he’s super dark! Aren’t they usually a lighter green color? I bought his entire set up along with him so nothing has changed besides his outside environment. I did add a live plant for more coverage as well. Am I doing something wrong? Also how many crickets should he eat a day?
Got my first veiled chameleon today and...
- Thread starter Lhorn746
- Start date
JoshD49
Chameleon Enthusiast
He will be dark for a while till he gets comfortable. That could take a week or 2. His colors will improve over that time. But you should let him get comfortable before you hold him. I noticed mine didn't want me sitting around watching him all the time eaither. Once I just left him alone and only went near when I needed to feed or clean he improved faster. Just so you know veiled can be grumpy. Since it's the very first day your going to need to give him some space to not stress him out.
Thank you! I was worried he was sick. I have a thermometer hygrometer combo. I’m purchasing a infrared gun tomorrow. I did notice his basking spot is about 20% humidity and down low is around 50-55 and at 70 degrees down there. Is that ok? I have a small zoo med enclosure for now..I know he will need to upgrade fairly soon. I’m using a regular household bulb that’s 100w on the screen and a temporary compact 10.0 uvb hanging about 6 inches from the cage. I have a long style coming in the mail. We are just very limited on the stores we have around here! I had a 60w for the basking area but it just didn’t seem hot enough. His basking spot appears to be around 90 it’s not a digital thermometer picture is from the thermometer directly on the stick in basking spot.
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timw1
Chameleon Enthusiast
Welcome to the forum! If you haven't already, check out the caresheet for veiled chams: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
JoshD49
Chameleon Enthusiast
Please fill out this form and we can check out all your setup settings at once. I know it's only day one so some of this won't apply but fill out what you can.
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
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.
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?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
I have been reading for weeks now. I’m just nervous about temps. Bottom of the cage was reading 65. Not sure why. How many crickets should he eat total in a day?
JoshD49
Chameleon Enthusiast
It would help if you fill out the form so we can help you with the setup. The caresheet link @timw1 sent you covers the amount they eat by age. It also tells you the needed temp for cage and basking by age. Also post a pic of your overall cage.
I'm guessing here but if he is 4 or 5 months he will eat about 10-12 crickets a day but this depends on him. The first couple days he may only eat a couple or not at all. Don't panic he is still getting comfortable. Try to feed him in the morning so he can bask under the UVB and digest the rest of the day. Veileds also will eat some veggies.
Temp on the basking spot should be around 90 degrees farenheit. The rest of the cage can vary from top to bottom so he can thermal regulate. At night the temp drop is fine as they are used to cool temps at night. No light or heat at night needed. Pitch black at night is a must. Make sure 12 hour lights on and 12 hours lights off.
I'm guessing here but if he is 4 or 5 months he will eat about 10-12 crickets a day but this depends on him. The first couple days he may only eat a couple or not at all. Don't panic he is still getting comfortable. Try to feed him in the morning so he can bask under the UVB and digest the rest of the day. Veileds also will eat some veggies.
Temp on the basking spot should be around 90 degrees farenheit. The rest of the cage can vary from top to bottom so he can thermal regulate. At night the temp drop is fine as they are used to cool temps at night. No light or heat at night needed. Pitch black at night is a must. Make sure 12 hour lights on and 12 hours lights off.
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Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Please dont answer his questions until he fills out the form. We have been getting a lot of new owners wanting to be spoon fed answers lately. It makes helping them so much harder because most don’t know what questions to ask...
@Lhorn746 Welcome to the forum! This is a two way street, we will gladly help you with any questions you have but you have to work with us too, we need accurate information from you. Please answer the questions the previous posters have asked you.
@Lhorn746 Welcome to the forum! This is a two way street, we will gladly help you with any questions you have but you have to work with us too, we need accurate information from you. Please answer the questions the previous posters have asked you.
timw1
Chameleon Enthusiast
Fill out the form Josh posted above. Copy it into a word doc, fill it in and paste it back here
Char333p
Avid Member
Humidity by basking spot is always lower, cause the heat bulb sucks humidity from that area. Normal. As long as rest of enclosure is good your fine
Can you show us your whole enclosure. So we can give advice if needed since its your first chameleon?
Just be careful how we ask members to fill out the information. A reply like this could turn people off and cause them to go elsewhere and not get the information they need. Not everyone is on the same level when it comes to computers, and assorted technology and filling out a form could actually be something they may not know how to do.
Also, for someone who just brought a new chameleon home, they may not have great answers as of yet. They wouldn't necessarily have started a supplement regimen, know the lights the enclosure came with, etc. so it could take time to get to it all. We are here to help, but need to remember we don't yet know the person who is asking the questions.
As you said, they don't always know the questions to ask.
