Newcomer requires advice

[dashofwits]

Hi everyone,

I recently got interested in chameleons and did a lot of research on them. I got a baby Yemen chameleon two weeks ago.

She is approximately 3-4 months old, bright green with some white stripes.

For the first few weeks she was eating and pooing with no issues, but the last few days, her behaviour changed a lot.

She was eating approx. 5-6 feeders in the morning up until about three or four days ago. Her appetite then decreased to just 1-2 feeders in the morning. The tank is being misted twice a day for 10-15 minutes, sometimes three if the hygrometer is showing low. I have never seen her drink but her eyes are not sunken in or dry looking.

When the tank doors are opened for her misting, last few days she has been going to bite me and hissing a lot which she hasn't done before. Her colouring has changed a bit as well. She is not displaying stress colours but her toes normally have a white stripe ringing the claws but that has turned a greyish colour?

She has also refused to come down from the sensor cable for three days.

To make matters even more confusing, yesterday I put some additional bits of twig in her tank for her to mooch around on and she's perked up exponentially. This morning she ate 10 locusts, two mealworms and some kale. I've never seen her eat that much at all.

Any ideas to the behaviour changes?

I haven't seen her shed either.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Psychobunny]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Also welcome to the exciting world of cham keeping

When you say 'tank' do you mean you have her in a glass terrarium?

 

[dashofwits]

It's an exo terra for now. 18x18x24

 

[Psychobunny]

Did you know that Yemen chams require full air circulation at all times?
Most keepers use all screen cages for this reason.

You can keep them in glass, but it's much harder to maintain proper air flow.

I would recommend a screen cage made for chameleons, like Reptibreeze, LLL Reptiles, or DIY cages sells them.

What temp do you have at the place where she sits to bask?
How do you monitor your temps and humidity?

 

[dashofwits]

I am but have currently been unable to find one in the UK, close enough for pick up, or that will deliver. Have combined thermometer/hygrometers.

 

[Psychobunny]

I have seen some that are made in the UK, but cant remember!!??

I didnt think of that, they are too large to ship over seas!! would cost a fortune even if they said yes!!

 

[FrankTheTank]

You can always build your own screened enclosure. That's what I did for my veiled. Does cost too much and you can find easy plans on Internet or come up with your own. most hardware stores carry the mesh screen and you can use wood or PVC for the structure

 

[ChameleonMom]

Hi everyone,

I recently got interested in chameleons and did a lot of research on them. I got a baby Yemen chameleon two weeks ago.

She is approximately 3-4 months old, bright green with some white stripes.

For the first few weeks she was eating and pooing with no issues, but the last few days, her behaviour changed a lot.

She was eating approx. 5-6 feeders in the morning up until about three or four days ago. Her appetite then decreased to just 1-2 feeders in the morning. The tank is being misted twice a day for 10-15 minutes, sometimes three if the hygrometer is showing low. I have never seen her drink but her eyes are not sunken in or dry looking.

When the tank doors are opened for her misting, last few days she has been going to bite me and hissing a lot which she hasn't done before. Her colouring has changed a bit as well. She is not displaying stress colours but her toes normally have a white stripe ringing the claws but that has turned a greyish colour?

She has also refused to come down from the sensor cable for three days.

To make matters even more confusing, yesterday I put some additional bits of twig in her tank for her to mooch around on and she's perked up exponentially. This morning she ate 10 locusts, two mealworms and some kale. I've never seen her eat that much at all.

Any ideas to the behaviour changes?

I haven't seen her shed either.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the Forum! Sorry to hear your little one may not be feeling too well, but from what you have described I'd say she may have required more space to move around. If she is eating heartily today I would keep a close eye on her and see how the rest of the week goes. Remember that a Cham can go a week or so without food, as long as there is water to keep hydrated.

One thing that does concern me is the amount of water you are currently giving her. I mist my chams 3x per day but only for 3 - 5 minutes. My chams also have an all day drip which allows them to self regulate their intake of water. A 10 -15 minute misting a couple times a day seems like a HUGE amount of water in an exo terra enclosure! How are you draining the water? Standing water can become a health concern!

Also, since your girl is young (and probably small) she will be okay in the exo terra for now as long as you realize that she will require a big girl enclosure in the next 5 months. Also, are you aware that females develop and lay eggs without being with a male Cham? You will need to read up on behaviour changes when this occurs as it can be a bit stressful but better to be prepared than not. BTW, as your girl is fairly young I wouldn't think she's developing now but they can start developing a clutch as young as 8 months, but I don't believe this is the cause of her current behaviour changes!

