New Jackson's owner with questions

[Lovereps]

I've been reading the forum posts to try to learn, but am still unsure about some things. I read the general husbandry guidelines, but understand that things are a bit different for montane species.
All I really know is that chameleons don't like to be handled and are more difficult to maintain than most other lizards.
We just bought a young male Jackson's chameleon--approximately 4" svl--so I'm guessing he's about 6 months old.
I believe he was wild-caught.
He is housed in a homemade screened enclosure that is 60" high, 24" wide and 20" deep.
It is furnished with a small Ficus (16") and a tall Ficus (4 feet).
I'm planning to add either a few dowels or vines, as well.
Lighting is presently an 18" Reptisun 5.0 tube and a regular incandescent 40 watt bulb.
Both are on the outside top of the cage.
Would it be safe to move the fluorescent fixture to the inside of the cage, so the chameleon can get closer to it? The closest he can get is about 12" from either.
Is an 18" Reptisun enough for this size enclosure?
Household temps are maintained around 70 -75 degrees day and night. Do they need a lower night temp?
The pet store told me that he only needs to be misted once daily, eat every other day, use a low wattage bulb for basking and that even a much smaller enclosure would be fine.
How hardy are Jackson's? (I was told they are no harder to keep than any other chameleon.)
How often and how much does he need to eat?
How many times per day does he need his plants sprayed/misted? He seems to only want to drink once a day.
Are automatic misters safe? I'd think they'd harbor bacteria.
What are the ideal temperature and humidity ranges and how are both best measured?
Temperatures I would guess should be measured at basking spot and the furthest point away from that.
Humidity should be measured where in the enclosure?
Can I just use my electronic weather monitor to periodically take the temp and humidity readings or do I need something else?
If so, what's a reliable (hopefully not too expensive) humidity meter?
How do I find a competent vet? I keep reading how chameleons tend to have heavy parasite loads.
Thanks, in advance, as I really want to do right by the little fella and not just watch him wither away or become ill.

 

[darkfader]

Jacksons are not recommended as a first time Chameleon. here are some good links with info.

http://www.geocities.com/chamjacksonii/

http://adcham.com/html/taxonomy/species/chjacksonixanth.html

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/chameleons/p/jacksoncham.htm

 

[xanthoman]

jackson's are a fairly fragile cham and as such require a fair amount of looking after, i would mist the cage with heated water (filtered cold water that has been heated, not warm tap water) at least 5x a day, if you use an auto mister you should change your water daily or use reptisafe, your lighting is fine right where it is, you can restructure, or at least add some additional climbing structure towards the top of the cage, so he can get closer, and its likely thats where he will spend much of his time,also the top of the cage should be at eye level or higher, xanths will often seekout more heat than is good for them , so just to be on the safe side i would limit the basking temps to about 82*, both temp and humidity should be measured in a couple of spots around the cage, and you want varied readings on both, dial in your basking temps first , although i prefer a actual reptile basking spot lamp, 25-40w should be about right, then you can just move your probes daily until youve got it figured out. hanging a white trash bag or attaching a (frosted) acrylic panel to one or two side(s) of the cage will help raise and stabilize humidity. zilla makes an ok temp/ humidity guage for $20, good non basking temps should range down to at least 75* or lower, but you want to provide a night drop of at least 10* if possible. dont worry about night heat unless temps get below 58*. humidity should range from 50-to a max of about 85%, but readings will vary considerably between mistings, avoid misting while he is asleep , and always mist at sunrise before feedings, unless you are around alot, i would strongly recomend an automister, jacksons can be stubborn drinkers, and once you fall behind it can be hard to catch up. they dont usually deal well with a lot of commotion like dogs, cats, kids. / like all chams, gut loading and supplemetation is one of the more important componets of their care, but that requires study of your own, as the subject is to extensive to cover in this post. i will say this, that i would be more worried about over supplementation than under , especially if you can get him regular occasional sun. a small basking cage is strongly recomended, its not a bad idea to keep a record of his weight as a significant change in weight can be one of the only early indicators other than feces , its also a good idea to smell his pooh regularly, jackson's impact easily and all substrate should be covered. and the bottom of his cage needs to be kept quite clean. and he will need a variety of feeders. he will decide how much to eat and once youve got that figured out be careful not to max him out every day, an ocassional fasting wont hurt either, and no wild caught flies. the main issue is just keeping a close eye on him and being especially alert to even subtle changes in his condition . if its got an svl of 4" it is most likely older than 6 months. if you have any problems or other questions just re-post, if you have any specific questions or concerns you are also welome to pm, one of the best places to learn about any chameleon is in the health forums, there you can see the problems that other people have had, and all of the varied responses to them . good luck and welcome to xantholand (im assuming its a xanth ) credit to sandra chameleon for previously posting all of these great links
Bug nutrition http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=92
Bug nutrition https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/nutri...22/#post171073
Gutloading http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=101
Gutloading http://www.screameleons.com/site/3602/default.aspx
Gutloading https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/gutlo...w-owner-15262/
Gutloading https://www.chameleonforums.com/gutloading-recipes-1803/
Gutload https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/cerea...e-grain-20880/
Gutload http://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/gutload.html
Gutloading https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/blogs...ing-links.html
general http://webhome.idirect.com/~chameleo...ter4-sub1.html
general http://www.chameleonsonline.com/feeding.php
Nutrition values produce search http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
Nutrition values (scrolldown) of feeders, fruit, veggieshttp://www.beautifuldragons.503xtrem...Nutrition.html
Nutrition values http://chamownersweb.net/insects/nutritional_values.htm
Nutrients in 5 common gutload items:https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/nutri...nflower-27005/
Supplements https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/blogs...pplements.html
About Feeders:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/new...-owner-questions-29702/blogs...4-feeders.htm you can also locate a reptile vet by zipcode http://www.vetsnearyou.com/ml2/?v=1...8080F807182E&gclid=CNWElNbsy5wCFRZeagod7VmPmw or http://www.rcreptiles.com/reptilevets.php

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

I just add a couple of thoughts to the great post by Xanthoman :

He is housed in a homemade screened enclosure that is 60" high, 24" wide and 20" deep.It is furnished with a small Ficus (16") and a tall Ficus (4 feet).
It's ok to raise the plant to maybe 5.5 feet so that UVB and heat can be accessed while still maintaining some hiding places.

