How old is my veiled??

[Niyah12]

Hello, I’m back with another question!!! I recently got my Juvenile veiled chameleon. I have had him for about 7 days now and got him from snakes at sunset. The only thing I wasn’t too sure about was his age. I just wanna know so I can feed him the correct amount of bugs as well as when I have to feed him. Right now I am currently feeding him about 10 bugs everyday in the morning. He has only been eating the crickets tho, but I’m pretty sure it’s because the bsfl, silk worms, and dubia roaches don’t move around as much as the crickets do. I am going to be putting less and less crickets in there and replacing them with dubia roaches so he can eat those too!! I also think that he looks pretty healthy, if he doesn’t to you plzzzzz let me know!!! Sorry about the bad quality, I didn’t want to disturb him too much. The second picture is him on the first day I got him & if he looks a little dark it’s because he’s under his basking bulb!)

 

[MissSkittles]

Aww…little cutie. I’m not the greatest at guessing ages, but based on casque size and lack of coloring/patterns, I’m going to say he’s somewhere around 2 months old. At that age, he should be getting upwards of 20+ feeders daily. Do make sure they are small enough for him, or he can’t eat them. Anything larger than the space between the eyes is too big and I like to play it safe with smaller feeders. If your silkies get too big for him, you can let them complete their life cycle and become moths and produce eggs, that you can store in the fridge and hatch later. Also, you might try hand feeding the silkies and start working on building some trust. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/ Sometimes to get silkies to move and be more attractive, I’ll gently poke them or place them on their backs so they move to turn over. Bsfl will move quite a lot when wet. I can’t help you with slow dubia, other than put them on their backs so their little legs wriggle.
Btw, I’ve got to ask (chameleon forum code 241) are you certain you have a boy?

 

[ehdee6]

What a little cutie! For reference this is my little girl, she's about 5 or 6 months.

 

[Niyah12]

Aww…little cutie. I’m not the greatest at guessing ages, but based on casque size and lack of coloring/patterns, I’m going to say he’s somewhere around 2 months old. At that age, he should be getting upwards of 20+ feeders daily. Do make sure they are small enough for him, or he can’t eat them. Anything larger than the space between the eyes is too big and I like to play it safe with smaller feeders. If your silkies get too big for him, you can let them complete their life cycle and become moths and produce eggs, that you can store in the fridge and hatch later. Also, you might try hand feeding the silkies and start working on building some trust. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/ Sometimes to get silkies to move and be more attractive, I’ll gently poke them or place them on their backs so they move to turn over. Bsfl will move quite a lot when wet. I can’t help you with slow dubia, other than put them on their backs so their little legs wriggle.
Btw, I’ve got to ask (chameleon forum code 241) are you certain you have a boy?

Thank you for the reply!! I really wasn’t sure how old he was but my guess was also around 2-3 months! I will start feeding him around 20 bugs from now on like you said but should I still feed him once everyday? Also about him being male, I got a some pictures from the video I took while trying to see if he was a male or not. I think he’s a male but I also could be wrong. Another question I have is if he is supposed to be under the basking light for a long time? Ive seen him sit under there for 30 min to close to an hour. His basking light is on a metal wire basket that is sitting on top of the screen and his basking branch is about 8 inches and some change away.

He is active, I’ve seen him all over his enclosure going from branch to branch as well as his eyes open and him aware of his surroundings. I’m just not sure if he is supposed to be under it for a long time. And I just realized that I never share his name!! His name is John Wick but you can call him Wick!!

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you for the reply!! I really wasn’t sure how old he was but my guess was also around 2-3 months! I will start feeding him around 20 bugs from now on like you said but should I still feed him once everyday? Also about him being male, I got a some pictures from the video I took while trying to see if he was a male or not. I think he’s a male but I also could be wrong. Another question I have is if he is supposed to be under the basking light for a long time? Ive seen him sit under there for 30 min to close to an hour. His basking light is on a metal wire basket that is sitting on top of the screen and his basking branch is about 8 inches and some change away.

