New owner, semi-rescued chameleon

[OurBigClan]

It wasn't exactly a rescue, though I'm starting to wonder. I have a family memeber who moved and reptiles, of any kind, are not allowed. I agreed to take her, not really knowing what I was getting myself into.

Because I'm sorta a detail freak and a perfectionist I looked into how to properly care for her. I'm so glad I found this board.

She's an 8 month old veiled, in a much too small screen cage. She has some leaves and vines, though not enough in my opinion. She hadn't been under a UVB light at all, though I was told that until the weather turned colder lately she had been taken outside frequently for natural sunlight. She's been fed pretty much just crickets - with a dusting of some sort, though it's not labled, so I have no idea what sort of supplementation she's been getting.

As soon as we got her home we put a UVB light on her (Zilla slimline tropical combo - it was all I could get locally but as soon as we get her into the permanant set up we'll be ordering her the ZooMed 5.0). She has a heat lamp that get's her to about 82 at the basking spot. In the new set up we'll be able to monitor her temps better. All that she has had for misting has been a hand held pump style mister. She hates it - as soon as we start spraying she runs for cover. I plan to put a dripper in for her and continue the hand misting and down the road I hope to use an actual mister on a timer. I've read conflicting info on the web - some say NOT to mist the chameleon, only her vines/leaves and other info says to mist her directly. Can you clarify for me please?

I bought Rep cal Calcium without D3 and without phosphorus to use regularly, about every other feeding, right? I also bought ZooMed's reptivite with D3 - if I understand it that should be 2x/month and then I need to pick up a calcium with D3 for 2x/month as well, right?

As far as lighting - do you try to set it up so that the UVB light and the basking light are directed at the basking spot? Or do you have separate areas set up under each light? Will she self regulate the UVB light as well? That is, will she climb closer to it as needed?

My hubby is a carpenter so we're constructing a wood frame and screen cage for her - is aluminum screening the best? Will it allow enough UVB to get through if the light is placed directly on the top?

I'll be outfitting it with more artificial vines and leaves as well as a pothos plant. My hope is the pothos will hold onto the water a little better - seems to fall right off the fake leaves she currently has.

So I think that's it for right now, I know I'll have many, many questions as I go along. I'm so glad the board is available for newbies like myself.

Thanks!

 

[brandychams]

It wasn't exactly a rescue, though I'm starting to wonder. I have a family memeber who moved and reptiles, of any kind, are not allowed. I agreed to take her, not really knowing what I was getting myself into.

Because I'm sorta a detail freak and a perfectionist I looked into how to properly care for her. I'm so glad I found this board.

She's an 8 month old veiled, in a much too small screen cage. She has some leaves and vines, though not enough in my opinion. She hadn't been under a UVB light at all, though I was told that until the weather turned colder lately she had been taken outside frequently for natural sunlight. She's been fed pretty much just crickets - with a dusting of some sort, though it's not labled, so I have no idea what sort of supplementation she's been getting.

As soon as we got her home we put a UVB light on her (Zilla slimline tropical combo - it was all I could get locally but as soon as we get her into the permanant set up we'll be ordering her the ZooMed 5.0). She has a heat lamp that get's her to about 82 at the basking spot. In the new set up we'll be able to monitor her temps better. All that she has had for misting has been a hand held pump style mister. She hates it - as soon as we start spraying she runs for cover. I plan to put a dripper in for her and continue the hand misting and down the road I hope to use an actual mister on a timer. I've read conflicting info on the web - some say NOT to mist the chameleon, only her vines/leaves and other info says to mist her directly. Can you clarify for me please? most dont like it but it helps them to clean out thier eyes.

I bought Rep cal Calcium without D3 and without phosphorus to use regularly, about every other feeding, right? I also bought ZooMed's reptivite with D3 - if I understand it that should be 2x/month and then I need to pick up a calcium with D3 for 2x/month as well, right? very good

As far as lighting - do you try to set it up so that the UVB light and the basking light are directed at the basking spot? Or do you have separate areas set up under each light? Will she self regulate the UVB light as well? That is, will she climb closer to it as needed? shell go to it as her body needs it.

My hubby is a carpenter so we're constructing a wood frame and screen cage for her - is aluminum screening the best? Will it allow enough UVB to get through if the light is placed directly on the top? it will block some but less than the plastic type screening.

I'll be outfitting it with more artificial vines and leaves as well as a pothos plant. My hope is the pothos will hold onto the water a little better - seems to fall right off the fake leaves she currently has.

So I think that's it for right now, I know I'll have many, many questions as I go along. I'm so glad the board is available for newbies like myself.

Thanks!

also you have a girl she will lay eggs without a male present and shell need a bucket of moist clay to do it good luck
sorry my answeres arent highltghted after your quedtions

 

[heartben]

I know the zilla slimline fixtures have a plastic cover over the light - be sure to take that off. Any plastic/glass will block the UVB.

You CAN mist them directly, but you should make sure the water is warm (the cold won't kill them, but I think its more likely they will like it warm). You don't HAVE to mist them directly though. I would just spray the leaves and vines myself but many do mist their chameleons directly.

Use the calcium without D3 every feeding. Different supplements have different amounts of ingredients so I don't know how often you should be using your calcium with D3... I know that people who use the rep-cal with D3 use it twice a month (as well as the herptivite vitamin supplement)

I think its good to angle the basking light so it is aimed where the UVB hits - thats a personal choice though. If you give it different levels it will get closer if it needs to.

You will want aluminum screen as crickets can chew through the other stuff. The screen will block some of the UVB (up to half) but you can either use mesh with bigger holes on the top or poke holes under the UVB to let more through.

Real plants WILL hold water better than fake plants so... You've got the right idea.

Please post a pic of it whenever you can, I'm curious to see it!

 

[heartben]

also you have a girl she will lay eggs without a male present and shell need a bucket of moist clay to do it good luck
sorry my answeres arent highltghted after your quedtions

Never heard of anyone using clay. I wouldn't use clay..I think it'd be way to hard to dig though. If it is a female (I don't recall reading the sex) use play sand or a mixture of sand and top soil..or just top soil.. different people use different things.