new veiled

[ickleicklekate]

i have just bought my first veiled chameleon, around 2 months old. (have kept other lizards before - iguanas and gecko - but appreciate all are different). so far seems very happy - relaxed, plain bright green, no hissing or obvious signs of distress when handled, eating and drinking lots! but would still be grateful for some first-timer advice!

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your first chameleon. The link below is excellent for raising veileds.

http://raisingkittytheveiledchamele...-max=2008-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=11

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the world of chameleons! I hope your chameleon will do well for you. Is it a male or female?? (Look for the spur on the heels to tell.)

Your chameleon needs exposure to UVB light (just like iguanas do). Some types of lights have been found to cause problems...the most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0.
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

To provide a basking spot (should be in the low 80's F for young ones and can be in the high 80's low 90'sF for adults) you can use a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that will provide the appropriate temperature. Appropriate temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its diet....again, just like iguanas need! The light should not pass through glass or plastic of course.

Supplements are important too since veileds are prone to calcium issues. Here are some good sites that talk about it...
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/supplementation-mbd-1-a-2451/

There's some good information on these sites too...
http://adcham.com/
http://chameleonnews.com/
This last site is down at the moment but Chris says they're working on it...so it will hopefully be back soon!