Is my baby chameleon okay!

[Rubylove4]

Hey everybody! I’m new to chameleon parenting and I need help.

I recently got a baby veiled chameleon on 2/19/23 and I wanted some advice to make sure everything is okay with her. I got her the night of the 19th so I’ve technically only had her for two days.

on the 20th, I noticed one of her eyes was closed. Her eye is still closed today. Is that okay or is she vitamin A deficient?

when I tried to check on her and help her when she fell she almost made like a quiet sigh/light pop noise. I was worried she had a respiratory thing but she only did it three times and when I was handling her to see if she would eat.

She also turned a really dark green/almost grey Color when I tried to feed her and she hasn’t eaten today. Is this normal for a new chameleon? She seems okay in the photo where she is hanging cause she was exploring her new enclosure and I want to make sure she is healthy.
also she started changing to a darker color only after I changed her light source to a different set up. Right now she has a uvb 40 w bulb and it’s not directly on top of her enclosure because I didn’t want her to get to hot.

Also, when she basks she sits up on the ropes I have for her and like turns her body towards the warmth and closes her eyes. Is that normal? She does it a few times a day and is accually doing it right now but she’s really dark colored.

With all the stuff I’ve said, do any of you cham experts out there have any advice or idea if she’s healthy or not or what? Id appreciate anything!

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!

Did you get her at a store or have her shipped to you?
where do you live?

What’s the temperature in her cage? Hottest? Coolest?
No lights at night….right? What specific UVB light do you have on the cage? Is it the long linear tube light?

Whatbare the size of the insects and what insects are you offering her?

I wouldn’t handle her much for a few days at least.

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! Do you know if she is for sure a girl? It looks like you have a veiled chameleon. Can you send a picture of the back of her feet? If you see little bumps on their back feet, it is most likely a male. Do you also mind my asking where you got her?

Please fill out the information below while I get some experts here to help you.
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 do 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 -

 

[Rubylove4]

Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!

Did you get her at a store or have her shipped to you?
where do you live?

What’s the temperature in her cage? Hottest? Coolest?
No lights at night….right? What specific UVB light do you have on the cage? Is it the long linear tube light?

Whatbare the size of the insects and what insects are you offering her?

I wouldn’t handle her much for a few days at least.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any reptile stores around me so I got her at a petco in hopes of a better life for her. The hottest temperature in her encloser I would say is around 80-90 and her coldest is 60-70.

Yes, I turn her lights off at around 8-9 and turn them on at 8-9 am. I just realized as i was looking at her light, it says uva instead of UVB and I will definitely be changing that. As of today I have a zoomed reptile 40 watt bulb. I will be looking at getting a tube UVB 5.0 light.

Right now, I am offering her what I assume to be 1/4 sized crickets if I’m saying that correctly.

If you need anymore info or have more advice let me know! Thank you

 

[Rubylove4]

Hello and welcome! Do you know if she is for sure a girl? It looks like you have a veiled chameleon. Can you send a picture of the back of her feet? If you see little bumps on their back feet, it is most likely a male. Do you also mind my asking where you got her?

Please fill out the information below while I get some experts here to help you.
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 do 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 -

My chameleon is a girl but I will try to get a photo of her feet.

There was no clear answer on how old she is but I’m going to assume about 4-8 weeks maybe? Probably less.

She has been in my care for 2 1/2 days now.

I handled her yesterday and the day before because I was getting her to eat and she was coming to me trying to crawl on my hands, but I’ve barley handled her today as I was afraid she was stressed.

I’ve only been able to feed her for one day so this is the information I have so far:
She ate five crickets yesterday. They are maybe 1/4-1/2 an inch in size. I’m dusting them with the Repti calcium brand-WITHOUT D3-.

I’ve misted my cage twice a day for 3 minutes long with a pressurized mister and I’m about to purchase a timed and automatic mister. So far I have not seen her drink, but she doesn’t look dehydrated yet.

