Rate and help me with my new Chameleon.

[AmberHawk]

We have a helmeted chameleon, about 4-5 in from snout to vent.

Sometimes the eyes appear sunken in, and lately the skin has been wrinkled.

Neither I or my fiance have had experience with reptiles before, and we're a bit lost on what to do.

The terrarium is 5 gallons, with a screen top. We have fake vines and leaves in it, with a drip system, and an empty dish under where the drips are coming off the vines to catch the water. The substrate looks kind of like astroturf, a kind of green carpet. It gets moldy quickly, and the crickets we buy are released into the cage as soon as we buy them.

We mist 3 times a day, because we're afraid of the substrate getting moldy and him getting sick. Our heat lamp is 75 watts, and is a bit close to the top.


After reading around, it appears we are doing a lot of things wrong. Any suggestions or advice would be very much appreciated..

I will try to post a picture of our setup ASAP.

 

[jannb]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Below I've attached a blog for everything you need to keep your chameleon healthy.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[carol5208]

Listen to Jann B. she knows her stuff! Make your changes as quickly as possible. The mold thing does not sound good at all. Not a healthy environment for you chameleon. If the eyes are sunken in then your chameleon sounds like it is dehydrated.

 

[Cainschams]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Below I've attached a blog for everything you need to keep your chameleon healthy.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

This is definitely a good blog but!

Helmeted chameleon? We need the scientific name. They may be talking about Trioceros hoenelii which husbandry would be very different!!

 

[jannb]

This is definitely a good blog but!

Helmeted chameleon? We need the scientific name. They may be talking about Trioceros hoenelii which husbandry would be very different!!

I think they mean veiled....I've hear other people call them that before.

 

[Syn]

This is definitely a good blog but!

Helmeted chameleon? We need the scientific name. They may be talking about Trioceros hoenelii which husbandry would be very different!!

Right, I did a google search for "Helmeted chameleon" and hoehnelii popped up as well as veileds and cristatus.

 

[hun73r]

Anyone else get the troll sensation?

 

[AmberHawk]

We're not sure which species of Helmeted it is. At the pet store, it was called: "Helmeted Chameleon."

Also, I don't appreciate being called a troll. I came to ask for advice before my pet passes away from my negligence. Thanks.

Here is a link to what he looks like:

http://www.generalexotics.com/images/Helmeted-Chameleon.jpg

I hope that helps with figuring out the husbandry, we're very concerned about him...

 

[bridgofaith]

Can you post a picture?

 

[JaxyGirl]

Hi Amber...welcome to the forum!!!
Here's a really great and helpful form to fill out that will help members to know a little more about your cham.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
* 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?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[jannb]

We're not sure which species of Helmeted it is. At the pet store, it was called: "Helmeted Chameleon."

Also, I don't appreciate being called a troll. I came to ask for advice before my pet passes away from my negligence. Thanks.

Here is a link to what he looks like:

http://www.generalexotics.com/images/Helmeted-Chameleon.jpg

I hope that helps with figuring out the husbandry, we're very concerned about him...

Not a veiled.

 

[AmberHawk]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Chamaeleo (Trioceros) hoehnelii {high casqued chameleon} [helmeted chameleon] (Von Hoehnel's chameleon), Male,, 4 months
* Handling - Every few days
* Feeding - Crickets, we didn't know about gut-loading until today, and were, well, basically just dumping them in there with him.
* Supplements - Reptolife vitamin dusting powder
* Watering - Drip system, mist 3 times a day, not very well it seems..
* Fecal Description - White urate, brown and black feces



Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Glass terrarium with screen top. 12x10x20
* Lighting - GooseNeck Heatlamp, 75 watt, 12 hours a day, during the day
* Temperature - We haven't measured temperature...I would estimate around 85 during the day and 70 and night, as we do not have central air.
* Humidity - Not sure about this either, the gauge was very expensive at the time, and we didn't think it was necessary. I guess we were wrong.
* Plants - We use reptile vines, fake, and fake foliage, non toxic.
* Placement - Bedroom window, 4 feet high
* Location - Northeast mountains


Current Problem - Dehydration and malnutrition, and mold in the cage..


The man at the pet store who sold me him told me to buy that grass like turf for him. Was he mistaken? Or ignorant?

 

[jannb]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Below I've attached a blog for everything you need to keep your chameleon healthy.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

This blog will not work for your cham.

 

[AmberHawk]

This blog will not work for your cham.

Thank you, I did read through it though, and I'm pretty sure we're doing a lot of things wrong.

