Hello

[sandy mackie]

Hi folks
ive just became a chameleon owner .i rescued 2 x 8 month old yemen females called Bugeeta and Taco . Ive done a crash course in their care , and i think im doing ok Ive spent a fortune on all the set up ,the cost are mounting up . can anybody tell me the most economical way of keeping them healthy and well fed ?. locust are dying on me and they cost a fortune . Wheres the best place to buy ? in pet shops or mail order.How big do they grow and how old ??.[ the girls not the bugs ]

thanks
sandy

 

[hallenhe]

Hello, and welcome! If you don't already know the "Raising Kitty the Veiled Chameleon" site, it's well worth checking out. If you let us know where you're located, we might be able to give more site-specific bug suggestions (I don't see locusts mentioned much in the US, but they're common feeders in the UK). If you can get them and don't mind having them around, lobster roaches or the somewhat larger dubia roaches are good feeders; the initial cost is more than many feeders, but they breed in captivity and it's pretty easy to get a self-sustaining colony going; I've never had locusts, but I see a LOT more die-off in my crickets than in the roaches (in fact, I think the only deaths since I got them in September have been Death-By-Lizard). Mail order (again, depending on where you are and what your options are) is often more economical in the long run.
Bugeeta is an apt name for a chameleon.
Look around, and please don't hesitate to ask questions!

 

[pssh]

Welcome! Everything Hallenhe said is true and helpful. Female veileds can reach up to 14 inches total length. Again, dont be afraid to ask questions, most of us are just here to help!

 

[jessica]

Welcome to the forum!!!

We also like pictures!!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hello Sandy

Here are some possible sources for insects.

Canada
www.canadianfeeders.ca
www.feederfactory.ca
www.westcoastdragons.ca/FeederPriceList.html
www.trinitychameleons.com/
www.bugorder.com
www.recorpinc.com/index.html
UK
http://www.butterworms.co.uk/index.html
http://www.roachshop.co.uk/
www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk
USA
http://www.stflies.com/
http://www.mulberryfarms.com/
http://www.nilesbio.com/prod95.html
http://www.greatlakeshornworm.com/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/miscellaneous-sale/
http://coastalsilkworms.com/splash.html
http://www.forkedtreeranch.com/prices.htm

Generally speaking, buying in bulk or breeding your own will be cheaper than your local pet shop.

I like using a variety of feeder prey, with no one bug making up more than around 25% of the chameleons diet. Locust are great, as are roaches, silkworms, gutloaded crickets, and many others: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

You said..."ive just became a chameleon owner .i rescued 2 x 8 month old yemen females called Bugeeta and Taco"...do you have a place for them in the cage to dig to lay eggs when/if they need to? Veiled females can lay eggs once they are sexually mature even when not mated.

You said..."can anybody tell me the most economical way of keeping them healthy and well fed ?"...this is how I keep female veileds...
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

Veiled females can live to be over 7 years old if they are healthy and the husbandry is good.

You said..."locust are dying on me and they cost a fortune"...are you feeding them? Are they full grown when you buy them? How are you keeping them?

Here are some sites that might help...
http://adcham.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=102
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

 

[sandy mackie]

thankyou everybody

I will read as much as i can and im learning sooo much from eveybody.ive had the two girls seperated now.they both have a huge vivariums each. Ive kept Bugeeta [ my sister fell in love with Taco ].Today when i woke up i watched my cham lay eggs on a branch.she had been scratching around the bottom of her tank since i got her really , so i had no idea , [im trying my best honest] i bought her sand and read up as much as poss .can anybody tell me do all the eggs come at once ? she's still scratching at the bottom of her viv.she also wants out alot.i will send photos so you can see the set up.
thanks again

 

[kinyonga]

She should lay all the eggs at once. How big is the egglaying container you're using for her to dig in? BTW, I recommend leaving a container in any egglaying female's cage to give her a place to dig.

Don't let her see you watching her while she is digging the hole or she will likely abandon it. If it happes often enough then she could become egghbound.

This is how it should go...the female should dig a hole. She may dig several test holes before she settles on one and digs it.....may take several days to complete it to her satisfaction. She should then turn around bum down and lay all the eggs....fill the hole in...tamp it down and return to the branches. She should be hungry and thirsty at that point. When she has returned to the branches you can dig the eggs up and incubate them if they are fertile. If they are infertile, count them to see how many she laid.