New Owner of Chameleon - HELP and ADVICE

[starsnowxx]

Okay. So I know someone who recently bought a chameleon who knows little to nothing on how to properly care for them and just decided to give up on the poor small thing all together. Being a total avid animal lover, I decided to take him off his hands. However, I had no clue what I just put myself into!

My father recently rescued a tortoise and he raised 3 iguanas before, but he have no idea on how to properly care for chameleons (he didn't even know we can have them as pets!)

I decided to name him 'Egi' and he's about 3 1/2 inches long (not including the tail.) I don't even know how old he is! Or what type of chameleon he is! After browsing through some pictures, he does resemble the Panther Chameleon or the Kinyongia though. His color range to light green to dark brown when he's stressed. He does get brown occasionally but he's active and stays neutral green most of the day. I've handled only twice before. The first time, his whole body was DARK. The second time though, he stayed a nice shade of light green.

I've had him for about 6 days now. I've been feeding him 5-6 crickets a day and I've also dusted 1-2 crickets with calcium w/ d3 every other day. Also, is it necessary to get the Herptivite w/ beta carotene? I just bought him mealworms and he ate one earlier this afternoon.

ANYWAYS, my main concern is his cage. I got some pictures off of google and these are basically his whole setup.

^-- I only have an unused 40gallon plastic aquarium and it is that shape. I leave the top open for Egi.

^-- I know this lighting isn't good enough, but I was wondering if it's dangerous? And I do plan on getting the ReptiSun 5.0

^--And there goes Egi. I doubt that he's a Panther. I've also added some fake plastic leaves to give him more hiding place.


I know there are so much stuff that I need to get and do for him, so help me? I appreciate any feedback! And also, how big do these things get??

 

[morpheon]

Ok here we start!

First of all, this is not a panther (Furcifer pardalis), as you already guessed. However, i can't tell you what species it is exactly as i am not used to these.

About everything else, you got lots of things to change. First of all, my main concern is about the lack of UVBs. Chameleons need both heat lamp and UVB lamp. Without UVB, they are unable to get the vitamins out of the food they eat. This is the most important change you have to do, and should be done tomorrow or a day later max. Don't take your time on this one!!

Since we are talking about supplements, your calcium with D3 should only be used one or twice a month, not more. Therefore, you will absolutely have to buy calcium WITHOUT D3, that you can give every two days or so. You will also need some multivitamins, but you won't give him these too often.

I would like to know how can he drink actually? Have you gotten a mister (hand or automatic) and a dripper?

About your enclosure, is the roof taken off when the chameleon is inside?? If so, how can you make sure that he doesn't leave it? And how are the lights installed? You should consider buying something like this: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ile-cages-and-vivariums/screen-reptile-cages/ They are specially made for chameleons and they do great in such enclosures. This is an upgrade you will need to do fast.

Inside your enclosure, i strongly suggest you get real plants, not fake plants. You will however have to make sure none of them are toxic!


If something is unclear or if you have any other question, please, go ahead and ask them! Our goal is to help you get the right stuff for your chameleon!

 

[Ace]

Hello,

i may be a little new to the forums but what i can see is that you might have a some kind of fishcers chameleon if im not mistaken. need better pics of the chameleon. And as far as caring for it i fully agree with morpheon. Do it right away, dont make the cham suffer gradually!!!

 

[morpheon]

Actually, the species is without a doubt a Kinyongia. However, i am not yet ready to say that its a Fischeri (or not), as it is quite difficult for unexperienced people to identify the subspecies. And i am unexperienced in that matter, without a doubt!

 

[starsnowxx]

Ok here we start!

First of all, this is not a panther (Furcifer pardalis), as you already guessed. However, i can't tell you what species it is exactly as i am not used to these.

About everything else, you got lots of things to change. First of all, my main concern is about the lack of UVBs. Chameleons need both heat lamp and UVB lamp. Without UVB, they are unable to get the vitamins out of the food they eat. This is the most important change you have to do, and should be done tomorrow or a day later max. Don't take your time on this one!!

Since we are talking about supplements, your calcium with D3 should only be used one or twice a month, not more. Therefore, you will absolutely have to buy calcium WITHOUT D3, that you can give every two days or so. You will also need some multivitamins, but you won't give him these too often.

I would like to know how can he drink actually? Have you gotten a mister (hand or automatic) and a dripper?

About your enclosure, is the roof taken off when the chameleon is inside?? If so, how can you make sure that he doesn't leave it? And how are the lights installed? You should consider buying something like this: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ile-cages-and-vivariums/screen-reptile-cages/ They are specially made for chameleons and they do great in such enclosures. This is an upgrade you will need to do fast.

Inside your enclosure, i strongly suggest you get real plants, not fake plants. You will however have to make sure none of them are toxic!


If something is unclear or if you have any other question, please, go ahead and ask them! Our goal is to help you get the right stuff for your chameleon!