 

[bridgofaith]

Are you using any UV lighting? In a glass terrarium, it holds humidity very well. So, misting 3 times per day, could be to much, causing the mold. I would recommend live plants, planted in the enclosure. Ambient temps should be around 78. The night drop is good. Gutloading is very important, you want to rely on that and not so much the supplements with this species. Gutloading: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html Supplements should be used sparingly. How often are you using the Reptolife? I use it for my panthers and veileds once every 14 days, with Hoehnelii, once per month. I would use a Calcium with NO D3 1x per week, Calcium with D3 every other week (2x per month).

I would assume it's wild caught, so I would suggest a fecal test.

Here's a pic of one of my Hoehnelii terrariums. 18x18x24

 

[AmberHawk]

Are you using any UV lighting? In a glass terrarium, it holds humidity very well. So, misting 3 times per day, could be to much, causing the mold. I would recommend live plants, planted in the enclosure. Ambient temps should be around 78. The night drop is good. Gutloading is very important, you want to rely on that and not so much the supplements with this species. Gutloading: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html Supplements should be used sparingly. How often are you using the Reptolife? I use it for my panthers and veileds once every 14 days, with Hoehnelii, once per month. I would use a Calcium with NO D3 1x per week, Calcium with D3 every other week (2x per month).

I would assume it's wild caught, so I would suggest a fecal test.

I don't believe it was wild caught. We aren't using UV lighting, is that a night or day-time UV you're talking about? We use neither. What sort of substrate should I use in order to PLANT lice plants?

We have been dusting all our crickets with the reptalife, I'm supposing we should stop doing that every time we feed him.


Where did you find a terrarium like THAT??

We could use one of those.

 

[bridgofaith]

I don't believe it was wild caught. We aren't using UV lighting, is that a night or day-time UV you're talking about? We use neither. What sort of substrate should I use in order to PLANT lice plants?

We have been dusting all our crickets with the reptalife, I'm supposing we should stop doing that every time we feed him.


Where did you find a terrarium like THAT??

We could use one of those.

You need a UVB lamp, the ReptiSun 5.0 linear is the most recommended. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...por-bulbs/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/. It should run 12hrs a day, no lights at night, no heat at night unless it gets below the mid 50s, then a ceramic heat emitter can be used. It doesn't put out any light.

Back off the supplementing and try the schedule I suggested along with gutloading.

Check this out: https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/

That is a 18x18x24 Exo-Terra Terrarium, fully planted.

 

[hun73r]

Certainly understand about the troll commet, it is just that you hit almost every husbandry issue out there as something you are doing that made it appear that way.

Daytime temps for your species of chameleon should be around 75-78 degrees, enclosure is on the small side for an adult specimen as they like to roam around. I would say 2'X2'X2' for a minimum size.

Cage placement on a window sill should be changed as soon as you can because of the effect that sunlight can have on tank temperature as well as changes due to heat transfer or loss through the window.

Be better off with a 60 watt bulb as in that small of enclosure I am sure the temps are way too high and you do not mention a uvb source for light. Do you have one?

Reptolife is a multivitamin and should be used about 2x per month. You would also want calcium with d3 and calcium without d3. Use the with 2x per month opposite the multivitamin and the without with almost evey feeding.

Remove the carpet immediately to avoid bacterial or respiratory infections and replace with newspaper or paper towels or wipe up excess water when it appears.

Start gutloading crickets as you now know with fruits and veggies but no broccoli or spinach and a dry gutload like Cricket Krack works very well.

Not knowing the timing on your mistings it is hard to give advice on that but I would say increase the time until you observe the cham drinking. Many people with these species mist for 20-30 minutes a couple of times a day depending on their humidity where they live but you want to make sure he/she has enough to drink.

Also a temperature gauge and humidity gauge are important devices to have. Check out some of the sponsors for less expensive versions. LLL reptiles is a good place to start.

I am sure that more people will chime and and some probably have as I have typed this, but welcome to the forum. There are some very helpful people here with a lot of information.

 

[Tateg]

Hi and welcome, you can get those kinds of terrariums at any large pet store really they are exo-terras to plant live plants all you really need is a bit of dirt, also some good plants would be an umbrella tree, a ficus benjamina or a hibuscus, hope this helps

 

[AmberHawk]

You need a UVB lamp, the ReptiSun 5.0 linear is the most recommended. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...por-bulbs/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/. It should run 12hrs a day, no lights at night, no heat at night unless it gets below the mid 50s, then a ceramic heat emitter can be used. It doesn't put out any light.

Back off the supplementing and try the schedule I suggested along with gutloading.

Check this out: https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/

That is a 18x18x24 Exo-Terra Terrarium, fully planted.

Where can I get one of those? I noticed my so-called "reptile" glass/screen tank doesn't have ventilation on it. I said it was for reptiles, now I'm starting to think I'm buying cheap stuff from a cheap source.