Is my chameleon drinking?

[Barson]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled male 4 months old, had him for 3 days
• Handling - I’ve held him twice, once to put him in the enclosure and once to move the enclosure on top or a table.
• Feeding - I’ve been feeding Marvin 8-15 crickets throughout the day I have the crickets in a cricket keeper I made and give them organic carrots

You'll want to improve your gutload. The more variety and healthier the food the better for your chameleon. They ingest what the insects they eat ingest. See the gutloading caresheet I provided.

• Supplements - I’m using zoomed calcium without d3 and I have vitamin supplements and he d3 calcium is on the way. I dust the crickets with the calcium w/o d3 every time I feed him.

Awesome that it's on the way! Just make sure to stick to the schedule.

• Watering - I spray him for three minutes with distilled water every time I wake up, once at 12 for three minutes, once at 3 for 3 minutes once at 6 for 3 minutes and once at ten for three minutes

This may be a bit excessive but at the same time I'm unaware of what humidity is like in your location. You will want to invest in a quality auto mister before your hand goes dead or you forget to spray one day. I use a Monsoon Solo and is perfect for a single chameleon keeper.

• Fecal Description - His Urate was white with a little yellow tint seemed firm and moist.

We are always shooting for all white urates. This is where that pothos and auto mister come into play. The mist will collect on the pothos leaves giving him an area to drink the droplets off of.

• History - Just got him but he’s been very friendly and nice with me and goes to the bottom most of the time when I feed him

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Medium zoomed reptibreeze

You'll want to upgrade his enclosure to at least a 2x2x4 by the time he's 6 months old.

• Lighting - I don’t know what they’re called but the lights that came with the kit I’m replacing the bulbs soon and most likely getting a new uvb light and fixture

Upgrading to a 24" T5HO is an absolute must. Without this your chameleon could develop MBD. Also make sure you provide 12hrs of light and 12hrs of complete darkness. Veilds don't like or need a night light.

• Temperature - I have him at 82-85 at basking point and the cage is at 72 degrees at the bottom
• Humidity - I have a 53% humidity level measured using my dads humidity detector

The humidity needs to fluctuate. 30-40% during the day and 80-90% at night

• Placement - He’s on top of a 2 foot tall table and around 5.5 feet in the air
• Location - I’m in Norh Carolina

Current problem I’m worried about his hydration levels and how to tell stress from basking
If he's gaping under his basking light meaning keeping his mouth open he is too warm. You'll need to adjust your basking branch or bulb or both.

Alright I’m ordering the reptisun t5ho right now because that’s my main worry I have my humidifier pointed directly at his cage

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Yes please

Sorry I'm at work right now and I don't have any of my enclosure pictures in my phone for whatever reason. But here is a good example of setups for chameleons. Notice all the horizontal branches, the lighting, and the foliage. Chameleons love to hide their main objective is not to be seen by us. A rule of thumb is if you can always spot your chameleon everytime you look in his enclosure there's not enough foliage.

 

[Daesie11]

This is an updated picture of my enclosure. 90% of the time I have to spend a good 5 minutes finding Pesto in his enclosure because he has so many places to hide

 

[Barson]

Sorry I'm at work right now and I don't have any of my enclosure pictures in my phone for whatever reason. But here is a good example of setups for chameleons. Notice all the horizontal branches, the lighting, and the foliage. Chameleons love to hide their main objective is not to be seen by us. A rule of thumb is if you can always spot your chameleon everytime you look in his enclosure there's not enough foliage. View attachment 234324

Thanks a lot man I did my research on the foliage amounts I think I have a pothos in the house I’ll attach a picture but also I can just use sticks from the back and wash them with warm water in a tub correct?

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Thanks a lot man I did my research on the foliage amounts I think I have a pothos in the house I’ll attach a picture but also I can just use sticks from the back and wash them with warm water in a tub correct?