She has small round pellet sized droppings that are very moist, light to dark brown and wet. She has not been tested for parasites.

She’s so new that I have no information on her besides her eye being closed since I got her, and her dark colored skin as of today.

Her whole cage is glass and has a front opening door. However, the top of her cage is mesh and I leave the door open once or twice a day for 10 minutes to get some air with close observation. The dimensions are 12x12x18.

The lighting right now is a heating zoomed branded bulb with 40watts. Although I’m purchasing a UVB tube light soon. Lights are on from 8-9 am and off from to 8-9 pm.

the coldest temperature is around 60-70 at night and at the bottom and the hottest is 80-90 during the day and 60-70 at night. I measure by the temperature by the humidity and temperature thermometer device that sticks on the cage glass.

The humidity level is around 40-60 and if it’s too high I open the door to let it air out and if it’s too low I mist the cage for only a minute. I measure by a humidity thermometer that attaches to my enclosure.

The only plants I have in the enclosure is golden pothos and Swiss cheese plant.

I am located in the North West of the United States.

My current problem is figuring out if she is healthy. She seems very distressed as her color today was a dark dark green and she hasn’t eaten. She also won’t open HER LEFT eye and only does when eating, which she hasn’t done since yesterday.

 

[elizaann2]

Unfortunately, I don’t have any reptile stores around me so I got her at a petco in hopes of a better life for her. The hottest temperature in her encloser I would say is around 80-90 and her coldest is 60-70.

Yes, I turn her lights off at around 8-9 and turn them on at 8-9 am. I just realized as i was looking at her light, it says uva instead of UVB and I will definitely be changing that. As of today I have a zoomed reptile 40 watt bulb. I will be looking at getting a tube UVB 5.0 light.

Right now, I am offering her what I assume to be 1/4 sized crickets if I’m saying that correctly.

If you need anymore info or have more advice let me know! Thank you

Hello! Thank you for answering the questions, it helps us understand how to help you best. I am relatively new as well but will answer questions that I know I can answer while we are waiting on the more experienced keepers to jump in. And you are correct, it looks like you have a girl!

Temperatures - Can you clarify what you mean by 80-90 is the hottest and the coldest is 60-70? You want to have her basking temperature to be 80 degrees - the hottest her basking area should get is around 85. The ambient, or overall, temperature of the enclosure should be between 72-75. And at night you want an ambient temperature drop between 60-70 degrees.

Lights - Excellent with the lights! Chameleons need to be on a 12 on, 12 off schedule with all lights

Food - great job with the crickets! Until she is about 8 months old you will want to feed her as much as she can eat (around 10 small crickets) daily. Are your crickets gut loaded? (I gut load all my bugs with sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and mustard greens which makes healthier bugs for my chameleons to eat).

 

[Rubylove4]

Hello! Thank you for answering the questions, it helps us understand how to help you best. I am relatively new as well but will answer questions that I know I can answer while we are waiting on the more experienced keepers to jump in. And you are correct, it looks like you have a girl!

Temperatures - Can you clarify what you mean by 80-90 is the hottest and the coldest is 60-70? You want to have her basking temperature to be 80 degrees - the hottest her basking area should get is around 85. The ambient, or overall, temperature of the enclosure should be between 72-75. And at night you want an ambient temperature drop between 60-70 degrees.

Lights - Excellent with the lights! Chameleons need to be on a 12 on, 12 off schedule with all lights

Food - great job with the crickets! Until she is about 8 months old you will want to feed her as much as she can eat (around 10 small crickets) daily. Are your crickets gut loaded? (I gut load all my bugs with sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and mustard greens which makes healthier bugs for my chameleons to eat).

Yes I can try and clarify. I’m not an exact expert on temperature and I apologize on not making my answer clearer. The temps tire in the basking area is 80 degrees and the acual average is 75 which is relating to what you said! I just did a double check and those were the degree temperature I got. When I wake up and check the encloser, I find it’s about 65-70 degrees. (My best judgement since it shows between 60 and 70)

I am about to reload on crickets and I will be sure to gut load them for her to boost her vitamin A. Thank you for your help!

