day. Again, this can be done, but I really wouldn’t recommend a free range for your first Cham.

Hm, maybe I can instead limit him to a specific wall haha, and putting the UVB above the window shining onto its perch and vines. My room gets about 68-low 70’s every night. My humidity is usually pretty high as i have 3 humidifiers running at specific times of the day, as well as about 15+ plants. I have my largest humidifier which i plan on using for the cham and have rigged a piece of aquarium filter tubing to direct it towards its little set-up. I plan on having it run for an hour every 3 hours or so. As for a dripper, how would I go about setting one up? I would like to keep water from getting onto the floors. I know South Florida has an invasive population of veiled chameleons, so they must be able to cope with the Florida weather, right?

 

[WitheredMantis]

Hi! I just got my first chameleon Tuesday! He's a veiled named Pascal!
Sadly I can't give any advice since I am still learning about these animals myself, but I hope you find an answer to every question and that everything goes smoothly for you!

Thank you ! I hope so too.

I’m glad you’re asking questions before getting your first Cham...good job! That being said, I would definitely recommend doing some more research before diving in.

Thank you ! I always try to do as much research as possible before taking any new animal into my care. I always want whats best for my pets

 

[Kaizen]

Hm, maybe I can instead limit him to a specific wall haha, and putting the UVB above the window shining onto its perch and vines. My room gets about 68-low 70’s every night. My humidity is usually pretty high as i have 3 humidifiers running at specific times of the day, as well as about 15+ plants. I have my largest humidifier which i plan on using for the cham and have rigged a piece of aquarium filter tubing to direct it towards its little set-up. I plan on having it run for an hour every 3 hours or so. As for a dripper, how would I go about setting one up? I would like to keep water from getting onto the floors. I know South Florida has an invasive population of veiled chameleons, so they must be able to cope with the Florida weather, right?

I’ll let others chime in here, but I would strongly recommend you start this journey with a large enclosure, a dripper, a mister, a drainage system, and a ton of research. Have you listened to the chameleon breeder podcast? Or else checked out the chameleon academy? Both are excellent resources for first timers to veterans, and I highly recommend checking them out.

 

[absolutbill]

If I were you, I'd look at getting a bit tree (like a ficus), in a pot, and using that tree as your chameleon's free-range area. You can get a kiddie pool and place the tree inside it, which will keep your cham from escaping down the trunk and off it's free-range. You could hang the UVB above the tree, but you are going to have to make sure the cham can't climb up the lights and escape that way. Personally, since this is your first chameleon, I'd strongly suggest getting a cage and learning/perfecting your keeping that way and then you can branch out to free-ranging them. I'm in Naples, and keep my 2 veileds and panther in cages, but I do take them out individually to the lanai (screened in), for some free-range time in the afternoons when my schedule permits.

 

[WitheredMantis]

I’ll let others chime in here, but I would strongly recommend you start this journey with a large enclosure, a dripper, a mister, a drainage system, and a ton of research. Have you listened to the chameleon breeder podcast? Or else checked out the chameleon academy? Both are excellent resources for first timers to veterans, and I highly recommend checking them out.

I will check them out ! Thank you so much.

If I were you, I'd look at getting a bit tree (like a ficus), in a pot, and using that tree as your chameleon's free-range area. You can get a kiddie pool and place the tree inside it, which will keep your cham from escaping down the trunk and off it's free-range. You could hang the UVB above the tree, but you are going to have to make sure the cham can't climb up the lights and escape that way. Personally, since this is your first chameleon, I'd strongly suggest getting a cage and learning/perfecting your keeping that way and then you can branch out to free-ranging them. I'm in Naples, and keep my 2 veileds and panther in cages, but I do take them out individually to the lanai (screened in), for some free-range time in the afternoons when my schedule permits.

I have a large norfolk island pine, but i’m mot sure if that will work as they’re kinda spikey haha. I could look into getting a ficus. I will look into a screened enclosure, im just worried about their respiratory issues since i read that they need high airflow. I would really love for my first to be a free-roam. I will keep doing my research and decide from there, I love the idea of animals not being confined to cages which is why i took the jump and made my hermits free-roam (which from what i’ve seen hasn’t been done,) and they love it ! They climb up and down my madagascar palms all night, i’ve never seen hermit crabs been as active as they are now. I have already made sure the room is escape proof for a cham, and figured out all ways of escape, taped any wires to the wall so they can’t climb down them, etc.

 

[Kaizen]

I will check them out ! Thank you so much.

You’re all sorts of welcome! Happy chamming and welcome!

 

[absolutbill]

I've never used a norfolk pine so can't speak to that. I will say that the sap on pine trees can cause irritation so I'd steer clear of those. Don't worry about the respitory issues with a screened cage, you shouldn't have any issues down here. I will say that I've seen free-ranges and most of them (though not all by any means) offer a smaller space to explore than my cages. Each of my chams has it's own DragonStrand Large Atrium. I have 2 against 1 wall and they take up the entire 8' space. With the cage you have a better ability to monitor your chameleon's humidity and temperatures as well as what it's eating (remember you'll have to feed live insects and somehow contain them to the free range area). These are just my 2 cents - I have cats so free-range in my house will always be out of the question.

 

[Kaizen]

I've never used a norfolk pine so can't speak to that. I will say that the sap on pine trees can cause irritation so I'd steer clear of those. Don't worry about the respitory issues with a screened cage, you shouldn't have any issues down here. I will say that I've seen free-ranges and most of them (though not all by any means) offer a smaller space to explore than my cages. Each of my chams has it's own DragonStrand Large Atrium. I have 2 against 1 wall and they take up the entire 8' space. With the cage you have a better ability to monitor your chameleon's humidity and temperatures as well as what it's eating (remember you'll have to feed live insects and somehow contain them to the free range area). These are just my 2 cents - I have cats so free-range in my house will always be out of the question.

I think @absolutbill ’s advice here is sound. I have free-ranged in a greenhouse, and I find it way better to use the biggest possible enclosure, and be able to tweak the parameters.

 

[Ramrod]

I agree with the advice given above as it is much easier to control than free range. Welcome to the forum

 

[WitheredMantis]

Thank you all,

The room he would be in is quite small. I have multiple open-top aquariums as well, which adds to the humidity. Theres also a small anole lizard who lives in the room (no idea how it got there and i cant catch him, haha) he lives on my orchid plant and seems to eat escaped bottle flies that I feed my mantids. I believe that I have a fairly large screen/mesh cage in the attic that I used for a large orb-weaving spider a while back. Do you think it would be possible to start out with a free roam and if it doesn’t work out to transfer the cham to a screen cage? I’d really like to give it a shot at something different.

 

[WitheredMantis]

I also have a deep bowl w/a suction cup that i would stick to the window for him to eat from. I found feed discoid roaches rather than crickets to avoid them jumping out.

 

[Ramrod]

Will he be able to get into the aquariums in the room? If so it could be bad news for the mantids and anole

 

[WitheredMantis]

Will he be able to get into the aquariums in the room? If so it could be bad news for the mantids and anole

The mantids are all enclosed. The aquariums have eggcrate on them which allow for gas exchange but also keeps my eel from getting out, a cham would not be able to fall in.

 

[WitheredMantis]

would the cham be able to live on a hibiscus ?