My new chameleon sleeps al day.

[Naptimee]

* help! I bought a chameleon. I know it's not good for beginners but I work super part time and have a lot if time on my hands and I wanted a more challenging lizard.
Problem: he sleeps all day so far and whenever I get him out and put him in the basking area he turns brown and moves somewhere else. Also I haven't seem him poop or eat from his cage. Or drink much water unless it's from my finger.


*Your Chameleon - Male Senegal chameleon
* Handling - get him out once a day so far for feeding
* Feeding - We always make sure he has crickets but I have yet to see him eat in his enclosure. He eats crickets out of a cup if I help him
* Supplements - flukers calcium, dusting his food
* Watering - I was having my repti rain mister go for 15 secs every hour but I read that's bad so now I leave it off at night and do every three hours during the day and hand mist a couple times a day.
* Fecal - I have yet to find any poop and I've had him a week now.
* History - he's a year old maybe and super tiny he is only like 2 inches not including tail. He looks like he might have some calcium deposits on his side but not sure. Other then that he was from the pet store and I know nothing

Problem: he sleeps all day so far and whenever I get him out and put him in the basking area he turns brown and moves somewhere else. Also I haven't seem him poop or eat from his cage. Or drink much water unless it's from my finger.
Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Screen, 16x16x30
* Lighting - UVB and 75 watt double lamp but that wasn't warm enough so on top of that we have a 100 watt dual UVB and heat lamp also
* Temperature - in the mid 70s. 80-85 in the basking
* Humidity - I can't get it above 40 no matter what I do. I may get a vaporizer or something He gets misted a couple times a day but I don't have a dripped. Should I on top of that?
* Plants - all plastic
* Placement - on my computer desk and if i sit down he is above me.
* Location - Michigan

 

[KaijuVeiled]

He is most likely getting used to his environment, it is normal for them to stop eating and drinking until their stress levels are down, are his eyes sunken in?

 

[dlegare]

Senigals can be very skittish. Make sure you provide a lot of hiding places in the form of nice dense foliage. I wouldn't handle him at all until you are sure he is eating. Mist the enclosure several times daily (don't spray him directly). A dripper would be a good idea.

Remember most chams don't like being handled and it really stresses them out.


Keep us informed

 

[Carlton]

*
* Supplements - flukers calcium, dusting his food
* Watering - I was having my repti rain mister go for 15 secs every hour but I read that's bad so now I leave it off at night and do every three hours during the day and hand mist a couple times a day.
* Fecal - I have yet to find any poop and I've had him a week now.
* History - he's a year old maybe and super tiny he is only like 2 inches not including tail. He looks like he might have some calcium deposits on his side but not sure. Other then that he was from the pet store and I know nothing

Problem: he sleeps all day so far and whenever I get him out and put him in the basking area he turns brown and moves somewhere else. Also I haven't seem him poop or eat from his cage. Or drink much water unless it's from my finger.
Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Screen, 16x16x30
* Lighting - UVB and 75 watt double lamp but that wasn't warm enough so on top of that we have a 100 watt dual UVB and heat lamp also
* Temperature - in the mid 70s. 80-85 in the basking
* Humidity - I can't get it above 40 no matter what I do. I may get a vaporizer or something He gets misted a couple times a day but I don't have a dripped. Should I on top of that?
* Plants - all plastic
* Placement - on my computer desk and if i sit down he is above me.
* Location - Michigan

First, assume this cham is an wildcaught import, so get a fecal sample checked for intestinal parasites. When a cham is under stress (shipping, sale, and move to a new home) the parasite load can grow and cause trouble for an already weakened cham. Many imports don't thrive well because they are already sick before you get them.

I'm confused about your lighting. Seems like a lot of watts on the cage. The brands and type of lights are important as many of the so-called "full spectrum basking lights" don't produce the correct amount of UVB. Could you give us the specific bulb brands and whether they are florescent or incandescent?

Your cage humidity will be helped a lot if you use LIVE foliage. Plastic just doesn't absorb and release moisture well. It also provides good visual cover for a stressed cham.

I suspect having you right next to the cage working on the computer could be preoccupying and stressing your cham so it doesn't feel secure enough to start eating.

You need to gutload your insects well before feeding them. Dusting is just "supplemental". You should be dusting with plain calcium (no added vit D3) daily, dusting with a calcium with added vit D3 every 2 weeks, and dusting with a herp multivitamin every 2 weeks.

 

[junglefries]

Would definitely move away from computer. Never know if electromagnetic interference upsets chameleons. I am yet to see anything on it, but would think they are aware of it. If it attracts bugs, and bugs being the staple of chams, it would make sense that mother nature made them aware of it, also.