Help not eating much and hates being enclosed

[corina9639]

Hi, my veiled cham is about 4 months old, he's really friendly and active, but seems to hate being in his tank. I don't think it's well ventilated enough so I'm building him a better one but for the moment I leave both sides of the glass at the front open on each side to get more air in. He loves being outside so much I think he spends most of the day trying to escape when he comes outside he climbs on me and anything I can safely let him climb on, most of all he likes to get as high up and close to window as he can and just looks outside.

I couple weeks ago I fed him some slightly larger locusts, which I think were too large as since then he doesn't want to eat locusts any more. He loves waxworms of course, so all I could get him to eat were those, mealworms and rocket. Yesterday I got him some crickets and put them in a jar hanging from his perch, which he noticed and ate 4 crickets from there. I've stopped leaving the mealworms for him as from what I've read they're not very good for him because of the hard shells?

Today he doesn't seem interested in the crickets at all, just desperate to come out as usual, but he must be hungry because he tries to catch things in his cage that aren't there. He does the same when he's outside, but if I offer him a locust or a cricket when he's outside he doesn't want to know. He also viciously attached a cable tie (there was no end sticking out) that I'd just put in to tie a bit of vine out of the way, I'm worried he's going to hurt himself trying to eat things that aren't food!

Please help, I don't know how to make him happy! He's only happy when he's out the tank clambering around. I don't think there's anything wrong with his tank setup so not sure what else I can do for him?

Any advice will be much appreciated, thank you

 

[carol5208]

A lot of chameleons do not like being caged. Probably most of them really. I mean would you? lol Anyways, if you could fill out the ask for help form in the health clinic(click on the green forums tab, and then health clinic) and lets make sure there is nothing wrong in your set up causing him to not want to be there. As far as the eating, if you just got him that may attribute to some of the sporadic eating behavior. Sometimes they just pick a food they like and will hold out for it! He is young to start being so picky though.

 

[corina9639]

OK great, here is the info.... (have put in same thread so as not to clutter up with multiple threads?)

Chameleon Info:
Veiled Chameleon, Male, 4 months old. Owned for 1 and a half months.

Handling - Handle him every day, at least twice a day. I never pick him up and take him out of his tank, he climbs onto my hand.

Feeding - rocket (he will always eat this)
locusts (fed consistently until about 2 weeks ago, he had a voracious appetite and would go through about 6 tubs (containing 20 small locusts) in a week!)
waxworms (which I now resort to when he won't eat anything else)
mealworms (he will eat a couple of these which I leave in a tub for him during the day, but have now stopped doing this as the hard shells aren't good for him?)
crickets (have only just started feeding crickets, he ate 4 yesterday from a jar hanging from his perch, today doesn't want to know)
So the schedule used to be feed him as many locusts as he would eat at lunchtime and again in the evening, and leave him rocket in his tank. The schedule now is leave him rocket and crickets in the jar, and if he hasn't eaten any all day then try him with some waxworms, of which he will eat maybe 3 or 4.
Gut loading crickets (and used to be the same for locusts) on bug grub from the pet store, and apples for moisture.

Supplements - calcium and vitamin supplement dusted on the rocket as this is the only thing I know he will eat some of! Every morning.

Watering - I mist by hand as often as possible, so in the morning, lunchtime and early evening for a couple minutes each time, I have a hygrometer but no automatic misting system. I think I might need to get one though as it doesn't seem to stay high enough and he has little bits of skin that don't quite go when he's shed.
I never see him drinking! I tried getting him to drink from a syringe which he did for a little while but then seemed to get fed up of that. However his eyes aren't sunken in and his droppings suggest he is hydrated, as in the next section....

Fecal Description - half brown half white. Lately his droppings have been a lot smaller as he's not been eating much, until after yesterday when he ate 4 crickets they were a bigger size again this morning.
Has not been tested for parasites unless the pet store tested him before I bought him!

History - I have only had him for a month and a half, not sure what other history I can give other than I imagine he was captive bred as he has always been amazingly friendly.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - wooden sides, glass front which I leave each side open slightly as the only other ventilation is a mesh circle at the top which the heat lamp shines through, and 2 small ventilation bits at the top.
Dimensions are about 100cm x 80 x 60 roughly?

Lighting - exo terra heat lamp 150w, and exo terra UVA and UVB strip lights. Lights and heat lamp are on a timer which comes on at 8am and goes off at 8pm

Temperature -thermostat is set to maintain 35°C at the basking spot, cage floor is about 27°C. Lowest overnight temp 20°C. Temps are measured by thermometer by the basking perch and one lower down, and controlled by thermostat attached to the single heat lamp. Night time temperature does not currently drop below 20°C so no thermostat required for this as yet.

Humidity - (as detailed in Watering section above) I mist by hand as often as possible, so in the morning, lunchtime and early evening for a couple minutes each time, I have a hygrometer but no automatic misting system. I think I might need to get one though as it doesn't seem to stay high enough and he has little bits of skin that don't quite go when he's shed.

Plants - no live plants

Placement - on top of a table in the dining room (which is not used by anyone). Not near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas. The height at the top of the cage leaves only enough space for the heat lamp to hang over it, so room height!

Location - England

Current Problem - detailed at the start of this thread.



As he was such a ravenous creature when I first got him, I'm worried as to why he's now gone completely the other way. Yeh does seem quite young to start being picky! I thought if he was holding out for the waxworms I should stop feeding him those altogether until he gives in and eats other food? But on the other hand that seems like a dangerous thing to do if there's something else wrong!
I completely understand him not liking being enclosed bless him, just worried there's something more I could be doing to make it a better home for him. I have a whole activity room planned for him soon haha... but until then I try and let him out as much as possible to keep him happy!

