New Chameleon owner! please help!

[chameleonman707]

so i just purchased a 2.5 month old ambilole panther chameleon... been worried sick ever since i purchased him. he seems too be doing fine. just want too check with everyone on here that im not making any mistakes, i have a small plastic reptarium for him at the moment. i mist him 2 too 5 times a day. light mistings with warm water. ive been feeding him fruit flys dusted in calcium without d3 every day. and am giving him calcium with d3 and herptivite twice a month. im using a tropical zilla slimline uvb bulb. im currently not using a basking bulb because the breeder told me i didnt need one until he was older. he seems too be a dark color often which i thought was from being cold, however he rarely is on his stick which brings him closest too the uvb light. thanks for the help in advance!!!

 

[WTF]

I hope this link works if not please look under care rescouces and care sheets on this site. it should answer most of your questions.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

 

[WTF]

Oh and welcome to the forum.

 

[chameleonman707]

is that all the info i can get? i appreciate it... but i need a direct answer

 

[KatiLemons]

what is the warmest part of the cage? Can you get a picture of you cage setup for us?

 

[bfisher31]

As long as you do what's in the care sheet, you're fine. Also mist heavily, not lightly. Chameleons get dehydrated easily. If you're house is typically cold, you'll need a heat lamp.

 

[kinyonga]

What's the temperature in the cage?

 

[chameleonman707]

heres some pics

http://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=7vufcs0hro0nl#mail[/IMG]
http://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=7vufcs0hro0nl#mail[/url]

 

[Video Master]

You need to fill out the How to Ask for Help questions. Be as detailed as possible with your answers.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

Once we have that information we can help you out better.

 

[Turningdoc]

Check out Mistking.com for automated misting. Switch to Calcium, no vit D. Use Cal w D once a week or less. Try to get him out in sun when you can. Put a lot of animal safe vines and plants (pothos vines and ficus tree/shrub from Home Depot or Lowes a good start). You can also use 1/4" crickets and up the size as he grows. P.S. don't forget to check him out every once in awhile, I hear chameleons are cool! Direct enough? Oh yeah, they really don't mind temps unless below about 50F.

 

[jackschamnewbie]

The dark colors might be caused by stress. Make sure to keep track of the temps, however if your cham is not trying to climb a plastic wall to get higher up the the cause might be from the noise and movement your cham is exposed to while checking up on them. Try to keep the room and inclsure undisturbed as much as possible and if you are able to then get more plants with dense foliage. This helps them to feel more secure and will encourage him to use the cmbasking stick more often

My jacksonii used to be terrified of me, anytime I stepped into the room she would turn black. Then she did the whole territorial head rocking while hissing thing and still does sometimes. I play classical music every time I enter her enclosure to clean and sanitize. She has associated this to wax worms(chameleon crack) and she now does not stress from noise or movement in the room. She does however turn dark brown and black when I am I'm a hurry and have to move the temperature probe or squish crickets to large for her to eat.

Watch its behavior though, if you cham starts spending time with it's eyes shut or visibly sleeping while the lights are on it is sign that you need to take them to the vet. Dark or pale colors can be attributed to infections and diseases. Temperature is the easiest fix so start there.

 

[chameleonman707]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? -panther ambiole chameleon/not sure on sex/ almost 3 months old
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? havent held him since purchasing him two weeks ago. have moved him too clean cage.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?- feeding him fruit flys dusted in calcium without d3 daily
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?reptical calcium with d3 twice a month. reptical herptivite vitamins twice a month. reptical calcium without d3 daily.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? mist him with warm water 2 too 5 times a day lightly (just getting big drops on all the leaves)
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?brown solid poop dark though. with whitish orange almost pink urates.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. bought him from breeder

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?small reptarium plastic tank with no top.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? zilla tropical slim line uvb light.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? temps from 79 too 85 in the day and drop down too around 70 at night
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? around 50 % using a cheap dial from petco.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?fake plants
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?near a fan which i rarely use.. low traffic area, and is about chest height too me and im 5'11
Location - Where are you geographically located?northern california

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.seems too be dark often, worried about stress, and if i need a basking light when the breeder told me i didn't? just want all the experts on here too overview what im doing because i want him to be happy and healthy!!! thanks so much for the help everyone!!

 

[Video Master]

You should provide a basking spot for the chameleon. Use a standard household incandescent bulb for this. There is no need for those special basking bulbs. bulb holder with a ceramic base and I would suggest one of the dome ones.

 

[chameleonman707]

anybody?

also wondering if i should still bee feeding him fruit flys or if i should go too 1/4 crickets?
thanks again!

 

[Video Master]

definitely 1/4 inch crickets. My panther has been on 1/4 inch crickets since before I got him and he was 2 months old when I got him. He is now over 3 months and they are between 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch in size that he is eating.

 

[chameleonman707]

okay because the breeder told me those might be too big since he is only maybe 3 inches long.. he said too use pin heads but id have to order them.. so maybe ill just try 1/4 and see how he does with them thanks!!

 

[Turningdoc]

IMO pinheads are worthless. Too small and die off quickly. 1/4s are still really small but much easier