Rescue Veil

lindawaz

New Member
I am a Bearded Dragon owner. I have 2 very healthy Dragons Elliot and Aubrey.

Someone has a Veil Chameleon Female 1.5 yrs old. He can not keep it. He gave in away once she was gone for a month but returned her because "Being the classroom pet was not working"

I am taking her on This Thursday. Since she has no where else to go.
I am an Excellent Dragon owner. Have a reptile vet- Poop checks every 6 months once a year physicals.......

I want to to the same for her but really at a loss. She has a cage don't know what it is, supplements are coming too. I have horn worms and supers my dragons don't like crickets. I have mega ray 100 lights but read here repsun tubes are needed but the beard forums say those are not so great.

I need a little maybe a lot of help since the two reptiles are different or maybe not so much in care. 3 hours ago is when I found out she is homeless and coming Thursday can't let a reptile not have a home and I just don't want to do the wrong things since I have not had enough time to prepare.

Suggestions, help anything would be appreciated since I do not want to harm or traumatize her the first moments she is here. Thank you in advance.
 
thank you but...

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I registered and activated from my email:confused:
 
Hi Linda, welcome and I am so happy to see someone who is responsible about per ownership. Sorry your friend isn't. I can walk you thought the care, feeding and housing in my sleep. That said I am awake for now. I am sending you some information in a private message.:D We have you covered, so just relax.:)
 
Thank you ! all three of you so far. I just know doing it wrong can have adverse effects on reptiles. The link about females worked and looks like she is about the age I need to worry about eggs. I do have a gram scale for the beardies so I can check the weight on her unfortunately nothing to compare it too but a base weight is always a good thing- Aubrey laid a clutch this morning. I can expect 3 more since she usually does 4- 175 eggs is the norm for her. Now off to my PM for the magic answers :D
 
Thank you ! all three of you so far. I just know doing it wrong can have adverse effects on reptiles. The link about females worked and looks like she is about the age I need to worry about eggs. I do have a gram scale for the beardies so I can check the weight on her unfortunately nothing to compare it too but a base weight is always a good thing- Aubrey laid a clutch this morning. I can expect 3 more since she usually does 4- 175 eggs is the norm for her. Now off to my PM for the magic answers :D

I am sorry but you have way overestimated my help.:( Also you have given me a great laugh. I have raised a lot of dragons but never had one lay 175 eggs. lol I know it is a typo but I fun one.;)
 
nope not a typo- last year 4 clutches totaling 175 eggs- none fertile, all sizes and shapes but 175 now pick your jaw up from the floor cause I know mine was there last year when she was doing it. 43 eggs this morning :(

@Jann thank you that is now bookmarked!
And Laurie you have much much much more knowledge than me
 
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nope not a typo- last year 4 clutches totaling 175 eggs- none fertile, all sizes and shapes but 175 now pick your jaw up from the floor cause I know mine was there last year when she was doing it. 43 eggs this morning :(

@Jann thank you that is now bookmarked!
And Laurie you have much much much more knowledge than me


Ok you have me, I was reading it as 175 at one time. i have also had so dragons that just laid tons of eggs.
 
Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons! Its nice to see someone helping a chameleon out!

If you can keep beardies well, then you can keep chameleons...so you are off to a good start.

You've already been given some good links here to start you off too.

Its important to provide a place in the cage once she is sexually mature so she can dig to show you when she needs to lay eggs. Failure to provide a spot can lead to eggbinding. Also, the clutch size and frequency can be controlled fairly well with veileds as well. This helps to explain it....
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

Here's some information I hope will help you too with things like supplements, gutloading, etc.
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
 
Thank you this should keep me busy for a bit and it is a good busy :)

The lighting still is my concern- I use mercury vapor -Mega Ray 100 watts for my beardies. Will this be good or bad for the Cham? see I even learned what owners call them :)
 
Linda, welcome and thank you!
You are in the absolutely best hands possible!!
You will come to find Laurie, Jann, Carol are the warmest women around with amazing information,
Kinyonga is like an encyclopedia and David has knowledge, and a great sense of humor!
So take a deep breath and enjoy your new Cham and learn from the best!!
anne
MBondy Michele I believe has horses so that just says "cool" to me!
 
SonTigerPantherCham said..."Kinyonga is like an encyclopedia"...never had that said about me before! (I have been nicknamed "search engine Lynda" though!) :)

I have kept beardies and I always used Repti-sun 5.0's on them and they were fine with them...lived close to 11 years.
 
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