Questions about getting my first Chameleon

[AbbeyBearKen]

Hello there,

I'm new here (Nice ot meet you all! ), I will be getting my first Chameleon but he'll also be my first ever reptile. I'm trying to do solid research so that I can give him the awesome life he deserves.

In this thread I just want to test my knowledge with you all so far and ask questions of things I'm worried about if that's okay?

Thank you so, so, so much for anyone who gives up their time to help me, I really, really, REALLY appreciate it. It's so very kind of you! I just want to make sure I get this right when I buy my first Chameleon. Please be nice, I'm new to all of this. I'm used to keeping hamsters lol.

This is the enclosure I will be getting for him: https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/swell-chameleon-starter-kit-platinum/

Do you please think that's alright? It seems to come with a lot of great things.

What I've learned so far is:

+If you get a baby, you need feed them from the tub to allow them to get used to used as Chammies are very timid. You have to allow a while for them to settle in and hold your arm still like a branch and encourage them to get used to you. When they're comfortable walking on your arm for food then you can start holding them but only for about 15 mins a day to start with.

+The top of the cage needs to be warmer and cooler at the bottom. You need UV lighting for them to bask in and keep warm but you should switch the lights off at night. I'm worried that my chameleon will get cold in the winter months with the lights turned off. How can I make sure that that's always comfortably warm for him whilst making sure that he is able to get good sleep at night. Would red UV lighting be okay?

+They enjoy a variety of different insects but if they insects are bigger than his head there's a risk of choking.

+The insects have to be gut feed prior to being fed to your chameleon. How do I go about this please and where can you store the live food?

+They need plenty of places to explore and hide.

+They like to be above your eye level and in somewhere relatively quiet in your house. With a window view if possible but not in direct sunlight. No glass terrariums as their reflections can cause them stress. The enclosure should ideally open at the side rather than top so as not to frighten them when you have to reach in.

+Chameleons must be housed individually.

Here are a few questions I have that concern me please:

I need help with the lighting please? What UV bulbs do you recommend? Is it is easy putting them on a timer?
Do you need lighting at the bottom of the enclosure too to keep it warm there aswell?

We may need to drive down South of the UK (we live in West Yorkshire) to pick our baby chammy up, the drive home might be 5 hours or so? I want to make it a stress free transit for the little guy. Any advice for this please?

How often do I need to clean the tank out?

How do I encourage the chameleon to drink from a pool rather than what he's naturally used to?

How do you all manage if you ever go on holiday? Do you leave your little friends with relatives/friends or do you request that they come feed him at your house. As long as I clean the enclosure before we go on holiday then is feeding/clean water daily adequate care please? (If we cannot leave our little guy for holidays then we won't go away whilst we have him because it's not fair for him).

Is there any other advice you can please give me?

Thanks so much again to anyone who takes the time to help.

Kind regards,
Abbey

 

[Jordan S]

I can answer a few of these questions for you! For my little baby I use a coiled UV bulb even though most people prefer to have a linear UV light. The cool part of the cage does not require any heat since that's where the chameleon will be to cool down. Usually I clean my cages once a month or two. Chameleons don't like to drink from pools of water since they drink from the dew from the morning in thier natural habitat. I mist both my chameleons with a spray bottle and they will usually drink immediately. Well when I'm gone for a day or two from home I leave something that water drips from, usually a water bottle with a small hole in the cap so it drops water every now and then for them to drink, I also leave them with a couple of crickets to eat. If you ever leave for more than 4 days you may need someone you trust to take care of your chameleon. Hope this helps!

 

[hkitchen]

If you notice it getting too cold at night then use a ceramic heat emitter, not a light bulb since chameleons can see color, that would disrupt the sleep pattern. It is super easy to put the lights on a timer, 12 hours on and 12 off. It is best to cup feed them at first while they are getting used to the new situation, then you can try hand feeding them, but every cham is different so you just have to take it slow and use your best judgement. Make sure you read the care sheets on this site for the type of cham that you are getting.

In my opinion having owned a few different species of reptiles that a chameleon is not a great starter reptile, so far he has definitely taken the most work out of all that I have had so just be prepared.

