When will my Jackson Chameleons start having that "green" color?

[flipfrommd]

Hello everyone,

I bought some young Jackson Chameleons last week, in good health and doing well. The guy I bought them from said they were about 4-5 months old. When do they start to exhibit that bright green color that adults normally have? Right now they just turn different shades of brown. Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[hallenhe]

Can you post any pictures of them? Brown/dark can be a stress color in Jackson's, and chams are often a bit stressed their first few days in a new environment, so it may just be that they haven't settled in yet. Are you housing them together? - If so, that may also contribute to stress, as, as they get older, chameleons become less fond of the company of other chameleons. If you have a chance, you might fill out the form found here; it can help us see if there's anything obvious you could improve with the chameleons and their care, or if you're doing everything just right.
Good luck and congrats on them; they're wonderful chams! (My first cham was a Jackson's; he was seven months old and bright green, but I can't say with authority when they first green up.)

 

[flipfrommd]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - 2 Jacksons, 1 male and 1 Female. The guy I bought them from said they were 3-5 months old. And I've had them for about a week.

* Handling - Only when I take them outside for some natural sunlight 15-20 mins a day.

* Feeding - I feed them 1/4 - 1/2 in crickets, and 1 or 2 flys outside a day. they eat in the morning and in the evening. the female seems to be a stronger hunter than the male. she also eats more. sometimes the male would have a cricket within striking distance and wont even bother to eat.

* Supplements - Zoo Meds Reptivite, I bought this yesterday and only the female has ate crickets that were dusted.

* Watering - I poked a pin hole in a styrofoam cup and let it drip on some artificial plants. I've seen the chameleons drink many times. I also mist the enclosure every 3-4 hrs. prob 3 times a day maybe?

* Fecal Description -No parasite testing. But the feces look normal. nothing unusual.

* History - None so far.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Screen cage, 16 x 16 x 20 in.

* Lighting - I have a normal 60 watt lamp above the cage to provide light. I turn it on around 10 am and shut it off at 10 pm

* Temperature - I bought thermometers from petco and the average temp during the day is about 75. at night, around mid to high 60's

* Humidity - I also have a humidity gauge. average humidity is 55-65 %. I mist the enclosure several times a day and have 2 live plants.

* Plants - Not sure what they are but they look green and healthy. Nothing harmful. Not big either.

* Placement - My cage is on the floor of living area. right next to a sliding door with curtains. not too much traffic because everyone is at school or work. and when someone is near them its just me on the computer. air vent about 15 feet away.

* Location - I am in Rockville, Maryland.

 

[flipfrommd]

Some pictures

The male

The female

Both

 

[hallenhe]

I would guess (others who have experience with younger Jackson's may correct me) that the brown is primarily a stress color, due to 1) the new home and 2) them both being housed together. Getting/building another cage and separating them will be for the best.
It's good that they're getting natural sunlight. At some point (in the winter if not before) you're going to want to supplement that with UV-B light on their cage(s). ReptiSun 5.0 linear is a popular model, with the incandescent still used for heat. Some compact fluorescent UV-Bs have caused problems, so do a thorough search on them before you buy if that's the way you want to go; I haven't heard of problems with linears. Dave Weldon on this forum has some good posts on the matter.
In looking at the fecal matter, be sure the white part (the urates) is in fact white; orange urates mean the animal is dehydrated; white urates show healthy hydration.

 

[flipfrommd]

Oh alright I'll keep that in mind, about the feces and lighting.

I have thought about getting another cage but I didn't want to buy another knowing that I may have to buy a bigger one when they get bigger and want them to mate. I was told that males and females do okay with one another. But these two are different. Sometimes they get close to one another and start turning dark colors, walk and get away from each other. I hope they adjust because I'd rather save my $55-60 dollars for when I need a larger enclosure. However if I must, I guess I'll invest in another one.

 

[Manik6]

Sorry to tell u but u need another cage. Eventually they will fight. The only other time they can be together is when they are ready to mate which u should give them till they are a year old till then. Better to spend that money than have a stressed sick cham.

