gabrielguy
New Member
hey chameleon forums, im new to this whole chameleon thingy thing, but ive been wanting a chameleon for a couple weeks by now,the problem is, like some other chameleon owners, im not sure if i have down the whole concept to taking care of it, anybody please, tell me what im missing? as you read, feel free to correct me, please do, i may have my facts wrong and i need to know everything throughly. this is what i know so far:
-enclosure:
the chameleon needs a cage(preferable screen cage) that needs to be kept at a certain heat and tempurature. during the day it needs to be at(i believe) 80 degrees, atbasking time it needs to be around 90 degrees, and at night it needs to be 70 degees.
-feeding:
when a chameleon is a baby, it eats sometimes twice a day or 5 - 7 times a week, a good idea is to get a plastic bowl and fill it with waxworms, crickets, or mealworms in it, but have the cup deep enough that the crickets dont get out, but shallow enough for the chameleon to get out if it falls it. calcium dust and gutload its food. a baby eats 6-12 crickets a day and twice a day, (not sure how much juveniles or matures eat) babies and juveniles will overeat but not often, mature chameleons will not overeat
-watering:
misting should be done 3- 4 times a day for about 10-15 minutes a session, if the chameleon isnt getting enough water, it will most likely eat vegitation to provide itself liquid, so its a good idea to have a real plant in its cage so that you can monitor your misting
-health:
a healthy chameleon has strong limbs, clear, alert eyes, and well formed droppings. if the chameleons grip and limbs arent strong enough to hold itself up, it most likely has metabolic bone disease and needs its calcium and vitamins. a chameleons eyes should constantly scan its surroundings, if its eyes are moving slowly, he/she peoboly has an infection or isnt getting enough proteins(im not sure). im not sure how to inspect its droppings, but im pretty sure it shouldnt be mushy, and i know it shouldnt have colored(yellow) streaks
-handling your chameleon:
chameleons dont like being handeled and most of the time it builds stress, but if you are going to pick up your chameleon, pick in up from the side of its stomach, and in a lifting motion
-colors:
chameleons are mistaken for changing color to blend in with your invironment, instead, they change color based on their emotions and feelings. all that i know is that chameleons turn a dark color when they are angered
what i dont know:
1)when seasons change(winter, summer) do i need to change the tempurature on the heat lamps?
2)how do i check the humidity in the cage? what do i need to keep it at? how do i keep it at that level?
3)how do i check a chameleons sex when its a baby?
4)how else(besides what i already mentioned) do you check if a chameleons gender?
5) i recently visited the pet store, and the baby chameleons had a white buildup on their faces and bodies, what does this mean?
6)how do you check a chameleons droppings? what do the yellow streaks mean?
7)is their any special kind of thing i need to know when my chameleon sheds?
8) how long should it take for my chameleon to get its first colors?
9) how do i know if my chameleon is comfortable in its environment?
10) what should i feed my chameleon if its still super small and only days old?
11) do chameleons hear? lol. is their hearing sensitive?
12)is their eyesight sensitive? for example, if i was to turn on the lights in my room, in the middle of the night, or if there was any bright light, or if it looks at the uvb light, would it hurt its eyes badly?
13) do my chameleons colors change/dull/broighten if i feed them certain things?
14) will my chameleon really get scared of its reflections if its in a glass terrerium?
15)if i didnt buy my chameleon its bedding(dirt, moss, landscaping) would it matter at all?
16) would you reccomend buying a chameleon from a pet store or from a breeder?
17)how do i check my chameleons eyes to show its healthiness?
as i have already mentioned, i need help, so i would really appritiate it if you gave me any tips or any other information that i left out(dont know). just think about a chameleons life in the hands of me, a owner that doesnt know much, help save its life!! lol
also, please read through this again and see if you missed a question that you can answer, or iif you can correct me on anything, thank you for your time,
gabriel guy..........
-enclosure:
the chameleon needs a cage(preferable screen cage) that needs to be kept at a certain heat and tempurature. during the day it needs to be at(i believe) 80 degrees, atbasking time it needs to be around 90 degrees, and at night it needs to be 70 degees.
-feeding:
when a chameleon is a baby, it eats sometimes twice a day or 5 - 7 times a week, a good idea is to get a plastic bowl and fill it with waxworms, crickets, or mealworms in it, but have the cup deep enough that the crickets dont get out, but shallow enough for the chameleon to get out if it falls it. calcium dust and gutload its food. a baby eats 6-12 crickets a day and twice a day, (not sure how much juveniles or matures eat) babies and juveniles will overeat but not often, mature chameleons will not overeat
-watering:
misting should be done 3- 4 times a day for about 10-15 minutes a session, if the chameleon isnt getting enough water, it will most likely eat vegitation to provide itself liquid, so its a good idea to have a real plant in its cage so that you can monitor your misting
-health:
a healthy chameleon has strong limbs, clear, alert eyes, and well formed droppings. if the chameleons grip and limbs arent strong enough to hold itself up, it most likely has metabolic bone disease and needs its calcium and vitamins. a chameleons eyes should constantly scan its surroundings, if its eyes are moving slowly, he/she peoboly has an infection or isnt getting enough proteins(im not sure). im not sure how to inspect its droppings, but im pretty sure it shouldnt be mushy, and i know it shouldnt have colored(yellow) streaks
-handling your chameleon:
chameleons dont like being handeled and most of the time it builds stress, but if you are going to pick up your chameleon, pick in up from the side of its stomach, and in a lifting motion
-colors:
chameleons are mistaken for changing color to blend in with your invironment, instead, they change color based on their emotions and feelings. all that i know is that chameleons turn a dark color when they are angered
what i dont know:
1)when seasons change(winter, summer) do i need to change the tempurature on the heat lamps?
2)how do i check the humidity in the cage? what do i need to keep it at? how do i keep it at that level?
3)how do i check a chameleons sex when its a baby?
4)how else(besides what i already mentioned) do you check if a chameleons gender?
5) i recently visited the pet store, and the baby chameleons had a white buildup on their faces and bodies, what does this mean?
6)how do you check a chameleons droppings? what do the yellow streaks mean?
7)is their any special kind of thing i need to know when my chameleon sheds?
8) how long should it take for my chameleon to get its first colors?
9) how do i know if my chameleon is comfortable in its environment?
10) what should i feed my chameleon if its still super small and only days old?
11) do chameleons hear? lol. is their hearing sensitive?
12)is their eyesight sensitive? for example, if i was to turn on the lights in my room, in the middle of the night, or if there was any bright light, or if it looks at the uvb light, would it hurt its eyes badly?
13) do my chameleons colors change/dull/broighten if i feed them certain things?
14) will my chameleon really get scared of its reflections if its in a glass terrerium?
15)if i didnt buy my chameleon its bedding(dirt, moss, landscaping) would it matter at all?
16) would you reccomend buying a chameleon from a pet store or from a breeder?
17)how do i check my chameleons eyes to show its healthiness?
as i have already mentioned, i need help, so i would really appritiate it if you gave me any tips or any other information that i left out(dont know). just think about a chameleons life in the hands of me, a owner that doesnt know much, help save its life!! lol
also, please read through this again and see if you missed a question that you can answer, or iif you can correct me on anything, thank you for your time,gabriel guy..........
Last edited:
