New to the Chameleon World

[WaldoChameleonaire]

Hi,

I am new to the world of Chameleons. We just got our first Veiled Chameleon on October 5th. I have done a few months of research before we went on the hunt for a new member of our family. I think he is about 3 to 4 months old. He eats like crazy but only when no one is looking. He shed yesterday for the first time, with no problems at all. Today i just added his live plants to his screened enclosure. (It looks like a jungle in there and it is going to be even more hard to find him.) I then sprayed the cage down and he has spent the last 20 minutes in his new plants drinking all the water!! Its absolutly amazing to see him drink. I think this is the coolest reptile that I have owned and I have had a lot (my boyfriend used to work at a privatly owned pet shop for many years). I am glad to have gotten him. If anyone has some great tips, send them my way.

~Sarah

 

[panthercham]

Welcome to the forum...its a great place to learn and ask anything chameleon

We are all a nosy bunch so how about a few pictures?

Also as you are fairly new to the cham world how about filling the below questionaire out so we can send some tips your way.

Once again welcome

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
* Location - 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?


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?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Sarah,

I would direct you here (that's where all my tips are:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

 

[WaldoChameleonaire]

Welcome to the forum...its a great place to learn and ask anything chameleon

We are all a nosy bunch so how about a few pictures?

Also as you are fairly new to the cham world how about filling the below questionaire out so we can send some tips your way.

Once again welcome

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
It is an all screen cage, 16"x12"x18". I plan on getting a bigger one once he is a bit bigger.


* Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
We are using Flukers dome lamps with Reptiglo 10.0 UVB bulb during the day and the ExoTerra Heat Glo heat bulb. We have to keep the red one on all day and night. We live by the ocean and it gets pretty cold. We turn his light on about 7:20 in the morning and off by like 5:30 or so depending on how much he is moving around the cage.


* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
We have a hot spot that vaires during the day between 95 - 105 and the bottom of the cage tends to stay about 70 degrees. We have two analog thermometers and a hydrometer. The Flukers brand i think.


* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
It is between 45 - 55. We spray his cage down about three to four times a day depending on if we are home or not. We have an open top fish tank with almost full water and a turtle in the same room. So the humidity is pretty good. I have the hydrometer. We also use live plants to help with the humidity. It seems to work well and he loves the plants.

* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Yes, and he loves them and i like the way they look. I have a Ficus and an umbrella. They are still pretty small but he climbs all in them and drinks most of the water off of the umbrella tree.

* Location - 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?
He is in the room with my turtle and computer away from any air vents and we dont have fans. I only live with my boyfriend and we only go into the room to check out our animals and play on the computer. He is ontop of the bookshelf which is about 4 1/2 feet off the ground. The spot where he is at gets a bit of sun through the window. but there is always cool spots in the cage.


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
I did a great deal of research on him before I picked him up. He is Veiled Chameleon, a male (he has the spurs on the rear of his feet). I believe as of today he is about 4 months old. I have had him since October 5, 2008. He already has pretty good coloring. He always has these nice looking yellow spots on his sides by his front arms. Sometimes when we look at him his is got these cool looking black stripes down his body and around his eyes. But then once we get close to get a good look, he goes back to his normal litish green color. Overall he seems to be doing good. He is way more active and he eats and he has grown about an inch or so since we have had him. His arms have also dubled in size.

* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I dont take him out. When we had him for the first week or so we went out and bought some more vines and plants and that is the only time i actually took him out. I clean the cage and he just sits on the branch and looks at me.

* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
We feed him the small crickets. I give the crickets the orange cubes by Flukers. I also give them lettuce and what ever else fruit or vegitable i am eating that day. They dont seem to like strawberrys though. I feed him in the mornings before I go to work. He tends to be more active and when I come home at lunch (about 12:30) there are usually no more crickets left. Sometimes in the afternoon I give him some more crickets. It is usually about 8 to 10 everytime I put some in.

* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Once or twice every two weeks I give him crickets that are dusted with Rep-Cal Phosphorous-Free Calcium and vit-D.

* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
We spray him down three times a day for a good minute or two. We make sure it is soaked pretty good on the plants. I have seen him drink when we first put in the plants and then a few times after that. He likes to eat and drink in private. If you get too close he runs behind a leaf.

* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
He Fecal looks pretty good to me, we have had a lot of reptiles. They are blackish brownish with a bit of white at one end. They are solid and have never been runny. In one week I get about 20 or more Fecal deposits out of his cage. He has not been tested yet.

The only other thing is that he is very timid, he runs away when we get close to his cage to look at him. Now when I feed him, he dosent run so far and he watches me as I put crickets in his cage. Is that normal? I figure after a few more months he will be more used to me. I am usually the one who will put crickets in and clean his cage and stuff.


Sorry it took me so long to reply, I have had a few busy weekends and worked a lot.

Thank you for your concern and advice.



~Sarah

 

[jannb]

Hello and welcome to the forums! You basking spot is to hot. I would keep it 88 or 89 not over 90 or 91 tops. You should use plain calcium at just about every feeding. Twice a month calcium with D3 and once a month a multi vitamin such as Herptivite. On the days that you use the D3 and multi do not use the plain calcium because they already have calcium in them and only lightly dust your feeders....don't make them look like ghost. Again congrats on you new guy. He's a real cutie! Jann

 

[WaldoChameleonaire]

Thanks, Ill move it up higher and ill use a different supplement too.

~Sarah