New to Cham Ownership and had a few questions.

[ScarletOwl13]

So I just recently purchased a Jacksons Chameleon and he is wonderful. In store he walked right out of his enclosure and up my arm trying to get into my hair. He is home now and all set up but I had a few questions and want to make sure that I am not over reacting as I tend to do because I love my animals so much so little hings worry me. He is my first Cham so we will see if I decide to purchase another one down the road.

1. He usually is a very light green and once i brought him home he is now crazy dark due to the stress of moving him from store to his new home.
How long does it take on average for them to get used to there new environment? I just got my shipment of medium crickets in and he has eaten 3 today and seems happy with his tummy full and has also had water in front of me as well, So he doesn't seem to be shy with me observing him but does not like when I open his enclosure to spray. (he is not aggressive, just gives me a dirty look and i let him move out of the way and then continue to spray)

2. I want to get him used to being handled, obviously i don't want to cuddle him but I want him to eventually be comfortable coming out of his enclosure and free roaming as well as letting me handle him between cleanings etc so I am capable of moving him while I do this. Any advice?

3. He goes back to his light green color once his lights are off at night. Could this be because the lights are too harsh on him? It is a great temp etc so im not over heating or under heating him but I was wondering if he maybe feels like it is to harsh? I could always add some more plants to give him more places for shade etc to get underneath.

4. within the next month I will be making him a a new enclosure that is a little bigger and mostly full of live plants because of how much better it holds in the humidity as well as adding a humidifier/mister so I am not misting all the time by hand as I do work full time so my husband and I both take care of him to make sure he is on a good schedule etc.

Sorry if everything seems jumbled, It is late and im tired but wanted to post before I forgot my questions lol. Thanks in advance for any help and advice you guys have to offer Also his name is Regulus lol and my name is Kylie.

 

[Theveiled]

1. It can take weeks to get settled but each cham is diffrent
2. first give him time to settle then start to hand feed and work from there
3. sleeping colors are brighter

 

[Theveiled]

if you would like me to go more in depth I can.

 

[Theveiled]

how and what are you / are you going to dust your feeders with? Also could you post a pic of his cage?

 

[Carlton]

So I just recently purchased a Jacksons Chameleon and he is wonderful. In store he walked right out of his enclosure and up my arm trying to get into my hair.

Many wildcaught chams do this...its not personal, its an attempt to get out of a confined space and climb as high as possible. Height means safety.

1. He usually is a very light green and once i brought him home he is now crazy dark due to the stress of moving him from store to his new home.

Very normal and to be expected. He's been uprooted from what was familiar, so feels vulnerable in a strange space. Give him privacy, lots of cover (foliage), don't fuss with the cage too much (I know I know, its hard to resist!). He'll take his time to settle down...its very individual. Several weeks isn't unusual. Try to keep your daily care to a routine so he comes to know what to expect from you. Keep disturbance and activity low around his cage. They are most tuned in to changes in scenery and their own territory.

So he doesn't seem to be shy with me observing him but does not like when I open his enclosure to spray. (he is not aggressive, just gives me a dirty look and i let him move out of the way and then continue to spray)

Pretty common. If he has lots of foliage to escape the direct spray, he'll do better. Use very warm water to spray...it will cool as it gets sprayed but won't be a blast of cold. Spray the foliage around him, not the cham directly. A longer gentler misting is better than a quick intense blast. Think of rain, not a flood.

2. I want to get him used to being handled, obviously i don't want to cuddle him but I want him to eventually be comfortable coming out of his enclosure and free roaming as well as letting me handle him between cleanings etc so I am capable of moving him while I do this. Any advice?

Chams thrive on routine and stability. After all, in their wild territories they learn what to expect and how to react when they need to. As he learns your daily pattern it will help him accept it. When he's eating reliably, start offering favorite feeders in a hand held dish and let him learn that its safe to take them from you. Be patient...chams are not rocket scientists and learn rather deliberately. If you have a safe place for him to free roam, let him learn to get to it on his own, or learn that you will take him there on a hand held perch. Eventually he'll probably learn that your hand/arm is a safe mobile perch that takes him to nice places around your house.

3. He goes back to his light green color once his lights are off at night. Could this be because the lights are too harsh on him? It is a great temp etc so im not over heating or under heating him but I was wondering if he maybe feels like it is to harsh? I could always add some more plants to give him more places for shade etc to get underneath.

No, its probably not the light. If the lights were the problem he'd been spending his time hiding down low away from them. If he is doing this consistently, check your temps and add more foliage and hiding areas. Its normal for them to turn darker while they bask...this helps them absorb heat more quickly. Many chams have what we call "sleeping colors" or putting on their pajamas at night.

4. within the next month I will be making him a a new enclosure that is a little bigger and mostly full of live plants because of how much better it holds in the humidity as well as adding a humidifier/mister so I am not misting all the time by hand as I do work full time so my husband and I both take care of him to make sure he is on a good schedule etc.

Sorry if everything seems jumbled, It is late and im tired but wanted to post before I forgot my questions lol. Thanks in advance for any help and advice you guys have to offer Also his name is Regulus lol and my name is Kylie.

No, not jumbled, just the learning curve. This forum has great caresheets for chams located under the Resources tab. There is one for jackson's. It should help answer other questions too. BTW, he won't care what you name him at all...he can't hear you say it or even if he could it won't matter to him anyway. Chams don't care what we want....they know our world revolves around them.