I will update you if I believe she has symptoms of sickness or if their is odd behavior going on. For now I will minimize Handling and make sure she is getting the proper nutrients from her diet.

 

[elizaann2]

My chameleon is a girl but I will try to get a photo of her feet.

There was no clear answer on how old she is but I’m going to assume about 4-8 weeks maybe? Probably less.

She has been in my care for 2 1/2 days now.

I handled her yesterday and the day before because I was getting her to eat and she was coming to me trying to crawl on my hands, but I’ve barley handled her today as I was afraid she was stressed.

I’ve only been able to feed her for one day so this is the information I have so far:
She ate five crickets yesterday. They are maybe 1/4-1/2 an inch in size. I’m dusting them with the Repti calcium brand-WITHOUT D3-.

I’ve misted my cage twice a day for 3 minutes long with a pressurized mister and I’m about to purchase a timed and automatic mister. So far I have not seen her drink, but she doesn’t look dehydrated yet.

She has small round pellet sized droppings that are very moist, light to dark brown and wet. She has not been tested for parasites.

She’s so new that I have no information on her besides her eye being closed since I got her, and her dark colored skin as of today.

Her whole cage is glass and has a front opening door. However, the top of her cage is mesh and I leave the door open once or twice a day for 10 minutes to get some air with close observation. The dimensions are 12x12x18.

The lighting right now is a heating zoomed branded bulb with 40watts. Although I’m purchasing a UVB tube light soon. Lights are on from 8-9 am and off from to 8-9 pm.

the coldest temperature is around 60-70 at night and at the bottom and the hottest is 80-90 during the day and 60-70 at night. I measure by the temperature by the humidity and temperature thermometer device that sticks on the cage glass.

The humidity level is around 40-60 and if it’s too high I open the door to let it air out and if it’s too low I mist the cage for only a minute. I measure by a humidity thermometer that attaches to my enclosure.

The only plants I have in the enclosure is golden pothos and Swiss cheese plant.

I am located in the North West of the United States.

My current problem is figuring out if she is healthy. She seems very distressed as her color today was a dark dark green and she hasn’t eaten. She also won’t open HER LEFT eye and only does when eating, which she hasn’t done since yesterday.

Handling - Unfortunately, chameleons stress easily. Even re-arranging their enclosure can cause them stress. I would suggest not handling her unless absolutely necessary for at least a few months so she has time to settle in and build trust with you. View her more like a goldfish - she is a really cool pet to look at and watch but not hold

Supplements - Excellent! You will want to lightly dust her crickets for each feeding. Do you have a multivitamin supplement and a calcium supplement with vitamin D3? You will want to use these as well. The multi-vitamin I use you can find here. I will dust my cham's crickets with this on the first and 3rd Saturday of every month. Then I have a calcium supplement with vitamin D3 that i use on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. You can find this one here.

Misting, Foggind & Drinking - That is fantastic that you have a handheld mister. Do you have anything to gauge her humidity levels? During the day you want her humidity to be around 40-50% and at night you want it to be around 80-100%. Depending on where you live, and the humidity levels of the area you live in and within your home, you may need to invest in a fog machine to keep the humidity levels where they need to be. The one I use can be found here. If you are concerned that she does not have enough drinking opportunities from your 2x a day misting sessions, you can also get a plastic cup, poke a hole in the bottom with a push pin and set that on the top of her enclosure. I like to monitor my chameleon's hydration by checking their poop. You want solid but not firm poops that are a darker brown color. The urate, which is the white part, is actually the 'chameleon pee'. If your girl is hydrated, the urate will be a white color. Orange means she is dehydrated. Because she is so new, I would recommend providing her with more drinking opportunities during the day to help ensure her hydration.

