New Female Veiled - 1st-time owner with questions regarding overall setup and diet

[Kristen Wilkins]

Here are a few pics that show my cham and her habitat... View attachment 188962 View attachment 188963 View attachment 188964 View attachment 188965

Adorable .https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/plants/ . This should help . I do the same as Lynda I spray the greens , put them in a little sauce cup cut to appropriate size and leave them around . She loves her veggies , not all do . I started off with real and fake plant and vines . Of-course the first thing she tried munching on was fake . We changed over very fast . Don't be afraid of real there's many benefits to real plans .

Theirs so many amazing keepers on this site . You have come to the right place for questions to be answered .

 

[Julia777]

Lynda - how did I know about you? Well, since I just recently wandered into cham land (the world of cham ownership), I have been scouring the web for articles regarding cham care for 40+ hours. Your name kept cropping up and what you said was of particular interest to me since I have a female veiled cham and you reported their unusual longevity with your particular setup.

I will try the new light that is being sent to me and see if it provides ample range of temperatures throughout the cage, including at least one spot that hovers around 80-82 degrees. I will put thermometor at level of basking area to keep an eye on this.

My cham seems so starving by late in the day (she sometimes positions herself at the base of the cage on the lowest branch overlooking her food bowl and stares for lengthy period to tip me off...lol) that what I may do is offer as much as she’ll eat for 2 min in the AM and then hand feed her a worm in the early evening when I briefly take her out of the cage. It's apparent that she’s got such a hearty little appetite and I don’t want her to be food fixated all evening (long after the completion of the morning buffet).

You use no dry gutload? Jut fruits, veggies, and greens? That’s what I have been doing, so maybe I don’t need to change anything.

Is there any place to buy the plants organically grown? If not, is there a danger of her chewing the leaves even if they are washed (as they could still contain pesticides that have been absorbed through the leaves and/or soil)?

Can the leaves of any live plant intended for use (i.e., pothos, ficus, hibiscus) in a cham cage be safely eaten by a cham?

Is there a specific type of soil that is safe for chams that anyone can recommend or are they all dangerous for chams to ingest (thus, requiring rock coverage)?

Once the cham moves to my place, I will try giving her fuits/veggies/greens foods directly. I have put some of this on bottom of cage for the crickets in the past, but if I’m only feeding her once per day and then she hunts the crickets really darn fast, this may not be necessary on behalf of the crickets.

How many chams do you have? Do you raise them for purpose of selling them or just to have as pets?

I feel as if I will have that so much to learn feeling indefinitely with regard to cham care…lol.

 

[Julia777]

Adorable .https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/plants/ . This should help . I do the same as Lynda I spray the greens , put them in a little sauce cup cut to appropriate size and leave them around . She loves her veggies , not all do . I started off with real and fake plant and vines . Of-course the first thing she tried munching on was fake . We changed over very fast . Don't be afraid of real there's many benefits to real plans .

Theirs so many amazing keepers on this site . You have come to the right place for questions to be answered .

Kirsten - I will rinse/spray the greens, as you and Lynda recommend. Thanks for the link to the plant page. I tried to click on the names of the plants and there are no active hyperlinks with additional info, so I am still wondering, as I had asked Lynda, whether they are all safe for chams to eat.

I'm glad I've found the right place

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Kirsten - I will rinse/spray the greens, as you and Lynda recommend. Thanks for the link to the plant page. I tried to click on the names of the plants and there are no active hyperlinks with additional info, so I am still wondering, as I had asked Lynda, whether they are all safe for chams to eat.

I'm glad I've found the right place

Hi Julia . Potho's can be controversial but every one uses them . It's said in large amounts there can be an issue . I have not ever had an issue . You can find potho's pretty much anyplace . Clean them well and go with plan organic potting soil no additives , you are good to go . Hibiscus is probably the safest but harder to keep . You will need a grow bulb . Umbrella's are readily available as well . Any nursery , Home Depot , Lowe's , Walmart , most grocery stores that have a flower section , whole Foods or order on line .

