new owner with questions

Puddle_px

New Member
hey i’m puddle and i just got my buddy mad he’s my first chameleon and he’s a jackson’s chameleon i just wanna ask some stuff and make sure i’m doing everything right for my buddy to make him feel happy and safer at home
 
Ask away.
If we know what you have done so far it will help with the answers.

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
 
his name is Max he’s a Jacksons chameleon he’s in the larger zoo med chameleon Kj I have a drip her dripping down on leaves for drinking I’m feeding him about seven mealworms per day he actually did not eat yesterday but I’ve seen several things that say that they might just skip a day sometimes so I’m not that concerned about that I got him two days ago he spent most of his time basking his temperature stays in between 70 and 80° I stay in Savannah Georgia so it’s actually pretty humid down here so I’m letting humidity do it on thing because we actually do can I have more of a tropical environment in our summers here there’s no plans I haven’t placed actually right behind my monitor where I play the game he’s behind there and I’m sitting below where his top branches so that he can see the top of my head and not feel threatened or anything but when I stand up I am standing above him so I’m wondering if I need to walk further distance away from him so he feels like I’m not scouting him out or something I don’t know he’s my first communion I just wanna make sure that I’m doing everything right and taking care of him the best way that I can The shop did not tell me much about him I know that he is a young adult he still has some growing to do they told me to feed him super worms mealworms horn worms crickets Doobie roaches anything like that right now I have mealworms for him I have not handled yet since I put him in the enclosure he is drinking and eating though he just did not eat yesterday but he ate the day prior but he has drank two days in a row if I hide I can catch him drinking in the morning before work
 
Can you post some photos of him and the cage including he lighting please.

What supplements are you using and how often for each...please be specific especially for calcium, PHIS, D3 and type of vitamin A.

What specific UVB light do you use? Long linear? Brand? Etc?
 
Jackson's chameleons are montane chameleons that require a significant nighttime temperature drop. Ideally, you would be able to get the temps 60F and below at night. But 65F is really the upper end. Anything higher than 65F may lead to temporal gland infections, respiratory infections, etc. This is because they have evolved to survive in a specific environment over hundreds of thousands of years. The farther we stray from their natural parameters, the more stress we induce on their bodies. This stress can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, leaving the body more susceptible to bacterial infections.

You say that you live in Georgia where it is pretty humid, but does this translate to high humidity inside your house? During the day, an RH of 30-50% humidity is ideal. A little above that, say even 55-60% is fine as long as you let the enclosure dry out between mistings. And at night, an RH of 70-75%+ is good. The greater the nighttime humidity, the better. But at a certain point, too high humidity at night may make it difficult to achieve a lower RH (humidity level) during the day. Make sure that you are measuring the humidity inside the enclosure. If humidity is too low, you can either mist more (though remember that these animals aren't aquatic) or you can add humidity via fogger/humidifier.

This leads to misting the enclosure. When do you mist the cage? Misting is very important as this is how your chameleon will rehydrate. Plants and foliage to drink off of are equally as important. Too few leaves may not provide enough water for your cham to lap up and rehydrate. Additionally, plants will help stabilize the humidity, so you won't need to mist as frequently.

Honestly, the placement of the cage isn't too worrisome. Just make sure that you add sufficient foliage for your cham to hide in if/when he feels threatened. A well-planted cage will make your cham feel safer, which, in turn, makes them bolder and happier.

Mealworms and superworms aren't great staples. Chamleons can become addicted to them. Moderation is key. Crickets and/or Dubia roaches are much more suitable as staple feeders. However, feeding superworms on a weekly basis isn't bad. But feeding only superworms all the time is not good. Variety is great. Also, make sure to feed your insects healthy fruits, veggies, and grains. Do not feed them the orange cricket cube things. They are wholly inadequate. Either get fresh produce from the store. Or order Repashy bug burger from Amazon.

Now that the feeders are all cleared up, let's talk about diet. Since it is hard to tell how old your cham is, it is hard for me to help prescribe a frequency for feedings. Make sure to send us pictures of your cham. Pet stores aren't always the most knowledgable when it comes to age. Seven feeders may be too much or not enough. Age and overall size are important factors.

Alright, let's move on to Supplements. These green boogers will need plain calcium a minimum of twice a week. But many people, like myself, utilize plain calcium at every meal. Calcium with D3 and Vitamin A should be given once a month, though this does vary depending on the specific Brand and Product. So make sure to give us this info as it is very important. We will be able to help you come up with a good schedule that leads to the right amount of supplementation. Too much D3 and Vit A can lead to Edema and Kidney Issues. And too little may lead to metabolic one disease which can lead to deformed bones that are extremely fragile.

Additionally, supplementation does depend on the lights you use. So make sure to let us know what you are using. And you will want to make sure your hydration is down pat, like mentioned before, because dehydration and supplementation can lead to kidney problems as well.

