Introducing myself

[Tom Carlier]

Hello, let me introduce myself,

I’m Tom,
I live in Belgium and I’m a moderator on Chameleons Vlaanderen Forum, a Belgian chameleon forum.

I’ve been reading here for a while now, and I thought why not sign in…
So I did.

I’ve previously owned a Chameleo Calyptratus, named Leo:

I’ve lost him due to an intestinal infection.

A few months after he died, I bought a Furcifer Pardalis Ambilobe blue bar from a Dutch breeder, Roel Winters.
This is the father of my new pet

Desmo, my chameleon, is 7 months old now, I’ve had him since he was 3,5 months old.

This is the terrarium I keep him in:

I recently rebuilt it so the lamps would be on top of, instead of in the terrarium.
It’s (WxDxH)75x60x100cm.

And this is my little guy at 3,5 months old:

He weighed 18grams and was 17cm (tail incl.)

4,5months old:

6months old:

Now, 7 months old,
He weighs 60grams and is 30cm (tail incl.):

He usually eats 1 medium locust, 1 sow bug and 3 big steppe crickets a day. He also gets 2 wax worms a week.

He drinks almost every day, from a drop glass or when I spray water.

He’s all full of energy, he can’t sit still for one minute, always climbing about,
But he’s quite kind in nature, I can handle him quite easily, he always tries to climb onto my hand when I clean something up or give him food, but I try not to allow it too often.

So, now you know my story.
Feel free to comment.

Greetz, Tom

 

[reptimom]

Welcome aboard Tom! Love your Panther- his reds are really starting to come through! We know that you will probably add more to your collection soon. Chameleons are very addicting!

 

[Syn]

He's good looking. Your veiled was very nice looking as well. But, is that substrate? If so, what is it?

 

[ChrisnLisa]

Welcome Tom!! Beautiful boy you have there.

 

[Julirs]

Welcome! Your Veiled was stunning!

 

[Syn]

Also I don't see a tube UVB, do you have the compact? Sorry if I'm totally missing it.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Welcome to this Forum!

I hope you will share the knowledge you have gained at the other forum here. There seem to be significant differences between how people in different countries keep their chameleons. I am always interested in other ways of doing things.

Your panther looks great.

Sandra

 

[Tom Carlier]

@ Syn

That is cocopeat, commonly used here in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, ...
Doesn't stink, can't grow fungus, keeps the humidity high, great for plants, ...

And yes I do have a tube, you must have overlooked it on the picture of my terrarium, you can see it quite clearly, I think.
It's a UVB zoomed 5.0 tube and a UVA/B lucky Reptile bright sun jungle basking/daylight/UV bulb. Also a 35watt halogen light and a 60watt basking spotlight.

Perhaps this is a better picture:

@ sandrachameleon

Well, I was amazed to read that whoever has a glass terrarium here, gets the advice to get a flexarium.
In Belgium it is the other way around, only species like Jacks are to be kept in flexariums here. Glass terrariums do need to have a lot of wire mesh.

A friend of mine had bought a flexarium for his pardalis and got loads of comment that he was just making it hard on himself.

If you have further questions, feel free to ask !


Greetz

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ya, the debate about what the enclosure should be made of seems to be a favourite discussion point. I really think it matters more about the climate inside the cage, rather than so much what the cage is constructed of. Screen cages make sense for a lot of people, due to their local ambient climate conditions. I have personally had far better experience with my wooden cages with plexiglass fronts. And I think some of those primarily glass enclosures are lovely.

Have you encountered any issues with your chameleon accidentally (or on purpose) eating the substrate?

 

[laurie]

Welcome Tom, it is always nice to add more knowlwdge to our group.

 

[Tom Carlier]

Ya, the debate about what the enclosure should be made of seems to be a favourite discussion point. I really think it matters more about the climate inside the cage, rather than so much what the cage is constructed of. Screen cages make sense for a lot of people, due to their local ambient climate conditions. I have personally had far better experience with my wooden cages with plexiglass fronts. And I think some of those primarily glass enclosures are lovely.

Have you encountered any issues with your chameleon accidentally (or on purpose) eating the substrate?

Almost never have I seen a chameleon shoot a cricket that's walking about on the bottom,
and never have I seen one trying to just eat the substrate, they prefer insects I guess

I might say that almost every chameleon keeper I know, uses substrate,
weird to see lots of your cages with only one plant in the middle in a pot.

We use either cocopeat or soil mixed with sand, or just soil.
I prefer cocopeat.

NEVER use repti-bark.

It won't hurt them if they eat soil or cocopeat,
but bark might constipate them, if they would happen to shoot one on the ground.

Usually my chameleon eats out of my hand or shoots crickets that climb up the plants of the cork rear wall.




And yes, it is true that the climate inside the cage is more important than the material the cage is made of,
but with a room temperature of 60°F in winter, it is hard to keep the temperature up, you'd need a lot of lamps, I have 160watts in my cage to keep the top at 86°F and the bottom at 72°F.
And also the Humidity drops quickly in a flexarium here, especially in winter.

Greetz

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've definately had a female panther that would eat substrate, if there was any in the cage. I witnessed her eat small pebbles (in her laying bin), twigs, she attempted to eat fignernails, my eyeball, anything that moved or might maybe move or might perhaps be food. She wasnt starved, just perpetually hungry.

Do you just spot clean the poop away daily?
How often do you remove and replace the all the substrate?

 

[Tom Carlier]

Haha, my chameleon won't even eat eat locusts out of the freezer. Let alone my eye or fingernails



As the plants' roots are everywhere, I can't replace all of the substrate,
I'd damage them too much,
but I don't see why that would be necessary...

I do replace the top layer of the substrate every few months, due to cricketlegs, -wings, leftover poo, bits and pieces of plants ...

But I clean up his poo every day, and clean up other stuff as I find it.

Greetz

 

[sandrachameleon]

Haha, my chameleon won't even eat eat locusts out of the freezer. Let alone my eye or fingernails

Consider yourself lucky -it doesnt feel very good to have your eyeball smacked by a tongue!

 

[Tom Carlier]

Funny as hell

I've seen it before on youtube
Wasn't you now was it ?


Wich of the two is faster,

the reflex to shut your eye or a chameleon tongue?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Wasnt me on utube.
I closed my eye before the tongue hit, but it still hurt! and she practically pulled the eyelid right off too. I was very very careful around her after that, sunglasses, no rings on fingers, no nail polish, no lingering where she could get me... she was an awesome chameleon. I have a couple of her offspring, but thankfully they dont try to eat me.