is my chameleon adapting okay?

[chameleon_lover_nj]

wait a second...they DONT have to lay eggs? if so i just exhaled a sigh of relief...thats something ive been super uncomfortable/nervous about and ill do anything to not have to deal with it!

if you had a feeding cup, how did you deal with the crickets and such? since after you roll them in the powder they are still alive?

what is your lighting/heating situation? i currently have a 60 wat bulb light for basking and a 24' zoo med UVB (the one with the chameleon on the box)

 

[Beman]

Pull out all of the substrate on the floor... it is an impaction risk especially if she targets insects that get down there. Take advantage of all the info in the forum. Ask questions and read through this site. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

When you finish reading through chameleon academy then ask in the forum to do a husbandry review and someone will post the info for you to respond to.

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

Pull out all of the substrate on the floor... it is an impaction risk especially if she targets insects that get down there. Take advantage of all the info in the forum. Ask questions and read through this site. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

When you finish reading through chameleon academy then ask in the forum to do a husbandry review and someone will post the info for you to respond to.

if i pull out the substrate, would that just work? do i NEED the tray?

 

[ehdee6]

Unfortunately, they will inevitably lay eggs. I also dread the day it happens.

You can manipulate how often it happens by constantly keeping her basking area at 80F, and the ambient temperature at 68F. And by following all the advice in @MissSkittles egg laying 101 blog.

I still have an egg laying bin in my cage at all times, just in case.

I just put the feeders in a cup to mix with the calcium, or D3/multivitamin. Then dump the feeders in the feeding dish after being coated. After a while the Cham learns to go to the feeder dish and eats them almost instantly. They (I have a Jackson too) actually watch me as I sort out the feeders from the bins into their cups, then go to the dish within a minute of putting it in the cage.

Most of my adventures are in these posts:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/littlefoot-mr-jack-photo-dumps.194948/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/xl-reptibreeze-build-floating-branches.194647/

 

[Beman]

So all of that moss stuff on the bottom is not what you want. If you do substrate it has to be done as a fully bio active set up with clean up crew and leaf litter on top. you need that so it is healthy. What you have down there is going to grow mold and bacteria on top of being stuff she will get stuck and will not pass through if she eats it. Moss is a hard pass with most chams but especially veileds. Think of her like a 2 year old child. Everything goes in the mouth. Also the way that is set up it is going to drain everywhere and cause damage to whatever it is sitting on.

You can get something as simple as a plastic water heater pan from lowes or home depot to put under the cage to catch the excess water.

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

So all of that moss stuff on the bottom is not what you want. If you do substrate it has to be done as a fully bio active set up with clean up crew and leaf litter on top. you need that so it is healthy. What you have down there is going to grow mold and bacteria on top of being stuff she will get stuck and will not pass through if she eats it. Moss is a hard pass with most chams but especially veileds. Think of her like a 2 year old child. Everything goes in the mouth. Also the way that is set up it is going to drain everywhere and cause damage to whatever it is sitting on.

You can get something as simple as a plastic water heater pan from lowes or home depot to put under the cage to catch the excess water.

actually funny enough, the enclosure has been leaking a TON we were just gonna put a piece of tarp underneath it tho tbh would that work?

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

Unfortunately, they will inevitably lay eggs. I also dread the day it happens.

You can manipulate how often it happens by constantly keeping her basking area at 80F, and the ambient temperature at 68F. And by following all the advice in @MissSkittles egg laying 101 blog.

I still have an egg laying bin in my cage at all times, just in case.

I just put the feeders in a cup to mix with the calcium, or D3/multivitamin. Then dump the feeders in the feeding dish after being coated. After a while the Cham learns to go to the feeder dish and eats them almost instantly. They (I have a Jackson too) actually watch me as I sort out the feeders from the bins into their cups, then go to the dish within a minute of putting it in the cage.

Most of my adventures are in these posts:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/littlefoot-mr-jack-photo-dumps.194948/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/xl-reptibreeze-build-floating-branches.194647/

but as of this moment, she doesnt want to eat either the mealworms or crickets ive offered. i tried cup feeding a day ago and they ended up going everywhere in the enclosure and i vacuumed them up i genuinely do not know what to do

 

[Beman]

actually funny enough, the enclosure has been leaking a TON we were just gonna put a piece of tarp underneath it tho tbh would that work?

lol welp so a tarp will help but it is going to drip off of that. Do you have one of those large plastic storage totes? Most of the time the lid from those will work temporarily under a cage. It is not a long term solution but usually the lip on those is about an inch deep and if you set the cage into it then you are good for a bit. And you want to invest in a small wet vac to pull the moisture out of whatever drainage tray you get.

