New Owner Plant & habitat question

[slayer]

Hello and thank you for all the wonderful help and support this site provides. I'm a new Chameleon owner and have a quick question regarding plants for the terrarium.

My tank is 18x18x18, I have plenty of vines and plants for my Chameleon to climb on. I had this tank when purchased so in a few months I will upgrade to a larger habitat. the temperature is constantly around 70 and the humidity averages 80+. He has been eating crickets regularly and drinking off the leaves from misting and the dripper. the cup on the floor is not for drinking i am using it to catch some of the dripping water until I can address the plant and humidity level properly. There is no substrate in the tank and I have a 60w white light and 18"UVB tube. He also is going to the bathroom regularly.

I have removed it from the tank now, but I placed a Pothos plant in the tank also and when the plant was installed, he turned very spotty and opened his mouth and would not close it. I removed it and he was fine again...I have left a few pieces of Pothos in the corner.

As far as I can see, everything is by the book but is it possible the plant is too large ( it occupied about 60% )? Could adding a real plant be that stressful and why not behave that way any other time? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[carol5208]

Hi Jeff! Glad you found us! I have never had any of mine, nor do I recall anyone posting about a pothos causing issues as far as the chameleon not liking it. This could be a first though! They each have their own personalities. What kind of pot was the plant in? It could be the pot perhaps he does not like for whatever reason. Also, make sure your chameleon can climb out of the dish if he fell in if were filled with water. Better yet, I would cover it with screen or something to be extra safe. I would still work on adding a few more plants for him as he needs some more places to feel secure from what I can see in the picture. Also, is that an aquarium or terrarium?

 

[carol5208]

oops! Did not mean to post!

 

[slayer]

Thank you very much for the quick reply. It is a ZooMed 18x18x18 Terrarium. I've had it for a while, so rather than upgrade now, I figured I would have a few months before he outgrew it. I can upload better pictures if needed. It was a tall ceramic pot, which placed the leaves approximately 4 inches from the top. I placed the plant in and he immediately walked off his vine on the right, across the Pothos to the vine on the left and turned dark green with spots and opened his mouth. I removed the plant shut off the 60w white light and when I went back ten minutes later his color was better however he was hanging from the vine by his tail. My son picked him up and he immediately turned his normal beautiful bright green color. I am baffled by this. Should I use a smaller pot or just clip branches and place them around the terrarium? I'm worried about keeping the humidity up while I am away from work for 8 hours a day. Thanks again Carol.

 

[carol5208]

The humidty does not have to stay at 80% all day and would actually be better if it doesn't because that might cause bacteria to grow. We all know humidity can breed mold. These guys can get respiratory infections, so you have to be careful of creating an environment that is too humid or too damp, especially with glass as it holds the moisture.. I would just take some of the clippings like you said and try that. My one chameleon would freak out over my lawn mower. It is red, and maybe he saw it as a big red montster or something. I got to the point, when I would mow I would bring him in the house cause he got that upset! lol They are funny little creatures at times!

 

[slayer]

Thanks again Carol. As of this morning, I have sprayed, the water is dripping and he is a dark green with the occasional white or dark spots. At night and when he is held, his color is beautiful, could the lighting be too much? I am using the proper lighting. Or should I try cutting the Pothos down and planting in a smaller pot? Otherwise, I will try hanging some clippings around the tank. Also, am I wrong in assuming they should be moving around the tank in a beautiful green color all day? I have an Anole which has been a pet for three years and he is not green all the time either, but very healthy. Thanks again!

 

[slayer]

Chameleon Behavior

So I seem to still be struggling with the behavior of my Chameleon...I have decided to no longer leave the Pothos in his habitat. I have removed the plant and tried putting clippings of Pothos and he seems to get upset. I have confirmed the plant is Neon Pothos and should be fine, but for whatever reason he is not a fan of it. So I have added more fake foliage and have some really nice coverage in the habitat and humidity has not been a problem. The humidity fluctuates between 50- 80, throughout the day.

Lighting has been somewhat of an issue. I have an 18" Zoomed tube and have tried different lights of different wattage for basking. I've tried a 60w. daylight, a 60 watt white and a 40w white as well as a 50w red heatlamp...every time anything other than the tube Flourescent comes on he turns dark green with dark green and white splotches all over his body. I'm not sure what else to do here.

For food, he has been eating crickets. I have mealworms in a container and have put out some collard greens. It's seems as though he has not eaten or pooped in two days. He has decreased his movement and i'm not sure if he has been drinking water. I have even caught him hanging upside down either by his feet, or just his tail...not sure if this is normal.

I do not have substrate in the tank and to my knowledge and doing everything by the book. His tank is a steady 60 degrees, however I do not have another source of warmth at this time. I am going to try a ceramic heater, but I'm not sure if this is the answer.

I can upload pics of the current habitat if anyone is interested. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

-Jeff