Just got my first

melgrj7

New Member
Just got my first chameleon, was told it is a veiled. I work at a pet store and someone called saying they needed to get rid of it, so I told them to bring it in. Got the chameleon and set up for $20. Its a juvenile male (has the bumps on the back feet). He is in a 16"X16"X30" (LXWXH) enclosure with a small lilac tree (he came with it), pothos, a bendable branch thing from the store and a large fake plant to provide some more cover. Is the lilac bush things ok? If not, where do I find a small tree that is ok, all the ficus I have found are way to big for the enclosure.

I have a compact florescent hood with a 10.0, 26 watt compact bulb in it. I realize he will need a bigger enclosure once full grown. He ate 2 crickets his first full day home, and I have a dish with worms in it for him to eat as he wishes. The crickets I make sure he eats so they aren't roaming around the enclosure. How many crickets a day should he eat? He is about 5" long (body length). The crickets are gutloaded and dusted with calcium, the worms are gutloaded. Are superworms ok or should I stick to mealworms for the worms? Any general tips? I mist him several times a day, he doesn't really like it. He has a spot on his crest that looks like shed stuck or something, is there anything I should do about that? His legs are straight and he holds himself up off the branches, moves around a bit, keeps his eyes open. Is it easy to train them to eat from tweezers? I would prefer to feed the crickets that way so I don't have to worry about them being loose in the enclosure and chewing on him. He is about 4/5" long, can you estimate his age? Thanks for reading! -Melissa
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Hey Melissa, it looks like you have a senegal chameleon not a veiled. The lilac is a safe plant for chamemeleons. Mealworms and superworms are ok here and there but it is recomended that you provide a well varied diet, some good feeders are silkworms, horn worms, and dubia roaches.misting with luke warm water might help with the stuck shedding. Hopefuly someone more experienced will drop in and give you some advice. Good luck.
 
Ok, a senegal guess I will have to read up on those. I thought he looked a little different. Is it still a male though, with those bumps on the back feet? The people I got him from told me it was a veiled, that is what they bought it as.
 
So it looks like they stay fairly small, will this enclosure be big enough for life then? Guess I will have to try my luck out with him and if it goes well get that panther I have always wanted lol. Kinda bummed, I was looking forward to having a big chameleon.
 
Lol. I do believe males have spurs on the back of their feet just like veils. 16x16x30 might do it. (Dont take my word for it.) Either way, for 20 dollars you got yourself a sweet deal
 
So do Senegals eat plant matter or are they strictly insectivores? I got a compact hood for the top, but the compact UVB bulbs don't really seem to give off heat, or not much at least. Guess I am going to have to add a heat lamp as well. From what I've been reading I should also add a plant light to keep the plants happy. The pothos are low light and would be fine, but I don't know about the lilac bush, so I guess I will add one just to be sure. I may return the compact hood and just go with the typical heat lamps and florescent lights. The whole reason I got this hood was because I thought I could get away with one light instead of having multiples, but its not quite warm enough. I was worried about my cat knocking off a regular heat lamp. All well, hopefully she won't lol. I need to find a dripper, I want to get just the simple "little dripper" that zoomed makes but none of the stores seem to carry it so I guess I will need to order one online or make my own. I'm still kind of bummed its a senegal and not a veiled I want one that gets big lol. He is still pretty cool though, love watching him eat. I hope I can get him to eat from the tongs or my hand at some point.
 
Senegal chameleons do not have occipital lobes (ear flaps) or tarsal spurs. If you are unsure of species please do not guess as it does not help both the new owner and animal itself. What you have is most likely a Flapneck Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) but it could be a Graceful Chameleon (Chamaeleo gracilis) as well. Clearer pictures of the head (top and sides) as well as flanks would help us identify him for sure. It is definitely a male.

To get you started here is our Chameleon Care Resources link. It gives you the basics on husbandry as well as a link to our Flapneck caresheet.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/senegal/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/06SepDeckers.html

I know you wanted a Veiled but the Flapnecks are probably more personable and still get fairly large. They don’t have the striking colours of a calyptratus but they are subtly beautiful in their own way. He has a few bite marks but those will go away with subsequent sheds. Otherwise he looks very healthy. Have fun with him!
 
If you are unsure of species please do not guess as it does not help both the new owner and animal itself. What you have is most likely a Flapneck Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) but it could be a Graceful Chameleon (Chamaeleo gracilis) as well.

