Help a.s.a.p please!

[HollySaurusRex]

Just picked up a new carpet chameleon from the pet store, and it was supposed to be a MEDIUM sized one and it's a little baby probably about 2 or 3 months old.. i have 2 pictures but they are from when he was being opened up from the cup he was shipped in yesterday morning.. he was BRIGHT green and got alittle stressed when being held. Well i picked him up from the petstore lastnight after work, he was supposed to be there till tonight but i noticed he was in a cage with 1 stick and no lights so i insisted to bring him home to his cage. I have a stick and some pothos leaves growing in there, i'm sorry i dont know the dimensions unless i measure it with a tape measure. But the baby turned black and has stayed that way since yesterday when we brought him home. The digital temp is reading 80.2 degrees and i misted before i went to work. What do you think could be wrong with this little guy?! Is the temp too hot? Too cold? please help, i dont want him to die! THANK YOU!

 

[carol5208]

Sounds like he is completely stressed which is normal but are you housing him in a fish tank? It looks like one in the background. What kind of lights are you using? Do you have a uvb light? Please post pics of your set up so we can help you. You need more than a stick and some pothos leaves if that isall you have.

 

[Elizadolots]

It's normal for them to be freaked out by a move/new place/new people. For a baby, you can probably get away with that tank for a bit, but you'll definitely need a taller enclosure (they like to go up and down).

For now, if you can throw some actual pothos vines in there, not just leaves, it would give him something to climb on.

I'm going to assume a screened top for the tank. Put the heat lamp off to one side, not in the center of the screen. That will help create airflow. Monitor the temperature very closely. It's easy to get those tanks overly hot and you have a species that does not want to be too hot.

**edited to add**

He may not be as young as you think. They are small animals. Here's a thread with pictures of adult females: https://www.chameleonforums.com/three-carpet-girls-82570/

Here's a thread with pictures of a 3.5 month old male: https://www.chameleonforums.com/new-baby-carpet-cassio-74937/

 

[HollySaurusRex]

yes it is about as small as the pics in the 3.5 months. and he is in a reptiterrarium, the ones with the glass but the screen top and ventalation at the bottom of the doors. I bought them from an exotic pet shop. I can take pictures once i get home around 7pm. I'm going out before i get home to buy some fake vines to put in there so i can string them to go high and to go across so he can walk alot. but i just feel bad this little guy isn't liking this at all i feel like a bad mom! but if you will check back around 7, i will have updated pictures of the cage and of the chameleon himself of his colors and a better knowledge of the wattage of bulbs. I do have a UVB but i dont know the exact wattage offhand. and i will give the wattage of the basking bulb too, how hot do you think it should be for them? and humidity range? i've had jacksons my whole time with chameleons (about 3 years or so now) so this little carpet is scaring me with being these colors

thank you so much for your help! keep it coming if you can!


also i dont have the complete screen cage because it's so hard to keep the humidity in that thing! like i have 1 in the basement that's a tall 1 that i only use if i shower my chameleons (which is rare) but i still have 1. Also i hate how the water goes everywhere when you mist BUT i do know that fishtanks are bad for the chameleons since the air becomes stale and can cause health problems! thank you again! any help is greatly appreciated

 

[HollySaurusRex]

this is just a sample pic from google since i am still at work.. but this is the type of cage he is in.. hope this is ok?? my jackson is about 2 years old and before i upgraded him thats what he was in? and he's fine now



Holly

 

[Elizadolots]

Those enclosures are fine. Just watch the temperatures because carpets like it on the cooler side.

I strongly recommend this stuff for "vines."

It's available at most garden centers. It's inexpensive and can easily be twisted into a fabulous climbing environment.

I also strongly recommend getting a live plant in there. I'm a huge fan of pothos plants.

 

[HollySaurusRex]

ok i will look for that! now when you say COOLER what do you mean? like what temp? is 80 too hot? what should it be at?

 

[Elizadolots]

I'd say 80 is the max. As long as you have a good temperature range, it could be a couple of degrees warmer. He needs to be able to get someplace where it's in the 70s.

 

[HollySaurusRex]

ok i will make sure that this is possible. see i have the hood that came with the tank holding 1 side the UVB and 1 side the heat bulb, so should i get the twist stuff you told me and make it go up to the uvb and the heat lamp or how far down should i keep it away from the lights? i dont want him getting burned.. thank you SO MUCH for all of your help!