Some questions from a new owner

[WyteAnjal]

Hi all,

My name is Tracy my baby is named Tia. I just got her last weekend and I have a couple questions.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Female, veiled
Handling - I cant
Feeding - 5 Large crickets a day put in the cage manually
Supplements - Calcium dusting powder to shake the crickets in (was told to only do it once a week)
Watering -Fogger as well as I am misting because the fogger isnt helping
Fecal Description - Feces- dark brown kinda looks like an egg and urine are small white strings
History - Got her a week ago.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 100% screen 3ft x 3ft and 1.5 ft deep
Lighting - Two lights, a heat light and a UV light - first light (heat lamp) goes on at 6am second at 6:30am and off around 10pm and 10:30pm ( i do the gradual thing to make it not such a fast contrast for her)
Temperature - 26.3C at top 24.1 at bottom (using digital themometers)
Humidity - I dont have anything to measure humidity, Where do I get something like that from they didnt have it at the pet store
Plants - Plastic plants?
Placement - On a wall opposite of a patio window so she can get real UV during the day, traffic is pretty high there and she is about 2.5 feet off the ground
Location - Edmonton, alberta



1. How often should I mist, and when I do should I take her out of the enclosure or is she okay to get wet (when I mist and she is in there she does this weird Eye thing where her eye goes deep into her head then bulges out like a bubble for a quick second through the skin)

2. She seems really skinny, I can see her ribs. The store guy said to feed her 5 large crickets a day but it doesnt seem enough. She is about two years old they said.

3. How often do you clean the ground dirt, I take a little screan spoon and pick up her feces and urine from the bottom.

4. Is too much fog bad, I have a fogger and it seems to only wet the dirt on the ground never goes on the leaves. It is inside a waterfall

5. How do I get her to let me pick her up, at the store i was able to but since I got her home I have to force her to come off the brances (which I wont do because she made a crying sound once)

Thanks all for the help!

 

[KCcham]

You need to get rid of the substrate....there does not need to be any dirt on the ground at all.

Also get rid of the waterfall. They can be a magnet for nasties

The misting water needs to get on the leaves, as that is where she will drink most of the time.

Holding her is another thing. Chameleons are not really a "hold me" kind of animal.

Can you post a pic of your cage?

What are you feeding the crix before you feed them to her?

 

[WyteAnjal]

This is her cage, the plant you see is not close to her cage, im just standing pretty far back

And the crickets I buy in a cricket tub thing, they eat whataever is put in there by the pet store

 

[jannb]

Hello and welcome to the chameleon forums a great place to learn about chameleons. Congrats on your new little girl.

I agree with everything KCchams said above and in addition she needs live plants and a dripper. I'm attaching a couple of links for you the first will show you everything that you will need for your new cham and the second will give you some info about egg laying and the laying bin for your new girl. Any time you have any question just ask.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

 

[Silkyslim]

Welcome to the forums! These posts are a wealth of information and can ensure you many years of healthy and happy chameleon interaction, but you have to take the time to research thoroughly and accept criticisms as they come.

Here are a link that I found and read that helped me out a ton. There is also a lot of great cham related info to be found on every aspect of husbandry if you do some digging down here as well.

Good luck and happy reading!

http://chamworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/veiled-and-panther-chameleon-care-101.html

 

[pssh]

Paper towels are easier to clean. Plus some veileds like to eat dirt. This can block their intestines (impaction) and can lead to death, a huge vet bill, or both. Veileds also eat plants some times. They will even try to eat fake plants sometimes. If they manage to eat fake leaves they get impacted... Which is not good. Make sure to provide her with a safe live plant that she can eat. I like pothos, ficus, and umbrella plants.

She will need a laying bin that is at least 12x12x8 inches. There should be at least 10 inches of organic soil, sand, or a mix. It should be moist enough that a tunnel can be made all the way to the bottom without collapsing. Since I'm being lazy right now (oh us americans! ) keep her basking temps around 80-83 degrees F and no higher. Also only feed her 3 times a week, the equivalent of 5-7 large crickets each feeding. Keeping the temps low and the food sparse stimulates the female to not lay eggs or at least only lay a very small clutch. Each clutch shortens their life, so you want to try to prevent it. The laying bin is for just in case.

You need calcium with d3, and calcium without d3, and a multivitamin with no preformed source of vit A and no d3. Use the calcium without d3 lightly at almost every feeding. Use the calcium with d3 2-6 times a month depending on brand (we can help more if we know the brand,) and use the multi vitamin once or twice a month.

Mist for several minutes 2-5 times a day depending on humidity. A hardware store should have a digital thermometer with hygrometer built in. The eye thing is normal, that's how she cleans her eyes.

