New to Chameleon’s

[Adriang33]

Chameleon info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? (Veiled, male, 2-3 months old, since December 23)
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?( I’ve been trying more but he runs from me when I open the cage)
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? (Small crickets, 6ish a day a few in the morning a few in the afternoon, I give the crickets repashy bug burger)
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? (Repti calcium with d3 and zoomed Reptivive with out d3 twice a month. And Repti calcium with out d3 with 3 crickets every morning)
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? (I have a dripper running often and I spray the cage with a mister from homedepot a few times a day. Also, when I shower the humidity fills the the room. But I have never seen him drink)
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? (Never been tested, but it is brown with a little white on the top)
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.(I got it from a reptile store near my house)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?(all screen 16x16x30)
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? (Repti basking 75w and a reptisun 5.0 uvb. Light is on from 8am to 8pm)
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? (Basking is from 95 to 89ish. Bottom of the cage is from 70 to 73ish I use a zoo med little thermometer)
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? (I spray multiple times a day with a homedepot sprayer and I run a hot bath which makes my room humid once a day)
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? (Only using fake plants)
• 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? (In my room near a fan that I run at night sometimes. No ones really goes in my room and the top of the cage is around 5ft 10 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? (Tallahassee Florida)

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. (He runs away from me at all times, also I want to know if I’m doing everything right)

 

[Adriang33]

Chameleon info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? (Veiled, male, 2-3 months old, since December 23)
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?( I’ve been trying more but he runs from me when I open the cage)
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? (Small crickets, 6ish a day a few in the morning a few in the afternoon, I give the crickets repashy bug burger)
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? (Repti calcium with d3 and zoomed Reptivive with out d3 twice a month. And Repti calcium with out d3 with 3 crickets every morning)
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? (I have a dripper running often and I spray the cage with a mister from homedepot a few times a day. Also, when I shower the humidity fills the the room. But I have never seen him drink)
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? (Never been tested, but it is brown with a little white on the top)
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.(I got it from a reptile store near my house)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?(all screen 16x16x30)
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? (Repti basking 75w and a reptisun 5.0 uvb. Light is on from 8am to 8pm)
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? (Basking is from 95 to 89ish. Bottom of the cage is from 70 to 73ish I use a zoo med little thermometer)
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? (I spray multiple times a day with a homedepot sprayer and I run a hot bath which makes my room humid once a day)
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? (Only using fake plants)
• 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? (In my room near a fan that I run at night sometimes. No ones really goes in my room and the top of the cage is around 5ft 10 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? (Tallahassee Florida)

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. (He runs away from me at all times, also I want to know if I’m doing everything right)

 

[Syreptyon]

Handling: Your chameleon running from you is NOT a problem. Chameleons don't like to be touched or handled. Think about it - in the wild, the only times a living thing touches a chameleon is if they're mating or being predated/fought with. They associate touch with danger. You need to give your chameleon space because they are clearly very stressed out and this is very bad for his health. It can take many months to get your chameleon used to you. I was never able to handle my veiled back when I had him. Many chameleon owners are never able to reliably handle their chameleons and you should respect that. If you want a reptile you can handle all the time, then chameleons are not for you. This seems to be your biggest concern and my advice is to stop handling him for a while and let him acclimate.

Feeding: You need to be feeding about twice as much. At his age, 10-12 crickets every day. You also need to be feeding your crickets fresh produce. Repashy is not good enough. Some good items to include are: collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots, and papaya.

Supplements: you should be dusting all of the crickets with calcium every day, not just some of them.

Humidity: you ought to get a hygrometer to measure humidity to make sure it is appropriate

Plants: it is highly recommended you get live plants for him. A nice schefflera, ficus, or pothos, for example

 

[Syreptyon]

You also need a lot more foliage, real or fake in the enclosure. He needs more space to hide and more things to grab onto. It stresses chameleons out when there is that much open space in their environment. They need cover to feel safe.

Lastly, it looks like you're using a compact UVB bulb? Get rid of that, they are not good for chameleons. It is important that you get a long UVB light like a reptisun 5.0 to satisfy his UV needs

 

[Adriang33]

Handling: Your chameleon running from you is NOT a problem. Chameleons don't like to be touched or handled. Think about it - in the wild, the only times a living thing touches a chameleon is if they're mating or being predated/fought with. They associate touch with danger. You need to give your chameleon space because they are clearly very stressed out and this is very bad for his health. It can take many months to get your chameleon used to you. I was never able to handle my veiled back when I had him. Many chameleon owners are never able to reliably handle their chameleons and you should respect that. If you want a reptile you can handle all the time, then chameleons are not for you. This seems to be your biggest concern and my advice is to stop handling him for a while and let him acclimate.

