Help identifying age and sex veiled Cham

[PascalDonatello]

I’ve had this chameleon for a little less than a month, I was told by the pet store it was a 6-9 month old male but I’m quite skeptical- the fact that it hasn’t developed a pattern or wide range of color makes me think it’s younger than they said and I don’t see spikes on the back feet but I’m new to this so looking for help-



I just weighed and my Cham is 88grams which is leading me to think it’s 4-5 months of age?

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! To me it looks like you have a female. Can you share a photo of the back of its feet, please?

 

[PascalDonatello]

Hello and welcome! To me it looks like you have a female. Can you share a photo of the back of its feet, please?

Yeah I’m thinking I have a female as well but I was hoping someone could confirm, sorry the photo of the back foot didn’t upload with my original post-
Any idea about the age based on it’s size?

 

[elizaann2]

No problem at all! Ya, you have a female. It's hard to say the age of a veiled because they can grow so fast due to husbandry. She will lay infertile eggs much like a chicken would. You will need a lay bin as a permanent part of her enclosure. Do you need help with a proper lay bin for her?

 

[PascalDonatello]

Yeah I haven’t done much research into how to set up a bin and I didn’t think I’d have to be dealing with that since I thought I was getting a male- help is greatly appreciated

 

[elizaann2]

Hello! Here is some good information on a lay bin for you.

Ultimate Lay Bin
Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet - Page 3 for lay bin

The Chameleon Academy has a lot of helpful information on caring for these amazing creatures. For your convenience, I linked the website here.

I noticed some items in your enclosure that may be hurtful for your little girl. Would you be open to doing a review of your enclosure and care?

 

[PascalDonatello]

Hello! Here is some good information on a lay bin for you.

Ultimate Lay Bin
Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet - Page 3 for lay bin

The Chameleon Academy has a lot of helpful information on caring for these amazing creatures. For your convenience, I linked the website here.

I noticed some items in your enclosure that may be hurtful for your little girl. Would you be open to doing a review of your enclosure and care?

Absolutely- what exactly were you wanting to know? I’m open to tips and suggestions, I really do want to give my chameleon the best care I can <3


Thanks for the bin information as well!

 

[PascalDonatello]

I’m aware that the plastic plants in my enclosure are not the greatest choice if that’s what caught your eye but I’ve had a hard time finding suitable plants for her enclosure and unfortunately I don’t have my license yet and my parents don’t let me leave the house as often as I’d like- if you have suggestions for where I could get good plants online I’m open to that, but for now this is what I have. I do intend to switch out all her fake plants to live ones tho.

anyway, as for my situation- basically a couple of weeks ago my mom was at petco and she sends me a picture of this chameleon and says it’s on sale and they’re trying to get rid of it and I feel so bad for those pet store animals I really wanted to take it and help it so I spent about a solid 24 hours researching veiled chameleons (I had some knowledge of reptilian care already, as I’ve owned a leopard gecko for almost two years now) and ended up getting it.

I had every intention of doing more research to make sure I was caring for her properly and coming here to ask all my questions right away, but my 82 yr old grandma who is struggling with her health fell and i ended up caring for her a LoT and not having any free time on my hands like I thought I’d have- I am nOt saying that I neglected my cham during this time, i’m just saying I kindof had to care for her based on the knowledge I already had and I want you to know I deeply care about my animals.

 

[elizaann2]

Absolutely- what exactly were you wanting to know? I’m open to tips and suggestions, I really do want to give my chameleon the best care I can <3


Thanks for the bin information as well!

Wonderful! I would love to help you! If you can copy the form below and fill it out in another reply on your post, that will give us some information. A picture of your full enclosure will also be awesome if you can!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high-traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem -

 

[elizaann2]

I’m aware that the plastic plants in my enclosure are not the greatest choice if that’s what caught your eye but I’ve had a hard time finding suitable plants for her enclosure and unfortunately I don’t have my license yet and my parents don’t let me leave the house as often as I’d like- if you have suggestions for where I could get good plants online I’m open to that, but for now this is what I have. I do intend to switch out all her fake plants to live ones tho.

anyway, as for my situation- basically a couple of weeks ago my mom was at petco and she sends me a picture of this chameleon and says it’s on sale and they’re trying to get rid of it and I feel so bad for those pet store animals I really wanted to take it and help it so I spent about a solid 24 hours researching veiled chameleons (I had some knowledge of reptilian care already, as I’ve owned a leopard gecko for almost two years now) and ended up getting it.

