New cham

[ross3729]

Hi guys, reading through the threads and the advice is second to none. Got a male veiled chameleon il have have home 3 weeks on Sunday.Forgot to ask age (reckon 3-4 months) I got him with a setup from reptile shop (this being only reptile shop in city (Belfast). So they had no arboreal setups so I got this from them in my setup (Vivarium)<wood on all sides but a glass front> so I got a 3ft(l)x2ft(w)x2ft(h). Came with some vines and foliage.light fittings etc. and he was eating from the second day i got him home, and he would eat and eat.

So I bought a 2ft(l)x2ft(w)x3ft(h) viv exotic Vivarium, what I want to know is, would I be ok to move him on monday, I have the new viv all decorated with vines, branches. But don't wanna move him if you guys feel he need to settle into the first viv first, which is almost a carbon copy of the one he was in in the pet shop.

But surely an arboreal set up the sooner the better,,,,,right?

 

[camimom]

I would move him ASAP. But that new one still isn't big enough for an adult. He needs a 2x2x4 as an adult

 

[Aussie]

Yeah the tall one is definitely better. They've gotta be able to climb up and down like they would in the wild. And move him as soon as you want, 3 weeks is plenty of time for him to have settled in IMO.

 

[ross3729]

Yes i know that isnt big enough for an adult hes only a baby at the minute so i dont really want to put him into something that is way too big for him. Although i do cup feed so it probably doesnt matter about size of viv. But i do want to be able to find him in it.(just to look )

(although this might sound bad), but i have no desire to handle him at all. Im happy watching from the outside.
I keep marine fish and i have no intention of bringing them out for my friends to stroke.

I have read lots of advice on here and most seems to be the best.

So il admit that this is my first Cham and I hope that I can ask you two guys at least without being shot down

 

[Aussie]

Yeah I've read on here that you're not really supposed to handle chams at all so that's probably good if you just leave him alone. I personally want my cham to be friendly and hang out with me all the time so I try to hold him every other day so he gets used to it lol

 

[camimom]

you can hold him if it doesnt stress him out.
some chams hate humans, but others come running when they see their cham parents come up...
its just a cham by cham thing.

 

[ross3729]

And how you getting on with that Aussie?

 

[Aussie]

Pretty well actually haha. He never shows his stressed out colors and he just climbs all over me, up my arms, up my ears and then sits on my head lol

 

[ross3729]

Camimom, when i got him, i put his food bowl in, and he was near the door and he tried walking on my arm, that was within 30 mins of him being in his new home, now when i walk into the room (my bedroom), he hides behind the leaves, vines, but as soon as his crickets are in the feeding bowl, he come out to eat a few.... If I walk into the room he will stop eating. If I walk out for 5 mins and come in they will be finished. Do you think he could still be getting used to me/ surroundings??

By the way i have never seen him drinking should that be something to worry about??

 

[ross3729]

Good job aussie. Have you tried feeding him by hand

 

[camimom]

Camimom, when i got him, i put his food bowl in, and he was near the door and he tried walking on my arm, that was within 30 mins of him being in his new home, now when i walk into the room (my bedroom), he hides behind the leaves, vines, but as soon as his crickets are in the feeding bowl, he come out to eat a few.... If I walk into the room he will stop eating. If I walk out for 5 mins and come in they will be finished. Do you think he could still be getting used to me/ surroundings??

By the way i have never seen him drinking should that be something to worry about??

yes. hes still trying to get used to you and his home.
i would try hand feeding him. get a good squiggly worm, like a hornworm or silkworm, and try to feed that. pinch it gently but firmly in your fingers and hold it near his face.
some are just shy eaters.

and i rarely see my veileds drink.. My hoehnelli drinks all the time in front of me. but Kink and Lily my veileds wont.. but as long as his urates are white, then he is drinking.... at some point.

 

[Aussie]

Good job aussie. Have you tried feeding him by hand

He would eat worms out of my hand when I first got him, but he got sick and I had to take him back to the store for a couple weeks and he hasn't wanted to eat from my hand since i've had him back