You can go with fresh fruits and veggies for her . We have a little cup as stated we leave around sprayed we also have a misting system so they get a little damp . We change it daily so it's always fresh . She eats veggies daily but bugs every other day she's 16 months . The little girls are always starving . They act as if you NEVER FEED them lol . Always starved !!. It's a little game lol .

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."Lynda - how did I know about you? Well, since I just recently wandered into cham land (the world of cham ownership), I have been scouring the web for articles regarding cham care for 40+ hours. Your name kept cropping up and what you said was of particular interest to me since I have a female veiled cham and you reported their unusual longevity with your particular setup"....wasn't sure if someone I knew had mentioned me to you or something! I also post u der the name chameleon crazy on some forums....but there is someone else who started using that name too so I switched. You have to be careful if you read anything under that name because it might not all be me because of others taking my "handle".

You said..."My cham seems so starving by late in the day (she sometimes positions herself at the base of the cage on the lowest branch overlooking her food bowl and stares for lengthy period to tip me off...lol) that what I may do is offer as much as she’ll eat for 2 min in the AM and then hand feed her a worm in the early evening when I briefly take her out of the cage. It's apparent that she’s got such a hearty little appetite and I don’t want her to be food fixated all evening (long after the completion of the morning buffet)"....giving her a small treat should be fine...a little one!

You said..."You use no dry gutload? Jut fruits, veggies, and greens? That’s what I have been doing, so maybe I don’t need to change anything"... Nope...no dry gutload...but many do successfully. Getting the insect healthy and full of nutrients that the chameleon needs is what's important.

You said..."Is there any place to buy the plants organically grown? If not, is there a danger of her chewing the leaves even if they are washed (as they could still contain pesticides that have been absorbed through the leaves and/or soil)?"...I've never looked for organic. I've had my veiled females literally strip pothos plants of all their leaves and they were always fine so it doesn't seem like there were any residual pesticides in the leaves.

You asked..."Can the leaves of any live plant intended for use (i.e., pothos, ficus, hibiscus) in a cham cage be safely eaten by a cham?"...that's why we have a list. The plants on beardie, tortoise and chameleon lists should all be safe to ingest.
Here are some links...
http://flchams.com/chameleon-safe-plant-list/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/116-chameleon-safe-plants-with-pictures-a-thur-h.122/

You asked..."Is there a specific type of soil that is safe for chams that anyone can recommend or are they all dangerous for chams to ingest (thus, requiring rock coverage)?"...the danger in chameleons eating pesticide free fertilizer free soil is impaction. We don't know which soils can impact a chameleon and impaction is often a death sentence to a chameleon.

You asked.."How many chams do you have? Do you raise them for purpose of selling them or just to have as pets?"... at the moment I have no reptiles. I had to have both my knees replaced a while ago so I gave my last few reptiles to a friend to keep for me because I knew I would be in a rehab home for a while to recover and couldn't look after them. Sadly, I haven't gotten back into it because I will likely move to an apartment and have to be sure I can have pets there. It's driving me crazy waiting!

You said...I feel as if I will have that so much to learn feeling indefinitely with regard to cham care…lol"....I still have lots to learn!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Also with hornworms and silkies they will not eat fruits and veggies in that sense and thrive . They eat Mulberry leaves . You'll either have to have Mulberry leaves on and or you will have to do a chow for them . I have not successfully found one homemade . It's bought and it's cooked in the microwave . If you do not want to go that route you need mulberry leaves .

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

You said..."Lynda - how did I know about you? Well, since I just recently wandered into cham land (the world of cham ownership), I have been scouring the web for articles regarding cham care for 40+ hours. Your name kept cropping up and what you said was of particular interest to me since I have a female veiled cham and you reported their unusual longevity with your particular setup"....wasn't sure if someone I knew had mentioned me to you or something! I also post u der the name chameleon crazy on some forums....but there is someone else who started using that name too so I switched. You have to be careful if you read anything under that name because it might not all be me because of others taking my "handle".