 

[Haven27]

Congratulations! You've started out with a tough reptile to keep! You can purchase live crickets and dust them with powdered vitamin supplements (as you can with dubia roaches, and meal worms) such as Herptivite and Repticalcium with vitamin D3. I've been told not to dust with D3 too often (once a week, I've read here) and if the cham seems to eat better when the food isn't dusted, then take a break from the dusting but continue to do it several times a week. You can dust your insects by placing the powder in a container or baggy and place the crickets in there and gently shake them, then offer to your Cham. Urates are important to monitor for appropriate color, as well as her or his fecal matter (poop). Urate is supposed to be white in color but just a very small amount of yellow is fine. Too much yellow/orange means dehydration. Poo is supposed to be brown, firm, and well digested. I am currently enquiring about grayish fecal color. Good luck with your new baby!

 

[AbbeyBearKen]

Hello everyone, thank you so much for your help and advice so far, I really, really apppreciate it. I know that it isn't an easy type of pet to keep but I'm completely willing and passionate about doing solid research before I get a chameleon. I've read all the care sheets on here so far, which are fantastic! I'll keep reading them until it's fully drummed into my brain.

Thanks again. ^^

 

[DeremensisBlue]

Abbey,
The chameleon world is a huge and amazing place. It is also endlessly fascinating. I do a podcast all about chameleons that could answer a number of these questions. Episode 1 is on setting up the cage. Episode 3 is on going on vacation. There are episodes on watering, drainage, feeders, stress, and even relationships. Listening in is a great way to pass the time in the car. Even if the topics are not your immediate concern, just listening to experienced chameleon people talking could help with insight. You can find it on iTunes or listen online at http://www.chameleonbreeder.com. (And if you have an iPhone there is even a dedicated app for listening!)
Bill

 

[Daypaul]

Hello Abbey glad to see you here! I've wanted a chameleon all my life and this year I finally made it happen. Now Blanche is apart of our family. You will make a great momma for a chameleon as you've done the most important part step 1 research. Of coarse hands on is the best way to learn some things can't be told and your chameleon will be just as unique as you are. The cage you have picked will be ok at first also be ready to buy extra plants for the kits don't usually come will much. I see the kit comes with substrate, this is not necessary and even hazardous to your cham if they ingest some by accident from catching a wayward feeder.

My baby would hand feed from day one however she will not feed from a cup. She has been very friendly. She hardly ever hides, only when all of my children come in her room which is rare. She never hesitates to go for a ride on me which usually results in outside time. Your cham will let you know when to leave him/her be I wouldn't push to hard at first but don't be a stranger either.

Yes the temps should have a good 10°-15°f difference throughout the cage, depending on species. The top being the basking and hottest area. I don't suppose it has to be the top that just the norm and makes more sense because they like to be up high.

Variety of feeders is encouraged. Blanch gets tired of the same thing and just won't eat the same thing to often. However if I mix it up she eats like a hog. Gutloading is very important and the best way to keep your feeders alive and full of nutrients for your cham. Examples: spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, asparagus, sweet potatoe, beets, bananas, less used carrots, potatoes, and celery. Throw out unused portion, I do this daily with greens because the will get slimy quick. Remember to lightly dust feeders just before feeding with calcium without d3 daily, and other supplements less often.

The higher the better and yes windows are great places for setups. I use my sun room and open the windows so blanche can get sun through the screen. Picture below. Yes for the most part chams like to be alone however there are certain species and females that can be housed together. I have no experience with this but a quick search would show results.

I use repti sun 5.0 with combination of real sunlight and a small house bulb for heat and a regular fluerecent for extra light in morning. All depends on your setup and what the temps are like in your house. This is something you'll have to tinker with to get the best results for you and your cham. Real sunlight is the best, so try to find a way to provide it.

I spot clean almost daily good clean once a week.

You may never have luck with water bowls that's just not how they are meant to drink, misting isn't that hard or time consuming but if you just can't for some reason invest in a misting system there are plenty of diy misting systems if you'd rather go that route. Standing water is usually not a good idea as it harbors bacteria.

I've never been away for long so can't answer I have a smaller cage and might bring her.

Good luck light and love to you and yours! I'm so glad I took the leap and got my Blanche. You're on the right track, hey your setup ready, iron out all the kinks, and dive in. You won't regret it add long as you give all your love and patience and once you see your little freind you'll see that taking care of them isn't a chore it's a privilege.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Daypaul]

Stretching her legs with a climb.