The cage is about 18-20 inches tall. And yes, I do leave the top open at all times. He's a small little guy and I've seen him try to escape but he still can't reach the top. I WILL try to buy the ReptiSun UVB 5.0 ASAP! However, the daylight blue reptile bulb that I'm using says it provides UVA? And I use a clamp lamp and it's put at the (right side) top of the aquarium.

In the picture shown, those are real pothos plants but I took them out because I was not sure if it was 'safe' for him. I replaced it with alot of plastic plants for him to climb and hide. I mist at least 3 times a day, but the only time I notice him drinking is in the morning. Yesterday, I mist over his body with warm water. I also placed a plastic bowl on top and poked holes in it.

I notice that I can kind of see his ribs a little. Is he considered too skinny? He's active and willing to eat though.

And where can I purchase the calcium w/o d3? The brand I use is RepCal. And I didn't see one w/o d3.

THANKS A LOT, BTW!

 

[morpheon]

Since i dont know much about your species nor about the size of your chameleon, i wont talk much about the height of your enclosure. However, it looks a bit low. One thing you could do is make sure your enclosure is as high as possible, like on some furniture or something, since chameleons usually live on trees and not on the ground.

Until you get a good enclosure for him (or make one), you should get by tomorrow some screening, to make sure that he cant escape. It only takes one try and he could be lost/burned/killed, and im sure you dont want that to happen!

About the daylight blue reptile bulb, i dont know it, but i dont really like the fact that it has some UVA. Maybe someone who knows more on that matter could speak up!

I am glad to hear that the lamp is OUTSIDE of the enclosure. I was kind of worried because lamps should never be inside. On a side note, what are the temperatures in your enclosure?? What is the highest temperature your chameleon can get to?

The pothos are plants that can be used. There is some kind of controversy on them, but if they arent too big for your enclosure, you can put them back in. At least this is what i would do. Just make sure that he doesnt eat too many leaves on it and that you dont cut the branches off without letting it dry, and everything should be Ok!

Misting is great, and your home-made dripper is perfect! Misting in the morning is important as this is the time when they get most water when they are in their natural habitat. So keep doing what you are already doing! Just make sure there isnt any water left on the bottom of the enclosure, as it could be causing health problems.

As for the ribs, maybe you could send a better picture of your chameleon, on his side? Seeing ribs is usually not a really good indicator of the proper weight of a chameleon, but with a good picture we should be able to tell you pretty easily!

You should be able to buy some calcium without D3 pretty easily. In fact, any petstore should have some! Maybe you missed it or they sold them all, but this is a basic supplement so i would be pretty surprised! But who knows, aye?

Keep going man! You re doing good even if its not perfect, and i have faith in you! So dont prove me wrong!

 

[jessica]

Hello! The person you should talk to is Jared
https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/cainschams/
I would shoot him a PM

Here is a little info http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulCainQA.html

 

[kinyonga]

Its a fischer's chameleon...they are a montane species.

I would recommend a long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light for UVB. Exposure to UVB allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its system.

Although this chameleon doesn't need it hot they often like a basking place to warm up in the morning. (high 70's - low 80'sF) Appropriate temperatures will aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Since most of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus, its important to dust the insects (just before feeding them to the chameleon) at most feedings to make up for it.

I also dust lightly twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder so tht the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB. D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't build up as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it.

I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed vitamin A will....however there is controversy about whether all/any chameleons can convert it though. Excess prEformed vitamin A may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD.

You can/should gutload the insects and feed them well too. Crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts, etc. can be fed a wide variety of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet red peppers, sweet potato, etc.).

I have had quite a few fischers and they have been interesting and active little chameleons!

 

[starsnowxx]

Its a fischer's chameleon...they are a montane species.

I would recommend a long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light for UVB. Exposure to UVB allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its system.

Although this chameleon doesn't need it hot they often like a basking place to warm up in the morning. (high 70's - low 80'sF) Appropriate temperatures will aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Since most of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus, its important to dust the insects (just before feeding them to the chameleon) at most feedings to make up for it.

I also dust lightly twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder so tht the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB. D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't build up as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it.

I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed vitamin A will....however there is controversy about whether all/any chameleons can convert it though. Excess prEformed vitamin A may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD.

You can/should gutload the insects and feed them well too. Crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts, etc. can be fed a wide variety of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet red peppers, sweet potato, etc.).

I have had quite a few fischers and they have been interesting and active little chameleons!

Thanks for that bit of information! Since my aquarium (pictured above) is plastic and not glass, my father suggested that he drill holes throughout so that it gets better airflow. Will that be okay? I'm also worried because I noticed he's been scratching his eyes lately. Yesterday, it was just his left eye and now it's is right eye. One eye will stay closed but then it will open again. Is that normal behavior? Or is he shedding? Also, I measured him again and he's a little less than 3 inches. Is he still a juvenile or does he get bigger? Sorry for all of these questions! Thanks

 

[starsnowxx]

Since i dont know much about your species nor about the size of your chameleon, i wont talk much about the height of your enclosure. However, it looks a bit low. One thing you could do is make sure your enclosure is as high as possible, like on some furniture or something, since chameleons usually live on trees and not on the ground.