Really all I do with wild sticks is let them sit for a couple days. And rinse them off. And you're very welcome. Always here to help eager learners and new keepers such as yourself. Welcome to the forums and I hope you stick around. Please post back again when you've made all your changes and we can review again. Have a great evening my new chameleon keeping friend!

 

[Barson]

Really all I do with wild sticks is let them sit for a couple days. And rinse them off. And you're very welcome. Always here to help eager learners and new keepers such as yourself. Welcome to the forums and I hope you stick around. Please post back again when you've made all your changes and we can review again. Have a great evening my new chameleon keeping friend!

Just wanted to know if that’s a pothos plant because if it is then I don’t need to buy another one, I’m 99 percent sure it is but i wanna be safe.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Just wanted to know if that’s a pothos plant because if it is then I don’t need to buy another one, I’m 99 percent sure it is but i wanna be safe.

I'm not the greatest at plant species spotting but I believe you are correct. @Beman is this a Pothos?

 

[Beman]

I'm not the greatest at plant species spotting but I believe you are correct. @Beman is this a Pothos?

Hard to tell but from what I am seeing it looks like a philodendron... they are very similar in look except the leaf is more of a heart shape. I need an up close pic of the leaf to tell for sure.

 

[Barson]

Hard to tell but from what I am seeing it looks like a philodendron... they are very similar in look except the leaf is more of a heart shape. I need an up close pic of the leaf to tell for sure.

Okay I will when I have a chance

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

And to prove I'm not perfect and for everyone to see I myself still have some work to do with my Ambilobe Panther Chameleons setup (enclosure on the right) I just purchased him on Wednesday and he came with the enclosure, fake vines, fake plants, and fake branches. For one he needs a larger enclosure. The enclosure on the right is the same size as the one you have 18x18x36. I'm waiting until DIY Cages has a 2x2x4 back in stock on June 20th. I will almost completely be mimicking the enclosure on the left which is a 2x2x4 DIY cage. I'm not saying my setup is perfect and I'm sure some will give me crap about my Ambilobes temporary home, but what I want to point out mainly is the T5HO lighting I have on top and also how full my Ambanja (left enclosure) and how much my Ambilobe (right enclosure) is lacking foliage. In contrast this picture is really a prime example of what to do and what not to do lol. Now I will say this my Ambilobe grew up in this 18x18x36 enclosure so right now he's comfortable and not stressing. Its the only home he's ever known. However I am not comfortable with it. I feel he needs bigger and more and he needs it ASAP.

 

[Beman]

Here is my enclosure for my Male Veiled. I will be doing a second one the end of June when my cage comes in for my new Nosy Be's arrival. I have all real plants (different types of pothos) and real branches in mine. This cage is 24 deep, 30 wide, and 48 tall.

 

[Barson]

And to prove I'm not perfect and for everyone to see I myself still have some work to do with my Ambilobe Panther Chameleons setup (enclosure on the right) I just purchased him on Wednesday and he came with the enclosure, fake vines, fake plants, and fake branches. For one he needs a larger enclosure. The enclosure on the right is the same size as the one you have 18x18x36. I'm waiting until DIY Cages has a 2x2x4 back in stock on June 20th. I will almost completely be mimicking the enclosure on the left which is a 2x2x4 DIY cage. I'm not saying my setup is perfect and I'm sure some will give me crap about my Ambilobes temporary home, but what I want to point out mainly is the T5HO lighting I have on top and also how full my Ambanja (left enclosure) and how much my Ambilobe (right enclosure) is lacking foliage. In contrast this picture is really a prime example of what to do and what not to do lol. Now I will say this my Ambilobe grew up in this 18x18x36 enclosure so right now he's comfortable and not stressing. Its the only home he's ever known. However I am not comfortable with it. I feel he needs bigger and more and he needs it ASAP.View attachment 234367

I’m getting a new plant today but here’s a picture of his recent urate it looks better than yesterday I think that he’s getting more hydration.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

I’m getting a new plant today but here’s a picture of his recent urate it looks better than yesterday I think that he’s getting more hydration.

Yes much better!