New Cham mom :)

[xraygirl]

I picked up this lil dude at repticon today as a consignment sale. I went to the show yesterday looking for chams but never saw him (cause he was in a flat plastic container ) a friend took a pic after I had left and said, 'did you see this one?' And I said no! I was the 3rd person in line today at the door waiting to run in and check him out. Other than being thirsty, hungry and a kink in his tail, he seems to be a ok little dude. Whoever had him before handled him a lot, because he didn't hiss or bite at me. He was orange/yellow and when fired up he's red and green, he was a little shy on my hand but I couldn't blame him since he was probably pestered all day long. I couldn't sleep last night because I couldn't wait to see him.
As soon as I got him home, I put him on one of my succulent 'trees' and watered the plant, and he went to town.. and he is still drinking some. I picked him up crickets, mealworms, and horn worms too. So far he has eaten 6 medium sized dusted crickets, with a few more left in his cup. I'm gonna get him eat until he's done eating. He's giving the crickets the evil eye in their cup!
He pooped in his cup on the way home, and his poop looked good, his urates were orange and a minimal amount. I'm hoping with all the drinking he's done so far (he's slowed down now and is just chilling on the plant in the sink) he'll get hydrated up. He's eating really well so far.
I've been stalking this forum for maybe a month or so now and have learned so much so far, and I've been putting more effort into learning about chams than I have been with my classes. One I get on my computer, I'll fill out the form and give more information on him. His cage is beautiful and the only thing I'm needing is the hood for his UVB bulb, the show was sold out and I'm hoping I can find something at Home Depot. His basking spot so far is reading 89 degrees. I still have some enclosure tweaking to do!

 

[xraygirl]

You can see how dehydrated he is. He has drank quite a bit of water so far.

 

[CyBeRr]

You can see how dehydrated he is. He has drank quite a bit of water so far.

So cute! in a glass

 

[xraygirl]

He's going to town on some food now, poor guy probably hasn't eaten at all today. I hope they fed him yesterday. Should I get him a higher wattage light, his basking spot drops down to 79 after misting? Currently he has a 75 watt light.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

He looks good! I am glad he is out of that cup now. I wish you too the best of luck.

 

[xraygirl]

Thanks everyone! He's a handsome lil bugger. He's got a kink in his tail from an old broken tail injury. Other than that he's perfect for me!

 

[BlackDog]

Good lookin' lizard you have there! You should name him Kinko!

 

[CarlC]

Congrats on the new guy! Your hooked now and there is no turning back

You'll need to pick up a UV bulb at a pet store or online. HD doesn't sell them.

Carl

 

[Psychobunny]

Congrats on your new cham. 89 may be a bit high for a little guy like that, but he might like it! make sure it's at least 6'' away from him, and no possibility of getting burned.

I use 40W incandesent bulbs in dome fixtures, and place them on top of the screen.
What do you use to monitor the basking temp?

Do you have a digital thermometer with probe?

 

[Decadancin]

He looks happy to have a new home! I'm sure he will love it! Best of luck with him.

 

[xraygirl]

Congrats on the new guy! Your hooked now and there is no turning back

You'll need to pick up a UV bulb at a pet store or online. HD doesn't sell them.

Carl

I picked up the bulb from repticon, but no one had the hoods. I was hoping HD would have a fixture that would fit it. The UVB concerns me a lot.. But, I have one coming from amazon hopefully by Wednesday! We chose the 1-3 day shipping (no overnight option that we could see) and we ordered it last night when we got back from HD. The dude at the show told me he's seen hoods that will fit a 18" bulb.... Wrong!
But yes, I'm hooked! Kinda like my orchid problem.... ;-)

When I got home his basking spot was low 80's, it's a little cool in our house. He hasn't gotten dark, or acting like he isn't getting warm enough. No digital thermometer, I got the thermo/hygro (not digital) stuck about 2 inches from his basking light in the corner of his cage. Tomorrow, I'm going to stick the thermo right on his branch right under his lamp and see what it reads. I ran all over looking for some other do-dad's for him and didn't get time to do it tonight. I'm hoping to get a laser thermometer gun thing, I can use it for my baking stuff anyway!

This weekend I'm going to the farmers market to pick up some stuff for gut loading his crickets. He loves some hoppers, he'll eat meal worms, but has no idea what a green horn worm is (yet). He seems happy, he doesn't run from me in the cage, he immediately drinks when I mist him. He's got a little dripper set up I got tonight for him. I know I could have made my own but honestly I would have just rather bought it with my limited time schedule during the week.

I'm gonna let him do his thing, he eats from the little tupperware cup out of my hand, and eventually I can see him eating from my hand. He must have been handled some before. Hopefully he will willingly come to my hand and out of his cage in due time

Finally, 10 years and I have a chameleon! I'm happy I got one that is his 'age'. I think for my first chameleo'n he would work out better for me. I thought about calling him kinko, but I also like 'redman', and 'chief' too..

Once I get his UVB hood on, I'll take a pic of his set up. I have a nice plant to put in his cage (I can NEVER remember the name, but it's on the safe list!) I want to get him a few more leafy things to crawl on, but I've blown over $300 on him already, but I know I've saved money because some things were cheaper at the show, including him ;-) I love to just sit and watch him and admire him and his movements. Him shooting crickets out of his little cup is so awesome! (Insert giddy school girl giggle here)

I think he's awesome and I'm ecstatic that he's mine, I got very lucky grabbing him. I *am* a little concerned on the very tip of his tail! It's almost black, but he's gonna need a first trip to the vet soon for a fecal anyway! Luckily I have a reptile vet (thanks to that website someone had on this forum to search for a vet) that is across the interstate from the hospital I work at! (Woot woot!)

