Noob

pinellastek

New Member
Hello world. I received a veiled chameleon, Carl, as a Christmas present. The Thrive enclosure they bought is only 18x18x24 glass w/ screen at the top so I know I will need to get something bigger and breezy for him pretty quick. Until then I have a Monsoon misting system, basking and the UV suggested a/b. I had moss vines in his enclosure but he didn't seem to like those. I have no idea how old he is, the lady at the store didn't know and didn't know how to determine the sex either. I'm attaching a pic just so you can all make suggestions on how to improve his little home until he graduates to a proper sized enclosure.
CarlCage.jpg
 
I would suggest leaving the bottom of the enclosure bare , this makes it easier to clean and feeders tend hide in the substrate .it also holds moisture to help with you humidity but this can harbor Bactria so most people will recommend bare bottom including myself :) if you need help sexing your cham please post pictures of its feet , specifically the back part of the foot . males have spurs in the back and females don't . it looks like a little nub sticking out at the back part of its foot . the cage does have nice foliage, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to add more plants in the middle of the enclosure , this will provide places to hide to make your cham feel safe :) also what supplements are you using and how often ? what lights are you using for heating and for uvb ??
 
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Thank you for responding. I will check some of these things tonight and post when I have answers to your questions.
 
Pretty sure hes male?
Screen Shot 2020-01-09 at 1.11.54 PM.png
As said more pictures would help.

Fill this form out if you could :)

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?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types 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?
  • 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?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I've had it for almost two weeks, it is a male, and they didn't know how old at the pet shop.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? - Once to put in cage and once to rearrange cage
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets What amount? 5-10 What is the schedule? Morning and evening feedings. How are you gut-loading your feeders? Did not know about this until I came to the forum
Supplements - Had a jar Petco stuff once a week, but I have some Repashy Calcium Plus LoD on the way
Watering - Monsoon Mister, 30 seconds every two hours. Have only seen him drink once.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. The ones I could find are white. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No
History - Purchased from Petco - They were as uneducated as I am.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass with screen top 18x18x36
Lighting - They are 'Thrive' lights from PetSmart along with bulbs that came with.
Temperature - The higher point is around 80. Lowest overnight temp 68. How do you measure these temps? With a thermometer / humidity analog gague
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Bounce between 40 and 70 - more humid at night. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting with Monsoon Mister. What do you use to measure humidity? Same humidity / thermometer as above. Generic
Plants - No but I'd like to. (wasn't sure how to since bottom substrate seems to be frowned upon.
Placement - Where is your cage located? On a small table in our living room. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? There is an air vent under the table it is sitting on with a redirected vent. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 5ft
Location - Chattanooga, TN

Current Problem - not sure about setting up the optimal environment. I'd like to use real plants, but need advice on HOW to do that, I've seen the 'friendly plant' list, but do they go in pots or in the substrate (if I can keep it)
Also I don't know how old he is.
Carl.jpg
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I've had it for almost two weeks, it is a male, and they didn't know how old at the pet shop.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? - Once to put in cage and once to rearrange cage
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets What amount? 5-10 What is the schedule? Morning and evening feedings. How are you gut-loading your feeders? Did not know about this until I came to the forum
I would feed only in the mornings. They need to digest their food throughout the day. I honestly would just toss a decent amount of crickets (10-20) and leave it in there, then take it out an hour or two before the lights go out.

Are you cup feeding? Since he is young, I would. It makes it much easier for them to find their food, makes sure they don't eat crickets that have walked through poop, and allows you to track how much they have eaten more accurately.

You should be gut loading with leafy greens, veggies, ect. You can also use some commercial got load such as cricket crack or bug burger. Ill post the images for gut loading and stuff.

Supplements - Had a jar Petco stuff once a week, but I have some Repashy Calcium Plus LoD on the way

Once you get the supplement, dust with it every feeding.

Watering - Monsoon Mister, 30 seconds every two hours. Have only seen him drink once.

This is what I do:

My lights are set so the uvb comes on and hour before the heat bulb, and then an hour after the heat bulb. So my uvb comes on at 7, then my basking bulb at 8, then my basking bulb is off at 6, and my uvb is off at 7. They are set like this so then I can mist in that time where the uvb is on, but the heat bulb is not. This is because heat + lots of humidity = RI. You would mist for 2-4 minutes at this time, in the morning, and then in the evening.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. The ones I could find are white. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No

Do you only see a urate? or is there a solid brown part aswell?

History - Purchased from Petco - They were as uneducated as I am.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass with screen top 18x18x36
Lighting - They are 'Thrive' lights from PetSmart along with bulbs that came with.

You are going to want to get a fluorescent uvb and a white/warm heating bulb (NO COLORS! ). The heating bulb can just a regular household bulb that lets the basking place get to 82-85, normally about 60-75 watts, could be more or less depending on how close your chameleon can get.

