Looking for General Advice

AZweifel

Member
  • Your Chameleon - Paisley is approximately 6 months old, and is a female panther. I have had her in my care since July 15.
  • Handling - I rarely handle Paisley, though she is very comfortable with it. I may take her out once a week to clean her enclosure or just to interact with her, but overall I let her be.
  • Feeding - I feed her Large (winged) crickets every day, 5-7. I also offer her small super worms every couple of days, only about 3 at a time, and she absolutely loves them. She runs to her fish every time she sees them. I only feed her in the morning, but she will eat the crickets throughout the day as she pleases. I feed my crickets with orange squares, which is a gutloader.
  • Supplements - Every other day I dust her crickets generously with Zoo-Med ReptiCalcium without D3. Once a month I dust them with Rep-Cal Calcium with D3. I do not dust the worms.
  • Watering - I have a hand mister The I use to spray her 2-4 times a day. In the morning I will most her for about a minute, and the following misters are all about 30 seconds in length. Paisley is always, always very eager to drink. She is not shy at all.
  • Fecal Description - paisley has never been tested for parasites, but he fecal matter over the last three months has been very consistent. We irate is white, with a tip of orange discoloration between it and the feces. The feces itself is always brown and smooth. Never runny.
  • History - I thought she was gravid last month but I was wrong, she was just changing colors. Other than that she doesn’t have much history.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Paisley lives in a 16x16x30 all screen enclosure. However, I have added a 16 inch flower pot full with 12 inches of topsoil in it.
  • Lighting - I use a 100 watt Zoo Med blue day light bulb and a 5.0 Zoo Med UVB bulb. Both are turned on in the morning around 8 am, and turned off around 10pm that night.
  • Temperature - I use a dual hydrometer and thermometer to measure humidity and temperature. Heat stays around 80 degrees at its hottest, and odd down from there. I’m not positive what the temperature is down in the dirt, I’ve never measured it. At night the temps drop around 65-70. Winter is coming and I intend on getting a red night bulb. I live in a basement apartment so it’s getting chilly.
  • Humidity - Like I said, I use a dual hydrometer thermometer. Humidity at its lowest is 40% and goes up to 85% after misting sessions. I hand must when humidity is low.
  • Plants - I have a huge Golden Pathos inside the enclosure, as well as a few fake vines and leaves.
  • Placement - The enclosure is in my bedroom, which is very low traffic. I am the only one in and out. There are no fans or vents near her enclosure, and the top of the enclosure is 5 feet and 3 inches from my floor.
  • Location - I am located in northern Utah, right outside of Salt Lake City. In the summer it is very hot and dry, and winters are very cold and dry.

Current Problem - I have no major concerns at the moment. I wanted to check with the people I trust the most- this community, to help me insure I am giving her the absolutely best possible care. She has yet to lay eggs or be pregnant, but a laying bin isn’t always available regardless. She has begun deposition salt from her nostrils, which I have been told is normal, but how Can I help it?
This is her back in July when I first got her.
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This is her a month later in August.
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Again in September, when she changed from teen to a salmon color. Which is when I thought she was gravid.
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This is her today!
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This is her full enclosure at the moment.
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  • You said..."I feed my crickets with orange squares, which is a gutloader"...I would recommend skipping the orange cubes a d using dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, collards, carrots, zucchini, squash, sweet potato, sweet red peppers, etc.
  • You said..."Supplements - Every other day I dust her crickets generously with Zoo-Med ReptiCalcium without D3. Once a month I dust them with Rep-Cal Calcium with D3. I do not dust the worms."...its recommended that you dust at almost every feeding with a phosphorous-free calcium powder lightly and twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder lightly and twice a month with a vitamin powder lightly. D3 from supplements and prEformed vitamin A can build up in the system and lead to health issues...so you have to be careful not to overdo them. D3 produced from exposure to D3 won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB at will. Also beta carotene (prOformed) sources of vitamin A won't either.
  • You said..." I use a 100 watt Zoo Med blue day light bulb"...colored lights are not recommended either. Youncna use a regular white household incandescent bulb for basking.
  • She should always have access to her laying bin.
  • If the nasal salt is blocking her nostril so she's having trouble breathing then wipe it off gently with a damp q tip.
  • The moss worries me too...some chameleons will eat it and it might cause an impaction.
 
Pretty lady. Only one suggestion off the top of my head.

"Winter is coming and I intend on getting a red night bulb. I live in a basement apartment so it’s getting chilly."

They really need their beauty sleep. If you need to add another heat source, use the ceramics that don't emit light for night time.
 
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