New Owner welcomes help. Meet Akisa!

Akisas mom

Akisas mom

New Member
Hi guys. I am new to the site and the new mom of a 3 month old Ambilobe Panther little boy. As a 1st time owner I am nervous about every little unfamiliarity! Any thoughts or suggestions most welcome.

He is in an all mesh aluminum frame reptarium. I keep his cricket bowl full, he's eating anywhere from 8-15 a day which I dust with Repti-cal Calcium w' vitamin D and Herptivite. I feed the crickets fresh veggies and T-Rex Calcium Plus food for crickets. I have a 5.0 reptisun light as well as a deep dome heat lamp w a 60 watt bulb. I mist the cage several times a day as well as a Little Dripper. He has fake plants as well as a Pothos and a weeping Jew or some such name. Does this sound good to anyone?

Can crickets nip their faces? He has a new little black spot just above his lip that wasn't there yesterday. Thnx for any feedback.

AKISAS PARANOID MOTHER
 
Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc.....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it.

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium). Not sure how to tell you to dust WC insects if that is what you will be doing.

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
 
Kinyonga gave you good advice on the supplementing. Make sure and get that plain calcium WITHIOUT d3 and start using that. As far as the black spot. A pic would be helpful. Does he hang upside down on the screen? He may have got a little burn under the basking light. Sometimes if they rub their noses on something it will turn a little black. My chameleon gets it from my patio screens which are a little dirty. He climbs on them and I will notice it. I can wipe it off though. If it does not come off it may a burn. They can also turn black from bruising.It most likely did not come from a cricket. They can nip your chameleon but are more apt to do that while he is sleeping which is why it is recommended to remove all feeders at night. Oh an welcome to the forums!
 
Thnks so much guys.... I knew I couldn't be doing everything right. I will switch the Vitamin and calcium w' vit D dusting to twice a month ( I was doing it on every feeding!) And buy the free calcium for everyday cricket dusting.
CAROL- he does hang upside down on the screen! I was worried also so I put a second screen on the cage to raise the lights an inch. Maybe it is a burn :0(
I also posted a picture of his cage per request :0)
oh and I will attempt a picture of his black spot as soon as he wakes up!
Thank u all so very much.
Audra
 
Welcome to the forums. This is a great place to learn about chameleons. I keep panthers and they are such a pleasure to work with. I have a blog for new keepers that I'm attaching for you below. It will give you links with pictures and where you can buy each item you need to keep that little man healthy. Most pet stores do not carry all the items that you need for chameleons.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
 
First Shed... just leave him alone?

Wow woke up this morning and Akisa was normal came home and he's shedding his whole skin...... so crazy. Does it normally happen so fast? And are they typically grouchy during this time? I got my first hiss from him.
 
welcome
sounds like you use too much D3
be sure to offer more than just crickets, and to gutload.
more info:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/56-chameleon-related-websites.html

yes, they can be grouchy when shedding.
indeed they dont necessarily like people at any time - they usually prefer to be left alone.
 
Black spot gone after shed.... not sure what it was but glad he's healthy and even more "AKISA" aka handsome in Malagasy!
 
Sandra,
He has an amazing "human tolerance" I'm so lucky. I offered him fruit flies and he wasn't interested, and the breeder told me no meal worms because they have a hard to digest exoskeleton, has anyone else heard this? Superworms r too big.... what else can I offer till he's bigger other than crickets?
 
Calciworms (phoenix worms), small dubias, small locusts, butterworms are all very good for him....all feeder insects come in different sizes, mealworms are ok to feed a few a week for variety, the main reason not to use them is the fat content, same with waxworms..... but only feeding mealworms would probably cause impaction.......I've fed wild caught spiders and flies to mine, but only 2 a week maximum.......
 
silkworms are a good feeder too. You can get them from Mulberry Farms and Coastal Silkworms, both in California.
 
thanks!

Thanks for all the great links guys! Still mixed reviews on meal worm digestion. Any opinions out there? The lady at the pet store said I should cut the heads off or they can crawl back out?! Guess ill have to mail order, pet store only has flies, superworms and meal worms but I'm missing all that great variety for Akisas diet you guys shared w me :0)
 
Akisas mom said:
Thanks for all the great links guys! Still mixed reviews on meal worm digestion. Any opinions out there? The lady at the pet store said I should cut the heads off or they can crawl back out?! Guess ill have to mail order, pet store only has flies, superworms and meal worms but I'm missing all that great variety for Akisas diet you guys shared w me :0)
Click to expand...
A few mealworms each week for variety will be no problem. Don't bother cutting the heads off, your Cham will chew, that'll be enough.......
 
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