Pretty contradictive statement when you follow it with another guess.. Lol
 
Alright, you guys identify what it is from that small, somewhat blurry photo and give me reasons for your conclusion. We have ruled out a Senegal Chameleon. Now go!
 
Hopefully someone can tell from these what kind he is, it stresses him out to take pics so I don't want to do it again. I would like to know just so I can take proper care of him. He now has a name, Ivan.

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I fixed my lighting, have a heat lamp, UVB light (compact florescent) and also added a regular florescent to keep the plants happy. My basking spot is at 85*f, ambient temp is about 78*F. Still need to get a humidity gauge. I also got a dripper from petco and have that dripping onto a branch, the water is being caught by a deli cup. So far he has only eat 1-2 dusted and gutloaded large crickets a day. The lady I got him from said he, on average, ate 2 a day. From what I read though he should eat more than that. He has not shown any interest in the super worms.
 
Sorry your thread got derailed a little. In the past we have had some members run into problems with their pets through misidentification from some of our more overzealous members. This is a pet peeve of mine.

The differences between the Graceful and Flapneck are subtle at best and it is sometimes difficult to differentiate the gracilis from some of the smaller lobed dilepis sub-species. That said, based on the larger lobes, convex head shape, smooth scalation, longer dorsal crest and the less prominent white stripe on the flanks I’d say that is a Flapneck Chameleon.

Not many people breed the Flapneck Chameleons as so many are imported every year from the wild. There is one photo were Ivan looks pretty beaten up but in the rest he looks pretty good. I’d assume Ivan is a wild caught specimen but he might not be. Either way this blog will give you some tips on getting him settled in. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/trace/776-dealing-wild-caught-chameleon.html Flapneck chameleons are not gluttons like some species but I do think he should be eating a bit more. Let him settle in a bit and see if that increases once he is more comfortable.
 
Thank you! The people who I got him from had him for a couple of months I think before I got him. He is eating (a little) and drinking water, seems somewhat active (more so since I got the heat lamp). When I get my student loan check (soon) I will get a fecal done on him. Thanks for all your help. I'm excited about having a chameleon, even though its not exactly what I wanted lol.

Sorry your thread got derailed a little. In the past we have had some members run into problems with their pets through misidentification from some of our more overzealous members. This is a pet peeve of mine.

The differences between the Graceful and Flapneck are subtle at best and it is sometimes difficult to differentiate the gracilis from some of the smaller lobed dilepis sub-species. That said, based on the larger lobes, convex head shape, smooth scalation, longer dorsal crest and the less prominent white stripe on the flanks I’d say that is a Flapneck Chameleon.

Not many people breed the Flapneck Chameleons as so many are imported every year from the wild. There is one photo were Ivan looks pretty beaten up but in the rest he looks pretty good. I’d assume Ivan is a wild caught specimen but he might not be. Either way this blog will give you some tips on getting him settled in. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/trace/776-dealing-wild-caught-chameleon.html Flapneck chameleons are not gluttons like some species but I do think he should be eating a bit more. Let him settle in a bit and see if that increases once he is more comfortable.
 
yea the basking lamp will do him great. The heat given off by the uvb would not be enough and a basking lamp will be needed. just as you saw his activity increase with the heat lamp you should also see his food intake increase. the higher temps allow him to metabolize his food and make room for more. When he didn't have the heat lamp he probably couldn't break down his food properly causing him to have a small diet. He should start eating more now especially once he is settled in.
 
He didn't eat at all today :( I tried to feed him this morning, usually he eats 2 crickets without issue right away. I left them in the cage and they were still there when I got back. So I did what I usually do (place the cricket a few inches from him) and waited and he still didn't eat. I don't know if he is really drinking either. I mist him 3 times a day and don't see him drink when I mist him. He does have a dripper going now so maybe he is drinking when I am not around? It drips onto a branch should I move it so its dripping onto a leaf instead? He still hasn't shown any interest in the super worms.
 
What Do his/her poops look like? This is a good way to judge how much they are drinking and eating, while giving an overall indication of health.

Try feeding some roaches, my chams hate crickets, fortunately I live in the UK where I can purchase locusts which they love unbelievable amounts! It may not be best to feed meal worms or super worms at this stage as your Cham may quickly get hooked and will refuse to eat anything else, not good as these don't have much nutritional value. However some silk worms might be a good option.
 
Yes poop is a good way to tell, especially the urates. The whiter they are the more hydrated the cham is. Ideally you want it to look like a movie stars teeth. Congrats on your new buddy!
 
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