HELP with veiled chameleon

denika232

denika232

New Member
Hello everyone,
i recently baught a veiled Chameleon,he is 5months old. he is for the moment in a 20 gallon aquarium but i will be moving him in two days in a 3feet tall terrarium...

I was kind of hoping to know why my Chameleon dosnt get many different colors and why he dosnt change color verry often,he keeps going brown...

is there an explaination?
I hope someone can help
thank you verry much ,
denika xx :)
 
Veiled chameleons generally start getting their pattern without the color around 4 months and they continue to get more color until they are around a year old. Also what wattage bulb do you use for heat, because many times chameleons stay dark when they are cold in order to absorb heat. Do you have any pictures?

-chris
 
Hi Denika,
thanks for responding! :)
to help us better assessing what seems to be the problem, consider answering these questions:

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
* Location - 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?


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 to 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.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.


Pictures are very helpful in this situation.
 
Im not quite sur how to pu images on my blog ?

i would be verry thankfull if you could help me a little with that,
Thanks alot!!
Denika xox
 
pictures

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - screen top,10 gallon aquarium
* Lighting - I have a UV light, and a heating light,i close both a night,and usually do a 12\12 hours rotation..
* Temperature - My lowest temp a night is 72F and in daytime is in between 80 and 93F,i also have a heating rock wich gives a littlebit of heat
* Humidity - I mist my cage about 3 times a day
* Plants - I will be gettting live plants within 2 days(when i get my 3feet tall terrarium), for now,i only have synthetique plants
* Location - The aquarium is in my room wich there isnt alot of traffic, the cage is at about 3 feet from the floor


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 5months old. ive now had it for about a week or so..
* Handling - once a day for about 2 minutes not more..
* Feeding - criquets with vitamines? 3 criquets 2 times a day? and meal worms twice a week,sometimes add a little fruit(but he dosnt eat it)
* Supplements - REP-CAL phosphorous-free calcium with VIT. at I pu it on 1 criquet in the mornig and one at night..
* Watering - i always have a bowl of water ? I mist 3 times a day? i never saw my chameleon drink yet?
* Fecal Description - he is pretty much in the light green or brownish colors . He has never bee tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
* Current Problem - Why wont my chameleon turn nice colors like bright greens , with orange or why is he so often brownish?

Thank you verry much for helping!!
denika xxo x
bmp 19.5 KB 620 280
 
It's terrible.
I don't think they should be used for any reptile, but especially not a chameleon.
If he uses it he's going to get burned.
PLEASE take it out.

-Brad
 
I have a few points you need to address:

a) This new 3 foot terrarium you are getting: is it an aluminium/nylon screen mesh cage, or a glass one? You shouldnt keep chameleons in a glass tank, as they see reflections and get stressed.

b) What make/model is your lighting? You probably want a reptiglo 5.0 bulb as they are apparently the best.

c) You need to get some pure-calcium (ie no vitamin) supplement to use on a regular basis and then use the vitamin one less often. If your stuff is the same as mine, using it too regularly can be dangerous.

d) Take the heat rock out, chameleons are completely unaware of burning themselves and he inevitably will with one of those in there. Also, take the water bowl out. Chameleons only drink dew/mist/rain and still water is a breeding ground for bacteria.

e) When misting, try doing it through the top of the mesh on your cage so it falls like rain. Do this for around 10 minutes. I spray my chameleon for a few minutes until he is aware of what is going on, then he lifts his head and licks his lips and i can spray 'rain' straight into his mouth for several minutes to give him a drink.


So far though, your chameleon looks like he is in good hands. http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/ is an excellent website for advice with your chameleon keeping, and will probably be posted many times in this thread :)

Good luck with your chameleon!
 
e) When misting, try doing it through the top of the mesh on your cage so it falls like rain. Do this for around 10 minutes. I spray my chameleon for a few minutes until he is aware of what is going on, then he lifts his head and licks his lips and i can spray 'rain' straight into his mouth for several minutes to give him a drink.



Er, Oops I erased the QUOTE part. LOL.. anyways, this is what I wanted to ask about.. When I mist, Ben(ita) freaks out and runs as far away as she can get. I try to mist her gently since she is going through a shed..but no matter how long I mist, she hides a corner on the backside of the vine from me.. How long did it take for your to start to 'enjoy' it or not be so darned scared!?
 
blackbetty said:
Er, Oops I erased the QUOTE part. LOL.. anyways, this is what I wanted to ask about.. When I mist, Ben(ita) freaks out and runs as far away as she can get. I try to mist her gently since she is going through a shed..but no matter how long I mist, she hides a corner on the backside of the vine from me.. How long did it take for your to start to 'enjoy' it or not be so darned scared!?
Click to expand...