You said..."My cham seems so starving by late in the day (she sometimes positions herself at the base of the cage on the lowest branch overlooking her food bowl and stares for lengthy period to tip me off...lol) that what I may do is offer as much as she’ll eat for 2 min in the AM and then hand feed her a worm in the early evening when I briefly take her out of the cage. It's apparent that she’s got such a hearty little appetite and I don’t want her to be food fixated all evening (long after the completion of the morning buffet)"....giving her a small treat should be fine...a little one!

You said..."You use no dry gutload? Jut fruits, veggies, and greens? That’s what I have been doing, so maybe I don’t need to change anything"... Nope...no dry gutload...but many do successfully. Getting the insect healthy and full of nutrients that the chameleon needs is what's important.

You said..."Is there any place to buy the plants organically grown? If not, is there a danger of her chewing the leaves even if they are washed (as they could still contain pesticides that have been absorbed through the leaves and/or soil)?"...I've never looked for organic. I've had my veiled females literally strip pothos plants of all their leaves and they were always fine so it doesn't seem like there were any residual pesticides in the leaves.

You asked..."Can the leaves of any live plant intended for use (i.e., pothos, ficus, hibiscus) in a cham cage be safely eaten by a cham?"...that's why we have a list. The plants on beardie, tortoise and chameleon lists should all be safe to ingest.
Here are some links...
http://flchams.com/chameleon-safe-plant-list/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/116-chameleon-safe-plants-with-pictures-a-thur-h.122/

You asked..."Is there a specific type of soil that is safe for chams that anyone can recommend or are they all dangerous for chams to ingest (thus, requiring rock coverage)?"...the danger in chameleons eating pesticide free fertilizer free soil is impaction. We don't know which soils can impact a chameleon and impaction is often a death sentence to a chameleon.

You asked.."How many chams do you have? Do you raise them for purpose of selling them or just to have as pets?"... at the moment I have no reptiles. I had to have both my knees replaced a while ago so I gave my last few reptiles to a friend to keep for me because I knew I would be in a rehab home for a while to recover and couldn't look after them. Sadly, I haven't gotten back into it because I will likely move to an apartment and have to be sure I can have pets there. It's driving me crazy waiting!

You said...I feel as if I will have that so much to learn feeling indefinitely with regard to cham care…lol"....I still have lots to learn!

Funny you say that . We live in a condo one of the rules is no pets . Meaning no four legged furry pets , or birds . My son was heartbroken . As stated many time I have kept beardies and geckos for 30 + years . Chameleon just over a year . There's was no mention of not having scally babies .

 

[Julia777]

Hi Julia . Potho's can be controversial but every one uses them . It's said in large amounts there can be an issue . I have not ever had an issue . You can find potho's pretty much anyplace . Clean them well and go with plan organic potting soil no additives , you are good to go . Hibiscus is probably the safest but harder to keep . You will need a grow bulb . Umbrella's are readily available as well . Any nursery , Home Depot , Lowe's , Walmart , most grocery stores that have a flower section , whole Foods or order on line .

You can go with fresh fruits and veggies for her . We have a little cup as stated we leave around sprayed we also have a misting system so they get a little damp . We change it daily so it's always fresh . She eats veggies daily but bugs every other day she's 16 months . The little girls are always starving . They act as if you NEVER FEED them lol . Always starved !!. It's a little game lol .

Hi Kristen. The new lighting fixture I ordered is supposed to contain lights that help plants grow, so perhaps I could try hibiscus and pothos plants with organic soil and some rocks on top I was thinking that maybe if I soaked the entire plant in water for several hours (roots and top, on one side for several hours, then switch out water and flip it to other side) maybe I could rid the plants of more toxins. Not sure, but I want to be sure she ingests as few toxins as possible.

Ah, veggies daily is good idea since they are so low cal and it's at least something to offer her. That's so funny that yours also acts as if you never feed her That makes me feel better.

Where do you have a little cup again? I may have missed that. You leave the cup sprayed with water for the cham? Most people are saying to use dripper twice and mist 2-4x, but many things I've read state that dripper twice is sufficient. I will experiment with misting more to see if she drinks more, and then align with her needs. Thanks!

