Pygmy help please D:

Prehensile

New Member
Well ive had my two pygmy chams for 2 days.
i know they need to settle in. but i have a weaker one.
it was given to me in a trade. and i moved them into an acrylic atrium.
i have a gravid one. and a not so healthy one. ribs and hips are visible.
and shes looking weak :(
i dont want to lose either of them, and ive grown attatched already.
neither of them have eaten the pinheads. and im looking for an alternate food source. can they eat small worms? earthworms?
i have an organic yard. so can i feed the moths and mosquitos that come to my light everynight?
they seem healthy. and my yard is pesticide free.
i know i might be overreacting. hence its only the second day.
but they came to me in a not so great cage. a medium kritter keeper.
moss. and a potted plant. with twigs from outside. they are kept at 75 degrees.
regular misting 3 times a day. ive seen the gravid drink. but not the weaker one.
handling, when i put them into their cage.
and feeding, not eaten anything. crix are gutloaded on a variety of greens.
and oats with a little dog food.

i will post pics in a bit.
thanks in advance.
 
Ok.
do you know on average how long it takes for them to settle in?
the weaker one of the two looks like it wont last long if it doesnt eat.
 
Bump.
i still need help.
the weaker one is constantly dark.
and is not drinking.
the other gravid one is drinking but not eating at all.
 
i dont know if this will help but i have one female that refuces to drink from surfaces shell only drink if the waters moving so just for her i set up a tiny dripper onto a log she hangs out by u could try that and maybe some bigger feeders my guys like 1/4 crickets and all types of baby worms :D
 
I spray their cage for 5 mins 3 times a day.
and the other one drinks happily.
im worried about the skinnier one.
im not handling them so i dont stress them out.
but its skin and bones. and i think its super stressed out.
thanks for the advice though
 
I don't know how often you are 'monitoring' them but if you are hovering then they may be too uncomfortable to do anything because an enormous predator (you) is watching them. Give them some time to settle in, even though it can be nerve-wracking to wait. To be honest after I put my wc brevs in their tank I didn't see them eat or drink for months. But I saw feces that looked normal so I knew they were, I just never saw it! I was especially worried for my little ones because they were wc and I didn't know in what conditions they had been kept in since importation. But they settled in very well actually! They're much more comfortable with me around now. I can watch them eat and drink finally. :)

Their drinking movement is not nearly as noticeable as other species, they just kind of lean their mouths up against a misted stick and that's about it! It doesn't look like much so you may just be missing it. If food is disappearing then they're eating. All you can really do for them is make sure their environment is set up correctly and not rearrange it right now. It should have some dense plant cover so they feel safe, be in the low to mid 70s during the day with a basking spot in the high 70s. If you have a tupperware or something you could sacrifice to make a rain dripper that might help. Poke multiple little holes in the bottom so when it drips it's not just in one place, it's more like rain. Mine like that.

Setting everything up right, providing food and water, and leaving them alone is all you can really do for these little guys. It's difficult to just sit back and wait, but they will either utilize their good surroundings and bounce back, or sometimes they won't. With their tiny size that's just how it is. Handling at all can be terrifying for them so just step back and give them what they need and wait.

Maybe if one is way more stressed than the other separating them might help? Do you ever see them together where maybe one is dominating the other? It's not very common for two females, but it's a possibility.
 
ferritinmyshoes just provided you with some excellent information. Since you said they were both female, there is a possibility that the weaker one doesn't look too great because she recently laid eggs. That's something that can weaken them. Just provide them with food and water and leave them alone. I know it's hard to do -- when I first got mine I was *always* peeking in there. A friend of mine said it would be like a giant gorilla head peeking in my window all the time. Point taken (though I've been known to spy LOL). Check on them first thing in the morning, and when their lights go off. They usually get quite light in colour when they are sleeping, so it's easier to see them. At night is when I do a head count, and look for newly hatched babies.

Hang in there, and PLEASE keep us posted :)
 
Ok. thanks for the advice.
i feel much better. i know its hard to not do anything.
i feel like i cant do much. but ill just sit back and let them do their thing.
when i feed, should i let the crickets out? or in a cup, so i can count if any have been eaten. the females are as far away from each other as possible. so i dont think dominating is the issue. theyre in a planted acrylic atrium with twigs, bark on the ground, and a few plastic plants. they hang on the umbrella plant for the majority of the time. but the gravid female is crawling on the ground alot.
i have a 60 watt lamp on. from 8-8 and a very weak aquarium light on them at night. so they can see food if theyre awake. (i mean dull. if they were to walk beneath the plants it would be dark enough for them to sleep.)
thanks so much again. i appreciate all the help im getting. ill keep you guys posted.
 
Well my larger of the two chameleons has been doing better.
i saw poop in the cage. so i know shes eating. the male on the other hand isnt doing to good. i moved him into a smaller cage with similar furnishings. im sure hes full of parasites. he refuses to eat. and barely drinks. i placed him into s sterilite bin with opaque sides so he doesnt feel so exposed. im thinking he wont last longer than a week. but im hoping he gets better.

ill post pics later on tonight.
im just really stressed about it.
 
Sorry to hear about the male. Unfortunately there's not much you can do for these little guys. As for eating, drinking and pooping, I never see any of mine doing that, and I rarely find a poop in there. Some days I don't see them at all. I would have them in full darkness at night. They should be sleeping very soundly at night, and not hunting for food at all. With the cool temps at night they wouldn't be able to digest very well anyway. Feed first thing in the am if you're able.
I did try cup feeding, but they were never interested. I just toss the crickets in and let them have at it. I have had a cricket nibble on a pygmy ONCE, and that pygmy was already dead. I wasn't able to find the body for a couple of days (my tank is planted very heavily), so I guess the cricket took advantage.
Again, keep us posted. Your patience with them is commendable.
 
Aw, still no improvement? I was actually going to ask how they were doing later today. Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble. At least the larger one is doing well!
 
Thanks for the response.
the larger one actually ate today :)
that was a good sign. i didnt see her catch it. but saw that she was chewing.
and biting down on a small cricket.
the male isnt to good. ive left him alone altogether. other than spraying and adding a cricket. although the ones in they havent been eaten.
but at least i might have some eggs. i could then end up with more.
are they ok alone?
or are they social chameleons?
if the male passes, i might get one from fl chams.
thanks again for all the help.
 
Well.
like i expected. the male didnt last.
he passed this morning.
his eyes were sunken in. and he was as thin as a toothpick.
this is so disheartening.it was weird because last night he drank some water.
and explored a bit. i was seeing improvement. but i guess i was wrong.
at least the female is doing well.
shes exploring non stop. and is eating.
 
Aw, sorry to hear about the male :(
Sadly, these guys don't live a really long time, and if you get wc, you don't know how old they are, or how traumatic the shipping was for them.
I'm getting a batch of females in the next while, and while I only really want 3, I'm ordering 5. You just never know with them.
I hope your female lives a long life, and that maybe you'll get some babies from her :)
 
Aww I'm sorry to hear that. :( A lot of really sick animals do a death rally of sorts. They look like there's no chance they'll make it, suddenly bounce back and restore hope for like a day...then die. Happens a lot unfortunately. Sorry for your loss.
 
Aww. thanks.
im hoping for the best.
im probably going to wait a while before i get another one.
but i do plan on getting one in the future.
i hope my little gal lives a long time too.

i will post a few update pics of her in a few minutes.
i have to let camera charge
 
Ok. thanks for the heads up
here are the pictures i promised :D

the cage has been changed a little.
no more background. and i added a few more sticks, and twigs.
but i havent majorly changed it so my cham doesnt get stressed.
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and the cham :D
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