My first chameleon

[Ashleyth87]

I joined this website so I could stay informed and get advise from other, more experienced chameleon owners. I've read a lot about them and the different species from different sources and read through a lot of the posts on these forums so I think I have a pretty good idea how to take care of my new reptile baby. I currently have a ball python and a few anoles. Everyone has separate housing. I've owned different species of geckos and an iguana, some tree frogs as well. All species have there own requirements and have all done well in my care. This is my first chameleon though and I'm a little nervous. I want him to be the happiest and healthiest little critter he can be. The part I worry the most about is his food and water. The local pet stores only offer crickets and meal worms. I've found a few websites where you can order silk worms and other insects but I'm not sure which ones to trust. I'd also prefer not to buy them by the 100s if possibly so if anyone has recommendations for where to go please let me know. As for the water I got a little dripper system and a dripper vine that weaves into the palm I bought for the tank. The dripper seems an utter failure. I can't leave it on because it won't drop slowly I can only turn it on for a few minutes in the morning then I have to cut it off. In the mean time I spray the leaves and screen walls of the tank thoroughly 3 to four times a day, when ever I get a chance and leave a small dish of standing water to keep a decent humidity. Any better suggestions for water? Any advise would be appreciated. I want to Diego to live a healthy long life. He looks a little pale and skinny but maybe that's just my imagination. I always have bugs for him and give him about 10 med to large crickets every morning dusted with calcium powder and the d3 calcium powder twice a week. I also leave mealworms in a bowl and various leaves, cabbage, lettuce, kale, spinach, whatever greens I'm using for dinner he usually gets some but he never seems to touch them. Granted it has only been a few weeks since he moved in and he's probably still nervous. Ok, I've made this very long so I'll leave it for comments for now. Thank you.

 

[MSMorgan]

Ashley,

Congrats on your new little one. I can address some of your questions, but to get a better handle on things, please fill out the "how to ask for help form found here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/
This will give us most of the info we can use to keep you on the right track and tweak the things that may need a little adjustment to make your cham. experience the best it can be. Also post a few more pics of your viled and his/her enclosure. Do you know if the sex of your little one? Post a few shots of the back feet if you do not and hopefully we can tell. Nodes/ spurs in the back web of the back feet = male.

For your questions: "The part I worry the most about is his food and water." For food, you want to offer as many different species of feeders as possible. Crickets, dubia, super worms, horn worm and silk worms can all be outsourced through the internet as you've seen. You might try the site: Linda's gone buggy, or Nick Barta's site, link:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/free-cricket-crack.147422/
for small amounts of "variety pack feeders" to try. Depending on where you live, I go with the company called Rainbow mealworms (Los Angeles). They are very good also. Ask at your LPS (local pet store) if they can order in, or you might check Craig's list in you area to see if someone has a few dubia that they may send you for a nominal cost.
As for water, you can't go wrong with a Mistking automated system. They're not cheap at $100.00 +/-, but well worth the cost. You might just return your Little Dripper to your LPS, to see if there's something amiss with the valve. In a pinch you can always poke a small hole in a Solo party/drink cup with a needle, fill it with water and then set it on the top of the cage. Depending on the size of the hole, it will drip faster or slower. If you've poked too big of a hole, get a new cup out of the sleeve of 25/50 and try again. Mine works well in conjunction with my Mistking.
As for the water dish, ditch it!
Veggies: Take a look at what's best in this link. (1/2 to 3/4 down the page)
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/food/
Lettuce and spinach are problematic. Articles can be found on this subject, on this site, through a quick search. My advice, read, read and read some more. Watch your cham. and make adjustments as you go. If you have questions, don't be shy. There's always someone that will respond, or point you in the right direction. Hope to hear from you soon.