Not eating

[bleudolphin]

I have had my Jackson for a week now. I have not seen him eat, he has not pooped since I have had him. I have seen him drinking water. When I got him they said that he was eating 5 large cricket a day. I tried to get him to eat a wax worm to but he was not interested. He is sleeping alot. I have his cage around 83 to 85 in his basking area. He is pretty much staying on a branch in the middle. When I put him in his basking area he perks up for a bit then moves back to the middle branch. I am very new to Chameleons and am at a loss as to what to do. I have a red heat light in addition to his white basking light. It has been kind of cold here in Oregon, so I am using the red light to help maintain the temp. I am hoping to be able to get another white basking light soon.

 

[Will Hayward]

Have you offered crickets?
Have you contacted the original owner?
Post a photo of the full cage w/ details.
Can he escape the 85 degree heat? & into what temperatures?

 

[bleudolphin]

I currently have him in a 18x18x24 all screen cage. There is a pic in my gallery. Yes the middle of the cage is around 78 and the bottom is much cooler. My husband is in the process of making a custom cage. Which will be about 4 times the size of the one it is currently in. I have been putting 5 crickets in each day. I had not been taking them out until a few days ago when I noticed that there was quite a few in there. I removed about 15. I am trying to get him to eat out of a cup so that I know who much he is eating. I called the pet store and they said they had no problem with him eating. However the lady that I talked to said that she had not actually seen him eat.

 

[Cherron]

Has he been drinking for you? Have you been providing him several long (5+ minutes) misting sessions a day?

Do you have a uvb light with no glass or plastic barrier?

Sometimes it just takes a while for these guys to settle in and be comfortable enough to eat I would try to leave him alone for a few days, don't put your hands in his cage and don't move him into his basking spot. As soon as he feels safer he will probably chill out and eat like a champ for you

 

[Calavera]

Hey Bleu,

Honestly, i find that Jackson's ( at least in my experience) thrive in cooler temps. I find that it is easier to overheat and dehydrate them then it is to under-heat them. Most of the literature out there will tell you that 77 degrees F is an ambient temperature- I agree with this; however, i feel that the real issue is keeping your "cooler" ambient temperature isolated from your basking spot. Since my Jackson was a neonate, i have kept him in the coolest room in my house, which is all tile and concrete. I keep him next to the window, which i leave open at night. I live in Northern California, so temperatures can fluctuate, however, his enclosure is consistently at 77 degrees F with a nighttime drop to about 65 degrees F. A basking temperature of 85 degrees is also provided. Given your weather in Oregon is not freezing, i would advise against another white light. I find the main issue with Jackson's (at least based on my own experience) is keeping them from over heating and preventing dehydration. It is vital that you keep the enclosure humid and cool. Frequent misting (about 5 times a day, 3 minutes per misting session) will keep your Jackson's hydrated and stimulate his appetite. This may seem excessive, but if you research their natural environment, you will find that all subspecies of Jackson's are from locals which receive heavy rainfall. In essence, keeping your Jackson's well hydrated and cool is the best way to keep him happy and healthy! Like many have said before, i find that Jackson's are a species of chameleon that is a bit more tricky to acclimate. It might be a couple of days before he decides to kick it into gear and start eating. If you have any questions about how i keep my Jackson's, just pm me. From one Jackson's keeper to another!

Cheers,

-Cala-