My teenager brought home a chameleon...

Here’s the safe plant list. Many will need a plant light, especially hibiscus. I use one of these and it’s strong. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TKKG8Q3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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And since @kinyonga mentioned it, here’s pics of one of my girls thru all of her stages.
Her usual. Know that after reaching maturity many will keep some of their colors and won’t go back to plain green.
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Receptive when sneaking a peek at her handsome male neighbor.
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Receptive, not seeing any males.
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Very gravid...just a couple of days before she laid her eggs.
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She finished laying her eggs that morning. Still has dirt on her.
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@kinyonga is perhaps the member with the most experience and knowledge, so you’ve received the best advice. :)
Wow, yours is so beautiful! I sincerely only knew Disney info/references about chameleons before getting this girl (thought it was a boy) two weeks ago...and had no idea how beautiful they really can be...thank you for sharing!!
 
Welcome and you´re doing great so far ✌️. We all had to experience the same, however it´s all worth it once everything is setup you can sell your TV, you´ll enough `screen time´at her enclosure 😛

Maybe this can help you out a little bit more for further setting up your ReptiBreeze enclosure https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/low-budget-enclosure-setup.2462/

And don´t forget to enjoy, the sleepless nights will pass in about 4 weeks 😉
 
I did get info about the plants, so I will work on that this weekend.
If you can't find those (not likely—they're usually quite common) here are a couple of other chameleon safe plant lists: (There will be crossover.) Might be a good idea to bookmark all 3 lists. ;)
https://www.madcham.de/en/pflanzen-fuers-terrarium/
https://www.chameleons.info/l/safe-and-unsafe-plants/

Since these sites are in different parts of the world, there's a bit more variety as well. :)
 
Welcome and you´re doing great so far ✌️. We all had to experience the same, however it´s all worth it once everything is setup you can sell your TV, you´ll enough `screen time´at her enclosure 😛

Maybe this can help you out a little bit more for further setting up your ReptiBreeze enclosure https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/low-budget-enclosure-setup.2462/

And don´t forget to enjoy, the sleepless nights will pass in about 4 weeks 😉
Thank you! Already sleeping better, and I totally agree! It's calming to watch her! Better than TV
 
Sorry I'm late to the party, but welcome to the forums! Remember, you are doing the BEST thing for your new little girl by coming here and asking questions. We were all beginners at one point, in your shoes, and we are all happy to help. It sounds like your new little girl has a great start to her new life (because I'm guessing at this point you are keeping her) and just keep asking questions - that's what we're here for! Good luck!
 
Thank you!! I feel very welcomed! And you all were SO MUCH help!!

Yes, I am keeping her now. I named her Deva pronounced Deh-va (not dee-va). It's short for Devagar, which means slow, which is is...

So I am now trying to figure out how to keep crickets and worms gut fed and alive here at home instead of going to the store every couple of days. Any advice? I admittedly have not read too much....also I just ordered a bunch of different live instects from Josh's Frogs website...better than my pet Store I think.

Finally, I listened to you all and got her some live plants. She seems happier and calmer now. I just wish I knew when to get that box of dirt in her enclosure in order for egg laying.
 

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I’m a new chameleon owner myself and I too have a female veieled. You wouldn’t believe how wrong my setup was but the members on the forum gave me some great links and advice to get in the right direction. I have the XL Reptibreeze too and found a large pothos plant on Etsy which filled out the cage nicely. I was able to get rid of all the fake stuff after that came. If you can find a fully mature pothos I say go for it! I have the double dome light fixture too and I use two lower wattage incandescent bulbs as opposed to one with higher wattage. I think it helps spread out the heat. The UVB is an 24” Arcadia fixture which works great. If you use the wired probe on her basking spot you will know if you have the right wattage-distance ratio to get 78-80 degrees. I hand spray before lights go on at 7 AM and after lights go out at 7PM but that’s my personal preference. Things need to dry out during the day or you can get mold and bacteria issues. You can find some amazing branches in the woods and there are easy ways to sterilize them. Real is always better in my opinion. I bought a steamer to sterilize things periodically and having real sticks means I can easily throw them out and replace them for free! I also used a pedialyte bottle as my dripper with some black air line hose and it works great. The drips hit the pothos leaves and she drinks them. Crickets and cricket crack plus some fresh fruit and veggies is my feeder setup. I got the cricket crack off Amazon and keep it in the freezer. I think one bag could easily last a year. All the best to you and your little new friend! Feel free to direct message any time since I can tell you first hand how much money I wasted before I got advice from these members!
 

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And the initial feeding when they are less than 6 months is a little overwhelming. They eat A LOT. But mine female veieled has slowed down substantially to about 2 crickets a day which is much more manageable. The lay bin is no big deal. Just a large and wide planter pot 12” deep with some play sand and keep it elevated off the floor for proper drainage. I’m pretty sure my girl poops in the lay bin on purpose.
 
