Help ::

[Erickchams]

Good afternoon I’m a new chameleon owner. This chameleon was given to me by one of my friends. It was an impulse buy and she regretted instantly so she gave it to me because she didn’t want it. She’s 17 years old. I have been researching a lot about how to take care of them and I want to know if He looks ok or needs extra attention.
his enclosure is was also given to me and it’s theZoo Med Repti Breeze Chameleon Kit, 16" L X 16" W X 30"H
As far as for food I feed him at 10 am and at 4pm then at 8pm I then if his lights and turn them on at 8 am

his temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit and for his basking spot it’s about 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
At night it only drops to about 70 degrees so I turn on the fan that’s like 8 feet away so he could feel the wind like in the wild. My question is why are his colors so dark, at night he is bright green. Is he ok?Should I put him closer to the basking bulb? Also how old does he look? I have only had him for about 3 days

 

[Erickchams]

I feed him about 10 small crickets dusted in calcium 2 times a day as stated above.

also he is in a high traffic area. Which is a Room in the middle of the house. I’m thinking about moving him to the laundry room. I do have dogs but they don’t disturb him at al.

 

[Gingero]

Hi - and welcome to the forums. Congrats on your new-to-you cham. Sounds like you want to give them the best chance possible and you've come to the right place. Lots of changes will need to be made and it would be super helpful if you could answer these questions in as much detail as possible: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

Few things on what you've said so far.

• Are you sure they are male? Are there bumps on their back feet?

• Please only feed them in the morning so they have time to bask and digest
• I can already tell you you will want to get a different UVB bulb. You'll want to get a linear T5 HO (high output) UVB, ASAP. You can get the Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%.
• Chameleons turn a lighter color when they sleep. We call it their PJs.

• What specific brand/kind of calcium are you using? If you're not sure, please post a picture.

Also would be worthwhile to check out the veiled chameleon care sheet: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[Erickchams]

@Gingero
- The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
My chameleon is a male Veiled chameleon. I have had it for 3 days. It was given to me by a friend who didn't want it no more she had it for 2 days before me. She bought it at PetSmart and couldn't return it so I told her I would take care of it. Im not sure how old it is I would assume its about 3 months old.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I have only handled him once for less than a minute but I put him back in his enclosure because I didn't want to stress him out.

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
As far as food goes I have been giving him Live Small Crickets from PetSmart. I give him about 10 or until he doesn't want to eat no more. I usually put the crickets on the leaves that why he feels more comfortable. I always make sure to take out the ones he doesn't eat. I feed him at 10 am and then at about 3pm.

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
For supplements as of now I'm just dusting crickets in Calcium without D3. As far as brand See picture below.

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
For watering I usually mist him about 3 times a day 1 in the morning when I turn on the lights to replicate morning dew another after I feed him and then the other one at 5pm. I mist him for about a minute or 2. I have never seen him drink but I know he does drink because in his Feces there is a white part to it.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Feces to me looks normal there is a white part and a dark brown part.

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
For cage its an all screen Zoo Med Repti Breeze Chameleon Kit, 16" L X 16" W X 30"H.

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
My friend gave me the whole kit that came with the Zoo med starter kit which came with the daylight blue 60W Zoo med reptile bulb and a reptile 5.0 UVB zoo med light. I usually turn his lights on at 8 Am and turn them off at 8pm.

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
For temperature the cage is usually about 75 Degrees Fahrenheit and his basking spot is usually 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest it drops to at night is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I usually turn the fan on that's about 8 feet away just to give him that feeling as if the wind is blowing like in the wild. When its nighttime I also usually cover his cage since we usually walk through the middle room to get to the other side of the house.

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
As far as humidity goes our house is always at about a 60% humidity I still mist him just to give him that extra water.

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
They are all fake plants.

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?
The cage is located in the middle room of the house it is a high traffic area. The cage is about 3 feet off the ground.

• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Im located is the south part of Texas where humidity is usually high. Very bottom tip of Texas

This is the Starter kit my friend bought.
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/ha.../zoo-med-reptibreeze-chameleon-kit-38039.html


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

I just want to know if my chameleon is doing fine. He usually has dark green colors and has his mouth open I'm worried its stress. I would also like to know if I'm doing anything wrong apart from the UVB light. I will go Early morning tomorrow to buy the linear one. Also do you guys recommend I move him to a low traffic room? I have dogs that roam around the house all day.