I had every intention of doing more research to make sure I was caring for her properly and coming here to ask all my questions right away, but my 82 yr old grandma who is struggling with her health fell and i ended up caring for her a LoT and not having any free time on my hands like I thought I’d have- I am nOt saying that I neglected my cham during this time, i’m just saying I kindof had to care for her based on the knowledge I already had and I want you to know I deeply care about my animals.

Hello!

First, I want to thank you for sharing your situation with me. That really helps me understand, and hopefully, we can problem-solve anything that does need to be adjusted to fit the needs of your cute little chameleon and yourself. The thought that you possibly neglect your animals never even crossed my mind. If you are on here looking for answers for your little girl, you obviously care a lot about her. Everyone in this hobby has had to start somewhere, we have all learned as we have gained more experience with these incredible reptiles - and full disclosure I am also relatively new to the hobby, I've only been doing it for a year so there is still a LOT that I personally need to learn as well. No worries, we are all in this together with the goal of our chameleons having the best life possible.

I totally feel you with the Petco animals. My first chameleon is actually a Petco baby as well.

That is amazing that you are helping take care of your grandmother. I understand not having a lot of time to research care for chameleons. There is a lot to know! This is an excellent place to get proper care for your little one. Other amazing places are:

Neptune the Chameleon - YouTube channel
The Chameleon Academy - Website & YouTube channel
The Chameleon Academy Podcast - This is where I get most of my information. I find myself listening to it when cleaning, doing chameleon chores, working, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this podcast.

Be cautious with any other places you get information on chameleons, a simple google search shows you a lot of incorrect care. My advice is to pay attention to who you are following for advice. Have they been in the hobby for a long time? Do they do their research? Do they understand what they are doing and teaching?

 

[PascalDonatello]

• Your Chameleon

Piebald veiled chameleon, female, 4-5 months old is my guess? I’ve had her for about a month now

• Handling

Still getting her comfortable with handling, I haven’t handled her much but she’s come out a few times and will rest one foot on my hand sometimes

• Feeding

I’ve mostly fed her wax worms and mealworms, some crickets too, and generally just feed her about as much as she wants in the morning/early afternoon which tends to be a total of 7 or 8 bugs and I’ve been gut-loading them with this https://www.store.repashy.com/superload-4-oz-bag.html

• Supplements

I don’t have supplements currently, pls help-

• Watering

I’ve been hand misting for a few minutes in the morning and at night when the lights are off as well as sometimes in the afternoon if I notice the humidity is low, I also have a dripper set up and have given my chameleon a few showers. I’ve seen her drinking from the dripper a couple of times

• Fecal Description

I’ve noticed her urate has been somewhat watery and I’m not sure if I should be concerned about that- poop is brown but not extremely dark. She hasn’t been tested for parasites either but I’m hoping to get her to a vet sometime soon

• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Idk-


Cage Info:

• Cage Type

I know there is a lot of conflict about what type of enclosure is best in this community but I have a glass enclosure with a screen top which is 48 inches long/20 inches high (55 gal)

• Lighting

these are the bulbs I’m currently using

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-Daylight-Bulb-Incandescent-Reptile-Lighting-75-Watt/26853853

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...VNnNvBB2eLQzxEAAYASAAEgIvo_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Although I’ve been meaning to switch to one of the long uvb lights (not sure what it’s called)
turning both lights on around 9am and off at 11pm


Temperature

I don’t rlly have the temperature measures all around the enclosure but my room doesn’t usually drop below 72 degrees Fahrenheit and her basking spot is about 82-84 degrees- I have the sticky velcro thermometer and hydrometer set from petco

• Humidity

for the most part I’ve just been aiming to keep the humidity above 50-55% and I’ve mostly been able to keep it that way idk-

• Plants

I have two live plants which I checked out to make sure they’re not toxic to my chameleon- I don’t rlly remember what they’re called but if that’s important for some other reason I could try to find out-

• Placement

It’s out of the way in a corner of my room- the top of the cage is probably six ft from the floor but that’s just a guesstimate

• Location

Midwest USA - kinda the Chicago Illinois area

 

[Bazelthechameleon]

Here’s some info on females courtesy of @Beman

Females

As she matures you will have to start cutting back her food. By about 6-7 months she should be getting about 5-8 small feeders each day. At about 7-8 months you want to slowly reduce by cutting down feeder amounts so that she is on a feeding schedule of 3 days a week with 3 feeders. You want them to be on this schedule by the time they are 9-10 months old.