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Wow, it’s been a long time since someone used my own words against me, good move! I will be more patient with new members.Just be careful how we ask members to fill out the information. A reply like this could turn people off and cause them to go elsewhere and not get the information they need. Not everyone is on the same level when it comes to computers, and assorted technology and filling out a form could actually be something they may not know how to do.
Also, for someone who just brought a new chameleon home, they may not have great answers as of yet. They wouldn't necessarily have started a supplement regimen, know the lights the enclosure came with, etc. so it could take time to get to it all. We are here to help, but need to remember we don't yet know the person who is asking the questions.
JoshD49
Chameleon Enthusiast
@Decadancin yes sir!
I can see what you mean but I can see both sides in that there has been a few new people who don't want to follow the rules. I am new myself but want to find the correct information and will conform to get it. I understand where @Brodybreaux25 is coming from because he is tried to help and yet been ignored by so many newbies. I want the correct info to reach these people too but some times it's like they only listen to what they want to hear.
Rant asside I will conform sir.
I can see what you mean but I can see both sides in that there has been a few new people who don't want to follow the rules. I am new myself but want to find the correct information and will conform to get it. I understand where @Brodybreaux25 is coming from because he is tried to help and yet been ignored by so many newbies. I want the correct info to reach these people too but some times it's like they only listen to what they want to hear.
Rant asside I will conform sir.
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
I occasionally have to be reminded to play nice from time to time!
Isn’t the point of the form to have a standardized method of covering all the basic aspects of Cham husbandry?
I’ve always viewed the form as this community’s solution to the fact that some owners do not know what questions to ask. If they would just cooperate and fill out the form they don’t need to know what questions to ask. If they don’t have an answer to one of the questions then they should simply say “I don’t know.” Then we know exactly what areas to cover with them.
Is it that I asked for other members to stand down until the original poster complied or is it the way I asked? I did consider the possibility that such a post could have ran someone off. That’s why I kept it short and sweet, I even made sure to welcome the member and explain why I was saying don’t help them until they help themselves first.
I even said please, and I almost never do that! Lol
Isn’t the point of the form to have a standardized method of covering all the basic aspects of Cham husbandry?
I’ve always viewed the form as this community’s solution to the fact that some owners do not know what questions to ask. If they would just cooperate and fill out the form they don’t need to know what questions to ask. If they don’t have an answer to one of the questions then they should simply say “I don’t know.” Then we know exactly what areas to cover with them.
Is it that I asked for other members to stand down until the original poster complied or is it the way I asked? I did consider the possibility that such a post could have ran someone off. That’s why I kept it short and sweet, I even made sure to welcome the member and explain why I was saying don’t help them until they help themselves first.
I even said please, and I almost never do that! Lol
Robyn.lux
Member
I am with Brody on this. I knew everything my cham came with when I got him, what supplements I'd been supplied with, what I was gut loading etc, etc.
It's a basic form, with information that every cham owner, new and old should be able to fill out with ease.
I'm not saying my husbandry was perfect straight away, far from it but filling out the form definitely allowed people to help me more.
The idea of the forums is that it is an open discussion group and I wouldn't want people not answering questions because the form wasn't filled out. I like to remember when I first got here and didn't really have any idea what the forums were all about, or how to navigate them, or how much was involved in keeping these animals. Yes, the questions are important, but the new member may not know why. Lots of times people do not realize all that is involved in their husbandry and they just need an answer to something they think is easy to determine. There is often the assumption that the advice they were given from a pet store should set them up for success and they don't realize the reality that they need to do so much more. Their first question can be the beginning to them discovering how to research things here and not get overwhelmed. How many times do we wish new members (and even some that have been around a while) would just use the search function!!! Well, not everyone wants to research everything, but would just like some advice. They do not realize it is the seventeenth time today I have to tell someone that they should not use the red bulb at night for their new chameleon, but without the picture that was attached to the "Ask For Help" list, we wouldn't know to tell them about it.
I get what you are saying, and I agree with you that we need to know the info to give the best answers, but a lot of the fun of the forums is from learning who the members are and remembering those who have helped you out along the way. It isn't required to fill the questions out, just a great way to get the most accurate help!
Oh, and thank you for saying please, it is now part of the forum archives
...
I try to imagine someone who is like my father-in-law trying to navigate the forums for the first time. This guy could build an amplifier for a stereo system from some spare parts in the garage and the neighbors Pinto, but I know he has problems just doing a Google search once someone logs onto the computer for him. I agree with the importance of the questions in helping us answer accurately and not have to pull all the details out, but like everything else, there are more ways to get to the info than just telling them to do it. Think about the first visit here... did you know where to find everything? And just because you may have known all the basic info doesn't mean everyone will. It isn't a crime to purchase a chameleon without all the answers, just not being willing to learn how to properly care for them.
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Damn, ya got me!Oh, and thank you for saying please, it is now part of the forum archives
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