Help! I didn't know what I was getting into!

[symphonica]

Okay, so not really...

I've been keeping chams for a while now, but have always only gotten ones that are at least 9 months old. I "accidentally" ended up with a 2-month old. The breeder had written that they had "hatched at the end of November, making them 12 months old." I didn't pay attention do the date, and only looked at his typo of 12 months.

Anyways, this thing is tiny! I'm afraid I'm going to kill the sensitive little thing. It's a male panther, btw.

• Would a 2' x 12' x 2' enclosure be too big for him?

• Do I let the crickets loose in the enclosure? Will he be able to catch them all over the enclosure? What if I were to offer him waxworms - should those go in a mounted feeding dish?

• Can temps be the same as would be for an adult, or should they be slightly lower?

• Do they require higher or lower humidity compared to adults?

• What's the #1 thing I should watch for, in terms of common baby killers?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sandrachameleon]

what a surprise that must have been! perhaps the breeder meant to write 1 - 2 months old?

babies dehydrate faster than adults, so provide a misting more frequently.

Many will say not to worry about temps,and keep them same as adults, But I do keep babies with less range of temp. What I believe are accurate ranges for ideal comfort and safety are:
adult day basking spot 90F/32C
Non breeding females and Juvenile basking spot should be kept at a lower temp, closer to 80F/26C
day mid-cage/ ambient range 70-80F /21 -26C
night to a low of 65F/18C (juveniles only down to 68F)

I usually start with a smaller cage, but the one you have will work. multiple Bowl and cup feeding locations will help the baby find prey more easily than free-ranging. It will also ensure no crickets are left roaming the cage at night to potentially chew on the sleeping baby cham.

Make sure prey is small enough. No wider than the space between the eyes, no longer than twice the head length.

Provide as much variety as you can. Options for a small panther are fruit flies, bean beetles, small termites, small crickets, terrestrial isopods, mealworms, small superworms, small silkworms, small butterworms. Waxworms aren't a very nutritious option.

I supplement babies much the same as I supplement adults, and I concentrate on providing a wide variety of well gutloaded prey.

I like to use a UVB tube that is a month or two old, rather than a brand new one.

 

[fluxlizard]

I keep mine the same as the adults temperature wise. But I am careful to provide a true thermal gradient. Babies will use it. But if you set things up so they can't avoid the heat or so you have only hot and cold and not a range in between you will have problems.

So either way you want to do it- a bit cooler or like adults- whatever works works. I could make arguments both ways for what is best.

Sandra's got you covered with good advice- I just wanted to add a tip- I've used enclosures about that size or a bit longer but not as wide for babies, but I always turn them so the long side is horizontal. This keeps babies closer to lighting and heat at all times and also closer to prey items. If you keep the 12" side vertical and your 24" sides horizontal it will be similar. (Mine have been 12x12x30 approx or 14x14x36)

 

[symphonica]

Thanks, guys. I was totally surprised. I opened up the box, planning to find a big guy in a pillowcase bag, only to find this tiny guy in a cup. I've heard that they're not much harder than the adults, but they just look so feeble and more finicky. My adults could eat this little one as a breath mint. These little guys are precious, though. Hopefully he survives into adulthood. Fingers crossed.

Also, to clarify, you want a larger surface area with less height with babies, right? You would set the enclosure up sideways so it looks more like an aquarium - short and fat?

 

[reptoman]

Thanks, guys. I was totally surprised. I opened up the box, planning to find a big guy in a pillowcase bag, only to find this tiny guy in a cup. I've heard that they're not much harder than the adults, but they just look so feeble and more finicky. My adults could eat this little one as a breath mint. These little guys are precious, though. Hopefully he survives into adulthood. Fingers crossed.

Also, to clarify, you want a larger surface area with less height with babies, right? You would set the enclosure up sideways so it looks more like an aquarium - short and fat?

As long as you provide plenty of small branches that reach all areas of the cage, you can put a 2 or 3 month old into an adult sized cage. The key is to not have huge gaps in your pathways/network of branches. Use natural branches tied together with plastic zipties. Using artificial sticks/dowels is not as easily done as these dont have a natural twist to them like real branches. The objective is to create a bunch of pathways that would occur in nature (like a real tree or shrub) so he can easily navigate from the top to the bottom to thermo-regulate and get to the upper reaches of the cage for prey items. Leaving large gaps will result in the baby climbing the screen to access these areas. I put examples of how I setup adult sized cages for juveniles at the link below. Hope this helps!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741831.291375457582672&type=1&l=8e8ba8a104

 

[symphonica]

Thanks very much. So far so good. He's a squirmy, active little thing, always on the move and quite the dancer. It's crazy how babies this size naturally know to thermoregulate. Amazing how nature works.

 

[Chameleon Creator]

Thanks very much. So far so good. He's a squirmy, active little thing, always on the move and quite the dancer. It's crazy how babies this size naturally know to thermoregulate. Amazing how nature works.

I am just as impressed with their natural survival instincts as well, they just know. I have always gotten 2-3 month old chameleons and so far survive past that age group with no issues. They grow quickly

 

[fluxlizard]

Also, to clarify, you want a larger surface area with less height with babies, right? You would set the enclosure up sideways so it looks more like an aquarium - short and fat?

Yes that is what I would do. It just simplifies feeding and things.

 

[symphonica]

Can we just fast forward a few months? This baby is making me so antsy.