Feeding: You need to be feeding about twice as much. At his age, 10-12 crickets every day. You also need to be feeding your crickets fresh produce. Repashy is not good enough. Some good items to include are: collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots, and papaya.

Supplements: you should be dusting all of the crickets with calcium every day, not just some of them.

Humidity: you ought to get a hygrometer to measure humidity to make sure it is appropriate

Plants: it is highly recommended you get live plants for him. A nice schefflera, ficus, or pothos, for example

Thank you for the all the advice! I just fed him some more! I also am wondering why he some times after eating lols up and opens and closes his mouth a little? Do you think he’s just still chewing?

 

[Syreptyon]

Yeah he may very well still be chewing! Especially when you watch chameleons eat, they're sometimes shy about chewing while you're looking

 

[Graves923]

What size crickets are you feeding him?

You've only had him for a few weeks so he is most likely still getting used to his new home. That cage needs a lot more foliage for him to hide in and feel safe. Give him a few weeks to settle in before trying to build trust between him and you. Start by just staying in the room without acknowledging the cage every day until he stops trying to hide. Then slowly try hand feeding. Eventually, he will associate you with food and will tolerate your presence. The key is not to rush anything or snatch him out of his cage. They can, and will, hold a grudge...

Also, try feeding only during the first half of the day. Chameleons need enough time to bask after a meal to properly digest. Feeding in the afternoon, a few hours before lights out, may not give the chameleon enough time to bask. You'll notice soon that your chameleon will create its own daily routine. Example: My chameleon will usually be basking around 7:30am which is 30 minutes after lights come on. He then will climb to the top of his tree and wait for feeding time. After he eats at 10am, he will wonder the cage looking for any feeders that escaped the cup, then at around noon, he basks for an hour or two. Then wonders the cage and usually finds a place to sleep an hour or two before light outs at 7:00pm.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/

Read through these articles if you haven't already. There is a lot of great information that will help you provide the best care for your little guy.

 

[Adriang33]

What size crickets are you feeding him?

You've only had him for a few weeks so he is most likely still getting used to his new home. That cage needs a lot more foliage for him to hide in and feel safe. Give him a few weeks to settle in before trying to build trust between him and you. Start by just staying in the room without acknowledging the cage every day until he stops trying to hide. Then slowly try hand feeding. Eventually, he will associate you with food and will tolerate your presence. The key is not to rush anything or snatch him out of his cage. They can, and will, hold a grudge...

Also, try feeding only during the first half of the day. Chameleons need enough time to bask after a meal to properly digest. Feeding in the afternoon, a few hours before lights out, may not give the chameleon enough time to bask. You'll notice soon that your chameleon will create its own daily routine. Example: My chameleon will usually be basking around 7:30am which is 30 minutes after lights come on. He then will climb to the top of his tree and wait for feeding time. After he eats at 10am, he will wonder the cage looking for any feeders that escaped the cup, then at around noon, he basks for an hour or two. Then wonders the cage and usually finds a place to sleep an hour or two before light outs at 7:00pm.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/

Read through these articles if you haven't already. There is a lot of great information that will help you provide the best care for your little guy.

Thank you! How long should he be in the basking spot for? He sits there a lot

 

[Syreptyon]

there is no correct amount of time to spend there. Many chameleons sit under it for the majority of the day

 

[kinyonga]

