First time experiences
- Thread starter Uri
- Start date
Serbianchameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Had too small enclosure for my veiled so he scratched his casque every day on branches and now gas a scar 
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MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I took my stepdaughter’s chameleon, knowing nothing at all about any reptiles and had never had a reptile before. Started with the equivalent of a chameleon kit with broken lights.
This was a month after I got my sweet Grumpy and started making some improvements. How far we’ve come!
This was a month after I got my sweet Grumpy and started making some improvements. How far we’ve come!
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
I tried to learn as much as possible in the months before getting a chameleon, so as not to make too many mistakes. This forum was good for learning about them (chameleons and mistakes) ahead of time and heading them off.
Mistakes... a couple of times I left the door open, thinking I'd just be a minute. Big mistake. Chameleons—like most living creatures—are opportunists. He's escaped twice (and we were amazed how fast he could move when he wanted to), but no harm done other than the initial flurry of looking for the bamboo stick I use to coral him onto and put him back in.
Another "mistake" (I suppose, but I only learned it recently) was placing 2 plant lights too far apart, and not knowing that chameleons will bask under the brightest light in the enclosure—even if it's not the warmest place. Fortunately, this is an easy fix too.
Mistakes... a couple of times I left the door open, thinking I'd just be a minute. Big mistake. Chameleons—like most living creatures—are opportunists. He's escaped twice (and we were amazed how fast he could move when he wanted to), but no harm done other than the initial flurry of looking for the bamboo stick I use to coral him onto and put him back in.
Another "mistake" (I suppose, but I only learned it recently) was placing 2 plant lights too far apart, and not knowing that chameleons will bask under the brightest light in the enclosure—even if it's not the warmest place. Fortunately, this is an easy fix too.
Mendez
Chameleon Enthusiast
I nailed every aspect of my husbandry e.g. lights, humidity, etc., but my one blind spot was over-feeding. I was so worried about making sure that everything else was correct that I ended up overfeeding my Jackson's. He ended up getting overweight, but he's approaching a much better weight now. I think my biggest mistake was not familiarizing myself with what an overweight chameleon looked like. Plus, time flies by. Back then, I felt like I had just gotten him a few months ago, when, in fact, it had been way longer than a year. He was no longer a baby who should be eating every day.
Another mistake was not getting a big enough reservoir to collect run-off water. Shocking, I know...but make sure that your run-off water reservoir holds more water than the amount in your spray bottle. When I first started, I just used a small Tupperware container to collect the water, and I would have to empty it every hour. (This was when the naturalistic hydration method had not gained enough traction--about 3 years ago--so I watered during the day. Essentially, I would mist the cage with a hand spray bottle, and then sit and wait for the water to drain into the Tupperware. Well, one time I misted the cage right before one of my college classes started, so I sprayed the cage and ran off to class without emptying the Tupperware container. When I got back, the Tupperware container had overflowed... It was a pretty stupid setup. My spray bottle held more water than the Tupperware container lol. I have now upgraded from a spray bottle to a mistking, and from a Tupperware container to a 5-gallon Lowe's bucket. It sure is nice not having to empty the run-off water every hour, or every day for that matter.
Another mistake was not getting a big enough reservoir to collect run-off water. Shocking, I know...but make sure that your run-off water reservoir holds more water than the amount in your spray bottle. When I first started, I just used a small Tupperware container to collect the water, and I would have to empty it every hour. (This was when the naturalistic hydration method had not gained enough traction--about 3 years ago--so I watered during the day. Essentially, I would mist the cage with a hand spray bottle, and then sit and wait for the water to drain into the Tupperware. Well, one time I misted the cage right before one of my college classes started, so I sprayed the cage and ran off to class without emptying the Tupperware container. When I got back, the Tupperware container had overflowed... It was a pretty stupid setup. My spray bottle held more water than the Tupperware container lol. I have now upgraded from a spray bottle to a mistking, and from a Tupperware container to a 5-gallon Lowe's bucket. It sure is nice not having to empty the run-off water every hour, or every day for that matter.
