First Chameleon!

[NosyBeT360]

Hello,

I just purchased my first Chameleon from a Local Pet store here in Portland, Oregon, USA.
When I purchased the Chameleon they said he was a Nosy Be Panther Chameleon and he was anywhere from 3-6 months old.
He is very active in his new home and is eating and drinking a lot and doing great.
I was looking for some help figuring out how old he is and if he is a Nosy Be or if there were any other opinions?

 

[Goldenarcher1328]

Welcome to the forums!! I'm Dan, I'm Fairly new here but am always willing to help, i am always doing more research on chameleons and learning something new so if you find trouble feel free to ask for help.

Feel free to contact me if you need anything. I am on everyday except tomorrow ( shooting national archery tournament in my area)

My girlfriend lauren is on here as well ( andallthatjazz )

I will leave the species and age calls to someone else as i need to sleep now! lol.

Welcome to the forum though, the people here are wonderful!

 

[mychamtini112012]

He looks like he is getting more of a reddish color then a blue....But maybe I am wrong. Can you fill out the how to ask for help forum on the health section and post it.? He shouldn't be that dark....Is it to cold in the cage.?

 

[Solid Snake]

Hello!
Welcome to CF!
Its great to have you and your chameleon here.
You will find this is the best resource for learning about your new friend.
Again, welcome, and if you ever have any questions, any at all, just ask them!




I say its 4-5monthsish

...and female
Its kind of hard to tell from those pics, but Im locking my vote for female right now

 

[Solid Snake]

He looks like he is getting more of a reddish color then a blue....But maybe I am wrong. Can you fill out the how to ask for help forum on the health section and post it.? He shouldn't be that dark....Is it to cold in the cage.?

I think its safe to say that the chameleon was nervous at the time, being in a new habitat and all.
JMO

 

[imcurt]

Howdy neighbor,
So did he come from house of reptiles? I love that place! all there reptiles are so well cared for.If you need any help with your new 3-4 MONTH nosybe I would be happy to help as I keep nosybe's as well.I know a few panther keepers here in the portland/vancover area. My siginature is a link to my website.

 

[gratefulj]

looks female to me too... still maybe too early to tell but kinda looks that way to me

 

[NosyBeT360]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Well the employees at House of Reptiles told me he is a little Male Nosy Be Panther Chameleon and was between 3-6 months old. i have had him for almost a week now and he/she looks wonderful!!

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I only handle Melvin (the name i gave my Chameleon before i saw that he might be a she!) when i need to fully clean the cage right now.

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
So far i have only fed my Chameleon Crickets and Mealworms. Ive been using some lettuce and oranges for gutload with some cricket feed from the petstore.

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I have been using Rep-Cal Calcium with D3, Rep-cal Calcium without D3, Rep-Cal Multivitamin.

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
I mist my Chameleon 3 or more times a day for about 5 minutes each time and i keep Drip Cups with water for Him/Her as well. I see He/She drink a lot, almost anytime there is water available He/She will drink.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
The Poop looks perfect, no signs of dehydration or anything else i have read about.

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
I Purchased this Chameleon under the Impression that it was a Male Nosy Be Panther Chameleon, Im not prepared for it to turn out to be Female, i dont know exactly what else i would need to provide proper care for a female that i dont already have to provide care for a Male!! Help!!!

Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
I have a Repti-Breeze 18x18x36 all screen enclosure.

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
I'm using a single Mercury Vapor Bulb that was reccommended to me by the Employees at House of Reptiles.

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
The Temperature variances in the cage are from 90 degrees F at the basking location to 70 degrees F at the lowest point in the bottom of the cage, my house is heated to 70 degrees so it never drops below that and if it does only by a couple degrees.

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Humidity ranges from around 40-70% in the cage, i was measuring it with a little dial humidity reader and have recently taken it out as Melvin would keep a wary eye on it.

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Im using a mixture of Plastic Plants as well as a Ficus Benjamina, Melvin loves to drink most his water from the real leaves but seems to sleep on the fake and live plants equally.

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?
My Cage is located in the back of my room, its not really high traffic but me and my GF spend a lot of time in my room, Melvin has never seemed to be stressed o ut or overly shy however, He/She even will come to the front of the cage to observe everyone, she has no fear of me in her cage either, just a very intuitive lil fellow who likes to watch everything i do.

Location - Where are you geographically located?
Im geographically located in Portland, Oregon in the USA. its on the West Coast of the Continental USA.

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Its not so much of a problem at this point but i do not know for sure if my Chameleon is a Boy or Girl, the age, and the local of this particular lil cutie. Any help and input is really appreciated, if caring for a femal Chameleon is gonna be too much work i know House of Reptiles guarantees the sexing of their Animals and i could return her if i wanted too... i really like this little guy or girl either way and wouldnt want to see him/her go back in the tiny cage where i found him/her!!!!
Thanks a ton ahead of time everyone!!!

 

[WOLVERINES135]

I'm pretty sure it's female as well cause it looks almost dead on to my 8 month nosy be female, Welcome to the forums!

 

[Hoj]

im kinda thinking female as well. JMO

 

[kingspade18]

my first impression from the pics were female as well. i dont (nor would anyone else) refer to me as an expert though

 

[NosyBeT360]

Here is some more pictures of Melvin, hopefully these are better images to see if Melvin is in fact a female not a male?

 

[Solid Snake]

Female

..............

 

[NosyBeT360]

haha thanks, guess i gotta change the name!

 

[serenitystarlite]

I also think that's a female, she looks very similar to my nosy be female