Thank you

 

[corina9639]

Kermit

Here's Kermit exploring his new climbing frame

 

[AdmiralSwanson]

he looks amazing! im really new to chameleons but it looks like you might not have enough ventilation for him, unless the gaps you leave at the side are considerable? but he looks awesome and like great fun =)

 

[corina9639]

Kermit

Yeh he is pretty awesome it could be the ventilation, I leave about 1cm gap each side of the tank but think he needs more. Struggling with the humidity as well so think an automatic misting system is in order. Just bought another hygrometer and they both say different readings when only about a foot apart at the same level, not helpful!

He's still refusing locusts, is picking at crickets and even waxworms he won't eat many of, how much is it normal for a chameleon to eat each day? I'm just concerned that he went from eating a huge amount to a very small amount very suddenly!

He absolutely loves his new climbing frame though, when he first went on it he just sat and stared out of the window completely motionless (with one back foot in the air for no apparent reason) watching the world go by. Thought he was possibly scared but he didn't want to come down either, then he went up as high as he could go, and now whenever I take him out the tank he tries to climb straight onto it.

Does anyone keep their chameleon in a room rather than a tank or a cage? I think he would love that but no idea how I could keep the heat and humidity right, probably not feasible in England!

 

[AdmiralSwanson]

those hygrometer readings arnt helpful thats for sure haha, and yeh maybe an automatic mister is the way forward, i think I am going to get one too, much more easy.

Just did some reading and the care sheet from this website says that 3-5 month old should be eating 10-12 crickets or equivalent weight a day and those feeders shouldnt be wider than his mouth width ways. are you gut loading your feeders also?

and yeh i was looking at some enclosures and places people keep their chams today and saw a couple of free range ones that were just plants covering the corner or wall in someones room, I have no idea how you would get temps or humidity right with those kind of places thought lol

 

[junglefries]

mealworm

You could always try superworms instead of mealworms. They are so cheap they are almost free. Wait and feed the recently molted white ones or just as they are regularly. they have less chitin and are relished by veils.

 

[corina9639]

superworms

I think superworms might be too big for him as he's only 4 months old? Have had a look through care sheets on here, not sure when I can start feeding him those? Or if I just feed him the white ones would they be OK even at this age?

Am going to order some silkworms online to try and get him interested in eating again! Have never seen silkworms in any pet shops here unfortunately.
He's only eating about 2 crickets a day, some rocket and some waxworms at the moment so doesn't sound to be enough at all.

Care sheet does say feed only in the morning though so will try that rather than feeding in the evening as well.
Yes am gut loading, with bug grub and apples for moisture.

Next job buy silkworms and investigate automatic mister......

 

[carol5208]

he looks gigantic for 4 months old. How much does he weigh and how long is he? Maybe it is just the pic but he looks big enough to eat supers.

 

[corina9639]

age

Hmmmm well perhaps he is older, the 4 months I think was a guess from the pet shop! I'll have to measure him and see if that is more of an indicator?

Good news though, having started the morning only feeding routine, he ate 4 locusts this morning I've also just had silkworms and dubia roaches arrive in the post for him so he's in for a surprise tomorrow....

 

[corina9639]

age

He's 16cm from nose to base of tail, any idea how old that would make him roughly? I haven't got scales to weigh him at the moment but will get some soon. I've got him some silk worms and dubia roaches now, but he doesn't seem interested in them so far, will try again tomorrow...

 

[Gem]

Just Picky

Hey,

First off, how cute is your cham? He's huge but so cute!

I wouldn't worry too much about him trying to get out of the cage. Gringo, my 14 month old veiled is always wanting out. It usually happens suspiciously when there are guests in the house and he isn't the centre of attention

Gringo has recently been going through similar problems, but some chams are just picky. Gringo was fine with locusts and crickets for ages then he just went off them completely. He hates having his gums checked so I decided to give him a waxworm, the chameleon chocolate, to see if he has an infection or was just being a fusspot. he munched down the waxworms and mealworms no problem.

By the sounds of things, you've been feeding him crickets and locusts for a while and he probably just fancied a change. Mealworms aren't the worst things for your cham, as they gutfeed really quickly and they take the calcuim really well. Not the best food, but not the worst.

I hope he starts eating again. Probably just being a bit of a fusspot
x

 

[Gem]

16''

He's 16cm from nose to base of tail, any idea how old that would make him roughly? I haven't got scales to weigh him at the moment but will get some soon. I've got him some silk worms and dubia roaches now, but he doesn't seem interested in them so far, will try again tomorrow...

Gringo is about the same measurement and he's 14 months old. Is it possible they said 14 months not 4?

x

 

[corina9639]

soooo cute!

I know he's the most adorable thing ever yeh he does demand attention, with flailing muppet hands, its very hard to resist!

I hope it's just that he's being fussy. Also if he's 14 months rather than 4 months (don't think they said 14 but it's entirely possible that he is! I think it's more likely that they didn't know how old he was and guessed) that would make sense... as according to the care sheet if they're 6 - 12 months of age or over 12 months then I would only need to feed him every other day. He didn't want any food at all today so tomorrow hopefully he'll be hungry again. Also I think I must be feeding him food that's too small, perhaps he thinks it's not worth bothering with!

Is Gringo 16" or 16cm? Will post some more pics... not having a owned a chameleon before I think I readily believed he was still a baby as he's uber-cute!

 

[corina9639]

pics

This is what happens when I try to study...

 

[corina9639]

one more...

staring out the window with foot in mid air, as you do....