Help!! Need help with lighting and feeding for a flapnecked chameleon!

[Chachachameleon]

So the guy i purchased him from claims he feeds him every other day and gives him 4 crickets each feeding day. This seams a little low for food for him is that a problem? and i also have a reptisun 5.0 uvb compact fluorescent 26 wat bulb. it came with a little hood for it and i was wondering if its ok to put directly on top of the cage? i dont want to burn him but it seams like thats where the light fits. it also doesnt seam to give out a huge amount of heat so im curious if i can leave it on all night to give him a little extra warmth? My last question what kind of heat lamp should i get for the cold nights? Thanks so much! i really want to make sure hes comfy in his new home.

 

[TheLivingLegend]

No, do NOT leave the cfl on overnight. That would be like leaving the sun up for 24 hours, that would be physically very hard on him. Get 25 watt night black heat bulb, a fixture with a dimmer so you can tone the bulb down to a soft glow, like moonlight. Set the warm spot for 75 at night. I use zoomed reptimep 500r thermostats in both my daytime and nighttime warm spot. If you use non spot heat bulbs you will get a wider spread of heat. Buy a few zoo med digital thermometers. It is ok to leave the cfl bulb fixture directly on top of the cage as long as it isnt getting above 85. I believe the temps are 82 for babies, 85 for under 6 months old, 88 at 6 months, no higher than 90. Im pretty sure some people go as high as 95 but I personally wouldnt go any higher than 92. Baby chams and juveniles need to be fed every day. Only adults can be fed every other day.

 

[Chachachameleon]

thanks for the quick response!

I know its like leaving the sun up but he has alot of shade he was sleeping just fine but i did turn it off, its not super cold tonight so iwas just worried. He is an adult i belive if not hes close to it, hes not a baby. I wanted a baby but i got a good deal on him. how much do you think i should feed him? ill go buy the bulb soon for him, its 68 in my house rite now is that ok? i forgot the temp they like to be at for night time

 

[Chachachameleon]

nvm i forgot you said 75 for night lol my bad. thanks again for the help

 

[TheLivingLegend]

I know its like leaving the sun up but he has alot of shade he was sleeping just fine but i did turn it off, its not super cold tonight so iwas just worried. He is an adult i belive if not hes close to it, hes not a baby. I wanted a baby but i got a good deal on him. how much do you think i should feed him? ill go buy the bulb soon for him, its 68 in my house rite now is that ok? i forgot the temp they like to be at for night time

Yea that is fine. You might want to double check my temps they are for panther chams. 65-75 will be ok at night. Just because a chams eyes are closed doesnt mean they are asleep btw.

 

[TheLivingLegend]

No problem glad I could help

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Are you a brand new owner? If you are I'd suggest posting your set up with pictures, and your supplements/lighting schedule so the more experienced members can give you advice.

 

[camimom]

Chams can take a night time temp drop down to the low 50's. as long as they have a good basking spot in the mornings to warm up in.
you can use a regular house bulb for basking, no need to buy an expensive basking bulb from a pet store.
lights are 12 hours on, 12 hours off. they NEED darkness to sleep.
what supplements are you using?
what type of cage is he in?

 

[carol5208]

how old is the chameleon? If it is under 6 months I would be feeding around 15 feeders a day. 4 is not enough even for an adult.
Also you need some variety besides crickets, such as mantids, roaches, hornworms, silkworms, superworms, moths, etc.

 

[mcbdz]

Hello and welcome to the forums. You came to the right place. There are lots of very experinced keepers on here that will give you lots of help and advice. First if you could fill in the questionnaire in the link below. Just copy and paste, then fill in with your answers as detailed as possible. This will make it easier and faster to help you.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Also include pics of enclosure and of chameleon if possible.

I did find this care sheet when I googled. it should help with the basics.
http://www.noahsarkpetsshop.com/care3/flapneckchameleon.html
Hope this helps.

 

[Chachachameleon]

Ok thanks for all the responses! he is a year or so i belive. and yea 4 seemed a little to me but hes not super skinny or anything and even when i bought him there where crickets in the cage so i mean they are there maybe he just doesnt eat alot. it has a small odor that im not down with its the wood i belive so i may be buying a new one for him soon. but here is a picture of him and his cage. im buyin the crickets from the store he gut loads them and sprinkles calcium on them when i buy them. so today i put 2 in his cage he hasnt eaten and i belive he only at a few yesterday but i only got him yesterday. but yea i have the one light on top and he is always chillin rite below the right, maybe hes cold or do they just like to do that? thanks again hope to hear back soon!