Enclosure - Can you send me a picture of her enclosure? While glass enclosures can be an excellent tool to help control humidity and temperature levels, you will also want to be mindful of airflow to avoid her getting an upper respiratory infection. If the bottom of you enclosure has some kind of opening/vent and the top is open you should be ok because that creates a chimney effect with airflow. Just be mindful of her temp and humidity levels. Veiled chameleons are notorious for eating plants in their enclosure. You will want to provide her with a LOT of coverage with plants, I have attached a picture of one of my enclosures to give you an idea of what that might look like) You will want to ensure that she has all live plants (pothos are the easiest) in her enclosure so if she takes a bite out of one, it doesn't cause impaction, which can be fatal. 12x12x18 is a little small. Your baby will grow quickly and will soon need an adult-size enclosure to fit her needs. You can get some excellent enclosures linked here and here and here for your convenience. (IMHO the Dragon Strand enclosures are fantastic)

I strongly recommend getting her into a vet to get tested for parasites. Do you know of an exotic vet with chameleon care experience, or would you like some support with that?

UVB Light - Excellent with updating to what she needs. This is what I use, UVB light and fixture. If you purchase a 5% or 6% UVB linear bulb you will be able to to just place that on top of your enclosure and provide the correct and safe UVB levels for your little one. If you purchase a 10% or 12% you will need to raise the light and figure about 12 inches ABOVE her enclosure.

Lastly, since you have a girl, you will need to provide her with a laying bin. Chameleons are like chickens and will lay eggs, even when not introduced to a male. You can find more information on proper lay bin set-ups here.

Excellent sources of information on chameleon care can be found here:

Chameleon Academy
Neptune the Chameleon YouTube Channel

An updated care sheet for a veiled chameleon can be found here

I hope this was helpful. Please let me know what else I can do to support you and your little one!

 

[kinyonga]

Unfortunately, I don’t have any reptile stores around me so I got her at a petco in hopes of a better life for her. The hottest temperature in her encloser I would say is around 80-90 and her coldest is 60-70. Do you have a thermometer to read the temperatures? This is too hot for a baby veiled…I always just used a double tube light hood with one regular white florescent bulb and one UVB 5% Reptisun tube light.

Yes, I turn her lights off at around 8-9 and turn them on at 8-9 am. I just realized as i was looking at her light, it says uva instead of UVB and I will definitely be changing that. As of today I have a zoomed reptile 40 watt bulb. I will be looking at getting a tube UVB 5.0 light. The Reptisun 5.0 or the Arcadia 6% long linear tube lights are the most often recommended bulbs.

Right now, I am offering her what I assume to be 1/4 sized crickets if I’m saying that correctly. That size is fine. Dust them lightly at all feedings but two a month with a phos free calcium powder and twice a month with Reptivite with D3 and prEformed vitamin A.

If you need anymore info or have more advice let me know! Thank you

You said…”I am about to reload on crickets and I will be sure to gut load them for her to boost her vitamin A“…there are two forms of vitamin A…prEformed and prOformed…it’s said that chameleons can’t convert the prOformed or at least not well so we use thenprEformed twice a month by dusting with reptivite vitamins As I explained above.

For gutloading/feeding the crickets you can use dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, carrots, etc and a very tiny amount of fruits such as apples, pears, berries.

What substrate are you using?

 

[Rubylove4]

You said…”I am about to reload on crickets and I will be sure to gut load them for her to boost her vitamin A“…there are two forms of vitamin A…prEformed and prOformed…it’s said that chameleons can’t convert the prOformed or at least not well so we use thenprEformed twice a month by dusting with reptivite vitamins As I explained above.

For gutloading/feeding the crickets you can use dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, carrots, etc and a very tiny amount of fruits such as apples, pears, berries.

What substrate are you using?

Thank you! That is very helpful! Right now I am using a coconut husk substrate. Do you recommend a better or healthier kind?

 

[kinyonga]

I’ve always used no substrate….but many on here are going natural and I’ll leave it up to them to tell you what they use. I don’t recommend the coconut husk though. I worry about it causing impactions.