You will not ever want basking to be over 78-80 for her. Very important for females because as she ages she needs this temp no higher at basking to help control the amount of eggs she produces. The hotter the temp they more their metabolism speeds up so we have to keep the temp lower since we are doing lower food intake.

A lay bin should be added as a permanent fixture by the time they are 6 months old so they get used to it and it does not cause stress.

 

[PascalDonatello]

Hello!

First, I want to thank you for sharing your situation with me. That really helps me understand, and hopefully, we can problem-solve anything that does need to be adjusted to fit the needs of your cute little chameleon and yourself. The thought that you possibly neglect your animals never even crossed my mind. If you are on here looking for answers for your little girl, you obviously care a lot about her. Everyone in this hobby has had to start somewhere, we have all learned as we have gained more experience with these incredible reptiles - and full disclosure I am also relatively new to the hobby, I've only been doing it for a year so there is still a LOT that I personally need to learn as well. No worries, we are all in this together with the goal of our chameleons having the best life possible.

I totally feel you with the Petco animals. My first chameleon is actually a Petco baby as well.

That is amazing that you are helping take care of your grandmother. I understand not having a lot of time to research care for chameleons. There is a lot to know! This is an excellent place to get proper care for your little one. Other amazing places are:

Neptune the Chameleon - YouTube channel
The Chameleon Academy - Website & YouTube channel
The Chameleon Academy Podcast - This is where I get most of my information. I find myself listening to it when cleaning, doing chameleon chores, working, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this podcast.

Be cautious with any other places you get information on chameleons, a simple google search shows you a lot of incorrect care. My advice is to pay attention to who you are following for advice. Have they been in the hobby for a long time? Do they do their research? Do they understand what they are doing and teaching?

Thankyou so much, I’ve watched quite a few of the videos from Neptune the chameleon already and I’m definitely being cautious about where I get my information from. I’m glad this website exists cause it’s very helpful

 

[elizaann2]

• Your Chameleon

Piebald veiled chameleon, female, 4-5 months old is my guess? I’ve had her for about a month now

• Handling

Still getting her comfortable with handling, I haven’t handled her much but she’s come out a few times and will rest one foot on my hand sometimes

• Feeding

I’ve mostly fed her wax worms and mealworms, some crickets too, and generally just feed her about as much as she wants in the morning/early afternoon which tends to be a total of 7 or 8 bugs and I’ve been gut-loading them with this https://www.store.repashy.com/superload-4-oz-bag.html

• Supplements

I don’t have supplements currently, pls help-

• Watering

I’ve been hand misting for a few minutes in the morning and at night when the lights are off as well as sometimes in the afternoon if I notice the humidity is low, I also have a dripper set up and have given my chameleon a few showers. I’ve seen her drinking from the dripper a couple of times

• Fecal Description

I’ve noticed her urate has been somewhat watery and I’m not sure if I should be concerned about that- poop is brown but not extremely dark. She hasn’t been tested for parasites either but I’m hoping to get her to a vet sometime soon

• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Idk-


Cage Info:

• Cage Type

I know there is a lot of conflict about what type of enclosure is best in this community but I have a glass enclosure with a screen top which is 48 inches long/20 inches high (55 gal)

• Lighting

these are the bulbs I’m currently using

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-Daylight-Bulb-Incandescent-Reptile-Lighting-75-Watt/26853853

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/exo-terra-reptile-uvb-150-13w-1416430?cm_mmc=PSH|GGL|SPP|SBU05|SH12|0|muHsF3BUpNUdAKSAduNZo5|58700007496548787|DYNAMIC+SEARCH+ADS|0|0|dsa-1468736449580|127998260805|15229494693&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsoaXvKC8_QIVNnNvBB2eLQzxEAAYASAAEgIvo_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Although I’ve been meaning to switch to one of the long uvb lights (not sure what it’s called)
turning both lights on around 9am and off at 11pm


Temperature

I don’t rlly have the temperature measures all around the enclosure but my room doesn’t usually drop below 72 degrees Fahrenheit and her basking spot is about 82-84 degrees- I have the sticky velcro thermometer and hydrometer set from petco

• Humidity

for the most part I’ve just been aiming to keep the humidity above 50-55% and I’ve mostly been able to keep it that way idk-

• Plants

I have two live plants which I checked out to make sure they’re not toxic to my chameleon- I don’t rlly remember what they’re called but if that’s important for some other reason I could try to find out-

• Placement

It’s out of the way in a corner of my room- the top of the cage is probably six ft from the floor but that’s just a guesstimate

• Location

Midwest USA - kinda the Chicago Illinois area

Working on my reply.