You said..."I just wish I knew when to get that box of dirt in her enclosure in order for egg laying"...now would be a good time. Washed playsand is a good substrate for it. I use the kind produced by Kings that comes in a white bag with red, blue, yellow sand box toys on it. It won't cause impaction if ingested accidentally and I've never had it cause any other issues with the chameleon either.

Here's a link on setting one up...
 
You said..."I just wish I knew when to get that box of dirt in her enclosure in order for egg laying"...now would be a good time. Washed playsand is a good substrate for it. I use the kind produced by Kings that comes in a white bag with red, blue, yellow sand box toys on it. It won't cause impaction if ingested accidentally and I've never had it cause any other issues with the chameleon either.

Here's a link on setting one up...

Oh, okay, thank you! I will get this set up this weekend!
 
So I am now trying to figure out how to keep crickets and worms gut fed and alive here at home instead of going to the store every couple of days. Any advice?
I bought a large cricket keeper, and buy a weeks worth (~100) at a time. I still lose 10%-20%, but I hear that's about par(?)
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Worms depends on species; some have to be refrigerated—others will die if you do.
I'm in the process of trying to switch over to dubia roaches instead of crickets. They cost more, but live longer, don't, stink, jump, fly, or climb, and my bearded dragon already eats them as his staple. 😁

I admittedly have not read too much....also I just ordered a bunch of different live instects from Josh's Frogs website...better than my pet Store I think.
Yes & no. I put together a small spreadsheet of feeders, vendors, sizes, quantities, prices, & shipping. When it's time to order, each one is hot-linked, so I check prices, and order from whoever;s got the best deal at that moment. It's a competitive business, and supplies & prices can vary considerably. Our system saves us an average of $20/ order.

Finally, I listened to you all and got her some live plants. She seems happier and calmer now.
👍👍
 
You could always start a small colony of roaches. It takes a few months for them to start getting established, but once they do you’ll never be without feeders again. Dubia and discoid don’t fly or climb and are really easy to keep. Just put them in a good sized plastic bin with ventilation & some egg crate, feed them veggies, greens and a bit of fruit, keep them warm and they’ll take care of the rest.
With crickets, the key is keeping them clean & very well ventilated. The fumes from their own waste kill them off. They eat the same as roaches. Silkworms usually come in a container with enough of their special mulberry chow to last awhile. BSFL don’t really need to be fed (shh...don’t tell, but I feed mine) and can stay in the cup they come in. If they pupate into flies, your chameleon will have fun hunting them down.
 
Welcome to the group. From the pictures you have provided it's looks like you're off to a good start. If you are to keep it I would suggest adding live plants instead of the plastic. Don't beat yourself up. :) You're doing the right thing coming here.
hi, i’ve been a chameleon owner for months now but i’ve never tried live plants, i’m afraid my chameleon will eat the dirt or something. i’m also not sure what type of plants would even be good to put in her cage. any tips?
 
hi, i’ve been a chameleon owner for months now but i’ve never tried live plants, i’m afraid my chameleon will eat the dirt or something. i’m also not sure what type of plants would even be good to put in her cage. any tips?
Hi, and welcome to the forum!

Live plants are safer than artificial, and help increase and maintain humidity.

Here are 3 lists of chameleon-safe plants from reputable sources:
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
https://www.madcham.de/en/pflanzen-fuers-terrarium/
https://www.chameleons.info/l/safe-and-unsafe-plants/

Ingesting dirt doesn't generally happen unless there are issues with nutrition or husbandry.
Plants in pots can be covered with river pebbles, and bioactive setups generally have some kind of leaf litter covering bare soil.

Mature females will dig naturally when looking for a place to lay their eggs—fertilized or not. They should be equipped with a proper lay bin.

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As you're new to the forum, it's generally a good idea to start your own introductory thread. If you have any specific questions or issues about... anything chameleon, you can copy/paste the questions in this post, fill in your answers & questions, and please provide pics of your enclosure from top (lighting) to bottom (substrate/floor/drainage).

How to ask for help

 
Glad you are keeping her. We would be more than happy to answer a million questions than watch another chameleon suffer and die. I know I asked my share of questions when I was getting all my stuff together for getting my boy.
 
Glad you are keeping her. We would be more than happy to answer a million questions than watch another chameleon suffer and die. I know I asked my share of questions when I was getting all my stuff together for getting my boy

Glad you are keeping her. We would be more than happy to answer a million questions than watch another chameleon suffer and die. I know I asked my share of questions when I was getting all my stuff together for getting my boy.
Thanks Tony! I definitely will if I have any other questions. Man, I wish the world worked like this...everyone so friendly and helpful and excited to give advice. I am so lucky to have happened upon this place!
 
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