I just got my first lizard the other day too! She's is also a graceful chameleon, she is a year old and was breed on a farm. I feed her the first day and she ate about 12 crickets. She is very shy and gets scared when I putt hand anywhere in the cage. She gets kinda darker green with dark spots too! She ate 5 crickets yesterday and also like you there were crickets crawling around and sometimes on her. She also didn't look like she liked them being in her but I have still left them in there. She didn't drink much water either just a couple sips. Now today she hasn't drinken any or hasnt eaten either. She dosent move around much just kinda stays in her baskIng area. The temp at her basking area is around 71. Please let me know what else you have done or how your chameleons have acted aswell, thanks!!
Please be careful! A chameleon that doesn't eat or drink and displays lethargic behavior (like staying in one spot all day)
CAN mean there are underlying health conditions. I would recommend giving absolute privacy and lots and lots of water. What I mean by privacy is to make sure the chameleon cannot see people or pets walking by or looking in on it at all, for these first few days/weeks. I always tape paper towels up for privacy. If you want to make sure it is eating...count the crickets and only check at nighttime.
Are you familiar with the shower method? Turn the shower on lukewarm and direct the spray towards the wall. Place a plant with lots of leaves in the rebound or splash of the water, not directly in the stream. Make sure the water can properly drain, so the chameleon doesn't drown. Make sure the chameleon is placed on the plant and leave the chameleon in the shower with the water going for 30-50 minutes.
The increased humidity will be good for rehydration even if the chameleon doesn't start drinking. In my opinion, water is absorbed through the skin of a chameleon. Do this for several days, I would recommend two days in a row, only regular misting on the third day, and a shower for the fourth day.
If you haven't taken your graceful to the vet yet, please do! At the very least, take a fresh fecal sample to the vet and have them "do a fecal float and smear." Gracefuls are VERY VERY rarely bred on a farm (actually I've not heard of them being bred in captivity since the mid 90s) so your chameleon is most likely wild-caught. That doesn't mean that it is necessarily healthy or unhealthy. Just keep in mind that it has been through major trauma to get to you and now needs time to rehabilitate.
BOTTOM LINE: Hydration, Privacy, Nutrition, and then Medication (if parasites are found from the fecal sample) I hope this was helpful.
