New buddy

JoeyGuy

Member
Hi friends,
First I would like to thank you all for being so supportive. Just one question to Google and boom, this forum had the answers I trusted most! So, since I have a newish little buddy, and seemingly a multitude of questions, I figured I would sign up and join this awesome, knowledgeable group.
A question I have today, that I haven't been able to find.... I'm currently living in a relatively humid (depending on weather) region of Tennessee USA. Humidity has not been an issue for my little buddy Joey. However, I don't know if I still need to mist his enclosure? He does have a little dripper and I've seen him drinking off of leaves it drips onto.
 
Welcome to the forum. You would still want to mist him. When I lived in high humidity I did this in the late afternoon when temps in the cages started to cool. This way your building cool humidity for the evening ahead.
 
@Beman requesting your husbandry review to make sure I'm on point with my little buddy. Once I get home from work I will post pictures of him and his current enclosure and some of his new one (can't wait until he can get in there!)
 
Sorry for the delay... Crazy work day for me. You will copy and paste the form below into your reply and then fill out with as much detail as possible. Please include pictures as well of the entire cage lighting down and your little buddy.


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.
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?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
  • Your Chameleon - The species,sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled,male, appx 5 months. Had him for a month
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? we let him free range a bit(dailey) if he decides to be stubborn and doesn't go back in on his own (half the time)
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? crickets and superworms. Was about 15 bugs Dailey until the worms spoiled him. Now he only eats about 4 or 5 crickets. Gut loading crickets with collard greens, Sweat potatoes and carrots.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? zoo med repti calcium without D3 every feeding and WAS doing zoo med reptivite with D3 on the 1st and 16th of the month. I recently started giving him a little more mixed with the repti calcium once every 3rd or 4th day because of the lack of uvb he's getting with current bulb situation
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? hand misting with pressure sprayer and dripper. twice dailey misting for 30 seconds to a minute before lights on and after lights out. Dripper for an hour or so between 3pm and 5pm. Yes he drinks
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Brown poo with white and a bit of yellow in urates. Consistency seems good 👍 (rather jealous 😜) No has not been tested for parasites
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. bought from petco 🙄
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? the dreaded chameleon kit...not the xl, screen
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? all the stuff packed in the kit for light. 7am on 7pm off
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? 70 at floor 83ish at top. Roughly 60 at night night temps do get higher at times. Handheld laser and cheap analog gauges on top and bottom
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? depends on the weather I can get humidity up just am struggling to get down. Using cheap analog gauge
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?  pothos
  • 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? my bedroom. Ceiling fan, a floor vent is kinda close. Semi high traffic (my wife and I) cage top is appx 6.5 feet from floor
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? southwest Tennessee usa
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. humidity levels, and he does close his eyes in day like napping. Also he sits with mouth open pretty often
 
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@Beman also as I had said earlier I'm updating EVERYTHING for him. The only thing I'm waiting on is the main thing he needs!!! Darn 4' uvb bulbs
 
Thank you kindly! If I would've researched everything beforehand I don't think I would have pulled the trigger on getting this guy. So far this has been very expensive lol. But very much pleased so far!
Gojira? Is this the name of your cham or do you like the group? Both?
 
Gojira? Is this the name of your cham or do you like the group? Both?
My Cham. Did not know there was a group, now I have to look them up.
 

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Looks to be somewhere size wise of a 6 month old. But prior care can stunt growth if it was not on point. I am going through your form now.

He is currently in the small cage right because your waiting on the UVB bulb for the new cage?
 
Ok see my feedback in red bold. :)
  • Your Chameleon - The species,sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled,male, appx 5 months. Had him for a month I would say this is about right. He is in that 5-6 month range based on his size.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? we let him free range a bit(dailey) if he decides to be stubborn and doesn't go back in on his own (half the time) That is because he does not like the small cage... Once over in the big cage he may not like to come out as much.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? crickets and superworms. Was about 15 bugs Dailey until the worms spoiled him. Now he only eats about 4 or 5 crickets. Gut loading crickets with collard greens, Sweat potatoes and carrots. Ok need to get him back on crickets... Remove the superworms replace with something else. He needs to be taking down 15 or so feeders a day at this age for growth. See gutload image to add more variety.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? zoo med repti calcium without D3 every feeding and WAS doing zoo med reptivite with D3 on the 1st and 16th of the month. I recently started giving him a little more mixed with the repti calcium once every 3rd or 4th day because of the lack of uvb he's getting with current bulb situation.. I would not do this... Just because they can overdose on oral D3 and VItamin A that is in your reptivite.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? hand misting with pressure sprayer and dripper. twice dailey misting for 30 seconds to a minute before lights on and after lights out. Dripper for an hour or so between 3pm and 5pm. Yes he drinks
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Brown poo with white and a bit of yellow in urates. Consistency seems good 👍 (rather jealous 😜) No has not been tested for parasites
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. bought from petco 🙄 Nothing wrong with this.... Beman is a petco boy and will be 5 years old in June.
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? the dreaded chameleon kit...not the xl, screen
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? all the stuff packed in the kit for light. 7am on 7pm off
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? 70 at floor 83ish at top. Roughly 60 at night night temps do get higher at times. Handheld laser and cheap analog gauges on top and bottom. Make sure you get wired probe gauge for basking in the new cage. Need accurate temp readings there... Govee makes gauges that work with an app on your phone so you know ambient temps of the cage along with humidity. I highly recommend these just make sure they are not in the path of water. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R586J37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? depends on the weather I can get humidity up just am struggling to get down. Using cheap analog gauge
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?  pothos
  • 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? my bedroom. Ceiling fan, a floor vent is kinda close. Semi high traffic (my wife and I) cage top is appx 6.5 feet from floor
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? southwest Tennessee usa
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. humidity levels, and he does close his eyes in day like napping. Also he sits with mouth open pretty often
Ok so the eye closing is linked to the lack of correct uvb lighting. Humidity veileds are really tolerant they can easily do a 30-50% range. Replace the analog with the govee this will tell you where your cage is really sitting.
Now mouth gaping is concerning. Is he doing this under the lights? Or just anywhere in the cage?
 

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