It took my cham a while to get used to it but is starting to like it more and more. A really good hint that I picked up is to use hot water in your mister. NOT boiling but straight from the tap hot. Then when it is sprayed it is a warm mist instead of a cold one. Even room temperature water is cold through the mister.

I wouldnt want to be sprayed with cold water and they probably dont like it either. :)

I started by spraying away from my cham, or through the side so that it barely hit her. I would mist like that for a minute and then slowly move towards the top of the enclosure and mist from there until I was over here giving her a warm shower. :)

Hope it helps some.
 
a)My 3 foot terrarium is mostly screend,but there is one side (the front) that is in glass..but it is not verry reflective..

c)what do you suggest me to give him for the vitamines\calcium?

d)I bought my cham in a reptiles specialist store and he suggested me to always keep a bowl on the floor for humidity?am i really better to take it out?

e)i mist my cham just like you,is about 4-5 minutes enought?

Thank you verry much for youre Help i will try thoses recommendations..
would it be impolite to ask you to show me your terrarium so i could get an good idea of a good one?
Thanks for everything !
xxo
 
I've tried something similar to having a bowl of water in the bottom for humidity. It helps very little, if at all. So yes you are better off taking it out.

As for misting, it depends on the size of the enclosure. I spray mine down enough to have a 75 - 80% humidity spike around the basking area, then just let it sit for a few hours till it gets to around 40%. Having 2 (or even 3) hygrometers in the enclosure can help give you an accurate reading on the humidity and how long it is appropriate to mist for.
 
denika232 said:
a)My 3 foot terrarium is mostly screend,but there is one side (the front) that is in glass..but it is not verry reflective..

c)what do you suggest me to give him for the vitamines\calcium?

d)I bought my cham in a reptiles specialist store and he suggested me to always keep a bowl on the floor for humidity?am i really better to take it out?

e)i mist my cham just like you,is about 4-5 minutes enought?

Thank you verry much for youre Help i will try thoses recommendations..
would it be impolite to ask you to show me your terrarium so i could get an good idea of a good one?
Thanks for everything !
xxo
Click to expand...
nobody on here would be offended to show theirs off, thats what this site is about, sharing and learning and teaching!! The easiest is for you to go to the enclosure section on the forum (click on Forums at the very top left, then select sub category Enclosures) and go through a bunch of threads most of them have pics posted sharing ideas. The pet stores are nitorous for giving bad info, water bowls only harvest bacteria, so get it out!! Live plants will create the humidity u need along with regular misters. I would also recommend a dripper, my cham drinks directly from that, the mistings just tell him its time to drink. My cham hated mistings also until I started microwaving the H2o for 1 min. Always do a few test sprays on yourself first to check temp, but usually even REALLY hot H2o comes out slightly warm so don't worry how hot it feels in the bottle only the temp coming out the spray nozzle, and never spray directly, mist like rain from above! The more live plants the better! As for supplements u want Rep-Cal w/o D3 for everyday dusting, Rep-Cal w D3 once a week and the Vitamins once a month. I would say 4-5 mins 3-4 times a day is enough. The dripper is a lifesaver in my opinion, I place it over a high leaf that my cham can reach from his BoVine and he drinks right from the drip that slides off the leaf, this is what they recognize- H2o on real leaves. Sorry this is so long, hope it answers ur questions!!
 
as brad has mentioned, heat rocks are probably the worst thing ever made for reptiles.


i have seen many burns caused by them, and some of them were lethal. many times it burns the internal organs, and the animal never realizes that he is getting burned.



not to mention that a chameleon should bask under a light as oppposed to sitting on a rock
 
RachelRiot said:
It took my cham a while to get used to it but is starting to like it more and more. A really good hint that I picked up is to use hot water in your mister. NOT boiling but straight from the tap hot. Then when it is sprayed it is a warm mist instead of a cold one. Even room temperature water is cold through the mister.

I wouldnt want to be sprayed with cold water and they probably dont like it either. :)

I started by spraying away from my cham, or through the side so that it barely hit her. I would mist like that for a minute and then slowly move towards the top of the enclosure and mist from there until I was over here giving her a warm shower. :)

Hope it helps some.
Click to expand...

Thanks Rachel, however, I do do that.. I use as hot as tap will get and then spray, as I do for Leo. Leo doesnt mind.. he closes his eyes and sometimes licks his lips..and vines..(weirdo lol)..but Ben(ita).. not so much..shes downright scary when I mist..I try doing it in her cage, over her cage, through her cage..still freaks out.., and Im scared Im stressing her out...
 
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