Chameleon info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? (Veiled, male, 2-3 months old, since December 23)
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?( I’ve been trying more but he runs from me when I open the cage). I would not force handling on him. To get him out of the cage trynholding a stick in front of his front feet to see if he will walk into it on his own. They view this cage as their territorry. If he won't step into the stick try encouraging him to by bringing your other hand around behind him some will want to move forward to get away from you. Don't pull him off the branches...let him step off. Once he's on the branch your holding take it out if the cage carefully with him on it.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? (Small crickets, 6ish a day a few in the morning a few in the afternoon, I give the crickets repashy bug burger) at that age I would feed him as much as he will eat in a minute or two and then leave a couple of crickets in the cage for a snack. Make sure the crickets are the right size..will fit into his mouth comfortably. I would feed/gutload the insects with dandelion greens, kale, collards, squash, zucchini sweet potato, sweet peppers, carrots, and a bit of apple or pear or melon or berries.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? (Repti calcium with d3 and zoomed Reptivive with out d3 twice a month. And Repti calcium with out d3 with 3 crickets every morning) it's important to dust every cricket lightly.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? (I have a dripper running often and I spray the cage with a mister from homedepot a few times a day. Also, when I shower the humidity fills the the room. But I have never seen him drink)
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? (Never been tested, but it is brown with a little white on the top)
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.(I got it from a reptile store near my house)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?(all screen 16x16x30)
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? (Repti basking 75w and a reptisun 5.0 uvb. Light is on from 8am to 8pm) is the basking light one that produces white light?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? (Basking is from 95 to 89ish. Bottom of the cage is from 70 to 73ish I use a zoo med little thermometer) basking temperature can be in the mid 80's F at that age.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? (I spray multiple times a day with a homedepot sprayer and I run a hot bath which makes my room humid once a day)
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? (Only using fake plants) you may want to replace them soon with real ones that are nontoxic and well washed...both sides of the leaves since veileds munch on greens sometimes.
• 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? (In my room near a fan that I run at night sometimes. No ones really goes in my room and the top of the cage is around 5ft 10 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? (Tallahassee Florida)

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. (He runs away from me at all times, also I want to know if I’m doing everything right)

 

[Adriang33]

Chameleon info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? (Veiled, male, 2-3 months old, since December 23)
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?( I’ve been trying more but he runs from me when I open the cage). I would not force handling on him. To get him out of the cage trynholding a stick in front of his front feet to see if he will walk into it on his own. They view this cage as their territorry. If he won't step into the stick try encouraging him to by bringing your other hand around behind him some will want to move forward to get away from you. Don't pull him off the branches...let him step off. Once he's on the branch your holding take it out if the cage carefully with him on it.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? (Small crickets, 6ish a day a few in the morning a few in the afternoon, I give the crickets repashy bug burger) at that age I would feed him as much as he will eat in a minute or two and then leave a couple of crickets in the cage for a snack. Make sure the crickets are the right size..will fit into his mouth comfortably. I would feed/gutload the insects with dandelion greens, kale, collards, squash, zucchini sweet potato, sweet peppers, carrots, and a bit of apple or pear or melon or berries.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? (Repti calcium with d3 and zoomed Reptivive with out d3 twice a month. And Repti calcium with out d3 with 3 crickets every morning) it's important to dust every cricket lightly.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? (I have a dripper running often and I spray the cage with a mister from homedepot a few times a day. Also, when I shower the humidity fills the the room. But I have never seen him drink)
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? (Never been tested, but it is brown with a little white on the top)
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.(I got it from a reptile store near my house)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?(all screen 16x16x30)
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? (Repti basking 75w and a reptisun 5.0 uvb. Light is on from 8am to 8pm) is the basking light one that produces white light?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? (Basking is from 95 to 89ish. Bottom of the cage is from 70 to 73ish I use a zoo med little thermometer) basking temperature can be in the mid 80's F at that age.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? (I spray multiple times a day with a homedepot sprayer and I run a hot bath which makes my room humid once a day)
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? (Only using fake plants) you may want to replace them soon with real ones that are nontoxic and well washed...both sides of the leaves since veileds munch on greens sometimes.
• 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? (In my room near a fan that I run at night sometimes. No ones really goes in my room and the top of the cage is around 5ft 10 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? (Tallahassee Florida)

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. (He runs away from me at all times, also I want to know if I’m doing everything right)

Thank you for the advice.. I tried handling him a few times and kind of forced it so im not going to do that ever again. so should i dust every cricket with the calciums and multi vitamins everyday? Yes i think the basking bulb is producing the white light. I am going to get a live plant in there soon also !

 

[kinyonga]

@Adriang33 said..."so should i dust every cricket with the calciums and multi vitamins everyday?"...you should dust every cricket lightly with phosphorus-free calcium powder at almost every feeding...not with vitamins. Vitamins I only do twice a month and phosphorous-free calcium with D3 I do twice a month.

 

[Adriang33]

@Adriang33 said..."so should i dust every cricket with the calciums and multi vitamins everyday?"...you should dust every cricket lightly with phosphorus-free calcium powder at almost every feeding...not with vitamins. Vitamins I only do twice a month and phosphorous-free calcium with D3 I do twice a month.

thanks a lot

 

[kinyonga]

You're welcome!