 

[Julia777]

Also with hornworms and silkies they will not eat fruits and veggies in that sense and thrive . They eat Mulberry leaves . You'll either have to have Mulberry leaves on and or you will have to do a chow for them . I have not successfully found one homemade . It's bought and it's cooked in the microwave . If you do not want to go that route you need mulberry leaves .

I actually made my first batch of hornworm chow a few weeks ago (no ingredients were listed, so no idea what it consisted of) and one of silkworm chow, and the worms really like it. I understand both keep in the fridge, if covered, for a month.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Hi Kristen. The new lighting fixture I ordered is supposed to contain lights that help plants grow, so perhaps I could try hibiscus and pothos plants with organic soil and some rocks on top I was thinking that maybe if I soaked the entire plant in water for several hours (roots and top, on one side for several hours, then switch out water and flip it to other side) maybe I could rid the plants of more toxins. Not sure, but I want to be sure she ingests as few toxins as possible.

Ah, veggies daily is good idea since they are so low cal and it's at least something to offer her. That's so funny that yours also acts as if you never feed her That makes me feel better.

Where do you have a little cup again? I may have missed that. You leave the cup sprayed with water for the cham? Most people are saying to use dripper twice and mist 2-4x, but many things I've read state that dripper twice is sufficient. I will experiment with misting more to see if she drinks more, and then align with her needs. Thanks!

The cup is a small clear salad dressing cup . I just fill with greens I use all different , veggies and a little fruit . I chop it up to the appropriate size leave it in her little cups around her condo . I spray the veggies for extra hydration .

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

I actually made my first batch of hornworm chow a few weeks ago (no ingredients were listed, so no idea what it consisted of) and one of silkworm chow, and the worms really like it. I understand both keep in the fridge, if covered, for a month.

Yes sound same as I use . It's primarily mulberry leaves there dried and ground . There's a few other things in there too but it's all natural the bag I got is organic .

 

[Julia777]

You said..."Lynda - how did I know about you? Well, since I just recently wandered into cham land (the world of cham ownership), I have been scouring the web for articles regarding cham care for 40+ hours. Your name kept cropping up and what you said was of particular interest to me since I have a female veiled cham and you reported their unusual longevity with your particular setup"....wasn't sure if someone I knew had mentioned me to you or something! I also post u der the name chameleon crazy on some forums....but there is someone else who started using that name too so I switched. You have to be careful if you read anything under that name because it might not all be me because of others taking my "handle".

You said..."My cham seems so starving by late in the day (she sometimes positions herself at the base of the cage on the lowest branch overlooking her food bowl and stares for lengthy period to tip me off...lol) that what I may do is offer as much as she’ll eat for 2 min in the AM and then hand feed her a worm in the early evening when I briefly take her out of the cage. It's apparent that she’s got such a hearty little appetite and I don’t want her to be food fixated all evening (long after the completion of the morning buffet)"....giving her a small treat should be fine...a little one!

You said..."You use no dry gutload? Jut fruits, veggies, and greens? That’s what I have been doing, so maybe I don’t need to change anything"... Nope...no dry gutload...but many do successfully. Getting the insect healthy and full of nutrients that the chameleon needs is what's important.

You said..."Is there any place to buy the plants organically grown? If not, is there a danger of her chewing the leaves even if they are washed (as they could still contain pesticides that have been absorbed through the leaves and/or soil)?"...I've never looked for organic. I've had my veiled females literally strip pothos plants of all their leaves and they were always fine so it doesn't seem like there were any residual pesticides in the leaves.

You asked..."Can the leaves of any live plant intended for use (i.e., pothos, ficus, hibiscus) in a cham cage be safely eaten by a cham?"...that's why we have a list. The plants on beardie, tortoise and chameleon lists should all be safe to ingest.
Here are some links...
http://flchams.com/chameleon-safe-plant-list/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/116-chameleon-safe-plants-with-pictures-a-thur-h.122/

You asked..."Is there a specific type of soil that is safe for chams that anyone can recommend or are they all dangerous for chams to ingest (thus, requiring rock coverage)?"...the danger in chameleons eating pesticide free fertilizer free soil is impaction. We don't know which soils can impact a chameleon and impaction is often a death sentence to a chameleon.

