Yeah at 5 months I doubt baby will stay off the top. It is very very common when adding them to a new environment. They go to the highest point for safety. Follow Bill's guide on the build that will not steer you wrong.
Husbandry review
- Thread starter Karmachameleontrajan
- Start date
Karmachameleontrajan
Member
How much should I raise it by?
Karmachameleontrajan
Member
I have another question, should my ubv fixture be from right to left, or from back to front?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Usually just 2-3 inches is adequate. You want it so that when you hold your hand to the screen for a couple of minutes, it isn’t uncomfortably hot.
I have mine go side to side to side on a diagonal, so really is corner to corner.
So raise by 4 inches... Then you will need to raise a branch under the uvb bulb. So you want a total of 9 inches to that branch. So 4 inches from bottom of fixture to screen. Then 5 inches from screen the the branch below the UVB bulb placement. This way baby can climb to that branch for UVB and if they screen climb they are within limits for upper UVI exposure.
I run all my fixtures right to left on the top.
I was wondering if someone could review my husbandry. I just got my first chameleon 2 weeks ago. I think I need some help with heating and humidity.
Cage Info:
- Your Chameleon - panther, male, about 6-7 months. I’ve had him 2 weeks . He has shed once since getting him
- Handling - not handling, I scooped him once from the floor when he fell and was just laying there. He’s moving fine now. I show him my hand below him when he’s on a branch so he is not afraid of my hand for hand feeding. Tong feeding now with occasional hand feeding and putting crickets on the wall of the cage or branches for him to hunt. His tongue has gotten stuck on the tongs before. Should I switch to silicone tip tongs? I switched to hand feeding too as I don’t want his tongue to get injured. I handled him when I first got him while my husband set up the cage.
- Feeding - 10-19 crickets daily around 10am based on size. If all 1/2 inch, usually 10 but the first round of crickets that I bought have some really small ones in there so I feed a few extra if he’s getting less than a 1/2 inch cricket. I ordered 1/2 inch crickets from flukers so when those arrive I’ll feed 10 per day until he is a year? ( is that too long) How are you gut-loading your feeders? Feeding crickets fruits, veggies and oats
- Supplements - Monday through Saturday: repti calcium without D3. Sunday: repashy calcium plus with Lod.
- Watering - hand misting several times per day while waiting for all mist king parts to come in. Probably mist an hour after lights come on at 8 am, maybe 2-3 more times in the afternoon, again at 4 pm and right after lights out at 7pm. I have seen him drink off the pathos plant 3 times in the 2 weeks.
- Fecal Description - white, no orange, brown. Firm. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites-not that I know of. I’ve had him for 2 weeks and have cleaned up 3 poos. May have had 1-2 more that my husband cleaned or lost in the plants
- History - he did his big shed last Friday but still has some flakes especially on his nose! (almost 1 week later)
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - 36 L x 36 H x 18 D. Mesh on 3 walls with plastic type glass infront (door) it’s not glass
- Lighting - basking light 60 W. Uvb 22 inch 24 watt T5 HO, ceramic heat emitter 60W (on from 4:30 pm to 7:30 am. Other lights go on from 7 am to 7pm)
- Temperature - I have one of the infrared thermometer guns to measure the basking area. I use a humidity thermometer gauge that tells me humidity and temperature. This is placed in a dish that I have that is elevated to about half way up the cage (I have a pathos plant on a dish that is held up by a wooden planter) Basking spot: 90-80 depending on where the red dot hits. cool area spot: about 66 on the branches. humidity range during the day: 85-50. temperature range mostly by looking at the thermometer: 68- 58. floor of cage: about 60. I live in San Francisco. I keep the ceramic heat emitter on overnight as my house can get below 68 degrees. Without heat emitter the temperature overnight using the thermometer was at like 58 one day. With that emitter the air is about 63 overnight
- Humidity - The misting creates the humidity levels so far
- Plants - pathos and currently going to pot a wandering Jew. I Have manzanita branches throughout with leaves
- Placement - corner of dining room, which isn’t the most high traffic area of our home. Next to a window that remains closed and has curtain. No fan. Heater vent on opposite diagonal corner
- Location - San Francisco, California
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sure. Give me a little bit of time and I’ll go thru it all for you.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Just fyi - usually we would ask you to start your own thread, but since you already put all of this here….
My feedback will be in bold. Immediate or serious changes needed will be in red.
My feedback will be in bold. Immediate or serious changes needed will be in red.
