New here with a question for yall

[newdude1]

Hey whats up. I recently purchased a veiled chameleon about a month ago. And I must say I do love him anyway. He normally sleeps in the vines or up top the cage but last night I came in and he was sleeping on the ground. And today he was even digging. Is this normal for them to do? Just really curious is all.

 

[Sancho]

1.) there shouldn't be any soil on the bottom of the cage

2.) Fell out the info below.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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

 

[GooglezNvincent]

1.) there shouldn't be any soil on the bottom of the cage

2.) Fell out the info below.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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

Yes filling al this out will hel us determine what is possibly wrong with your cham, We also could use some pictures! they help alot! take a picture of the back of the hind legs for us please. also take a picture of the enclosure! thank you and ill be happy to help you!

 

[Sancho]

Plus add some pictures of your cham and cage.

 

[alhickabee]

Sounds like he might be a she. Read up on how to tell the difference and properly care for a female, if it turns out its a she. This site has 99% of everything you could want to know about caring for veileds:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

 

[newdude1]

there shouldn't be any soil on the bottom of the cage

2.) Fell out the info below.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - The cage is glassed with a screen top and vents in the bottom. Exo Terra cage. 18x18x24
Lighting - Im using 5.0 uv bumps and 75 heat bulds.
Temperature - I have a thermometer and a hydro meter. Temps in the day time is 80 and at night 65.
Humidity -Humidty is between 50 and 60. Im using a hydo meter. and Im drenching the cage 3 times a day.
Plants - The only live plant I have is a bambo stick thing he really likes. I need some suggestion on other plants. I was thinking about buying some kind of vines.
Location - Its in my room. Very low traffic area.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Its the veiled chameleon and I have had it for about a month now. Other then that it was at a pet store.
Handling - ONly handled it about 3 times so far.
Feeding - Im feeding him crickets daily from the pet store.
Supplements - They dust them with calcium
Watering -Im just using a squirt bottle and I mist the cage about 3 times a day.
Fecal Description - They are just a normal dark brown with yellow or white round droping.
History - came from a pet store.
Current Problem - He has been on the ground and I caught him sleeping there the other night and he was digging today. Also caught him pushing on the glass too.
He also almost seems like he sneezes but that has only happened twice.

 

[newdude1]

Sorry for the crappy pictures.

 

[Miss Lily]

Your cham looks female from what I can see. Good plants are Schefflera (Umbrella plant), Pothos (Devil's Ivy) and Ficus Benjamina (Weeping Fig). Looks like you have a water dish at the bottom? They don't drink from dishes - only drops of water from leaves and moving water (via a dripper). You should take the dish out - it will harbour bacteria and your cham will probably poop in it anyway.

 

[Maestro]

i dont know for sure but that looks like a female..other people will know better....definately check out this website: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

 

[CHAMpion]

Like others have said i think it's a female not a male

 

[Sancho]

First off it's hard to tell if it's a male or female in those pictures cause of the quality but it looks 98% female. second please get rid of the water dish, Bamboo, and soil/dirt at the bottom of the cage! Water dish will collect bacteria and infect your cham. The bamboo isn't good for chams use the search button there is only a few times that are ok for chams but that isn't one. Soil/dirt isn't good for chams it will cause compaction! Just use plain old paper towels at the bottom! Also remember when she gets alittle older you will have to put her in a screen cage.

 

[BigR]

Female, but too young to be digging to lay eggs. I know mine would dig small holes in the substrate when she was young. That was before I met the fine folks on this site.

 

[Dunnigan]

The bamboo isn't good for chams use the search button there is only a few times that are ok for chams but that isn't one.

Really? I did not know this, i almost bought a bamboo thing for the cages. When is a good situation to use it? When it is dead and fastened horizontally?

 

[newdude1]

So the digging thing is an ok thing? and How come its bad to have the "rain forest" dirt?

 

[GooglezNvincent]

Yeah just as i suspected its a female.

 

[alhickabee]

So the digging thing is an ok thing? and How come its bad to have the "rain forest" dirt?

Chameleons use their tongue capture prey. If the insect was on the ground when the cham shot for it, it is possible that the tongue could grab a piece of dirt/bark. This could cause the cham to become impacted which will lead to death if not promptly and properly treated. The link I posted earlier has some great info and links about caring for an egg laying female and over all veiled husbandry.

 

[sandrachameleon]

When you say the temperature is 80F, is this the ambient temp, the temp at the basking spot, at the middle of the enclosure, at the bottom? They need a good gradient. If its 80F generally/ambient or at the bottom, especially in a glass enclosure, she might be too hot.

I agree about removing the substrate, get rid of the water bowl (drippers and misting), a nice pothos or one of the other recommended live plants, vines and branches at various levels and in various thicknesses, etc.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I am also thinking the reason the animal is behaving this way is because it is too hot.

What are the temperatures in the enclosure without the basking light?
Or try a 25 or 40 watt household bulb.

-Brad

 

[Julirs]

I am also thinking the reason the animal is behaving this way is because it is too hot.

What are the temperatures in the enclosure without the basking light?
Or try a 25 or 40 watt household bulb.

-Brad

My thoughts too! A 75 watt bulb in that enclosure would make it way too hot-what kind of thermometer are you using?

 

[Sang]

also, that is the curly bamboo stuff, isn't that lucky bamboo, from what i understand, shouldn't be used within a enclosure.