Arpretty
Avid Member
I, like MissSkittles, started in a very similar situation! I was going to get leopard geckos, but a friend knew someone looking to rehome their chameleon. I was really intrigued, so I agreed.... and he was my first reptile! Lots of experience with other animals though so I felt I could maybe do something right.
He came to me with the chameleon kit and his heat bulb was broken. They misted a couple of times a week and had him with a bowl to drink out of. I started from the absolute ground up, learning husbandry and making many mistakes, but trying to self-correct along the way. I admittedly did not excel with my husbandry. However, he spent a lot of his time in a free range on my screened-in porch. He passed away after 2.5 years in my care... we honestly thought he wouldn’t last a day, or a week, but we kept waking up and he was alive.
Losing him inspired me to relearn and start out correctly with a new baby.
This is how he came to me (edit: the picture they sent me)
He came to me with the chameleon kit and his heat bulb was broken. They misted a couple of times a week and had him with a bowl to drink out of. I started from the absolute ground up, learning husbandry and making many mistakes, but trying to self-correct along the way. I admittedly did not excel with my husbandry. However, he spent a lot of his time in a free range on my screened-in porch. He passed away after 2.5 years in my care... we honestly thought he wouldn’t last a day, or a week, but we kept waking up and he was alive.
Losing him inspired me to relearn and start out correctly with a new baby.
This is how he came to me (edit: the picture they sent me)
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Ambilobe123
Avid Member
I feel pretty bad about how I started, and I’ve come a long way since. I did almost no research (I now obsessively research anything and everything, not even necessarily chameleons) and my poor, sweet boy came to me with MBD. He was in a glass 10-gallon, with no uvb and excessive heat. He lost his tongue strength for about 9 months. Thankfully, I found the forum. Otherwise, he would not have lived this long. Now he has burn scars on his casque and spikes, and his front legs are permanently warped from MBD, but he regained tongue use, no longer is sick, lives in , and is also going to be a father!
Pics of when he came to me, in the 10 gallon terrarium, and his growth.
This forum has helped me so much on Leo’s road to recovery. I now try my best to help other newbies like myself raise their chams successfully, like I now was able with my girl Clea, the dam of 21 eggs to hatch in November-January 2021
And egg pics, because why not?
Yes, they are all fertile. They have been incubating since March 25. If anyone in Canada wants juveniles when they’re ready, just pm me.
Pics of when he came to me, in the
10 gallon terrarium, and his growth.
This forum has helped me so much on Leo’s road to recovery. I now try my best to help other newbies like myself raise their chams successfully, like I now was able with my girl Clea, the dam of 21 eggs to hatch in November-January 2021
And egg pics, because why not?
Yes, they are all fertile. They have been incubating since March 25. If anyone in Canada wants juveniles when they’re ready, just pm me.
Here ya go... And this is why I focus so much on the newbies when they come into the forum. Why I do not mind giving my time because I was there too. We all start somewhere. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/newbie-inspiration-and-hope-yes-you-can-do-this.169800/
Mendez
Chameleon Enthusiast
WOW, what a great turnaround story! Despite your cham having mbd, he still looks absolutely fantastic--amazing coloration!I feel pretty bad about how I started, and I’ve come a long way since. I did almost no research (I now obsessively research anything and everything, not even necessarily chameleons) and my poor, sweet boy came to me with MBD. He was in a glass 10-gallon, with no uvb and excessive heat. He lost his tongue strength for about 9 months. Thankfully, I found the forum. Otherwise, he would not have lived this long. Now he has burn scars on his casque and spikes, and his front legs are permanently warped from MBD, but he regained tongue use, no longer is sick, lives in , and is also going to be a father!
Pics of when he came to me, in the
View attachment 299488View attachment 299489View attachment 299490View attachment 299491View attachment 299492View attachment 299493
This forum has helped me so much on Leo’s road to recovery. I now try my best to help other newbies like myself raise their chams successfully, like I now was able with my girl Clea, the dam of 21 eggs to hatch in November-January 2021
View attachment 299494
And egg pics, because why not?
View attachment 299495
Yes, they are all fertile. They have been incubating since March 25. If anyone in Canada wants juveniles when they’re ready, just pm me.
Ambilobe123
Avid Member
Thanks! He’s an F1 Ambilobe
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