- Your Chameleon - panther, male, about 6-7 months. I’ve had him 2 weeks . He has shed once since getting him
- Handling - not handling, I scooped him once from the floor when he fell and was just laying there. Why/how did he fall? It’s not normal for healthy chameleons to just fall. He’s moving fine now. I show him my hand below him when he’s on a branch so he is not afraid of my hand for hand feeding. Tong feeding now with occasional hand feeding and putting crickets on the wall of the cage or branches for him to hunt. His tongue has gotten stuck on the tongs before. Should I switch to silicone tip tongs? No tongs! Tongues are quicker than us and can too easily get damaged by that. Get a feeding station like these. https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/ https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/shooting-gallery-chameleon-feeder-1/ I switched to hand feeding too as I don’t want his tongue to get injured. I handled him when I first got him while my husband set up the cage. Great blog on building trust. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/
- Feeding - 10-19 crickets daily around 10am based on size. If all 1/2 inch, usually 10 but the first round of crickets that I bought have some really small ones in there so I feed a few extra if he’s getting less than a 1/2 inch cricket. I ordered 1/2 inch crickets from flukers so when those arrive I’ll feed 10 per day until he is a year? That’s okay for now, but in another couple of months or so I would start cutting him back a bit. Also, like us they like variety. ( is that too long) How are you gut-loading your feeders? Feeding crickets fruits, veggies and oats Need to improve this. Attached some graphics below to help.
- Supplements - Monday through Saturday: repti calcium without D3. Sunday: repashy calcium plus with Lod. Close! The LoD should be one feeding every other week.
- Watering - hand misting several times per day while waiting for all mist king parts to come in. Probably mist an hour after lights come on at 8 am, maybe 2-3 more times in the afternoon, again at 4 pm and right after lights out at 7pm. I have seen him drink off the pathos plant 3 times in the 2 weeks. You could reduce that to just 2-3 times a day - before lights on/off and optionally at mid day. Some like to use a dripper at mid day which would need only be for about 15-20 minutes. Count yourself lucky that he drinks in front of you. Many are secret drinkers.
- Fecal Description - white, no orange, brown. Firm. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites-not that I know of. I’ve had him for 2 weeks and have cleaned up 3 poos. May have had 1-2 more that my husband cleaned or lost in the plants Is always a good idea to have a veterinary wellness visit and fecal parasite check.
- History - he did his big shed last Friday but still has some flakes especially on his nose! (almost 1 week later) As he isn’t a baby and isn’t growing like a weed anymore, he won’t shed all that frequently and it may just be in parts. Chameleons are dry shedders and it’s not too uncommon for little bits to stick where water may have hit them. Correct humidity helps shedding.
I talk a lot, so have split this into two parts. I’d like to see some pics of your cham and his entire enclosure, including floor and lights.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
- Cage Type - 36 L x 36 H x 18 D. Too small. Adult chams need at least 2x2x4’ enclosures. I keep my males in double that and they use all of the space. Mesh on 3 walls with plastic type glass infront (door) it’s not glass
- Lighting - basking light 60 W. Uvb 22 inch 24 watt T5 HO, ceramic heat emitter 60W (on from 4:30 pm to 7:30 am. No. You want a good temp drop at night. Other lights go on from 7 am to 7pm)Perfect
- Temperature - I have one of the infrared thermometer guns to measure the basking area. I use a humidity thermometer gauge that tells me humidity and temperature. This is placed in a dish that I have that is elevated to about half way up the cage (I have a pathos plant on a dish that is held up by a wooden planter) Basking spot: 90-80 depending on where the red dot hits. 90 is a bit too warm. For an adult male you’ll want to keep temps around/no higher than 85. cool area spot: about 66 on the branches. humidity range during the day: 85-50. 85% is a bit too high. Ideal range is between 50-70% during the day. High heat + high humidity increases risk for respiratory infection. temperature range mostly by looking at the thermometer: 68- 58. floor of cage: about 60. I live in San Francisco. I keep the ceramic heat emitter on overnight as my house can get below 68 degrees. Without heat emitter the temperature overnight using the thermometer was at like 58 one day. Do you really keep your house that chilly? Is it possible that the thermometer you’re using isn’t giving correct readings? The analog ones are notorious for being wrong. You may want to consider using a smart one like a Govee or similar. With that emitter the air is about 63 overnight
- Humidity - The misting creates the humidity levels so far Ok. At night, since you have quite a temp drop, you can increase humidity levels all the way as high as 100%. This simulates the natural hydration cycle of fog that is obtained in the wild. Cool wet nights with warm dryer days.
- Plants - pathos and currently going to pot a wandering Jew. I Have manzanita branches throughout with leaves Excellent
- Placement - corner of dining room, which isn’t the most high traffic area of our home. Next to a window that remains closed and has curtain. No fan. Heater vent on opposite diagonal corner Good. Just do be careful if the curtain is ever opened as it could heat up your cham (greenhouse effect). Is he on a table or stand? Height = safety for our arboreal friends.
- Location - San Francisco, California
I’ll be looking out for those pics.So really not too bad and just a couple of changes to make. Pictures do add more to the story though, so I’d really like to see some. I’m very happy that you’ve found your way here. Do feel free to ask whatever questions you may have, share pics, stories or whatever. This is an awesome community.