Would it be safe to move the fluorescent fixture to the inside of the cage, so the chameleon can get closer to it? The closest he can get is about 12" from either.
For various reasons, don’t put your lights on the side.

Is an 18" Reptisun enough for this size enclosure?
Yes, but you’ll still want to raise the plants into the 6”-12” UVB zone so that he can properly access the UVB.

The pet store told me that he only needs to be misted once daily, eat every other day, use a low wattage bulb for basking and that even a much smaller enclosure would be fine.
He might survive with that advice but he may not thrive. If your misting was, for example, 15-20 minutes several times a day then he may take the opportunity to tank-up. At his young age, he may do better with daily feedings of the proper amount, size and type of feeders.

How hardy are Jackson's? (I was told they are no harder to keep than any other chameleon.)
They have their “problems”. Most would classify their ”keepability” below Veileds and Panthers, especially a WC.

Are automatic misters safe? I'd think they'd harbor bacteria.
They are safe and recommended. Bacteria is not a problem.

How do I find a competent vet? I keep reading how chameleons tend to have heavy parasite loads.
Post for suggestions from keepers who have used Vets in your area.
WHAT PART OF THE WORLD DO YOU LIVE?
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/

 

[Lovereps]

Thanks, questions, a strange thing and pics

Darkfader, thanks for the good Jackson's-specific links.
I'm not technically a new chameleon keeper (had a Senegal about 15 yrs ago), but so much has been learned about chameleon husbandry over the years and I desperately need to learn. I want my chameleon to thrive.

Xanthoman, your very informative reply is truly, greatly appreciated.
I just brought him home on Friday--is it too soon to let him bask outdoors during the day, as he must still be acclimating to his new home?
I have an 18 wide x 24 deep x 30 high screen cage that could go outdoors and I'd put the smaller ficus into it for those days.
I'm not too far from NY City, so summers are generally warm and humid. The humidity in my house with the A/C on is 50%.
Is direct sunlight OK if I put a mat on top of the cage for shade or would he need to always be in a shady spot ?
I assume that it would be good to have a drip going outdoors, so he could drink at will.

Dave Weldon, I appreciate the additional info and ideas you added.
I am going to raise the ficus by 6" to enable him to get a bit closer to the basking and UV bulbs to ensure that he gets enough UV.
What's the best way to weigh a chameleon?

The strange thing is this:
I thought that he was defecating, but instead, "he" left a clear-gel-coated, orangish mass. According to the first website from Darkfader, this mass is an unfertilized egg. Link to that site's pic: http://www.geocities.com/chamjacksonii/slugsm.jpg
"He" was sold to me as a male, but it appears that "he" is a female.
I took a couple of pics, but stopped because of the obvious distress it was causing (see 2nd pic). Sorry, but I don't know how to rotate the second picture, which shows my chameleon making a mad dash to escape from the camera--putting the horns partially behind a leaf for the pic.

Thanks again to all.
I appreciate all the great info!

 

[Surfrat]

Looks like a male to me Probably just poop you saw, he needs to be hydrated more!

 

[darkfader]

It is a male for sure and looks like he does need more hydration.

 

[Olimpia]

It is a male for sure and looks like he does need more hydration.

How can you tell? I just got a Jackson and he seems to me like he's fine, water-wise, but there may be a sign I'm not reading because the cham in the photos looks fine to me also. I know the sunken eyes thing, but anything else?

 

[darkfader]

Sorry I meant to put he needs to be hydrated

 

[Brad Ramsey]

The big clue is the "orange gel covered mass" which is not a slug, but most likely urates.
The urate part of elimination should be quite white with perhaps a bit of orange or yellow.
What is described by the original poster would lead us to believe this chameleon needs more water.

-Brad

 

[Olimpia]

The big clue is the "orange gel covered mass" which is not a slug, but most likely urates.
The urate part of elimination should be quite white with perhaps a bit of orange or yellow.
What is described by the original poster would lead us to believe this chameleon needs more water.

-Brad

Ahhh, I see. Thanks!

 

[Dave Weldon]

...What's the best way to weigh a chameleon?...

Howdy,

Many chameleon keepers use a simple, low-cost digital scale. Suitable ones can be found between $10-$40. These units have a simple "Tare" mode that allows you to zero-out a container's weight before you put the chameleon inside. That way you'll get just the chameleon's weight. For a chameleon that is more than an estimated 10 grams, you won't need 0.1 gram resolution. 1 gram resolution will do. If you ever want to weigh hatchlings, get 0.1 gram resolution. Maybe just get a scale for light weight use and another one for weighing heavier loads like a 300 gram chameleon sitting in a 500 gram container (mounted sticks work great too!) .

Examples:

0.1 gram resolution with 500 gram max. Usually goes on sale for $10-$13.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93543

1 gram(?) resolution 5000 gram max. Usually goes on sale for ~$15 or less.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95364

I recently bought one online with 0.001 gram resolution and about 20 grams max for $20. I use it for experimenting with how much vitamin/mineral dust sticks to feeders (~0.010 grams sticks to a silkworm) .

Digital scales are available all over the internet, especially eBay. Have fun shopping!