For uvb, this size cage would need a Reptisun 5.0 fluorescent tube bulb, or an Arcadia 6% fluorescent tube bulb. I would go ahead and get a 24'' fixture as his adult cage will need to be at least a 24''x24''x48'' You would just use a 10.0 (pr 12% for Arcadia) bulb instead of the 5.0 .

Temperature - The higher point is around 80. Lowest overnight temp 68. How do you measure these temps? With a thermometer / humidity analog gague

Your basking spot should be 82-85 degrees, ambient around room temperature. Night time drops are fine as long as they aren't below mid 50's.

Get a thermometer/hygrometer with a cord and a probe, the stick-on circles are inaccurate 99% of the time.


Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Bounce between 40 and 70 - more humid at night. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting with Monsoon Mister. What do you use to measure humidity? Same humidity / thermometer as above. Generic

Daytime humidity should be 30-40, nighttime should be 70-100.

Plants - No but I'd like to. (wasn't sure how to since bottom substrate seems to be frowned upon.

Plants can stay potted. No need for organic, just grab a plant on the safe list, repot with topsoil, rinse the leaves well and top it off with some 1-2 inch stones, as thy will try and eat the dirt.

Placement - Where is your cage located? On a small table in our living room. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? There is an air vent under the table it is sitting on with a redirected vent. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 5ft

As long as the air vent doesn't vibrate or anything like that, and it doesn't blow on the cage it should be fine.

Location - Chattanooga, TN

Current Problem - not sure about setting up the optimal environment. I'd like to use real plants, but need advice on HOW to do that, I've seen the 'friendly plant' list, but do they go in pots or in the substrate (if I can keep it)

Your current cage isn't too bad. I would just grab some Pothos or dwarf umbrella/schefflera plant to give him more cover. The plants can stay potted, just make sure the pots have drainage holes. They love to eat their plants, personally I would try and get rid of as many fake plants as you can and replace them with real. But a few fake plants are fine as long as you watch them closely and make sure they aren't trying to eat them.

As said above I would toss the substrate, unless you plan on going bioactive, which as a beginner I don't think you are.


Also I don't know how old he is.

Im not very good with guessing age. @kinyonga @Brodybreaux25 ??
 
A sum of all the different indicators. For whatever reason captive veild populations have seen a marked rise in females with visible rear spurs rendering this tried and true method less reliable. But more often than not it does still work.
 
Veild sex

Sexual dimorphism in Chamaeleo calyptratus alias

Sexing Yemen chameleons



In the Yemen chameleons, the sexes differ in many features from each other. They show the s.c. Primary sexual dimorphism, which is expressed through

the presence of sexual glands (testes with ductus deferens in males and ovaries with oviducts in females) and copulatory organs (hemipenes in males, hemiclitoris in females).

The problem for sexing animals is, that some of these organs (first group) are situated in the body cavity and some (the second group) in special pockets at the base if the tail, none of them are invisible from outside. There is a technique how to evert the hemipenis, but in young animals and in animals which are dehydrated, old or out of breeding season, it does not work reliably, plus, it might be painful for the animal and is definitely rather stressful, especially if done by an inexperienced owner, therefore not recommended.

Fortunately, there are several Secondary sexual characteristics, that allow us to define the sex rather reliably, especially in adult animals:



SIZE The males are much bigger than the females, they can reach up to 30in / 19in resp, usually stay much smaller



BODY PROPORTIONS The females are built more slender with smaller heads



TAIL BASE Due to the presence of male copulatory organs, hemipenes, the tail base behind cloacal is thicker/swollen in males



TARSAL SPUR Males have a prominent knob-like protuberance on the heels, while female lack them. This characteristic is is well

Visible from hatchlings already. Through inbreeding and improper incubation temperatures and regime, however, we can see more and more females with differently developed spurs as well as males with small or lacking spurs.



CASQUE The casque in males is much higher than in females. Through mistakes in incubation and after sterilization, some females can grow very high casques and resemble a fully developed casque of males.



DORSAL CREST The conical scales on the dorsal crest are relatively much bigger in males



GULAR CREST The conical scales on the gular crest are relatively much bigger in males, plus they are usually orange in males and white in females



COLORATION The general pattern is in both sexes same, however due the ability to change the color, some skin areas melt in color with each other. The diagnostic features are: orange spots on the flanks possess only females while bright yellow transversal bands on the flanks are confined to males only.

For reliable sex determination, all aspects need to be taken in consideration. In doubt, ask experienced colleagues in for assistance.

Other species of chameleons possess same primary but partly or fully different secondary sexual characteristics...



The left column relates always to male, the right to females

They show the differences(top down) in:



Table 1:

General habitus

Head form and casques relative size Tarsal spurs



Table 2: Gular crest Tail base Dorsal crest
 
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