is my cham doing ok?

[chameleon_lover_nj]

ive had my female cham since early june and up until this week shes been doing great but recently shes been much darker colors, not really moving around as much and getting way more feisty whenever we try to touch her or even open the enclosure. she is starting to get her adult colors so perhaps it has to do with hormones and her preparing to lay eggs but im unsure. we feed her the proper supplements as well as proper amounts of water, crickets, and waxworms. i dont understand what could be the issue if there is one.

 

[LizardLurkin]

They can get feistier with age, and there are a lot of spicy veiled girls around here. I'll tag @MissSkittles as she is very familiar with female veiled chameleons and egg laying in general. I'll also link her laying bin article because it's important to get one in place.

Just in case, can we get a full picture of her set up, with the lighting visible?
And also an explanation of your supplementation and feed schedule, what all you feed her (if they're getting gutloaded) as well as her misting schedule. It can potentially give insight to her behavior as well.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. Your pretty lady looks gravid to me. Have you got a lay bin in her enclosure yet? If not, now is the time. They prefer to have at least 10-12” wide and long and to save them from a lot of digging, about 5-6” deep of moistened play sand (or a 50/50 mix of sand and soil). While she may not just yet be ready, it’s best for the bin to stay there and when she needs it, she’ll have it. I also like to add at least a couple of stable ways in/out. Do read my blog that was linked above for more info.
Regarding her temperament, it sounds like she is just a ‘normal’ sassy veiled girl. Veileds are very often somewhat friendly when they are young, but once they mature the sass and spice comes out, especially with the girls. It is important to continue to work on building and maintaining trust with her, even though she may never stop trying hissing or trying to bite. In time, she’ll have you well trained and accepting of her sass.
The only other thing I have to say atm, is to offer a wider variety of feeders. Wax worms are great little fatty treats and crickets are a good staple. Try adding some roaches (dubia or discoid), silkworms, bsfl or grasshoppers.

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

hello! so just a psa: my enclosure is a little under construction right now… my other plant died and im going to get a new better plant on friday!
for feeding we usually do about 4-5 crickets per day (since shes still in the younger side). mondays with the calcium powder with vitamin d3 and then every day besides monday the calcium powder without d3. all crickets are given grapes and also cricket specific food made for gutloading them. waxworms as well and then i will be providing her with hornworms as soon as she is big enough to eat them. (we already tried giving her them multiple times and she refused most likely because of the size.)
she has all the proper lighting including a purple night light. im too lazy to bust out all the boxes right now but please be reassured that the lighting is correct.
with misting we usually do it manually when i wake up (at about 5:45 am) once in the middle of the day and once before bed (8-8:15 pm) for about 2 minutes. i am trying to figure out how to fix my current mister.

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

Hi. Your pretty lady looks gravid to me. Have you got a lay bin in her enclosure yet? If not, now is the time. They prefer to have at least 10-12” wide and long and to save them from a lot of digging, about 5-6” deep of moistened play sand (or a 50/50 mix of sand and soil). While she may not just yet be ready, it’s best for the bin to stay there and when she needs it, she’ll have it. I also like to add at least a couple of stable ways in/out. Do read my blog that was linked above for more info.
Regarding her temperament, it sounds like she is just a ‘normal’ sassy veiled girl. Veileds are very often somewhat friendly when they are young, but once they mature the sass and spice comes out, especially with the girls. It is important to continue to work on building and maintaining trust with her, even though she may never stop trying hissing or trying to bite. In time, she’ll have you well trained and accepting of her sass.
The only other thing I have to say atm, is to offer a wider variety of feeders. Wax worms are great little fatty treats and crickets are a good staple. Try adding some roaches (dubia or discoid), silkworms, bsfl or grasshoppers.

hello!
yes i do have a lay bin in her enclosure with sticks going up so easy access. its good to know that she is doing okay and its not a specific health issue thats making her be like this! here are some more pics of her!

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

They can get feistier with age, and there are a lot of spicy veiled girls around here. I'll tag @MissSkittles as she is very familiar with female veiled chameleons and egg laying in general. I'll also link her laying bin article because it's important to get one in place.

Just in case, can we get a full picture of her set up, with the lighting visible?
And also an explanation of your supplementation and feed schedule, what all you feed her (if they're getting gutloaded) as well as her misting schedule. It can potentially give insight to her behavior as well.

hello! so just a psa: my enclosure is a little under construction right now… my other plant died and im going to get a new better plant on friday!
for feeding we usually do about 4-5 crickets per day (since shes still in the younger side). mondays with the calcium powder with vitamin d3 and then every day besides monday the calcium powder without d3. all crickets are given grapes and also cricket specific food made for gutloading them. waxworms as well and then i will be providing her with hornworms as soon as she is big enough to eat them. (we already tried giving her them multiple times and she refused most likely because of the size.)
she has all the proper lighting including a purple night light. im too lazy to bust out all the boxes right now but please be reassured that the lighting is correct.
with misting we usually do it manually when i wake up (at about 5:45 am) once in the middle of the day and once before bed (8-8:15 pm) for about 2 minutes. i am trying to figure out how to fix my current mister.

 

[MissSkittles]

for feeding we usually do about 4-5 crickets per day (since shes still in the younger side). mondays with the calcium powder with vitamin d3 and then every day besides monday the calcium powder without d3. all crickets are given grapes and also cricket specific food made for gutloading them. waxworms as well and then i will be providing her with hornworms as soon as she is big enough to eat them. (we already tried giving her them multiple times and she refused most likely because of the size.)
she has all the proper lighting including a purple night light. im too lazy to bust out all the boxes right now but please be reassured that the lighting is correct.

For supplements, you want to use the calcium without D3 at every feeding. The calcium with D3 should be used for just one feeding every other week. You also need to use a multivitamin at one feeding every other week, usually alternating with the D3. So, for example on days 1 and 14 you would use the D3, and on days 7 and 21 you would use the multivitamin.
Another way, which is much simpler is to use a combination D3/multivitamin for one feeding every other week, in addition to the calcium without D3 at every feeding. I like, use and suggest Repashy Calcium Plus LoD…the one with the Jackson’s on the label.
The other thing I want to comment on is that there should be zero lights on at night. She needs total darkness. Having a colored light means nothing to a chameleon as their vision is much different than ours and basically, a light is still seen as a light. Also, colored lights are never recommended for chameleons (or any reptiles really) as it can harm their sensitive eyes.
Hornworms can be a tricky feeder as they grow massive literally overnight. While they are nice treats and well loved by reptiles, I suggest only getting what you can feed her in a day or two. Silkworms are wonderful and also well loved. They are very nutritious and hydrating. Fram’s Chams usually has some for sale.