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.