Everyone at work says I'm already obsessing

 

[xraygirl]

And I'll add in, thanks to reading literally night and day for the last two months on this forum, everyone has given such great information on here! I totally ignore 'care sheets' at places like pets smart. One of the guys from repticon told me that I'll need a chameleon set up with a waterfall and such.. I was thinking, hmmm sure, ok... And walked away.

Forums are the absolute best way to learn new things. My orchid collection went from 1 to over 40 thanks to the 'orchid geeks' forum. Which, might I add, was introduced to my new guy last night and they all love him!

Thank you everyone for all your help, pm's, facebook messaging... Everything! I hope my little guy will live many happy, long, spoiled years!

 

[CarlC]

Orchids you say. I'm a paph freak! I used have like 50 plants around the house among the chameleons. Once I get me greenhouse in I'm gonna start with them again.

Carl

 

[xraygirl]

Orchids you say. I'm a paph freak! I used have like 50 plants around the house among the chameleons. Once I get me greenhouse in I'm gonna start with them again.

Carl

Ohhhh I want a greenhouse sooooo bad! Weatherman said temps were gonna be 40 last night, and I'll leave my vandas out that cold.. But when I got in my car this morning there was ICE on the windshield and it was 36 degrees!!
So tonight all my vandas are hanging all over the kitchen, and my big monstrous aloe plant is covered with a towel. I got poked by the briar berry weed in my other pot so it's staying outside too.

I'm a vanda freak, never tried paphs! They look too intimidating... I killed off so many of the 'easy to grow' phalaenopsis orchids.. Pfffft... Easy my butt! But I've finally learned that I need to control my heavy watering hand on them. It's hard to switch between vandas that LOVE water to orchids that don't need much!

But yes, I dream of a greenhouse where they can all live in it, and I don't have to tote them in and out during the fall, and leave them in my guest bathroom shower for the winter!!

 

[melble68]

Ohhhh I want a greenhouse sooooo bad! Weatherman said temps were gonna be 40 last night, and I'll leave my vandas out that cold.. But when I got in my car this morning there was ICE on the windshield and it was 36 degrees!!
So tonight all my vandas are hanging all over the kitchen, and my big monstrous aloe plant is covered with a towel. I got poked by the briar berry weed in my other pot so it's staying outside too.

I'm a vanda freak, never tried paphs! They look too intimidating... I killed off so many of the 'easy to grow' phalaenopsis orchids.. Pfffft... Easy my butt! But I've finally learned that I need to control my heavy watering hand on them. It's hard to switch between vandas that LOVE water to orchids that don't need much!

But yes, I dream of a greenhouse where they can all live in it, and I don't have to tote them in and out during the fall, and leave them in my guest bathroom shower for the winter!!

Carl, don't let her fool ya. She knows what she's doing. Winter time for orchids and her guest bathroom are quite the freagin combo.

BTW, I killed my fair of paphliopedilums. Love um, but don't do very well either. Cattleya's have decided they're ok for me. I have some cattelya clones that are over 20 yrs old. Actually came down to FL with me from Chi-town.

 

[melble68]

I do have one nice vanda that will eventually go into my outdoor enclosure. Hopefully it will benefit from some talking to from a nice young male Nosy Be in the spring.

 

[xraygirl]

Carl, don't let her fool ya. She knows what she's doing. Winter time for orchids and her guest bathroom are quite the freagin combo. .

LOL!! You remember that pic, huh??? People think I'm crazy, but I call it a hobby/investment/too much money spent!!! ;-)

I'm sure the new cham will love climbing all over my vandas next summer!!

 

[tdowd142]

I picked up this lil dude at repticon today as a consignment sale. I went to the show yesterday looking for chams but never saw him (cause he was in a flat plastic container ) a friend took a pic after I had left and said, 'did you see this one?' And I said no! I was the 3rd person in line today at the door waiting to run in and check him out. Other than being thirsty, hungry and a kink in his tail, he seems to be a ok little dude. Whoever had him before handled him a lot, because he didn't hiss or bite at me. He was orange/yellow and when fired up he's red and green, he was a little shy on my hand but I couldn't blame him since he was probably pestered all day long. I couldn't sleep last night because I couldn't wait to see him.
As soon as I got him home, I put him on one of my succulent 'trees' and watered the plant, and he went to town.. and he is still drinking some. I picked him up crickets, mealworms, and horn worms too. So far he has eaten 6 medium sized dusted crickets, with a few more left in his cup. I'm gonna get him eat until he's done eating. He's giving the crickets the evil eye in their cup!
He pooped in his cup on the way home, and his poop looked good, his urates were orange and a minimal amount. I'm hoping with all the drinking he's done so far (he's slowed down now and is just chilling on the plant in the sink) he'll get hydrated up. He's eating really well so far.
I've been stalking this forum for maybe a month or so now and have learned so much so far, and I've been putting more effort into learning about chams than I have been with my classes. One I get on my computer, I'll fill out the form and give more information on him. His cage is beautiful and the only thing I'm needing is the hood for his UVB bulb, the show was sold out and I'm hoping I can find something at Home Depot. His basking spot so far is reading 89 degrees. I still have some enclosure tweaking to do!

Where are you located? I'm right below Columbia and i got my Chameleon from repticon on Saturday!!!

 

[xraygirl]

Where are you located? I'm right below Columbia and i got my Chameleon from repticon on Saturday!!!

Lexington/Redbank!

 

[CarlC]

Ohhhh I want a greenhouse sooooo bad! Weatherman said temps were gonna be 40 last night, and I'll leave my vandas out that cold.. But when I got in my car this morning there was ICE on the windshield and it was 36 degrees!!

Hopefully its was just a flash frost and didn't do any harm. Your lucky down there that you could have a greenhouse that probably would need much heat. Until I have my greenhouse I just grow what the chams can use.

Carl