He is active, I’ve seen him all over his enclosure going from branch to branch as well as his eyes open and him aware of his surroundings. I’m just not sure if he is supposed to be under it for a long time. And I just realized that I never share his name!! His name is John Wick but you can call him Wick!!View attachment 363658View attachment 363659View attachment 363660View attachment 363661

I believe you have a Johanna Wick. I’m not seeing any tarsal spurs on your cutie. While you still have a few months before needing to prepare for egg laying, it’s not a bad idea to start learning about it from now. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-laying-101.2488/ Also, if you want to ensure you’ve got everything as perfect as possible for your sweetie, we can go over it all. You can copy & paste the questions from here https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ and add your answers. Pics of your entire enclosure, including lights also helps.
In answer to your basking question, it’s pretty normal for them to bask and get warmed up for a while. Mine bask on and off thru the day with some basking for what seems like a few hours at a time.

 

[Eileen]

What a little cutie! For reference this is my little girl, she's about 5 or 6 months.

View attachment 363657

what a pretty little girl! what's her name? I have one close in age. I wish I knew ecactly, because I worry she's eating too much Yours sits on you hand.. so lucky. Mine only eats from my hand.. that's as far as she goes. How long have you had yours?

 

[ehdee6]

@Eileen I got her on February 1 and the store said she was a baby. A local cham breeder bought her siblings and said she was 6 weeks to 8 weeks old when we got them. I know I'm so lucky she's so tame, I'm dreading of when she gets her sassy streak. I'm also getting a Jackson tomorrow, he's about the same age as she is.

 

[Niyah12]

I believe you have a Johanna Wick. I’m not seeing any tarsal spurs on your cutie. While you still have a few months before needing to prepare for egg laying, it’s not a bad idea to start learning about it from now. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-laying-101.2488/ Also, if you want to ensure you’ve got everything as perfect as possible for your sweetie, we can go over it all. You can copy & paste the questions from here https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ and add your answers. Pics of your entire enclosure, including lights also helps.
In answer to your basking question, it’s pretty normal for them to bask and get warmed up for a while. Mine bask on and off thru the day with some basking for what seems like a few hours at a time.

All of my answers are in underlined!!


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

I have a Juvenile Veiled, our guessed age is 2 months old, & we are guessing it is a female.

• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

I haven’t handled them at all due to them still getting used to their new environment except when I took them out the package and put them in the cage.

• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

I am feeding them Dubais, Crickets, Silk worms, & bsfl. I was feeding 10 bugs once in the morning everyday but now I’m going to switch to 20 or so. I gut load the bugs with collards, apple, carrots, & mango.

• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

I use PangeaCal without D3 to dust the bugs with every feeding & Reptivite w/D3 2x a month.

• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

I use a Mistking system, fogger, & dripper. I was using distilled water but then turned to a zero water purifier. I mist 30min before lights come on in the morning for about 1min 30 sec and 30 min after lights go out for 2min. And fog after misting for 2 hours. I have only seen them drink once due to me getting ready for school in the morning.

• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

I have not seen any droppings yet (I’m not sure if this is concerning or if it’s because they didn’t really eat the first few couple days that I got them) and they have not been tested for parasites but I am planning on doing it!

• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

N/A

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

I have a repti breeze XL screen cage (2x2x4) w/ a vinyl background and two sides covered with a clear plastic shower curtain.

• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

I use a Zoo med T5 HO 5.0 (uvb), 50w Pangea heat bulb (white light not red), & a vivarium led light for my plants. Lights turn on at 7:00 Am and turn off at 7:00 pm.

• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?

Near the basking branch it is in the high 70s and the rest of the enclosure is the mid to low 70s. The basking temp was about 85.5° when the basking bulb was directly on the screen top but now I wanna say it is around 83 or 82 (basking light is on a wire basket and branch is about 8inches and some change away). The lowest temp I have gotten in the enclosure is 65° and I measure the temp with a digital thermometer.

• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

During the day it is 45% to 47% and at night it is in the high 60s. I mist in the morning and at night as well as use a fogger & I use a digital hygrometer.

• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?

All the plant in my enclosure are alive. I have a pothos, Queen palm, bromeliad, croton, 2 spider plants, hibiscus flowers, Zz plant, & I think a creeping fig…I totally forgot what plant it was

• 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 enclosure is located in my bedroom (I share a room with my sibling). There is a fan that I use only at night to regulate the airflow so no pink slime appears. The fan is placed infront of the enclosure and is turned on either the lowest setting or the setting above that (I do put blankets on the cage at night so they can get complete darkness & not the much air is hitting them directly because of the blanket). The blankets are some cheap fleece ones that I found at Walmart so they are not thick and air can still pass through it. The top of the cage is probably almost 6 feet off the ground. It’s too tall for me so I have to get a stool to reach the top.

• Location - Where are you geographically located?

I am located on the east side of the United States (Virginia).



I did make my enclosure for a male but if I have a female it would be great to know if my conditions that I have now are suitable for a female. I also know that I need a laying bin and will be doing some research on that!! It is a bit of a bummer to know that I received a female and not male like I bought but I will still love and care for them the same!! Also thx for the help!! (Pics of enclosure below…these are the pictures I took before I got my Cham, the only things that changed were the placement of the feeding cup and the hibiscus flowers I put in)

 

[Eileen]

@Eileen I got her on February 1 and the store said she was a baby. A local cham breeder bought her siblings and said she was 6 weeks to 8 weeks old when we got them. I know I'm so lucky she's so tame, I'm dreading of when she gets her sassy streak. I'm also getting a Jackson tomorrow, he's about the same age as she is.

View attachment 363663

Maybe she will stay sweet.
So exciting! You are going to have so much fun with your new babies!

 

[MissSkittles]

You’ve done your research! Your husbandry looks great! I do of course have two suggestions. You can add a bit more produce to your feeder’s diet and cut back a bit on the fruits. Different squash types, sweet potato, bell pepper and different greens (arugula, mustard, turnip, dandelion - avoid kale & spinach) are all great additions. Some will blend it all together and freeze it as small cubes, which saves time and no waste. Adding a graphic below.
My other suggestion is to lower your basking temps to 80 or just below. Little ones that young can get over-heated and dehydrate, and we never keep our girls hotter than 80 when adult. If you are able to raise your basking light just another inch or so, that should bring your temps to the perfect zone.

Now I do have a couple of other suggestions, but they are mostly just sharing ideas. It’s hard for me to tell how you’ve been able to hang your branches and how you’ve hung the plant has me totally baffled. I’m guessing you’ve made a scaffolding type support from branches. A couple of other things you can do, which will provide more support are Dragon Ledges https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ or garden trellis attached to the frame of the enclosure. For both of these, they are easiest to install when the enclosure is not put together. But, if you have someone to help you, you could maybe attach the trellis without taking everything apart. After cutting the panels to the size needed (measure each panel on the inside), I sand any sharp edges until dull, drill tiny holes where I need to attach and then do so with thin wire. I do attach to at least one of the screws so it won’t slide down. I initially was afraid I’d hate the white trellis, and while it does come in different colors, my local stores only had white. Surprisingly I like the look of it.


To go back to Johanna/John’s gender - have you checked the back heels for tarsal spurs? Females will have a hint of them, but they are prominent and usually can’t be missed on the males. Males will also have the vertical patterns starting to show by around month 3 and their casque will also be getting taller. Below is what my guy looked like when he was around 3 1/2 months old.

With Jackson’s, the care is similar, but you’ll give the ReptiVite with D3 only once a month and they do need a decent temp drop at night to around the. 60’s and with a humidity boost too.
Hope I’ve been of some help, but really you’re doing great!

