First time chameleon owner

[HaloStorm]

Hello all. I am a first time owner of a chameleon, and I thought joining a forum would be a good idea. Yesterday I got a Jackson Chameleon from the pet store.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Jackson, Male, 3 months old, had him 1 day
• Handling - So far a minute or two a day
• Feeding - Mealworms, apple bits and lettuce mix in a cup about 2-3 a day
• Supplements - Was not told he needed supplements, will be picking them up today
• Watering - I mist his cage about every 2 hours and give it a good soaking. I have seen him drink a little once an hour after I got him home
• Fecal Description - I have not seen any poop yet
• History - Bought at a local pet store on 5/20/17

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen cage 2x2x3
• Lighting - He has a UVB and a heating lamp (separate lamps) Pet store lady said keep them on all the time, but I read on here to do 12 on, 12 off
• Temperature - My house gets to be 70 degrees at night right now, and around 75-80 during the day due to it being summer. Will be buying a temp gage when I get his supplements today
• Humidity - Not really sure how to check this. Thinking of finding a humidifier or a mister while out today
• Plants - Using twisty wood branches and fake plant vines with lots of leaves for him to hide in
• Placement - Cage is about 5 feet from the nearest window, and 3 feet off the floor in the living room that my boyfriend and I frequent, but also in a corner so not a lot of traffic
• Location - Washington State

Current Problem - I just want to make sure that my little guy (Named him Mr. Crowley) is being properly taken care of. The lady at the pet store didn't seem to know a lot about chameleons, so any advice is very welcome. I have noticed that sense I got him home, he has been green with black leopard like spots, but on the car ride, he was a bright green color. Should I be worried that he is stressed?

 

[leedragon]

 

[HaloStorm]

I actually just watched that video yesterday when I got home. Its what prompted me to join a chameleon forum. I'm gonna watch it again and take notes, thank you.

 

[HaloStorm]

Just discovered that Crowley has pooped. Saw it stuck to a leaf. Its a brown poop with some white on it. Is that normal?

 

[leedragon]

I actually just watched that video yesterday when I got home. Its what prompted me to join a chameleon forum. I'm gonna watch it again and take notes, thank you.

you should add other fedders. dubias. crickets. flies. waxworms. I never fed my vegetables. some offer vegetables. just don´t feed him like an iguana. lettuce don´t really have nutrience so make sure you gutload your insects properly.

 

[HaloStorm]

I figured the apple and spring greens were mostly for the mealworms to feed on. If I am wrong, please let me know.

 

[Monta]

Hello all. I am a first time owner of a chameleon, and I thought joining a forum would be a good idea. Yesterday I got a Jackson Chameleon from the pet store.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Jackson, Male, 3 months old, had him 1 day
• Handling - So far a minute or two a day
• Feeding - Mealworms, apple bits and lettuce mix in a cup about 2-3 a day
• Supplements - Was not told he needed supplements, will be picking them up today
• Watering - I mist his cage about every 2 hours and give it a good soaking. I have seen him drink a little once an hour after I got him home
• Fecal Description - I have not seen any poop yet
• History - Bought at a local pet store on 5/20/17

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen cage 2x2x3
• Lighting - He has a UVB and a heating lamp (separate lamps) Pet store lady said keep them on all the time, but I read on here to do 12 on, 12 off
• Temperature - My house gets to be 70 degrees at night right now, and around 75-80 during the day due to it being summer. Will be buying a temp gage when I get his supplements today
• Humidity - Not really sure how to check this. Thinking of finding a humidifier or a mister while out today
• Plants - Using twisty wood branches and fake plant vines with lots of leaves for him to hide in
• Placement - Cage is about 5 feet from the nearest window, and 3 feet off the floor in the living room that my boyfriend and I frequent, but also in a corner so not a lot of traffic
• Location - Washington State

Current Problem - I just want to make sure that my little guy (Named him Mr. Crowley) is being properly taken care of. The lady at the pet store didn't seem to know a lot about chameleons, so any advice is very welcome. I have noticed that sense I got him home, he has been green with black leopard like spots, but on the car ride, he was a bright green color. Should I be worried that he is stressed?

Congratulations on your little guy! I've been a member for about 3 months now.i have a Panther and I learned a lot from the members here they're great . Have fun and enjoy him!

 

[jamest0o0]

Don't bother feeding mealworms.

 

[Tattersb]

Hey HaloStorm! Welcome to the wonderful world of chams. Most pet store staff are not good sources of information for caring for chameleons. Jackson's don't eat vegetation, but some fruits/vegetables are fine to gutload your feeders. Mealworms aren't great for chams because they are mostly exoskeleton with very little nutritious value. Superworms are good for treats, dubia roaches and crickets are better for staples. Be sure you have a dripper for him, montane species need a lot of water (moving water, not a bowl). Check out the blogs and resources at the top for more info. Repashy Bug Burger is what I use most of the time, but I do give the feeders fresh vegetation 2-4x/wk. I'll see if I can dig up the list I have for good gutload veggies for feeders. Hope this helps! (Boris says "Hi"!)

 

[Tattersb]

Not the list I was looking for, but this is great information: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/feeder-nutrition-gutloading.75/