Hello, i need chameleon assistance :]

[sandrachameleon]

Crickets are fine, when gutloaded and calcium dusted

Leave mealworms as treats only (high chinton to "meat" ratio, poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous, not overly nutritious even when gutloaded).

But there are lots of other insects that make excellent food for chameleons, including roaches, silkworms, butterworms. Here you will find a good list to refer to: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

 

[JuAPple]

mealworms are for treats? ooh i thought they were ok to give to them for food lol. ok i got it. ehmm i think i may just stick with crickets, and maybe silkworms... what am i suppose to feed them by the way? i read that i can feed them fruits, fruit peels such as mango peels, or apple peels etc. where should i buy the bugs? i ran into an online site but i am not sure it is the best! :]

one of the the things im still confused about the colors they change to. so far i know that black and brown are bad since that means they are stressed. but what do colors like yellow or red/orange mean? (on a veiled) and do teh change blue or is that just for panthers? anyhow correct me if i am wrong but what ive seen on the discovery channel on chameleons is that when they change into a red color is because the are mad or because they spot another male chameleon around and want them out! the yellow means that they are excited... im not sure what specie of chameleon i was watching that day but it was about 2 weeks ago.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."you stated to make sure the insects are not tovic, can you name one? i think most moths are poisonous but im not sure... there are a lot of small moths on our trees and bushes here in our yard maybe i can post a photo later to make sure it is an ok insect"....lady bugs are ONE that is toxic. Why did you ask me to name ONE?? Even if you post a picture of the moth you catch I won't be able to tell you if its toxic....there are too many insects out there to know them all.

 

[JuAPple]

"Lady bugs are TOXIC" ...OH i did not know that i am so glad to told me, i have been keeping lady bugs in a jar to feed... but now i will be releasing them. ok im just sticking with crickets from now on. at least until i get more knowledge about the feeding.

 

[xanthoman]

the first thing you need to learn about chams, is that you need to learn more before you buy one, if you need to ask basic elementary questions you obviously have much more learning to be ready, google is your friend, you would be suprised at what you can learn in a week or two of obsessing

 

[JuAPple]

so far i have learned a lot from the links given to me by you guys. i am just double cheking to see if i missed something here and there. so i took the advice by not buying a chameleon from petco i am buying it from a breeder here in the forums from: LanceCham he lives close to me (1 1/2 hr away) so the shipping of the chameleon shouldnt be that bad i hope. plus he seems to be a great breeder.

 

[JuAPple]

Alright i found a video that caught my eye:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciKMqC7Z9qw&feature=related

is this all true? do i need a infra red light?
from what i have been told i need a UVB light and an ordinary House Bulb (depending on how big the cage is determines the Watts) but is an infrared light required? she states that the infrared keeps the chameleon warm at night but too to warm where it becomes hot. if this is the case then why do i need a house light bulb. i know it is for the heat but in the vid i just saw she says that the UVB light bulbs gives off heat as well as rays that will give the chameleon Vitamin D.

 

[sandrachameleon]

what am i suppose to feed them by the way?

See the links provided previously re feeding feeders and gutloading.

There are several site sponsors that sell insects.

do i need a infra red light?
from what i have been told i need a UVB light and an ordinary House Bulb (depending on how big the cage is determines the Watts)

Infrared is not required or even recommended. You do need the UVB tube light, and the household incandescent tungsten bulb for heat. See previously provided link to lighting information.

 

[JuAPple]

Ok not buying an infrared light then :] thanks for the advice. :]

 

[JuAPple]

im thinking of making my own cage for the chameleon. it is going to be screened cage. is it a bad idea? some people say it is and others say it is not. this is the people's comments when they say not to make it:

"they like it humid so it is best to get an aquarium"

people who think it is good to make my own:

"aquariums are bad because they need air ventilation, you should make your own because you can make it as big a you like and it will have to be big since they need a lot of free space when they grow up to be 8 months"

uhmmm so what should i do?