My little Introduction.

[Polito]

Hey Everyone,

Im Steve, or Polito if you want to go by my screen name haha. I'm a huge reptile/pet enthusiast and want to learn absolutely anything I can about reptiles - especially chameleons. I work as a freelance Special Effects Make-up artist for the film, and the halloween industry.

Ever since I was little I've been fascinated by reptiles, it took me until last year to actually finally get one (Only took 18 years... not too long of a wait right?) - Since last summer I've accumulated 4 leopard geckos and I love them to death.

Though my "wish list" of reptiles is quite long, and will take a bit to get them all - what I want more then anything is a Chameleon. The first reptile I saw when I was a kid was actually a veiled chameleon at a local pet supply store - and was the stores pet. I was amazed by him and still find myself gravitating to the enclosures whenever I visit my local reptile store ha ha.

After more research, talking - and interacting with you all, and absorbing as much as I can. I think I'll be ready for my first Chameleon. Hopefully my wallet will finally be ready too haha.

I guess this is where I should ask my first official question - Where would you suggest I go looking for a good caresheet? I know caresheets can all differ, but even somewhere to look for a good basis. I just ordered a couple reptile books and should be arriving within a week or so, one of which is solely on chameleons. I'm specifically looking into getting a panther chameleon - so if any of you can point me in the right direction that would be awesome!!

Thanks a million guys, looking forward to hanging around the forums with all of you!

 

[Eltortu]

Hey Polito, do you have pictures of your favorite makeup you ever made? I know someone who gets a Halloween make up -it is always a dead zombie - a full day before the 31st. He sleeps with that stuff on and the entire way he takes that Holiday so seriously makes me wonder if he is actually insane...

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

Here's a caresheet for you...
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc.....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium). Not sure how to tell you to dust WC insects if that is what you will be doing.

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.

 

[Polito]

Eltortu - We have a zombie walk here in Toronto too, Ive done lots of make-up's for that and I know some hardcore people who would sleep in there make-up if I did it the night before haha!

here's two of my favorite make-up's ive done: im new to the industry and am just building my portfolio but one is a custom prosthetic piece I made for a character called a draenei, based on the warcraft games. The other is a zombie/vampire type monster.

Kinyonga - Thank you so much for all that information, I've already opened all the links and bookmarked them all and plan on reading them now!! Thanks a million as well for all the information you yourself wrote it, im finding it really helpful and i know after reading all this im going to understand and feel a lot more confident with the care of chameleons!!

 

[kinyonga]

Glad I could help!