 

[PascalDonatello]

Working on my reply.

Also here is a photo of the enclosure

Working on getting more plants and possibly vines and such to climb on I feel bad for her but-

 

[elizaann2]

• Look for my answers in red and keep in mind that I am also newer, @Beman, @kinyonga and @MissSkittles - please feel free to correct any errors in my reply.
  
• Your Chameleon

Piebald veiled chameleon, female, 4-5 months old is my guess? I’ve had her for about a month now

• Handling

Still getting her comfortable with handling, I haven’t handled her much but she’s come out a few times and will rest one foot on my hand sometimes. Chameleons are actually very shy creatures that stress easily. I would recommend not handling her unless absolutely necessary, for example when you are cleaning her enclosure, when you are doing a visual check on her to make sure she looks good and when you are taking her to the vet. I like to say that chameleons are like fish - they are really cool pets that you get to watch, but not hold.

• Feeding

I’ve mostly fed her wax worms and mealworms, some crickets too, and generally just feed her about as much as she wants in the morning/early afternoon which tends to be a total of 7 or 8 bugs and I’ve been gut-loading them with this https://www.store.repashy.com/superload-4-oz-bag.html. Really great staple feeders for your girl will be crickets, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), silkworms, and dubia roaches. Wax worms are high in fat and are more of a 'treat' bug. Mealworms are not recommended due to their low nutritional content. I purchase all my feeders here. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with your gut load so I will let the more experienced handlers respond to that. I do know that Repashy Bug Burger is a great gut load and that you can gut load your bugs with sweet potatoes, red peppers, apples, carrots and mustard greens.

• Supplements

I don’t have supplements currently, pls help- You bet! Supplements are vital. This would be something you would need to purchase for your little one today. She needs a calcium supplement dusted on her feeders on every feeding. On the 1st and the 15th of each month, dust your feeders with the Repashy LoD supplement. The Repashy gives her multivitamins and vitamin D3, which will help her body utilize the calcium correctly for bone and muscle use. Without proper supplementation, she will get very sick quickly and could develop MBD which is very painful.

• Watering

I’ve been hand misting for a few minutes in the morning and at night when the lights are off as well as sometimes in the afternoon if I notice the humidity is low, I also have a dripper set up and have given my chameleon a few showers. I’ve seen her drinking from the dripper a couple of times. Fantastic!

• Fecal Description

I’ve noticed her urate has been somewhat watery and I’m not sure if I should be concerned about that- poop is brown but not extremely dark. She hasn’t been tested for parasites either but I’m hoping to get her to a vet sometime soon Next time she poops if you want to share a photo we could look at it and tell you if it looks ok, but from your description it everything sounds fine to me. A white urate means she is hydrated. You want solid but not firm, brown poops.

• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Idk-


Cage Info:

• Cage Type

I know there is a lot of conflict about what type of enclosure is best in this community but I have a glass enclosure with a screen top which is 48 inches long/20 inches high (55 gal). You are correct, there is conflict regarding enclosures. Try to use them as a tool to help you maintain the right environment for your chameleon. For example, I live in Utah, its a very dry state. In order for me to maintain proper humidity levels and temperatures for my chameleons I need a hybrid enclosure or probably a glass one. I currently have both of my chams in hybrid enclosures and they work fantastic for me. For someone who lives in Florida, a hybrid or glass enclosure might not work because its a humid state and a screen enclosure is what they need. Stick with what works for you to maintain the right environment for your chameleon. The important thing is the size. An adult veiled chameleon needs a minimum size of 24x24x48 enclosure. Veiled chameleons grow fast, so this may be something you will need to look into soon so she isn't feeling squished. When you get to this point let us all know and we can help you with ideas on enclosures for her.

