Hello guys, In march I bought two young jackson's chameleons. They weren't freshly hatched but I'd say only 3-5 months old. The male is in a reptarium that's 36 inches tall and the female is in a 24 inch tall one. My question is that I don't know if they're growing at all. They both eat a lot and I dust their food every third feeding very lightly with sticky tongues and herptivite once a month. I thought that they'd grow extensively by now. All help appreciated, Cheers.
Jacksons not growing
- Thread starter felix
- Start date
Creaturelover123
New Member
By hatch do you mean hatched from a egg? Jackson chameleons give live birth not eggs.
Yeah, sorry about that I meant it more generic but yes, I do know they give birth to live young. I don't know if I'm worrying too much or if this is just normal growth. On a side note, the male has shed a couple of times but the female hasn't which I know isn't a good sign because then she's not growing. I'll add pictures as soon as my cameras all charged up, Thanks!
Creaturelover123
New Member
Yes, pictures would help alot! 
Maybe put them on a full length pencil, or a ruler.
Maybe put them on a full length pencil, or a ruler.
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
Jacksons grow a lot slower than other species. My male is 9 months old and still only weighs 27g - he still fits on my finger and I have small hands. He is tiny compared to the size of my female Veiled at the same age. I found that he only gained 0.2 - 0.3g a week until he got to about 6 months, then he started eating bigger feeders and gained weight a bit more.
xanthoman
Avid Member
imo, i would get a $20 digital scale tht goes from 0-500, in tenth gram increments, and has a self tare feature so you dont have to include the weight of the container (ive found a small brown lunch sack works good).
imo i would weigh at least bi-weekly and keep a journal. an appropriate scale will tell you whether he is growing or not even when there are no visual indications. imo, sometimes a scale can also give you early warning of weigh loss in a seemingly healthy cham, usually before there are visual signs. also handy for gutloading.
should also be noted that not all xanths attain the same size. imo undersize/underweight xanths are most often are a product of poor conditioning/health of the mother. that being said, if its otherwise healthy, theres no reason an undersize xanth cant live a healthy thriving life, but occasionally they are plagued with poor health.
imo, i would avoid high fat foods (like waxworms) in an effort to put weight on. feeding it high fat diet will only make it less healthy
and compound whatever issues there are. imo diversity in diet is the best way to put on some weight, but theres no guaranty that he will get much bigger at that age, some of the runts of the litter often top out at about 6-7 mths imo, jmo
imo i would weigh at least bi-weekly and keep a journal. an appropriate scale will tell you whether he is growing or not even when there are no visual indications. imo, sometimes a scale can also give you early warning of weigh loss in a seemingly healthy cham, usually before there are visual signs. also handy for gutloading.
should also be noted that not all xanths attain the same size. imo undersize/underweight xanths are most often are a product of poor conditioning/health of the mother. that being said, if its otherwise healthy, theres no reason an undersize xanth cant live a healthy thriving life, but occasionally they are plagued with poor health.
imo, i would avoid high fat foods (like waxworms) in an effort to put weight on. feeding it high fat diet will only make it less healthy
and compound whatever issues there are. imo diversity in diet is the best way to put on some weight, but theres no guaranty that he will get much bigger at that age, some of the runts of the litter often top out at about 6-7 mths imo, jmo
Last edited:
Haven't been around here in a while but wanted to give an update because I finally learned how to upload pics. Unfortunately, the young male died a few months ago. I believe it had something to do with his tongue because his mouth was clamped shut, but his tongue was hanging out about an inch. The female seems to be doing well, so without further ado, here she is:
So does she seem to be a healthy size? Does she seem to skinny, all help is greatly appreciated!
So does she seem to be a healthy size? Does she seem to skinny, all help is greatly appreciated!
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Hello felix,
I am new but did quite a bit of research on Jacksons thinking that was going to be our first. Anyway, I would really help the experienced keepers on here if you fill out the questionnaire here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
and you may want to watch this video, very informative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKTbUaOQ0aA&feature=related
Hope this helps and someone else can comment.
I am new but did quite a bit of research on Jacksons thinking that was going to be our first. Anyway, I would really help the experienced keepers on here if you fill out the questionnaire here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
and you may want to watch this video, very informative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKTbUaOQ0aA&feature=related
Hope this helps and someone else can comment.
gonecrazynback
New Member
If she is shedding, then she is growing. She looks strong and in good weight.
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