 

[kinyonga]

Was her eye shut in the petstore?

 

[Rubylove4]

Handling - Unfortunately, chameleons stress easily. Even re-arranging their enclosure can cause them stress. I would suggest not handling her unless absolutely necessary for at least a few months so she has time to settle in and build trust with you. View her more like a goldfish - she is a really cool pet to look at and watch but not hold

Supplements - Excellent! You will want to lightly dust her crickets for each feeding. Do you have a multivitamin supplement and a calcium supplement with vitamin D3? You will want to use these as well. The multi-vitamin I use you can find here. I will dust my cham's crickets with this on the first and 3rd Saturday of every month. Then I have a calcium supplement with vitamin D3 that i use on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. You can find this one here.

Misting, Foggind & Drinking - That is fantastic that you have a handheld mister. Do you have anything to gauge her humidity levels? During the day you want her humidity to be around 40-50% and at night you want it to be around 80-100%. Depending on where you live, and the humidity levels of the area you live in and within your home, you may need to invest in a fog machine to keep the humidity levels where they need to be. The one I use can be found here. If you are concerned that she does not have enough drinking opportunities from your 2x a day misting sessions, you can also get a plastic cup, poke a hole in the bottom with a push pin and set that on the top of her enclosure. I like to monitor my chameleon's hydration by checking their poop. You want solid but not firm poops that are a darker brown color. The urate, which is the white part, is actually the 'chameleon pee'. If your girl is hydrated, the urate will be a white color. Orange means she is dehydrated. Because she is so new, I would recommend providing her with more drinking opportunities during the day to help ensure her hydration.

Enclosure - Can you send me a picture of her enclosure? While glass enclosures can be an excellent tool to help control humidity and temperature levels, you will also want to be mindful of airflow to avoid her getting an upper respiratory infection. If the bottom of you enclosure has some kind of opening/vent and the top is open you should be ok because that creates a chimney effect with airflow. Just be mindful of her temp and humidity levels. Veiled chameleons are notorious for eating plants in their enclosure. You will want to provide her with a LOT of coverage with plants, I have attached a picture of one of my enclosures to give you an idea of what that might look like) You will want to ensure that she has all live plants (pothos are the easiest) in her enclosure so if she takes a bite out of one, it doesn't cause impaction, which can be fatal. 12x12x18 is a little small. Your baby will grow quickly and will soon need an adult-size enclosure to fit her needs. You can get some excellent enclosures linked here and here and here for your convenience. (IMHO the Dragon Strand enclosures are fantastic)

I strongly recommend getting her into a vet to get tested for parasites. Do you know of an exotic vet with chameleon care experience, or would you like some support with that?

UVB Light - Excellent with updating to what she needs. This is what I use, UVB light and fixture. If you purchase a 5% or 6% UVB linear bulb you will be able to to just place that on top of your enclosure and provide the correct and safe UVB levels for your little one. If you purchase a 10% or 12% you will need to raise the light and figure about 12 inches ABOVE her enclosure.

Lastly, since you have a girl, you will need to provide her with a laying bin. Chameleons are like chickens and will lay eggs, even when not introduced to a male. You can find more information on proper lay bin set-ups here.

Excellent sources of information on chameleon care can be found here:

Chameleon Academy
Neptune the Chameleon YouTube Channel

An updated care sheet for a veiled chameleon can be found here

I hope this was helpful. Please let me know what else I can do to support you and your little one!

First of all thank you so much for all the information! I really appreciate the feed back!

I am accually going to do some shopping on Amazon tonight and I will be getting the calcium’s you provided. Thank you! I did some research before I got my chameleon because I didn’t want to be uneducated and so I got calcium without D3 but I forgot to grab the one with it in it. Hence why I am purchasing the ones you recommended.

Her poo is accually a light brown and the urate is white! I will be checking her humidity levels as well as most likely purchasing a automatic humidifier.

