Hello, welcome to the forums. Below is the how to ask for help form that I filled out with my recommendations. It gives you the basics and will eventually need to be changed slightly to fit your situation, but it will help you get the essentials down so your Cham has a good start.
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? *Veiled chameleon, baby
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? *I recommend only once a week unless it voluntarily climbs onto you or you have to move it outside/to the shower/etc,
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? The equivalent to 8-12 crickets a day. *Gutload with greens like kale, collards, mustard greens, endive, escarole, and dandelion greens. *Use other veggies and fruits like carrots, oranges, papayas, squash, sweet peppers, and celery leaves. *Stay away from tomato, broccoli, and spinach.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? *calcium without D3 almost every feeding, calcium with D3 twice a month, and a multivitamin once a month
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? *You should be misting the cage 2-5 times a day for at least a 1-3 minutes. *I also recommend the use of a dripper which can be as simple as a cup with a hole poked in the bottom.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? The white part is called a urate which should be almost completely white. *A tiny hit if yellow/orange at the tip is normal but it should not be yellow or orange as it means the Chameleon is dehydrated. *The actual poop should not be runny.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? *Screen is recommended in most parts of the US and well ventilated cages are okay as well as long as it is well thought out and built properly. *An aquarium is not acceptable.*
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Reptisun 5.0 linear UVB tubes are recommended for chameleons. *There should also be a basking lamp *with the UVB very close to it so the chameleon can bask in both. *I try to keep the lights on only during the real sun's time. *It's a little more natural, but a 12/12 schedule will do fine.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? *Basking temp: 80-83 * * Ambient temp: 70-75 ish * Night temp: no lower than 60 as a baby * * A digital thermometer should *always be used. *The analog ones tend to *be way off.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? *40-50% when dry, 70-90+% when wet/just misted, and it should hang around 60-70% for an hour or two after you've misted. *A digital hygrometer is needed to measure. *
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? *I recommend ficus, pothos, hibiscus, and dwarf umbrella plants. *They should all be washed with soapy water and repotted in organic soil. *I use large river rocks to cover up the soil as some species (particularly veileds and panthers) tend to like to eat dirt.
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? *The basking spot should be above your eye level and there should not be any drafts near the cage. *It should be in a low traffic area.
and I came home tonight and looked and he was spotted and what looked like some shedding on his eye, head, and back. but he is bright green on one side and then brown on the other with white splotches all over. I mist him 2 times a day and when i dont have time to mist i place ice cubes on top and let them melt through the day. i put crickets in his cage but like i said i have not seen him eat at all not even drink water off the leaf or screen. If anyone knows what might be going on i would really love some info. Thanks Joy
