Hey guys! New, just introducing myself!

Karma_chameleon37

New Member
Hello!

I am introducing myself. My name is Jolina. I am a chameleon mom. I have had my girl Karma (a beautiful veiled chameleon) since she was 7 months and she is almost 2 years old now. I have just finished going through her what I believed was her first clutch of egg laying. I was worried about some things so I was looking things up online and that's how I found you guys!
 

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She laid 67! I believe she may have dropped a few in another plant because I found some and didn't know what they were until I saw her digging in a plant for over a day! Before that, she was acting really strange and I spent a whole morning crying because I thought she was dying! She would barely open her eyes and wasn't eating and just sleeping at the base of a plant and normally she sleeps on a high branch.
 

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Welcome to the forum!
This forum has lots of people who know a lot about chameleons!


How many eggs did she lay?
If you want to answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread near the top of he health forum we can go over your husbandry!
I am not sure how to do that!
 
I am not sure how to do that!

Welcome! Be sure to include as much detail as possible, and attach clear pictures of her, her full cage, and her lights! 67 eggs is a big clutch size. Have you found/read or listened to The Chameleon Academy? Or Chameleons.info or any other helpful sites from the external resources links in the resources tab?

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.

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 - The current problem you are concerned about.

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Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
She is a veiled chameleon approximately 2 years old. She has been in my care since she was 7 months old. Her cage is screen and it is 5.5 feet tall by 3.5 feet wide. Her water source is a built in water fall with filter underneath. There is also a tube that runs across the top that is set up to run as artificial rainfall. I feed her superworms and crickets dusted with strawberry banana flavor calcium powder. She eats daily maybe 2-3 worms, but sometimes doesn't want worms at all and will only eat crickets. She has real plants in her cage that are chameleon safe and she bites on them sometimes. She doesn't get handled often, only once in a while. I am very respectful and if she shows that she doesn't want to be bothered, I don't force her! I have not had any health issues with her at all, in fact she seems to be a very happy girl. I just saw she was acting strange (different than her usual behavior) and it was her laying eggs, that's all. She is starting to go back to her usual self now. She has been resting for a couple days.
 

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Sorry in advance if anything comes out blunt, I'm just trying to give helpful info quickly so you can get it faster, so bear with me! There are some husbandry issues that need to be addressed. My feedback and any questions will be in red. I'm also going to reorganize your info so it's easier for me read, if that's okay. I'll post helpful links and care images below, as well.

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - She is a veiled chameleon approximately 2 years old. She has been in my care since she was 7 months old.
  • Handling - She doesn't get handled often, only once in a while. I am very respectful and if she shows that she doesn't want to be bothered, I don't force her!
  • Feeding - I feed her superworms and crickets dusted with strawberry banana flavor calcium powder. She eats daily maybe 2-3 worms, but sometimes doesn't want worms at all and will only eat crickets. Superworms should not be used as a staple feeder, just as treats and variety. She is an adult female, so she needs a strict feeding schedule. That and lower basking temps help produce smaller clutch sizes, which in turn helps them live longer. The links I'm posting have great feeding schedules, so look there for more info! What do you gutload with? Proper gutloading is crucial to keeping a chameleon healthy. I'm posting feeder and gutload charts below. Lots of variety is best for both!
  • Supplements - I feed her superworms and crickets dusted with strawberry banana flavor calcium powder. She needs more supplements than that. A basic supplementation schedule is a quality phosphorus-free calcium without D3 on every feeding, except for when using other supplements. To save a little money and make it easier, you can just get a multivitamin supplement with D3 in it (like Zoo Med Reptivite with D3), and use it once every two weeks. Proper supplementation is crucial to having a healthy chameleon as well!
  • Watering - Her water source is a built in water fall with filter underneath. There is also a tube that runs across the top that is set up to run as artificial rainfall. Unless that thing is properly and thoroughly cleaned at least once day, I would take it out ASAP! Personally, I'd take it out anyway, as they just breed bacteria! Misting and using a dripper (kind of like what you already have) during the day and using a mister and/or fogger/cool mist or ultrasonic humidifier at night is recommended. If your cage humidity allows it, only mist in the morning and late afternoon/night when the temps are cooler for your day mistings. The misting sessions should be a minimum of 2-5+ minutes each time. If you get a fogger to use at night, make sure you properly clean it, its tubes, and any other accessories you use thoroughly and often! Make sure to mount the output tube at/near the top of her cage so the fog rolls down, as well. What water do you use for her dripper tube?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Has she ever been tested for parasites or gone to an experienced chameleon vet for bloodwork, x-rays, fecal checks, etc?
  • History - I have not had any health issues with her at all, in fact she seems to be a very happy girl.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Her cage is screen and it is 5.5 feet tall by 3.5 feet wide. Does she have a proper and permanent lay bin in her cage? She needs more branches, vines, and live plants in her cage, too.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Please fill this out, lighting is essential for making sure a chameleon is strong and healthy! I see you have a compact coil UVB bulb. That needs to be changed out immediately for a proper linear UVB bulb and fixture! I'd recommend getting a 4' long linear T5 High Output fixture with a reflector and a matching size Arcadia 6% linear UVB bulb! Definitely get a Solaremeter 6.5 if you can afford it! It'll let you know your precise UVI levels in her cage and tell you when to replace her UVB bulb (when the readings are cut in half, changing her linear UVB bulb once a year or sooner is recommended for linear Arcadia UVB bulbs if you don't have a Solarmeter 6.5)
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? These are extremely important, as well! High heat causes bigger clutch sizes for females. Her basking temp should be between 78-80*F at the max! What are her nighttime temps? Chameleons prefer a temp drop at night. Do you use any lights at night or heat pads or anything? What thermometers do you have?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? This is also incredibly important! Veileds need 30-50% during the day and up to 100% at night. How good is the ventilation in her cage? What types of hygrometers do you use?
  • Plants - She has real plants in her cage that are chameleon safe and she bites on them sometimes. Take out all fake plants, fake leaf bunches, and fake vines with leaves on them (fake vines without leaves are fine) ASAP! Veileds need live plants only as they'll try to take a bite out of anything! Take out the moss vines/bridge and Exo Terra vines as well, they can cause health issues! Make sure all plants are properly prepared before putting them in her cage, including putting rocks too big for her to eat over all of the soil in the pots. Make sure all plants you put in are chameleon-safe!
  • 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? This is important, too, fill it out as well.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Do you ever take her outside for natural sunlight? If so, for how long each time and how often? How much is spent outside determines how much D3 to use!

Here are the links and images (read through every module and listen to as many podcasts as you can from The Chameleon Academy- they have the most up-to-date and accurate info!):

https://www.chameleons.info/en/
https://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
https://flchams.com/chameleon-safe-plant-list/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/external-resources/
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/04/how-to-set-up-proper-chameleon.html
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
 

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