Pet sitting advice

Ghostbirb

Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello! I would appreciate some advice on taking care of a Chameleon that I’ll be pet sitting for like two weeks.
So we unexpectedly had to pet sit a little chameleon class pet for break because the people who where going to take her home didnt arrive to pick her up.
The detections I was given was

To mist down her leaves once a day

To put 5-6 crickets in her cage each day

And to make sure her heat lamp is on at all times.

Besides that, I’ve never taken care of a reptile before. (Though I do have some exotic animal exprence due to the fact I have birds)

Her cage was a little bare so I got her a few more branches and leaves.

Is there any advice from people with experience?

Her name is Watermelon or Nachito Burrito.
 

Attachments

  • 499E9F65-928B-40AF-8CA6-1BE6DB868CBB.jpeg
    499E9F65-928B-40AF-8CA6-1BE6DB868CBB.jpeg
    260.8 KB · Views: 65
Yes, I have advice. Don’t give her back! Just joking…kind of. Poor little girl needs so very much more than she has in her enclosure. She needs lots of live plants, lots of branches and vines to travel on and hopefully she already has a linear T5 uvb light. What about supplements? If she hasn’t the correct uvb and isn’t getting supplements, sadly she most likely won’t live until the end of the school year. You want her to have 12 hours of light/dark and at night she needs a temp drop. Honestly, whatever teacher thought it was a good idea to get a chameleon for a class pet didn’t do his/her homework. So, I have homework for you and I want you to make sure to pass it on to whatever teacher is responsible for this sweet little girl.
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
This is the most accurate and up to date info on keeping chameleons. You can also check out Neptune the chameleon on YouTube.
 
Ok thank you! (My mom made a “mistake” bringing her home cause now I want to keep her forever! ;) ) I’ll do my best to try and help her. Here’s a image of the cage before she came home. I’ll do some research and watch some video on her species, and I’ll see if I’m (hopefully) allowed to spruce up her enclosure and get supplements. How would you exactly have a temperature drop at night?
 

Attachments

  • 231B04D8-5CF2-41EE-BB94-27DFA56A021D.jpeg
    231B04D8-5CF2-41EE-BB94-27DFA56A021D.jpeg
    204.7 KB · Views: 63
@MissSkittles gave you some good advice already.

More comments...
No lights on at night. No need for heat at night either as long as the temperature doesn't go down below 60 ish F. If there's no lights on at night the cage should be cooler...same temperature as inside the room the chameleon is being kept in.

Most often recommended UVB lights are the Reptisun 5.0 long linear tube light....NOT the compact one. Or the Arcadia 6% long linear tube light. @Beman is a good person to talk to about UVB lights.
For basking the temperature should be no more than 80F right now...and you can use a regular household incandescent light (not LED) of a wattage that produces that temperature where the chameleon sits to bask. Test it to make sure it won't burn the chameleon by putting your hand palm side DOWN just under the screen as close to the light as you can...and if you want to move your hand because it's too hot...then it will be too hot for the chameleon too.

Your teacher needs to learn about special care for female chameleons as well...if it is a female. To tell look at its heels....is there a bump sticking out on them or not. I think it's female but I can't be sure until I see the heel closer. There will need to be an egg laying bin in the cage too. Female veileds can produce eggs without having mated.

You need to look after/feed the crickets too. I hope they're the right size for her to eat?

You said..."I’ll do some research and watch some video on her species"... Best to read ones that we are pointing you to IMHO because there is so much incorrect info out ther.
 
Last edited:
Ok, I’m 99% sure I have the right cricket size. I was wondering, would the sudden light off at nighttime would harm or disorient her in anyway due to the fact she had never had it off at night. I’m definitely going to get more vines and branches. I was also told she was a female. But I’ll double check.
I am confused on how she doesn’t have more in her cages, apparently the son of the teacher has one as well.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll do my best to make her life a little better.
 

Attachments

  • 34C06068-4B54-4ACA-B42C-10098B824AC8.jpeg
    34C06068-4B54-4ACA-B42C-10098B824AC8.jpeg
    458 KB · Views: 54
I hope the son reads the links @MissSkittles gave you too! Maybe you can suggest it in a very nice way?

Aww...she's translucent!!

You need to look at the back of the heel for the tarsal spur.
I check her heel when she is a better position. :) I’ll do my best to get my mom to talk to the teacher and her son (I don’t actually know the people, my mom does) and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to help them with learning about their pets.
 
I believe you have a little girl. Did you know that whether she ever even sees a boy, she will produce and lay (infertile) eggs? While correct care is important for all chameleons, it’s even more so for our girls so that they don’t have any problems laying their eggs.
For feeder size, anything larger than the space between her eyes is too big. It is also important to take good care of her feeder bugs so that they will be more nutritious for her.
Honestly, because of all of the care for a female chameleon as well as them getting easily stressed, this is not a good choice for a classroom pet. Most reptiles aren’t well suited for it. Animals like hamsters, rats, etc are much better choices as they are more sociable and easier to care for. I do hope the teacher will rethink this choice and take the time to learn about how to properly care for the chameleon. We are more than happy to help get things right so that this little cham has a long happy and healthy life.
 
Really? She lays eggs if so much as sees a boy? That’s kind of funny, but also seems stressful. I’m not sure what I’ll be able to accomplish with this cutie but I’ll definitely try my hardest to get talking with the teacher! Thank again for the advice, this is going to be a interesting ride for me over the next few weeks!
 
Last edited:
Ok thank you! (My mom made a “mistake” bringing her home cause now I want to keep her forever! ;) ) I’ll do my best to try and help her. Here’s a image of the cage before she came home. I’ll do some research and watch some video on her species, and I’ll see if I’m (hopefully) allowed to spruce up her enclosure and get supplements. How would you exactly have a temperature drop at night?
Oh my living God, it’s worse than I thought. I think the ‘Caution! Keep out! Danger! Chameleon at play’ sign is what drove the nail in the coffin for me. 😂
 
Omg I wish! Lol I’m secretly hoping that’s the case but the kids in the class won’t like that and I’m not sure my mom would allow it (I could probably convince her if I have the chance lol) But there’s no harm in wishing.
Or maybe you could swap, trade an anole for the chameleon. A lizard is a lizard in their eyes. Do a little persuading with your mom, maybe tell her you’d like to try and buy it off the teacher that’ll show you’re willing to make sacrifice for it, that you care that much. Also tell her about everything you learned about chameleons, prove you went the extra mile in research. :)
 
Or maybe you could swap, trade an anole for the chameleon. A lizard is a lizard in their eyes. Do a little persuading with your mom, maybe tell her you’d like to try and buy it off the teacher that’ll show you’re willing to make sacrifice for it, that you care that much. Also tell her about everything you learned about chameleons, prove you went the extra mile in research. :)
Alright! I’ve got a new mission now. I’ll talk to my dad to cause he loves reptiles! I’ll definitely look though the links I’ve been given and write stuff down! Thanks for the support!!!! If anything happens I’ll update!
 
Well just want to say, due to the fact I’ve learned I can’t take a chameleon to collage, that there wouldn’t be a way to keep this girl if I had the chance. :( So right now im just going to try and get some more stuff for her enclosure and hopefully make her happier for the time she is here.
 
Well just want to say, due to the fact I’ve learned I can’t take a chameleon to collage, that there wouldn’t be a way to keep this girl if I had the chance. :( So right now im just going to try and get some more stuff for her enclosure and hopefully make her happier for the time she is here.
You could try to talk to the collage to see if they would let you take her with you.
 
Back
Top Bottom