 

[Niyah12]

You’ve done your research! Your husbandry looks great! I do of course have two suggestions. You can add a bit more produce to your feeder’s diet and cut back a bit on the fruits. Different squash types, sweet potato, bell pepper and different greens (arugula, mustard, turnip, dandelion - avoid kale & spinach) are all great additions. Some will blend it all together and freeze it as small cubes, which saves time and no waste. Adding a graphic below.
My other suggestion is to lower your basking temps to 80 or just below. Little ones that young can get over-heated and dehydrate, and we never keep our girls hotter than 80 when adult. If you are able to raise your basking light just another inch or so, that should bring your temps to the perfect zone.
View attachment 363666

Now I do have a couple of other suggestions, but they are mostly just sharing ideas. It’s hard for me to tell how you’ve been able to hang your branches and how you’ve hung the plant has me totally baffled. I’m guessing you’ve made a scaffolding type support from branches. A couple of other things you can do, which will provide more support are Dragon Ledges https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ or garden trellis attached to the frame of the enclosure. For both of these, they are easiest to install when the enclosure is not put together. But, if you have someone to help you, you could maybe attach the trellis without taking everything apart. After cutting the panels to the size needed (measure each panel on the inside), I sand any sharp edges until dull, drill tiny holes where I need to attach and then do so with thin wire. I do attach to at least one of the screws so it won’t slide down. I initially was afraid I’d hate the white trellis, and while it does come in different colors, my local stores only had white. Surprisingly I like the look of it.
View attachment 363668
View attachment 363669
To go back to Johanna/John’s gender - have you checked the back heels for tarsal spurs? Females will have a hint of them, but they are prominent and usually can’t be missed on the males. Males will also have the vertical patterns starting to show by around month 3 and their casque will also be getting taller. Below is what my guy looked like when he was around 3 1/2 months old.
View attachment 363667
With Jackson’s, the care is similar, but you’ll give the ReptiVite with D3 only once a month and they do need a decent temp drop at night to around the. 60’s and with a humidity boost too.
Hope I’ve been of some help, but really you’re doing great!

Thank you so much for the feed back!! I really tried to make sure I had everything correct!! I have seen a lot of people using the dragon ledges. I never got them because of how expensive they are and me being a broke high school student, I just did what I was able to. As well as the garden trellis, I was thinking of getting them but I also realized that Cham basically never climbs the screen except when I first brought em’ home but after that day I never see them on the screen. I still will look into investing in them because it could still prevent them from climbing the screen if they choose to do so.

Regarding the feeders & gut loading, I will try to switch up the gut loading to some of the things in the picture as well as trying the cube method for them. Now for the feeders, yesterday I hand feed them a Dubai roach and surprisingly they ate which had me jumping up and down & they even ate some bsfl.

I am a little concerned because I have not seen any poop yet and they’ve been home for a good week now. I know that it may be hiding somewhere in the plants but it just kinda puts me on edge. I mist In the morning and at night like I said above. I even filled up the dripper and put it on the top to let it drip yesterday. So I’m not sure if I should wait a little bit longer or if I should be giving them a little more water…..

And back to the gender, I got some better photos of the back feet. I’ve been trying to look up close but I don’t want my Cham to be freaking out because I’m neck deep in their cage. If these pics still look like it’s a female, then I’m going to be getting a laying bin and do some more research on female veileds!! Thank you so much for the help so far

 

[MissSkittles]

Not sure if I see some tarsal spurs or if it’s just the way the foot is sitting. There is time before needing to know in regards to the lay bin and all. I expect you’ll start seeing those vertical bands and casque getting taller within about a month or so if cutie is a boy. Our girls stay like little green beans until they reach sexual maturity and get their big girl colors.
They can be skilled at hiding their poos. Often it’s easier to find the urate (white part) than the poo. The urate may be a bit darker with the first poo, and that’s ok. The next should look much better.