• Lighting

these are the bulbs I’m currently using

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-Daylight-Bulb-Incandescent-Reptile-Lighting-75-Watt/26853853

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...VNnNvBB2eLQzxEAAYASAAEgIvo_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Although I’ve been meaning to switch to one of the long uvb lights (not sure what it’s called)
turning both lights on around 9am and off at 11pm

I am guessing the Walmart light is for basking, so long as it is getting you the temperatures you need for her to bask that should be no problem. Unfortunately, the UVB bulb you are using is not effective for chameleons and your little girl is unable to get the proper UVB she needs for her body to function. Replacing the UVB light would also be something I strongly recommend you replace today. The UVB lighting was really overwhelming for me to figure out, so for your convenience, I have linked what I use.

This is the hood I use. This is the linear UVB light I use. You can get a 5 or 6% UVB strength or a 10 or 12% strength. UVB is the same rays we get from the sun, so too much of a good thing is also a bad thing. if you get a 5 or 6%, you can usually stick the hood right on the top of your enclosure and still be ok. If you get a 10 or 12% you will need to raise the hood around 9 inches above your enclosure.

Temperature

I don’t rlly have the temperature measures all around the enclosure but my room doesn’t usually drop below 72 degrees Fahrenheit and her basking spot is about 82-84 degrees- I have the sticky velcro thermometer and hydrometer set from petco. You will need a way to monitor the temperature and humidity of her enclosure. You don't want her to get too hot or too cold. I am currently using the probe thermometers from Petco for my basking site and then I got a humidity/temperature (hydrometer) at Walmart for around $12.
Aim for:
Day humidity - 40-50%
Day Ambient Temp of enclosure - 70 degrees
Basking Temp - around 80 degrees - if you get her basking temps too high it can 'supercharge' her body where she will create too many eggs and run the risk of being egg-bound.

Night humidity - 80-100%
Night Ambient Temp of enclosure - 55-65 degrees

• Humidity

for the most part I’ve just been aiming to keep the humidity above 50-55% and I’ve mostly been able to keep it that way idk- This is perfect for the daytime! Great job!

• Plants

I have two live plants which I checked out to make sure they’re not toxic to my chameleon- I don’t rlly remember what they’re called but if that’s important for some other reason I could try to find out- Fantastic, you do want live plants only. Veiled chameleons will eat the plants in their enclosure and if you have fake plants they run the risk of impaction, which can be fatal. It looks like you can order live plants on Amazon. Pothos are excellent plants because they can tolerate low light, overwatering or underwatering. They grow quickly too so your girl can have excellent coverage quickly. Helpful videos: Safe plants, Plant prep.

If you want help finding other options for ordering plants online let me know and I can look around a little more!

• Placement

It’s out of the way in a corner of my room- the top of the cage is probably six ft from the floor but that’s just a guesstimate. Great!

• Location

Midwest USA - kinda the Chicago Illinois area

 

[elizaann2]

Also here is a photo of the enclosure

Working on getting more plants and possibly vines and such to climb on I feel bad for her but-

Thanks for the photo! Are you able to get sticks from your yard or a park? I just got mine from my backyard, washed them well with soap and water, and let them dry before I put them in my enclosures. You'll want to get sticks from trees that do not produce sap.

 

[elizaann2]

Thanks for the photo! Are you able to get sticks from your yard or a park? I just got mine from my backyard, washed them well with soap and water, and let them dry before I put them in my enclosures. You'll want to get sticks from trees that do not produce sap.

I'll share photos of my enclosures tomorrow to give you a good idea of what you need for her setup.

 

[PascalDonatello]

• Handling

Still getting her comfortable with handling, I haven’t handled her much but she’s come out a few times and will rest one foot on my hand sometimes. Chameleons are actually very shy creatures that stress easily. I would recommend not handling her unless absolutely necessary, for example when you are cleaning her enclosure, when you are doing a visual check on her to make sure she looks good and when you are taking her to the vet. I like to say that chameleons are like fish - they are really cool pets that you get to watch, but not hold.

Yes i maybe should’ve clarified I’ve basically only taken her out in order to give her a shower
Thanks so much for everything else though. I’ve learned a lot on my own but the information starts to get overwhelming and then I don’t know where to start taking action and what to prioritize- anyway this helps

 

[PascalDonatello]

I'll share photos of my enclosures tomorrow to give you a good idea of what you need for her setup.

Yeah we have some trees around here but mostly willows, maple and a variety of fruit trees and I wasn’t sure what type is suitable-