I will be Attaching a Photo to this comment, but I believe where the glass door opens, there is a vent like piece of plastic where air can get through. I definitely DONT want my baby to get sick, so If this doesn’t work long term, I will look at getting her a mesh cage.

I do have a reptile vet somewhat near me and I will look at getting her tested soon!

I am also most likely going to get a 5% or a 6% UVB light such as the one you suggested. Thank you

And finally, I will get her an egg laying bin. Thank you again for your help

You have been very polite in helping me and I thank you so very much! You’ve been a big help and I will take in all of what you said in to consideration to make sure my girl gets what she needs! I’ll let you know if I need anymore help.

 

[Rubylove4]

Was her eye shut in the petstore?

I believe so. Is there anything I can do for her?

 

[Rubylove4]

I’ve always used no substrate….but many on here are going natural and I’ll leave it up to them to tell you what they use. I don’t recommend the coconut husk though. I worry about it causing impactions.

Ah okay. Thank you. What do you use instead of substrate?

 

[Rubylove4]

Handling - Unfortunately, chameleons stress easily. Even re-arranging their enclosure can cause them stress. I would suggest not handling her unless absolutely necessary for at least a few months so she has time to settle in and build trust with you. View her more like a goldfish - she is a really cool pet to look at and watch but not hold

Supplements - Excellent! You will want to lightly dust her crickets for each feeding. Do you have a multivitamin supplement and a calcium supplement with vitamin D3? You will want to use these as well. The multi-vitamin I use you can find here. I will dust my cham's crickets with this on the first and 3rd Saturday of every month. Then I have a calcium supplement with vitamin D3 that i use on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. You can find this one here.

Misting, Foggind & Drinking - That is fantastic that you have a handheld mister. Do you have anything to gauge her humidity levels? During the day you want her humidity to be around 40-50% and at night you want it to be around 80-100%. Depending on where you live, and the humidity levels of the area you live in and within your home, you may need to invest in a fog machine to keep the humidity levels where they need to be. The one I use can be found here. If you are concerned that she does not have enough drinking opportunities from your 2x a day misting sessions, you can also get a plastic cup, poke a hole in the bottom with a push pin and set that on the top of her enclosure. I like to monitor my chameleon's hydration by checking their poop. You want solid but not firm poops that are a darker brown color. The urate, which is the white part, is actually the 'chameleon pee'. If your girl is hydrated, the urate will be a white color. Orange means she is dehydrated. Because she is so new, I would recommend providing her with more drinking opportunities during the day to help ensure her hydration.

Enclosure - Can you send me a picture of her enclosure? While glass enclosures can be an excellent tool to help control humidity and temperature levels, you will also want to be mindful of airflow to avoid her getting an upper respiratory infection. If the bottom of you enclosure has some kind of opening/vent and the top is open you should be ok because that creates a chimney effect with airflow. Just be mindful of her temp and humidity levels. Veiled chameleons are notorious for eating plants in their enclosure. You will want to provide her with a LOT of coverage with plants, I have attached a picture of one of my enclosures to give you an idea of what that might look like) You will want to ensure that she has all live plants (pothos are the easiest) in her enclosure so if she takes a bite out of one, it doesn't cause impaction, which can be fatal. 12x12x18 is a little small. Your baby will grow quickly and will soon need an adult-size enclosure to fit her needs. You can get some excellent enclosures linked here and here and here for your convenience. (IMHO the Dragon Strand enclosures are fantastic)

I strongly recommend getting her into a vet to get tested for parasites. Do you know of an exotic vet with chameleon care experience, or would you like some support with that?

UVB Light - Excellent with updating to what she needs. This is what I use, UVB light and fixture. If you purchase a 5% or 6% UVB linear bulb you will be able to to just place that on top of your enclosure and provide the correct and safe UVB levels for your little one. If you purchase a 10% or 12% you will need to raise the light and figure about 12 inches ABOVE her enclosure.

Lastly, since you have a girl, you will need to provide her with a laying bin. Chameleons are like chickens and will lay eggs, even when not introduced to a male. You can find more information on proper lay bin set-ups here.