 

[Cainschams]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - 2 Jacksons, 1 male and 1 Female. The guy I bought them from said they were 3-5 months old. And I've had them for about a week.

* Handling - Only when I take them outside for some natural sunlight 15-20 mins a day.

* Feeding - I feed them 1/4 - 1/2 in crickets, and 1 or 2 flys outside a day. they eat in the morning and in the evening. the female seems to be a stronger hunter than the male. she also eats more. sometimes the male would have a cricket within striking distance and wont even bother to eat.

I would not feed flies from the outside because they could have been on a number of things from turds to death. A good source for flies is mantisplace.com. Blue Bottle flies are larger than the house flies and I would say your animals can eat both. It is good to feed your chams a good bit when younger but as they get older they need to be put on a diet. I feed my adult animals around 6 appropriate size feeders every other day and sometimes have 2 days in between feedings. Of course the small the feeder the more you can feed. I think you should separate them now so you can monitor both of their feeding habits.

* Supplements - Zoo Meds Reptivite, I bought this yesterday and only the female has ate crickets that were dusted.

Jacksons are susceptible to over supplementation especially vitamins. I do not use multi vits on my montane (mountainous) species such as jacksons. I use phosphorus and D3 FREE!!!! calcium supplements. YOu want to dust very lightly. Some only use calcium once a week however for younger animals I would use it a bit more. Use calcium with D3 once a month if your animals are not receiving plenty of outdoor time.

* Watering - I poked a pin hole in a styrofoam cup and let it drip on some artificial plants. I've seen the chameleons drink many times. I also mist the enclosure every 3-4 hrs. prob 3 times a day maybe?

Sounds like you are providing a good amount of water. Just be sure to let the enclosure dry out completely after each watering session so you do not have a breeding pool for bacteria and mold/fungus.

* Fecal Description -No parasite testing. But the feces look normal. nothing unusual.

* History - None so far.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Screen cage, 16 x 16 x 20 in.

* Lighting - I have a normal 60 watt lamp above the cage to provide light. I turn it on around 10 am and shut it off at 10 pm

You will need a linear 5.0 UVB bulb for them. The bulbs cost the same amount no matter what size they are. So to save money, get a 4 ft light fixture from walmart or lowes. Once you have two cages for them you can span both cages with the light and save money that way. I also use a 6500K linear tube for the plants. You can find them at lowes or HD. 60 watts may be too much depending on room temp. I use either a 40 or 20 watt depending what time of year it is. You also want to create a more natural light cycle. Say lights on at 7 and off at 7. You can get cheap light timers at walmart or lowes.

* Temperature - I bought thermometers from petco and the average temp during the day is about 75. at night, around mid to high 60's

A good temperature gradient would be 70 at the bottom raising to up to 78 at top and a basking site of around 82 to 85 degrees. You really need to be able to drop that night time temp to lower 60s or below. This is detrimental for montane species. Digital thermometers are the best. You can get one at lowes or walmart for around 10 dollars that read temp and humidity.

* Humidity - I also have a humidity gauge. average humidity is 55-65 %. I mist the enclosure several times a day and have 2 live plants.

Humidity is also another important factor for montane chameleons. around 70% daytime and higher at night is ideal. You can create this by using an ultrasonic humidifier in your room.

* Plants - Not sure what they are but they look green and healthy. Nothing harmful. Not big either.

* Placement - My cage is on the floor of living area. right next to a sliding door with curtains. not too much traffic because everyone is at school or work. and when someone is near them its just me on the computer. air vent about 15 feet away.

If you can put the cage on a stand they will feel more comfortable. These types of chams do not live so close to the ground.

* Location - I am in Rockville, Maryland.

Wish I was still in MD. I could probably help you out with a loner cage until you get another one. Not to mention I like to show off my collection

Here is a great amount of information on jacksonii.
http://chameleonnews.com/10JulManchen.html

 

[flipfrommd]

Thanks for the insight everyone. I'll be sure to get another cage to put the male in. He doesn't even eat while the female is around and I noticed that her color gets so much lighter when he's not in the cage.