first chameleon

[boneseast]

I got my first chameleon on saturday. He is a 8 month old panther. I got from a breeder at an expo in NH. The breeder was extremely helpful with any questions I had. We named him King Louie and he's eating and drinking pretty well. He gets a little spooked when I open the cage to mist or clean up but I'm hoping he will warm up after he gets used to things. I couldnt be happier with him. I've been reading up on stuff for a while about them and I love him. I'm gonna try and get some pics up tonight cause all I have right now are crappy cell pics.

 

[jannb]

Congrats! If you'll fill ot this from the members here will help you to get everything correct to keep Louie healthy.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful

 

[ROFLonfire]

Congrats, I just got my first 2 chams today.

 

[boneseast]

My cage is 30in wide 42in high 25on deep and made of screen
I have a 160 watt zoo med UVB/UVA bulb that keeps the tank about85-90 in his basking spot and about 70-75 I'n the lowest spots. I keep the light on for about 12 hours a day.the humidity stays anywhere from 60-70%. His cage is In a pretty low traffic room with no drafts. I live in NH.

King Louis is an ambilobe I believe he is 8 months old and I have had him less than a week. Besides getting him home he hasn't been held I don't plan on handling him often. I've heard it stresses them out. However I want him to be somewhat comfortable with being handeled. He gets scared when I open the cage but hopefully he will chill out once he gets used to things. He eats about 20-30 crix a day. The suppliments that I use are rec-cal and herptivite.
I mist 3-4 times a day and have a fogged running during the day. His droppings seem to be normal from what the breeder has told me. But he is doing really well so only thing I can really hope for is him warming up a bit with the handling.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Congrats on getting King Louie we look forward to photos.

 

[Carlton]

Some panthers are quite social and don't mind occasional handling. He'll tell you. Let him settle down...chams like routine. They aren't the fastest learners on the planet. Then offer him favorite insects by hand so he sees you as a source of good things. If you have a nice window in the room for basking you can also coax him to climb on your hand for a trip to it. He'll see you as convenient transportation without having to risk the terrible unknown floor.

 

[pssh]

Too many crickets. Feed him 8 or so every other day.

 

[Ryan123]

20-30 thats ALOT of circkets to be feeding him how big are they (crickets)???

 

[Psi]

Too many crickets. Feed him 8 or so every other day.

I find people tend to slow down on cricket feeding when they notice they're feeding their chameleon a 5$ bill per day lol.

 

[Ryan123]

ha ha ha yeah i just buy the crickets by the thousands now cuz i was sick of paying a dollar a day (lol it all adds up)........buying crickets by the thousand lasts a loooooooooonnnnnnnggggg time and you pay like 20 bucks ...thats over 83 dozen..... 63 dollars cheaper than buying small quantities