extrajordinary
Established Member
Little Leo arrived from FL Chams this morning and I'm beyond excited but also very anxious. I didn't realize until I took him out of the container he was shipped in and he puffed up that I didn't know what "normal" veiled chameleon behavior was. Here's his information:
Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon; male; 2-3 months old; he has been in my care for >24 hours
Handling - I handled him quite a bit today and I don't think I should've. I know chameleons don't typically enjoy being held...but I was worried he wouldn't be able to find the cup with the crickets in it so I tried moving him over there a couple times. He didn't enjoy being picked up, and once I placed him near the cup he'd run and hide.
Feeding - He is eating small crickets. I think they're 1/4" and I left about 7 in his cup tonight. I want to feed him twice a day (in the morning and in the evening) but he hasn't eaten anything since I put him in his enclosure. I bought the crickets already gut-loaded from Josh's Frogs and then I fed them orange slices and melon.
Supplements - I can't recall the brand right now but I did dust them with calcium (without D3) before offering them to Leo. I plan to dust the crickets with calcium with D3 and a multivitamin once every two weeks and calcium without D3 at every feeding.
Watering - There is a dripper in the corner and I misted his cage three times today. I was nervous about overwatering the plants so I only misted until there was a layer of mist on everything. One of the first things he did after I put him in his cage was work his way to the back where the water was hitting the leave and drink.
Fecal Description - I have not seen any of his droppings yet.
History - He is from FL Chams. That's all I know.
Cage Type - He has a Zoo Med X-Large Repti Breeze Aluminum Screen Cage. It measures 2' by 2' by 4'. There is a shower curtain attached to three sides to help with the humidity.
Lighting - I'm using a Zoo Med Repti Sun Terrarium Hood 24 inch with a Zoo Med 24" Repti Sun 5.0 UVB bulb. For heat I have a Zoo Med regular black ceramic clip lamp with a regular incandescent lightbulb. I think it's 60 watts. The lights turn on at 5 in the morning and turn off at 5/5:30 in the evening.
Temperature - The basking spot ranges from 80-85. I don't know what the temperature in the bottom of the cage is or what it has been at night. I've been using an analog temperature gauge for now.
Humidity - The humidity rests around 40% and after I mist the enclosure it climbs to about 70% and gradually decreases over several hours. As I mentioned, I have a shower curtain attached to the enclosure to help maintain the humidity levels. I also use an analog hygrometer.
Plants - Yes. I have a ficus, a golden pothos, and a schefflera. The ficus was purchased from LLL Reptile and the other two were repotted in organic soil.
Placement - It is in the corner of my classroom, away from the windows and doors. The top of the cage is probably about 6-7 feet off of the ground. It's a 4' cage that sits on top of a plastic utility tub.
Location - My school is located in North Chicago, about 20-25 miles north of Chicago.
I plan to take and post photos of Leo tomorrow. I don't have any particular concerns (aside from the fact that he hasn't eaten anything), I just want to know what I can expect the next few days/weeks. Aside from puffing up, is his coloring an indication of whether or not he's upset/scared? When I picked him up from the container he was shipped in he turned from a pale green to a dark gray/black. He alternated between those two colors throughout the day, staying mostly dark gray/black near the lights and then turning green when he was in the foliage. I moved the cup with the crickets in so it's right below a vine. The hope was that he could sit on the vine and see the crickets move below him and that would encourage him to eat. He tried to eat twice today, but the cup I have currently is clear so he just hit the cup and wasn't able to get any food. Any suggestions on where to place his cup?
Sincerely,
a new, anxious chameleon mom
Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon; male; 2-3 months old; he has been in my care for >24 hours
Handling - I handled him quite a bit today and I don't think I should've. I know chameleons don't typically enjoy being held...but I was worried he wouldn't be able to find the cup with the crickets in it so I tried moving him over there a couple times. He didn't enjoy being picked up, and once I placed him near the cup he'd run and hide.
Feeding - He is eating small crickets. I think they're 1/4" and I left about 7 in his cup tonight. I want to feed him twice a day (in the morning and in the evening) but he hasn't eaten anything since I put him in his enclosure. I bought the crickets already gut-loaded from Josh's Frogs and then I fed them orange slices and melon.
Supplements - I can't recall the brand right now but I did dust them with calcium (without D3) before offering them to Leo. I plan to dust the crickets with calcium with D3 and a multivitamin once every two weeks and calcium without D3 at every feeding.
Watering - There is a dripper in the corner and I misted his cage three times today. I was nervous about overwatering the plants so I only misted until there was a layer of mist on everything. One of the first things he did after I put him in his cage was work his way to the back where the water was hitting the leave and drink.
Fecal Description - I have not seen any of his droppings yet.
History - He is from FL Chams. That's all I know.
Cage Type - He has a Zoo Med X-Large Repti Breeze Aluminum Screen Cage. It measures 2' by 2' by 4'. There is a shower curtain attached to three sides to help with the humidity.
Lighting - I'm using a Zoo Med Repti Sun Terrarium Hood 24 inch with a Zoo Med 24" Repti Sun 5.0 UVB bulb. For heat I have a Zoo Med regular black ceramic clip lamp with a regular incandescent lightbulb. I think it's 60 watts. The lights turn on at 5 in the morning and turn off at 5/5:30 in the evening.
Temperature - The basking spot ranges from 80-85. I don't know what the temperature in the bottom of the cage is or what it has been at night. I've been using an analog temperature gauge for now.
Humidity - The humidity rests around 40% and after I mist the enclosure it climbs to about 70% and gradually decreases over several hours. As I mentioned, I have a shower curtain attached to the enclosure to help maintain the humidity levels. I also use an analog hygrometer.
Plants - Yes. I have a ficus, a golden pothos, and a schefflera. The ficus was purchased from LLL Reptile and the other two were repotted in organic soil.
Placement - It is in the corner of my classroom, away from the windows and doors. The top of the cage is probably about 6-7 feet off of the ground. It's a 4' cage that sits on top of a plastic utility tub.
Location - My school is located in North Chicago, about 20-25 miles north of Chicago.
I plan to take and post photos of Leo tomorrow. I don't have any particular concerns (aside from the fact that he hasn't eaten anything), I just want to know what I can expect the next few days/weeks. Aside from puffing up, is his coloring an indication of whether or not he's upset/scared? When I picked him up from the container he was shipped in he turned from a pale green to a dark gray/black. He alternated between those two colors throughout the day, staying mostly dark gray/black near the lights and then turning green when he was in the foliage. I moved the cup with the crickets in so it's right below a vine. The hope was that he could sit on the vine and see the crickets move below him and that would encourage him to eat. He tried to eat twice today, but the cup I have currently is clear so he just hit the cup and wasn't able to get any food. Any suggestions on where to place his cup?
Sincerely,
a new, anxious chameleon mom