My baby veiled

T

TheSaint

New Member
Hello all, here is my new veiled chameleon, well actually my first and only chameleon. I bought this baby at PetsMart about two weeks ago, literally knowing nothing about them. I know, I know, that was retarded. Basically I thought he was neat and the salesman explained how easy they are to take care of, lol. Anyways, I ended up buying a ton of the wrong stuff...due to her ill advice and when I got home with me new baby, I went on a 3 day internet prowl educating myself as much as possible. Thank god for this website. The next day I went bought most of the right setup and redid everything. I realized quickly how horribly they were taking care of the little guy. I feel really bad for my new pet now that I know a little more and realize how it was being raised. Anyways, I have been glued to this website and many other since I bought my chameleon.

I am pretty sure I am doing everything right now. but please any suggestions are very much appreciated. Does my chameleon look healthy? Granted these pics were taken at the end of the peeling. Also any guesses on age, gender? The store told me my chameleon is male (they think, lol), but the spur isnt very obvious to me? female? They also said he is between 3-6 months. A little too broad for me, and I am not satisfied with that.

Here is my little one.

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I would suggest taking her to a vet, just to make sure theres no underlying conditions. It's good to get a checkup on your cham and make sure everything is in order :D. Also, submit some pictures of your enclosure.
 
It's hard to see the spur in those pictures, so if you could get another one of the back legs from behind and above that'll clear it up, but it does look in the pictures like it might be a female (tail looks sort of female too...) Need better pictures to check though.

As said, some more pics of your enclosure will make it easier for everyone to give you some tips! :D
 
If you will answer these questions the members here can see if you are doing everything correct and offer changes that you need to make.

How to ask for help

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Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful
 
Ok, well here is a little more info

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Aluminum screen, 24"hx18"wx18"d
Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 UVB, and a SunGlo 75w basking bulb
Temperature - Temperatures during the day are between 72 -84, and night 65-75, my chameleon generally sleeps at a location that is around 67 degrees. I monitor the temperature with 2 ESU digital thermometers as well as 2 hanging gauge thermometers
Humidity - My humidity stays around 65%, when I mist it is in 80% area. Measurring with a standard gauge from exoterra(i think)
Plants - I have 3 live plants, dwarf hibiscus, croton, and I will have to check on the last one, cant remember the name. I also have fake vines and leaves as well as biovine.
Placement - The cage is located in my living room, somewhat high traffic area. There is a fan in there, but we rarely turn it on. The cage sits on a 3 foot shelf.
Location - Houston, Texas

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, possibly female, Not sure of age but juvenile, owned him almost two weeks
Handling - Every 2 days or so. Never forced.
Feeding - 10 small crickets daily, every other day adding mealworms, crickets dusted daily with calcium w/o D3(reptical), dusted once a week with reptical with d3.
Supplements - Reptical
Watering - Handmade dripper, I mist 2 times daily for a couple of minutes
Fecal Description -black and white, never tested for parasites
History - Poorly taken care of in petstore, lived in glass cage , no dripping system, no UVB light only heat lamp.
Current Problem - Not really a problem, just curious if she is healthy.
 
Also anyone know of any good vets in the houston area? Definately dont want to my cham to someone inexperienced. Just figured that was a good idea to take her to the vet just for a check up. I think the chameleon is doing ok, but I am also very new to this.
 
Last edited:
The basking spot is about 83 degrees. The cooleest area is about 72. I think it is a female also, as I cant really see the spur, but I was told it was a male when we bought the chameleon, but it was obvious they new very, very little.
 
Tips

Basking spot should be around 90 - 95 degrees and if you want "it" to be friendly you should hold it for about 15 minutes a day and then when it is no longer stressed by that extend it by 5 minutes and so on and so forth. Also make sure to dust the feeder insects in calcium powder every day and with vitamin powder 1 to 2 times a week. Other than that every thing looks good.:)
 
Jevin said:
Basking spot should be around 90 - 95 degrees and if you want "it" to be friendly you should hold it for about 15 minutes a day and then when it is no longer stressed by that extend it by 5 minutes and so on and so forth. Also make sure to dust the feeder insects in calcium powder every day and with vitamin powder 1 to 2 times a week. Other than that every thing looks good.:)
Click to expand...