- Cage Type - 36 L x 36 H x 18 D. Too small. Adult chams need at least 2x2x4’ enclosures. I keep my males in double that and they use all of the space. Mesh on 3 walls with plastic type glass infront (door) it’s not glass
- Lighting - basking light 60 W. Uvb 22 inch 24 watt T5 HO, ceramic heat emitter 60W (on from 4:30 pm to 7:30 am. No. You want a good temp drop at night. Other lights go on from 7 am to 7pm)Perfect
- Temperature - I have one of the infrared thermometer guns to measure the basking area. I use a humidity thermometer gauge that tells me humidity and temperature. This is placed in a dish that I have that is elevated to about half way up the cage (I have a pathos plant on a dish that is held up by a wooden planter) Basking spot: 90-80 depending on where the red dot hits. 90 is a bit too warm. For an adult male you’ll want to keep temps around/no higher than 85. cool area spot: about 66 on the branches. humidity range during the day: 85-50. 85% is a bit too high. Ideal range is between 50-70% during the day. High heat + high humidity increases risk for respiratory infection. temperature range mostly by looking at the thermometer: 68- 58. floor of cage: about 60. I live in San Francisco. I keep the ceramic heat emitter on overnight as my house can get below 68 degrees. Without heat emitter the temperature overnight using the thermometer was at like 58 one day. Do you really keep your house that chilly? Is it possible that the thermometer you’re using isn’t giving correct readings? The analog ones are notorious for being wrong. You may want to consider using a smart one like a Govee or similar. With that emitter the air is about 63 overnight
- Humidity - The misting creates the humidity levels so far Ok. At night, since you have quite a temp drop, you can increase humidity levels all the way as high as 100%. This simulates the natural hydration cycle of fog that is obtained in the wild. Cool wet nights with warm dryer days.
- Plants - pathos and currently going to pot a wandering Jew. I Have manzanita branches throughout with leaves Excellent
- Placement - corner of dining room, which isn’t the most high traffic area of our home. Next to a window that remains closed and has curtain. No fan. Heater vent on opposite diagonal corner Good. Just do be careful if the curtain is ever opened as it could heat up your cham (greenhouse effect). Is he on a table or stand? Height = safety for our arboreal friends.
- Location - San Francisco, California
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Thanks so much for your help! My sister has a bearded dragon and told me about beardie forums that were super helpful so I looked online for a chameleon one
One of the feeder wall cups just came in the mail so I’ll make sure to use that instead! I’ll continue to play around with the temperatures, maybe go to a 50 W bulb so the basking spot doesn’t get too hot. I’ll get a new thermometer too.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok…thank you! I do have to make a correction and apology. My brain automatically switched the measurements of your enclosure to 18x18x36. The 36x36x18 is okay. While not as tall as the ideal, the extra width makes up for it, so it’s just fine. Without the pics, my brain wouldn’t have done the double take.
Definitely need more plants. The tradescantia is great and those can get big, but a taller plant like a schefflera would really be awesome. I love your manzanita. Add more plants though so your cham had more places to hide, take shade, etc. I’m glad that you’ve kept the floor bare, which is easiest to clean.
The little coconut hide and ladder are adorable, but your cham won’t really use them as intended. Those would be great for a created gecko or some tree frogs though.
Without the pics, my brain wouldn’t have done the double take. Definitely need more plants. The tradescantia is great and those can get big, but a taller plant like a schefflera would really be awesome. I love your manzanita. Add more plants though so your cham had more places to hide, take shade, etc. I’m glad that you’ve kept the floor bare, which is easiest to clean.
The little coconut hide and ladder are adorable, but your cham won’t really use them as intended. Those would be great for a created gecko or some tree frogs though.
Yes! The coconut was really more for me because I thought it was cute hahah I’ll head out to the nursery this weekend for some more plantsOk…thank you! I do have to make a correction and apology. My brain automatically switched the measurements of your enclosure to 18x18x36. The 36x36x18 is okay. While not as tall as the ideal, the extra width makes up for it, so it’s just fine.
Definitely need more plants. The tradescantia is great and those can get big, but a taller plant like a schefflera would really be awesome. I love your manzanita. Add more plants though so your cham had more places to hide, take shade, etc. I’m glad that you’ve kept the floor bare, which is easiest to clean.
The little coconut hide and ladder are adorable, but your cham won’t really use them as intended. Those would be great for a created gecko or some tree frogs though.
what is a good temperature range for the air incase I do want to take away the heat emitter?Yes! The coconut was really more for me because I thought it was cute hahah I’ll head out to the nursery this weekend for some more plants
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MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Can you post some pics of your cham with his tail out straight?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Around 60-70 is a good range for night time. If temps are dipping down into the 50’s, then you’d want to use the heat emitter.
Here are a few, but I’ll more actively take some pics tomorrow morning of his tail straight since these all show a bit more curled
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MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
No need. I see the hemipenes bulge in his tail plus his male coloring. I’m used to my fully adult male having close to his ‘fired up’ colors when he sleeps and only females being pink. I just wanted to make sure you indeed had a boy, and you do.