 

[Beman]

Need a feeder run hung about 5 inches from the top of the cage so she has clear view of the insects crawling inside.

You can buy them or build your own in a pinch... just do not leave sharp plastic. Run a lighter flame across the cut plastic so it is not sharp. https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/

 

[Beman]

From the photo you may have a lady and not a boy, if that’s the case we entered a whole new ballgame. Beautiful, but needs extra care.
Question: do you see a spur (nub) on the back back of the feet? If not, you have a female my friend! If you’re not sure take a pic of the back of the back foot and post here, we’ll confirm.

spot on. good eye hun.

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

lol welp so a tarp will help but it is going to drip off of that. Do you have one of those large plastic storage totes? Most of the time the lid from those will work temporarily under a cage. It is not a long term solution but usually the lip on those is about an inch deep and if you set the cage into it then you are good for a bit. And you want to invest in a small wet vac to pull the moisture out of whatever drainage tray you get.

maybe..? i really honestly dont wanna spend a whole ton of money on something that i can just wipe up with a towel so id like to be as low budget as possible if its really needed

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

Need a feeder run hung about 5 inches from the top of the cage so she has clear view of the insects crawling inside.

You can buy them or build your own in a pinch... just do not leave sharp plastic. Run a lighter flame across the cut plastic so it is not sharp. https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/

and this will keep them from getting out?

 

[Beman]

maybe..? i really honestly dont wanna spend a whole ton of money on something that i can just wipe up with a towel so id like to be as low budget as possible if its really needed

welp then a tote lid is what you need or something similar... Think outside of the box.

Chams are extremely expensive... so just prepare yourself. This is by no means a cheap hobby to get into. You can do it less expensively but you have to make sure all of your husbandry is still being covered and is spot on.

 

[Beman]

and this will keep them from getting out?

For the most part yes. but it is a more natural way of hunting for them.

Keep your curtain closed... The light outside is going to throw her off and make her try to go into that corner to get as close to it as possible.

 

[chameleon_lover_nj]

For the most part yes. but it is a more natural way of hunting for them.

Keep your curtain closed... The light outside is going to throw her off and make her try to go into that corner to get as close to it as possible.

shes been going to that corner the most so will do!

 

[MissSkittles]

The initial set up for any reptile (any type of animal really) is usually quite expensive and chameleons can be at the high end. There are some ways to cut costs, but for many things there are no ways to compromise. All of my enclosures are bioactive, but I’ve always used the ReptiBreeze substrate trays to help contain excess water. They are all in one piece, so do a great job. This is a pretty good price for one here. https://www.pangeareptile.com/produ...7hRs01EYQG6Plp8xeEtqbw&variant=42406177243178
Ways to cut costs for chameleons include things such as getting plant clippings from family and friends instead of having to buy all of your plants. Also, starting fresh plants from clippings of whatever plants you do have - our veiled ladies like to eat their plants so it’s always a good idea to have extra replacements. Breeding your own feeders is another great way to reduce costs. Roaches are especially easy to breed. I use natural branches instead of buying vines and what not. Just avoid pine, eucalyptus and others that have heavy sap or odor. Oak works great.
About the egg laying…even if it didn’t come with risks and freak us out when it happens, it does shorten our ladies life spans. While nothing is ever guaranteed, being mindful of basking temps and proper feeding can help reduce the frequency of laying, number of eggs produced and possibly prevent all egg production. Many here have had veiled ladies who never laid even one egg. I have a sweet panther girl who will be turning 5 in about a week or so and she’s never laid any eggs. My sassy veiled lady just turned 7 and hasn’t laid any eggs since 2022. I am prepared at all times though if they should lay eggs.

 

[LizardLurkin]

A lot of great info has already been given, but I wanted to add that your cham will definitely appreciate some plants higher up. Coverage helps them feel comfortable, but it can be tricky floating plant pots on screen enclosures. This video might help formulate a solution in your head. Honestly not only are cham set ups expensive, but they take a lot of effort to put together as well.
With a few thick and sturdy structure-type branches put into place, and a couple more pothos (or other such viney plant) I think she'd be totally content with it
You can also afix fake plants to the OUTSIDE of the enclosure, to make up for blank spots on the inside! I think it looks super pretty too.

My chameleon's enclosure has sort of grown up with him