I HIGHLY disagree with this. Keeping her that warm will cause her to cycle a clutch and clutches will shorten her live. I do not use a basking light and I keep my girl around 80 to 82 and she is extremely friendly. Below is a copy and paste of the Keeping a female veiled that I gave you above:


I have double fluorescent hoods over the cages. Each hood houses a tube/linear Repti-sun 5.0 and a regular white fluorescent tube light. This maintains the temperature in the low 80's at the warmest end of the cage. You can see the setup in my article in the e-zine: A Babies first weeks. The shelves can be moved forward more than is shown in the pictures in the article to allow for more of a gradient in temperatures and more air flow as well.
Most of what is in this article is still current but I have made a couple of changes.

I maintain the same lighting and temperature range when the females are moved to their adult cages. I do not use a basking light, but continue with a double fluorescent hood keeping temperatures in the low eighties. The cages are of various sizes, but the smallest is 24" tall x 24" wide x 18" deep.

I feed them 8 to 12 crickets every two or three days depending on the season. I use other feeders too, of course, but just give an equivalent amount (not number) instead of the crickets.

In the summertime it isn't always possible to keep the temperatures in the low 80's but the increased temperatures, periodically, don't seem to push the females into cycling. I keep the diet the same during this time.
 
Yeah, I agree. I have read on multiple sites that the basking temperature should be in the mid to low 80's when they are juvenile. They can be raised a bit higher as they mature, but only if you increase the cage size, which in reality would give you larger gradients in temperature as well. At this point I am assuming that my chameleon is in fact a female regardless of what petsmart told me. Based on pictures can you give me a round about age? I will be making an appointment to see a vet soon to know for sure on everything.

Also, at what age will she cycle? Is this something that happens after adulthood or sooner? I would just like to know when I need to start preparing for that. Right now she is eating about 10 crickets a day. Is this too much or should I keep her feeding like this?
 
They can cycle/lay at clutch as early as 5 to 6 months old. Camille is over a year and never layed a clutch so far but I have been keeping her temps lower and only feeing her 6 to 8 feeders (depending on the size) everyother day. Your litte girl looks small on your hand. Do you have a big hand? Now I'm thinking maybe younger. Maybe 4 months???? I would wait a month or so and then start her on everyother day.
 
:D
jannb said:
They can cycle/lay at clutch as early as 5 to 6 months old. Camille is over a year and never layed a clutch so far but I have been keeping her temps lower and only feeing her 6 to 8 feeders (depending on the size) everyother day. Your litte girl looks small on your hand. Do you have a big hand? Now I'm thinking maybe younger. Maybe 4 months???? I would wait a month or so and then start her on everyother day.
Click to expand...

he is realy great looking, sorry this is of the subject but he looks realy great!!:D
 
4 months? That sounds closer to what I expected. The petstore told me closer to 6, however they also told me this was a male...

Also to add, I dont have a large. I am a relatively small guy. 5'11" 160 lbs.
 
Jevin said:
Basking spot should be around 90 - 95 degrees and if you want "it" to be friendly you should hold it for about 15 minutes a day and then when it is no longer stressed by that extend it by 5 minutes and so on and so forth. Also make sure to dust the feeder insects in calcium powder every day and with vitamin powder 1 to 2 times a week. Other than that every thing looks good.:)
Click to expand...

I think i pretty much disagree with everything here.
Chameleons aren't hamsters... its not a more you handle them, the friendlier they are scenario. In my experience, the more you handle them, the more they hate you, unless you count getting them so stressed out that they go comatose every time you put your hand in the cage vs. being aggressive as them being friendly.

Vitamin powder once to twice a MONTH, ZooMed Reptivite is my preference (Based on the advice of Jim at the Chameleon Company.)

And your temps seem right.. 90-95 seems WAY too hot for a baby.
 
TheSaint said:
Also anyone know of any good vets in the houston area? Definately dont want to my cham to someone inexperienced. Just figured that was a good idea to take her to the vet just for a check up. I think the chameleon is doing ok, but I am also very new to this.
Click to expand...

whenever you find one please let me know. I live in south east houston by beltway 8 and have been calling around but all the vets sound like they are BSing me when they say they could take a look at him.

-Andrea
 
vindicatedornot said:
whenever you find one please let me know. I live in south east houston by beltway 8 and have been calling around but all the vets sound like they are BSing me when they say they could take a look at him.

-Andrea
Click to expand...

I certainly will, I have called around also but people dont seem to much at all. A couple I have talked with seem to know a little more than the average, but I am not ok with just above average.
 
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