You asked.."How many chams do you have? Do you raise them for purpose of selling them or just to have as pets?"... at the moment I have no reptiles. I had to have both my knees replaced a while ago so I gave my last few reptiles to a friend to keep for me because I knew I would be in a rehab home for a while to recover and couldn't look after them. Sadly, I haven't gotten back into it because I will likely move to an apartment and have to be sure I can have pets there. It's driving me crazy waiting!

You said...I feel as if I will have that so much to learn feeling indefinitely with regard to cham care…lol"....I still have lots to learn!

Hi Lynda…okay, just a little treat in afternoon, perhaps a small silkworm.

If I am going to skip dry gutload I will have to be careful to rotate fruits/veggies/greens to get well-rounded nutrition. Do you rotate throughout week or just weekly?

Thanks for safe plant lists, I will review them. Where do you purchase the rocks to put on top of the soil? I’ve never bought rocks! Is there a need to worry if you water plants and some of soil content spills out of botto with excess water? Can cham potentially drink this and have problem?

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been cham free and missing the little ones. They are definitely precious! I hope that your recovery from surgery is going well.

 

[Julia777]

The cup is a small clear salad dressing cup . I just fill with greens I use all different , veggies and a little fruit . I chop it up to the appropriate size leave it in her little cups around her condo . I spray the veggies for extra hydration .

That sounds great, thx for the idea!

 

[Julia777]

Does anyone do the plants this way, with peat moss and top soil? I would likely still cover with rocks to be safe, but it seems this may be safer if some is accidentally ingested. http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/plants.html

 

[Julia777]

What are people's favorite plants to use - pothos and hibiscus? Do people in this group use any others with high frequency? Are there any plants that tend to be cham favorites? I am in midwest, so restricted to whatever may be available here...

 

[Julia777]

Is any plant pot okay to use, or should some types be avoided for use with plants in cham cages?

 

[bobbydigital]

I have 2 big umbrella plants. They provide lots of foliage for my cham to hide, hold water on leaves nicely and help keep humidity up. From what I've seen the most used are pothos,ficus and umbrella plants.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."If I am going to skip dry gutload I will have to be careful to rotate fruits/veggies/greens to get well-rounded nutrition. Do you rotate throughout week or just weekly?"...I always had tortoises and water dragons and beardies so they all are the same assortment of greens, veggies and fruits that I used to gutload crickets with so I used most of the ones I listed in the mixture every time.

You said..."Where do you purchase the rocks to put on top of the soil? I’ve never bought rocks! Is there a need to worry if you water plants and some of soil content spills out of botto with excess water? Can cham potentially drink this and have problem?"...you should be able to buy rocks at a garden centre. I don't worry if a bit of soil comes out with the water. I don't think most soils will cause an impaction but you never know until it happens so I just don't take the chance.

You said..."I’m sorry to hear you’ve been cham free and missing the little ones. They are definitely precious! I hope that your recovery from surgery is going well"...my recovery is going well, thanks...it's just taking longer than I expected from complications. I certainly miss the critters.
Hopefully I won't have to miss them for much longer!

 

[Julia777]

Possible need to lay eggs - HELP PLEASE!

My chameleon is still at my niece's house and I am wondering, since I have erroneously been feeding more than I should in the past (until recently reading about diet and restricting food) if she could need to lay eggs. I asked my sister to keep an eye on her and wrote up a sheet of signs that she may need to lay eggs. She just texted me and said that the cham was spotted when she came home (like some of the pics of chams that need to lay eggs). She stayed spotted for about a minute while my sister stared at her and then turned solid green again. Does this mean she is likely to need to lay eggs? If so, I just need to know what type of sand or soil to purchase to fill the pot for her (I bought one yesterday just in case it was needed). Pease respond ASAP, as I am scared that she may have a problem if we don't get the pot in there ASAP. Thanks so much!

 

[Julia777]

Also, how urgent is it to get the pot in the cage? Does she need it tonight or is tomorrow morning okay? Not sure if anywhere is open to get soil/sand tonight so that may pose a problem if it is urgent.