I'll try not to overload you with info. Feel free to ask questions, even if you think I might have addressed it already. I don't mind repeating myself and I won't take offense. I just want what is best for you and your chameleon. Welcome to the forums!
 
i’ll post picture
Jackson's chameleons are montane chameleons that require a significant nighttime temperature drop. Ideally, you would be able to get the temps 60F and below at night. But 65F is really the upper end. Anything higher than 65F may lead to temporal gland infections, respiratory infections, etc. This is because they have evolved to survive in a specific environment over hundreds of thousands of years. The farther we stray from their natural parameters, the more stress we induce on their bodies. This stress can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, leaving the body more susceptible to bacterial infections.

You say that you live in Georgia where it is pretty humid, but does this translate to high humidity inside your house? During the day, an RH of 30-50% humidity is ideal. A little above that, say even 55-60% is fine as long as you let the enclosure dry out between mistings. And at night, an RH of 70-75%+ is good. The greater the nighttime humidity, the better. But at a certain point, too high humidity at night may make it difficult to achieve a lower RH (humidity level) during the day. Make sure that you are measuring the humidity inside the enclosure. If humidity is too low, you can either mist more (though remember that these animals aren't aquatic) or you can add humidity via fogger/humidifier.

This leads to misting the enclosure. When do you mist the cage? Misting is very important as this is how your chameleon will rehydrate. Plants and foliage to drink off of are equally as important. Too few leaves may not provide enough water for your cham to lap up and rehydrate. Additionally, plants will help stabilize the humidity, so you won't need to mist as frequently.

Honestly, the placement of the cage isn't too worrisome. Just make sure that you add sufficient foliage for your cham to hide in if/when he feels threatened. A well-planted cage will make your cham feel safer, which, in turn, makes them bolder and happier.

Mealworms and superworms aren't great staples. Chamleons can become addicted to them. Moderation is key. Crickets and/or Dubia roaches are much more suitable as staple feeders. However, feeding superworms on a weekly basis isn't bad. But feeding only superworms all the time is not good. Variety is great. Also, make sure to feed your insects healthy fruits, veggies, and grains. Do not feed them the orange cricket cube things. They are wholly inadequate. Either get fresh produce from the store. Or order Repashy bug burger from Amazon.

Now that the feeders are all cleared up, let's talk about diet. Since it is hard to tell how old your cham is, it is hard for me to help prescribe a frequency for feedings. Make sure to send us pictures of your cham. Pet stores aren't always the most knowledgable when it comes to age. Seven feeders may be too much or not enough. Age and overall size are important factors.

Alright, let's move on to Supplements. These green boogers will need plain calcium a minimum of twice a week. But many people, like myself, utilize plain calcium at every meal. Calcium with D3 and Vitamin A should be given once a month, though this does vary depending on the specific Brand and Product. So make sure to give us this info as it is very important. We will be able to help you come up with a good schedule that leads to the right amount of supplementation. Too much D3 and Vit A can lead to Edema and Kidney Issues. And too little may lead to metabolic one disease which can lead to deformed bones that are extremely fragile.

Additionally, supplementation does depend on the lights you use. So make sure to let us know what you are using. And you will want to make sure your hydration is down pat, like mentioned before, because dehydration and supplementation can lead to kidney problems as well.

I'll try not to overload you with info. Feel free to ask questions, even if you think I might have addressed it already. I don't mind repeating myself and I won't take offense. I just want what is best for you and your chameleon. Welcome to the forums!
i just woke up 30 mins ago for work and misted the cage night temp is good it’s in the mid 60s day time mid 70s i have calcium but it’s just the stuff that came with the kid that I bought Max from they had him set up in a enclosure all that so I just bought the exact enclosure that they had him set up in I’m about to go into work right now but I can send pictures of everything whenever I get off thank you for the information thanks for the help so far y’all are great
 
i’ll post picture

i just woke up 30 mins ago for work and misted the cage night temp is good it’s in the mid 60s day time mid 70s i have calcium but it’s just the stuff that came with the kid that I bought Max from they had him set up in a enclosure all that so I just bought the exact enclosure that they had him set up in I’m about to go into work right now but I can send pictures of everything whenever I get off thank you for the information thanks for the help so far y’all are great
i have the large zoo med kit
Can you post some photos of him and the cage including he lighting please.

What supplements are you using and how often for each...please be specific especially for calcium, PHIS, D3 and type of vitamin A.

What specific UVB light do you use? Long linear? Brand? Etc?
 

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Live plants are going to be the first thing on your buy this list. I like pothos because they can survive most situations and cover a lot of ground. Wind the vines around your branches for instant cover. There are other plants that are safe and reasonably priced on this list chameleonforums.com/care/plants/ You can find them at Lowes and Home Depot etc.

Light are going to need to be ordered. You will need linear T5 5.0 or 6% Amazon, Craigs list or the sponsors here will have something acceptable. I use a dual linear fixture but you don't have to. You will need at least single linear T5 if you want to run it by us we will vet anything you plan to buy.

You have the right calcium to use for plain calcium. You will need D3 and or a multi with D3. Here are some different options for a supplement schedule. chameleonforums.com/blogs/my-jacksons-supplement-schedule.2463/


There is more I will be back asap.
 
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