I don't suggest handling except to check her over to make sure she is alright. However, if you start to hand feed her and she realizes you are a non-threat, she may choose to come out of the cage for a cruise or to free range.

 

[WyteAnjal]

The vitamins I am using is Reptivite with D3

Guaranteed Analysis (minimum amounts)Vitamins: Per Lb. (454 gm)Vitamin A (Fish Liver Oil) 100,000 I.U.Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 10,400 I.U.Vitamin E (dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate )100 I.U.Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 1400.00 mg.Folic Acid 48.00 Mg.Vitamin B1 (Thiamine HCl )75.20 mg.Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 124.80 mg.Niacin 300.00 mg.Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) 30.40 mg.Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamine) 3040.00 mcg.Biotin 12,000.00 mcg.Pantothenic Acid (Dicalcium Pantothenate) 849.60 mg.Minerals and Electrolytes:Calcium (Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate)(21.2%) 96.00 gm.Phosphorus (Dicalcium Phosphate) (10.6%) 48.00 gm.Iodine (Kelp) (.0002%) 960.00 mcg.Iron (Ferrous Fumerate) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Magnesium (Oxide) (.26%) 1200.00 mg.Copper (Sulfate ) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Manganese (Carbonate) (.0077%) 35.20 mg.Sodium (Chloride) (1.63% )7400.00 mg.Zinc (Oxide) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Potassium (Chloride) (1.76% )8000.00 mg.Amino Acids: L-Glutamine 32.0 mg., L-Arginine 52.8 mg., Isoleucine 10.7 mg., Lysine 52.8 mg., L-Leucine 52.8 mg., L-Alanine 20.8 mg., L-Cystine 32.0 mg., L-Phenylalanine 10.7 mg., L-Serine 10.7 mg., L-Threonine 20.8 mg., L-Tryptophan 20.8 mg., L-Tyrosine 20.8 mg., L-Valine 20.8 mg., Glycine 42.7 mg., L-Methionine 20.8 mg., L-Aspartic Acid 52.8 mg., L-Glutamic Acid 148.8 mg., L-Histidine 10.7 mg.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

Since Tia is 2 years old, you should have an appropriate place in the cage for her to dig to show you if/when she needs to lay eggs. They can produce eggs even without being with a male....and if they have no place to lay them they can become eggbound. Also...if/when she is digging, do not let her see you watching her or it will make her feel that where she is digging is not safe and she will abandon it...and this can lead to eggbinding too if it happens often enough.

Since most insects used as feeders have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. its important to dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for this.

Most of us dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder as well. This ensures that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it and leaving it to produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB light. The long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube UVB light is the most often recommended one to use. Some of the compacts, spirals and even some of the tube lights can cause health issues...but this one has had no bad reports so far.

Most of us also use a vitamin powder twice a month that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A in it. Beta carotene (prOformed) vitamin A will not build up in the system like prEformed sources can....which leaves the owner in charge of how much prEformed vitamin A to give the chameleon...if any. Excess prEformed vitamin A may interfere with the D3 and push the chameleon towards MBD so its important not to overdo the prEformed.

The number of insects to feed it each day depends on its age and the size of the insects.

I mist the cage at least once a day and for chameleons over 4 months of age I run a dripper at least once a day as well. (You should not take the chameleon out of the cage when misting or dripping.)

I prefer real well-washed (both sides of the leaves) for veiled chameleons especially since they are known to eat vegetation.

You said..."Placement - On a wall opposite of a patio window so she can get real UV during the day"...if you have a window between her and the UVB/sunlight, it won't do her any good. UVB won't pass through the glass.

You said..."when I mist and she is in there she does this weird Eye thing where her eye goes deep into her head then bulges out like a bubble for a quick second through the skin"...that's how they clean their eyes.

When you pick her up, do not pull her feet off the branch. Slide your hand under her tail or chin and let her step onto your hand. You can also have her step onto a branch if you want to. Chameleons tolerate handling as a rule...so its best not to handle them frequently. I usually let the chameleon decide if it wants to come on my hand (unless I need it to so I can clean the cage, etc.).

Veiled chameleons hiss and they also vibrate to communicate....along with posture and color changes.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

Sorry for such a long post...but I hope it will help!
Can you post a picture of her please??

I just read your profile...you do forensics??? Wow!! That must be interesting!

 

[sandrachameleon]

welcome
Edmonton is very dry - you are going to need a humidity guage (get one at Canada Tire, Rona, Home Depot...) and will need to mist frequently, especially as you are using a screen cage. A dripper would be very beneficial also. A waterfall is a bad choice.