Until you get a good enclosure for him (or make one), you should get by tomorrow some screening, to make sure that he cant escape. It only takes one try and he could be lost/burned/killed, and im sure you dont want that to happen!

About the daylight blue reptile bulb, i dont know it, but i dont really like the fact that it has some UVA. Maybe someone who knows more on that matter could speak up!

I am glad to hear that the lamp is OUTSIDE of the enclosure. I was kind of worried because lamps should never be inside. On a side note, what are the temperatures in your enclosure?? What is the highest temperature your chameleon can get to?

The pothos are plants that can be used. There is some kind of controversy on them, but if they arent too big for your enclosure, you can put them back in. At least this is what i would do. Just make sure that he doesnt eat too many leaves on it and that you dont cut the branches off without letting it dry, and everything should be Ok!

Misting is great, and your home-made dripper is perfect! Misting in the morning is important as this is the time when they get most water when they are in their natural habitat. So keep doing what you are already doing! Just make sure there isnt any water left on the bottom of the enclosure, as it could be causing health problems.

As for the ribs, maybe you could send a better picture of your chameleon, on his side? Seeing ribs is usually not a really good indicator of the proper weight of a chameleon, but with a good picture we should be able to tell you pretty easily!

You should be able to buy some calcium without D3 pretty easily. In fact, any petstore should have some! Maybe you missed it or they sold them all, but this is a basic supplement so i would be pretty surprised! But who knows, aye?

Keep going man! You re doing good even if its not perfect, and i have faith in you! So dont prove me wrong!

I'll try to post a better picture of him. Like I've said in my previous reply/post to another member, my father wanted to drill holes throughout the whole aquarium. And about the UVA daylight blue lamp, I thought it's ok for chameleons? I put the clamp lamp on the top right side of the aquarium, so it shines just on the right side. The left side is slightly cooler. I'm buying the ReptiSun 5.0 tomorrow as I was unable to buy it today. I hope I'm not making the poor guy suffer too much. I'm trying my best! is it ok to take him out in the morning and let him soak some sun? I have some pothos plants outside that I always spray every morning.

 

[kinyonga]

I think drilling the holes would be a good idea...but remember that if the holes are big enough the crickets can escape if they can get to the holes.

He might be cleaning his eyes...I would mist them very gently. If he continues to rub them then it might be something else that is going on with them.

 

[morpheon]

The holes are a good idea, along with everything else Kinyonga mentionned before! Of course, you better plan on buying him a new enclosure in the very short term, as the problems with eyes may be caused by the enclosure/light/lack of vitamins/other.

 

[starsnowxx]

The holes are a good idea, along with everything else Kinyonga mentionned before! Of course, you better plan on buying him a new enclosure in the very short term, as the problems with eyes may be caused by the enclosure/light/lack of vitamins/other.

Yeah, I will drill holes just halfway-up throughout the whole aquarium so the crickets won't escape. I went to PetSmart today and the only lighting they have is the ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB. Does that brand work just as well as the ReptiSun? Anyways, I finally have better pictures of Egi and as you can see... he seems a bit skinny, no?

^-- now as you can tell in that last picture, his ribs seems to be sticking out!

^-- and here's a closer look of his left eye that seems to be causing him some problems. Sometimes, it will remain closed like that and it will open up again. Is that normal? I took him outside this morning in that picture and he seemed to enjoy it. I even caught a video of him drinking

^-- I cleaned his cage this morning and managed to take this picture. Other fake leaves were still out drying. I placed the light right above the aquarium and it is about 8 inches away from the highest perch. Is that okay? Or is it too close?

 

[starsnowxx]

What does his colors mean? If he's light green, is he cold/content? Dark... stressed/overheated?

 

[Seeco]

Too hot will start to show mostly yellow and white. Of course, if they are dying then you are gonna see lots of black...

 

[Elizadolots]

He's very cute...

Drill lots of small holes...that boy can handle a fair sized cricket so escaping shouldn't be a bit problem.

I don't think he looks particularly skinny for a Fischer's. They are not nearly as "solid" as panthers and veileds. His joints look good. It's normal to see their ribs. I know that for many pets that's a danger sign, but for a Fischer's Chameleon, that's not a huge problem.

As for colors, I can't say. My Fischer's (who is tiny!!!) is typically sort of brown with some other colors creeping in....he only gets green when he's really excited.

I would say that unless he's extremely contrasty and showing triangular or diamond patterns or just black, it's probably not a high stress coloration. However, there are way more experienced people on this board so I am prepared to be told I am wrong on that.