Sunbathing.

Part of her inside setup.

Blanche overseeing as my wife does homework.

 

[Devokid]

Welcome!! Chameleons are an amazing and fascinating animal. I wouldn't worry about not having had a reptile before, in many ways that is actually better as you won't have any bad habits

What kind of chameleon are you looking to get? The answers to your questions can vary dramatically depending on which species you go with. However, I would skip the substrate and the water bowl for most species. I also wouldn't worry about it getting too cold, again species dependent, unless you let your house get down to the mid 50's. You have a good start, please use this site and ask and further questions you may have.

 

[AbbeyBearKen]

Hello Abbey glad to see you here! I've wanted a chameleon all my life and this year I finally made it happen. Now Blanche is apart of our family. You will make a great momma for a chameleon as you've done the most important part step 1 research. Of coarse hands on is the best way to learn some things can't be told and your chameleon will be just as unique as you are. The cage you have picked will be ok at first also be ready to buy extra plants for the kits don't usually come will much. I see the kit comes with substrate, this is not necessary and even hazardous to your cham if they ingest some by accident from catching a wayward feeder.

My baby would hand feed from day one however she will not feed from a cup. She has been very friendly. She hardly ever hides, only when all of my children come in her room which is rare. She never hesitates to go for a ride on me which usually results in outside time. Your cham will let you know when to leave him/her be I wouldn't push to hard at first but don't be a stranger either.

Yes the temps should have a good 10°-15°f difference throughout the cage, depending on species. The top being the basking and hottest area. I don't suppose it has to be the top that just the norm and makes more sense because they like to be up high.

Variety of feeders is encouraged. Blanch gets tired of the same thing and just won't eat the same thing to often. However if I mix it up she eats like a hog. Gutloading is very important and the best way to keep your feeders alive and full of nutrients for your cham. Examples: spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, asparagus, sweet potatoe, beets, bananas, less used carrots, potatoes, and celery. Throw out unused portion, I do this daily with greens because the will get slimy quick. Remember to lightly dust feeders just before feeding with calcium without d3 daily, and other supplements less often.

The higher the better and yes windows are great places for setups. I use my sun room and open the windows so blanche can get sun through the screen. Picture below. Yes for the most part chams like to be alone however there are certain species and females that can be housed together. I have no experience with this but a quick search would show results.

I use repti sun 5.0 with combination of real sunlight and a small house bulb for heat and a regular fluerecent for extra light in morning. All depends on your setup and what the temps are like in your house. This is something you'll have to tinker with to get the best results for you and your cham. Real sunlight is the best, so try to find a way to provide it.

I spot clean almost daily good clean once a week.

You may never have luck with water bowls that's just not how they are meant to drink, misting isn't that hard or time consuming but if you just can't for some reason invest in a misting system there are plenty of diy misting systems if you'd rather go that route. Standing water is usually not a good idea as it harbors bacteria.

I've never been away for long so can't answer I have a smaller cage and might bring her.

Good luck light and love to you and yours! I'm so glad I took the leap and got my Blanche. You're on the right track, hey your setup ready, iron out all the kinks, and dive in. You won't regret it add long as you give all your love and patience and once you see your little freind you'll see that taking care of them isn't a chore it's a privilege.

Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave,

Wow thank you so much for your very detailed and informative reply, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me. I'm so excited and hopefully I'll be able to get my lil boy soon!

By the way Blanche is beautiful, I love her little pinkey white feet! <3

Thank you so much to everyone else who's helped me too, it means a lot!

Kind regards,
Abbey

 

[KapitalJ]

off topic, but... @Daypaul your wife looks like Nancy Botwin!!!

 

[AbbeyBearKen]

Hi everyone,

I'm so excited, our offer on a house was accepted today provided that we can get our mortgage aggreement finalised soon. I really hope we can, I might be getting my chameleon a lot sooner than I first thought!

 

[Daypaul]

She does kinda I've never noticed, lol. Your very welcome chameleons are awesome. Good luck with your new house. i'm a residential and some small Comercial contractor so I know how difficult it is to finally get what you're wanting. It should be way easier to gey a home for our family's. We struggle our whole lives justto provide basic needs such as shelter, food, and clothes. While the rich sit back and collect our hard earned money. And we think we're free??

Sorry for the rant and again congrats!!