Light passing through glass (patio door) does not have any UVB.

You'll need a place for her to lay eggs.

Here are some links that provide good info:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ryan-jarosek/119-new-arrival-bringing-home.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/92-hydration-importance.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/syn/226-frequently-asked-questions.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/Reference.html
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://www.chromachameleons.com/index.php?page=care
https://www.chameleonforums.com/general-care-true-chameleons-5943/

 

[jannb]

The vitamins I am using is Reptivite with D3

Guaranteed Analysis (minimum amounts)Vitamins: Per Lb. (454 gm)Vitamin A (Fish Liver Oil) 100,000 I.U.Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 10,400 I.U.Vitamin E (dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate )100 I.U.Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 1400.00 mg.Folic Acid 48.00 Mg.Vitamin B1 (Thiamine HCl )75.20 mg.Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 124.80 mg.Niacin 300.00 mg.Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) 30.40 mg.Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamine) 3040.00 mcg.Biotin 12,000.00 mcg.Pantothenic Acid (Dicalcium Pantothenate) 849.60 mg.Minerals and Electrolytes:Calcium (Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate)(21.2%) 96.00 gm.Phosphorus (Dicalcium Phosphate) (10.6%) 48.00 gm.Iodine (Kelp) (.0002%) 960.00 mcg.Iron (Ferrous Fumerate) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Magnesium (Oxide) (.26%) 1200.00 mg.Copper (Sulfate ) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Manganese (Carbonate) (.0077%) 35.20 mg.Sodium (Chloride) (1.63% )7400.00 mg.Zinc (Oxide) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Potassium (Chloride) (1.76% )8000.00 mg.Amino Acids: L-Glutamine 32.0 mg., L-Arginine 52.8 mg., Isoleucine 10.7 mg., Lysine 52.8 mg., L-Leucine 52.8 mg., L-Alanine 20.8 mg., L-Cystine 32.0 mg., L-Phenylalanine 10.7 mg., L-Serine 10.7 mg., L-Threonine 20.8 mg., L-Tryptophan 20.8 mg., L-Tyrosine 20.8 mg., L-Valine 20.8 mg., Glycine 42.7 mg., L-Methionine 20.8 mg., L-Aspartic Acid 52.8 mg., L-Glutamic Acid 148.8 mg., L-Histidine 10.7 mg.

This is great for your twice a month dusting. You will also need plain calcium with no D3 to dust every other feeding and a multivitamin such as Herptivite to use once or twice a month. Also make sure to gut load the feeders. You have links so you can see pictures of these in the first link that I gave you above.

 

[pssh]

I wouldn't use that more than once every other month or so. Only because it contains a preformed source of vit A. This can build up in their systems which can be bad, but they also need vit A. It is unknown if chameleons can use prOformed sources of vit A (like beta carotene) so some provide a pre formed source (like cod liver oil) a few times a year.

I like repcal products. The d3 of repcal products should only be used once or twice a month though.

 

[Silkyslim]

This post should be stickied on links alone

 

[WyteAnjal]

I read that they like to eat banana's is it okay to give them to her. I bought certified organic banana's and will wash the skin just in case before peeling, I wont give her any until I get feedback from here though.

Thank you also to EVERYONE for all your help! I was not expecting to get my baby my bf just up and said I want a chameleon and he went out and got her, now I want to make sure I give her the best, healthiest home as possible

 

[kinyonga]

Bananas are not something I would use. Apples, pears, melon and berries are better choices IMHO.

 

[Silkyslim]

Bananas are not something I would use. Apples, pears, melon and berries are better choices IMHO.

Uuu why is that? Too much potassium? I just bought some bananas for gut load but I suppose I can gut load myself on those then

 

[sandrachameleon]

Bananas have twice as much phosphorous as calcium, and therefore isnt the best choice of gutload. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/191-nutrients-small-banana.html

 

[jannb]

My veileds like to eat collard green, kale, carrot, strawberry, grape, pear apple and banana but I do give all fruits and veggies in very small slivers and small amounts only once a week.

 

[shells]

Also a new owner

Hi,

I am also a new cham owner, I would love to talk to you guys about chams. How do I post a picture of striker my cham baby? I'd love to see if you could sex him/her for me, store guy said "probable male" but not sure, he/she is only 3 months old. Always kinda browny/beige with a few speckles of greeny blue on the cheeks, if you could help me send a pic that would be great, thanks guys!

 

[pssh]

Make an account on photobucket.com. Use the IMG tag that is with the picture once you upload it and post it here. It will show up as a picture. Make sure to start a new thread. There is a button towards the top of the page that says FAQ. That should be helpful.