Excellent sources of information on chameleon care can be found here:

Chameleon Academy
Neptune the Chameleon YouTube Channel

An updated care sheet for a veiled chameleon can be found here

I hope this was helpful. Please let me know what else I can do to support you and your little one!

Accually, I do have another question. She turned back to her light green and was walking around in her encloser, but when I misted (and I didn’t get near her) she immediately went to her basking spot and turned back to a dark green. She is usually this color when basking but it was the same color when she was stressed earlier. Is that normal for her to be stressed when misting?

 

[kinyonga]

Ah okay. Thank you. What do you use instead of substrate?

I always just left the glass bottoms of the cage bare and added a green mactac under the cage. But that was because I first started keeping chameleons in the 80’s and we didn’t know much.it worked some just kept doing it.

 

[kinyonga]

We need to figure out what’s going on with the eye. (I’m not good with eye issues because there are too many possibilities for what’s causing it.

it could be the lights or something stuck in the eye or an infection…etc…etc.

 

[Rubylove4]

We need to figure out what’s going on with the eye. (I’m not good with eye issues because there are too many possibilities for what’s causing it.

it could be the lights or something stuck in the eye or an infection…etc…etc.

Okay. I will keep doing research and if it continues I’ll think about getting an appointment to an exotic veterinarian clinic soon.

 

[elizaann2]

First of all thank you so much for all the information! I really appreciate the feed back!

I am accually going to do some shopping on Amazon tonight and I will be getting the calcium’s you provided. Thank you! I did some research before I got my chameleon because I didn’t want to be uneducated and so I got calcium without D3 but I forgot to grab the one with it in it. Hence why I am purchasing the ones you recommended.

Her poo is accually a light brown and the urate is white! I will be checking her humidity levels as well as most likely purchasing a automatic humidifier.

I will be Attaching a Photo to this comment, but I believe where the glass door opens, there is a vent like piece of plastic where air can get through. I definitely DONT want my baby to get sick, so If this doesn’t work long term, I will look at getting her a mesh cage.

I do have a reptile vet somewhat near me and I will look at getting her tested soon!

I am also most likely going to get a 5% or a 6% UVB light such as the one you suggested. Thank you

And finally, I will get her an egg laying bin. Thank you again for your help

You have been very polite in helping me and I thank you so very much! You’ve been a big help and I will take in all of what you said in to consideration to make sure my girl gets what she needs! I’ll let you know if I need anymore help.

Hello!

You are very welcome!

Yay! It sounds like she is hydrated! Great job!!

Do you have anything to measure humidity with? You might not need a fog machine with the glass enclosure. I would recommend getting something to measure that with first before getting a fog machine. Yes, the enclosure looks like it may work great for the chimney effect. It is, however, too small for her, so I would recommend looking into a larger enclosure for her soon if you can. And again, depending on the humidity levels you maintain in your home, you might be fine with a screen enclosure, or it might be easier to maintain with a hybrid enclosure. Just check out the ones I linked to you and see what will work best for your chameleon's needs based on where you live.

I would also look into getting her some more coverage. For a chameleon, safety equals height and plants to hide behind. I would also consider getting rid of the rope and hammock thing in the enclosure; it's easy for a chameleon's nails to get caught in those and get ripped out. If you live in an area where you can collect some sticks that are about the width of her little hands and feet can wrap around, that would be best. Just make sure the sticks don't come from any sap-producing trees. Here is a video on sticks for a chameleon enclosure.

With the reptile vet, make sure they have chameleon care experience. Chameleons are so unique that a reptile or exotic vet without chameleon experience might not be able to provide the proper care your girl will need.

Fantastic! Please keep us all posted on how your progress with your girl is going! This is a really fun animal to get into, but they do have a lot of specific care requirements, and I know for me it was very overwhelming when I first started. There are some awesome people here, so hopefully, you stick around and continue to learn with us all as well