Keep an eye on her and follow your gut - if you think a vet visit is in order, it probably is!

Good luck!!

 

[dashofwits]

Welcome to the Forum! Sorry to hear your little one may not be feeling too well, but from what you have described I'd say she may have required more space to move around. If she is eating heartily today I would keep a close eye on her and see how the rest of the week goes. Remember that a Cham can go a week or so without food, as long as there is water to keep hydrated.

One thing that does concern me is the amount of water you are currently giving her. I mist my chams 3x per day but only for 3 - 5 minutes. My chams also have an all day drip which allows them to self regulate their intake of water. A 10 -15 minute misting a couple times a day seems like a HUGE amount of water in an exo terra enclosure! How are you draining the water? Standing water can become a health concern!

Also, since your girl is young (and probably small) she will be okay in the exo terra for now as long as you realize that she will require a big girl enclosure in the next 5 months. Also, are you aware that females develop and lay eggs without being with a male Cham? You will need to read up on behaviour changes when this occurs as it can be a bit stressful but better to be prepared than not. BTW, as your girl is fairly young I wouldn't think she's developing now but they can start developing a clutch as young as 8 months, but I don't believe this is the cause of her current behaviour changes!

Keep an eye on her and follow your gut - if you think a vet visit is in order, it probably is!

Good luck!!

Thank you very much for your reply.

I timed how much I misted yesterday and today and it is nowhere near 10-15 minutes. It seemed a hell of a lot longer than it actually is. It's more round the five minute mark than anything bigger than that.

I do know that they can develop infertile eggs and lay them and I'm keeping an eye on that. But her behaviour has improved considerably, she's eating better, still haven't seen her drink yet but there's water available through a little homemade dripper.

She seems much happier now than she did before. No idea what was wrong, she tends to just hang upside down on the top of the enclosure a bit more now. She isn't being so hissy now.

 

[camimom]

Females wont develop eggs until they reach sexual maturity.

This normally occurs around 6 months old.

If you get an automatic mister it will help alot.

If you dont have alot of foliage in the cage, try adding more.

If it takes you ten minutes to find her in her cage, then she is happier.

 

[dashofwits]

Females wont develop eggs until they reach sexual maturity.

This normally occurs around 6 months old.

If you get an automatic mister it will help alot.

If you dont have alot of foliage in the cage, try adding more.

If it takes you ten minutes to find her in her cage, then she is happier.

I've been steadily adding more and more foliage as I find it, a lot of the places near me don't have much that is on the suitable list so its a bit hard. Searching far and wide for plants.

I'm not 100% sure how old she is. I was told four months nearly five but I saw a five month old female Yemen and she is a LOT bigger than my Isis is.

 

[camimom]

Post a pic of her on your hand, and ill guesstimate age for you.

You can use fake stuff too until the season comes for good real plants.

 

[dashofwits]

Hope this works, this was taken on the 11th of feb

 

[camimom]

Id say 4 months old is a reasonable age for her.

 

[dashofwits]

Thank you very much. It's a bit confusing trying to work out what age she is or not

 

[camimom]

If you arent used to them, then yea it can be.

I have two adult veileds, and 33 hatchlings.. so i can guess age pretty good IMO.

Since we are on the topic... are you sure shes a girl?

I dont see anything that says she isnt, but sometimes.. alot of times.. stores are wrong.

DO you see a tarsal spur, or pimple like bump, on the back of the back feet? such as where the heel would be?

 

[dashofwits]

Yup definitely a girl. I was told a boy by one guy, girl by another. I got fed up of not knowing so I researched it. She has no tarsal spurs and her casque is quite little

 

[camimom]

Okie Dokie.

you know all about egg laying correct?

 

[dashofwits]

Not 100% from what I've gathered over various sites and books and bits and pieces, they start to scratch and hang around more at the bottom of the enclosure looking for a place to lay. Need a large box such as an ice cream tub and some washed sand which is kept moist so the tunnel she will dig doesn't collapse on her. The eggs will be sterile though cause she won't have been with a male Cham

 

[camimom]

Youneed a bucket at least 12 inches deep and 12 around. filled with sand or dirt, that is wet enough for them to dig in, but dry enough it wont collapse on her

some females will scratch around, others wont. which is why its best to just keep a bin n their cage at all times.