Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet
(Chamaeleo Calyptratus) Part 2
by ChameleonsInMyHouse
TIP: Chameleons are insectivores meaning they should only be fed insects in captivity. Feeding such things like pinky-mice, fuzzies, and feeder anoles are extreamly high in fat and protein content. This is harmful to your Chameleons health, bones and organs that can lead to serious illnesses like Gout, Edema, Organ Failure and Fatality. Great feeder insects include Crickets, Silkworms, Hornworms, Roaches, Locusts, Butterworms and Superworms . Other suitable feeder insects, but should only be used in moderations and as a treat include Waxworms and Mealworms. Both are very high in fat content and Waxworms do not provide too much nutrition.
Feeding Schedule for Veiled Chameleons:
Neonates – Juvenile (hatchling–3 months old) – feed as much as the Chameleon can eat in two 5 minute feed sessions daily.
Juvenile – Sub-Adult Male(3-5 months old) – continue to feed the Chameleon daily but cut down the diet to one feeding a day. **about 10-12 crickets or an equivalent weight in other feeders**
Juvenile – Sub-Adult Female (3-5 months old) - continue to feed the Chameleon daily but cut down the diet to one feeding a day. **about 7-8 crickets or an equivalent weight in other feeders**
Sub-Adult – Adult Male(5-12 months old) – may be fed daily or every other day. **For everyday feeding, cut down quantity to about 3-4 less feeders. If fed every-other day, food quantity should be kept the same**
Sub-Adult – Adult Female (5-12 months old) – cut down the feeding to every other day at this point, at the same time keeping the quantity of food supply at a feeding the same amount. **about 7-8 crickets and/or the equivalent weight in other feeders**
Adult Male (12+) – may be fed every other day. **about 8-10 crickets and/or the equivalent in other feeders**
Adult Female (12+) – feed every two days. **about 7-8 crickets and/or the equivalent weight in other feeders**
TIP: Supplementing must be used while considering factors like (the amount of natural sunlight Chameleon gets, gut-loading ingredients, and feeder insects. Supplements should include a powder form of calcium, calcium with vitamin D3, and a multivitamin. I’ve been using only Rep-Cal brands because there is no Phosphorus in the calcium supplements, and no preformed vitamin A in the multivitamin. Too much preformed vitamin A is harmful to the organs of the Chameleon, that is why I recommend Rep-Cal Herptivite which uses Beta-Carotene instead, a safe and form of vitamin A. Visit http://www.repcal.com to order the top recommended supplement product on the market.
General Supplementing Schedule for Veiled Chameleons (using Rep-Cal):
Neonates – Sub-Adult (hatchling–5 months old)
- Plain calcium every day
- Calcium D3 twice a month
- Multivitamin twice a month
Sub-Adult – Adult Male(5-10 months old)
- Plain calcium 4 times a week
- Calcium D3 twice a month
- Multivitamin twice a month
Adult (12+)
- Plain calcium 3-4 times a week
- Calcium D3 once or twice a month
- Multivitamin once or twice a month
Gut-loading – Gut-loading is one of the most important things you can do for your Chameleon. What your feeders eat is what your Chameleon eats and gets all of its natural nutrients. There are many different gut load products on the market, many that are unsafe to Chameleons due to high vitamin and protein contents. The best way to gut load your feeder insects is by making your own gut loads. It is important to offer your Chameleon a number of various types of feeder insects on a regular basis; the only con is that some insects will eat different gut loads than others. Luckily, staple feeders (crickets, roaches, superworms and mealworms) can be gut-loaded with the same ingredients, but in different formats. The best way to see how to feed your insects is to do further research, http://www.youtube.com has many videos on how to feed different types of insects.
TIP: In order to properly provide you need to have a dry source, and a wet source. Most blend wet ingredients in a food processor and freeze ice cubes of the mix, making food available and fresh at hand. For dry mixes, ingredients can be ground in a coffee grinder and stored in a zip-lock or air tight container in a cool dry environment.
Common Gut-loading Ingredients for Common Feeders:
Wet: kale, collards, red lettuce, romaine lettuce, carrots, yams, winter squash, alfalfa sprouts, orange, apples, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon inner-skins, sweet pepper, strawberries, dandelion leaves, hibiscus leaves and flowers, papaya…
Dry: bee pollen, alfalfa powder, kelp powder, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, raw uncooked sunflower seeds, raw uncooked pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, small amounts of whole grain cereals, spirulina algae, small amounts of chicken mash *check ingredients…
TIP: The list goes on and on, but there are also ingredients that can be harmful to the Chameleon. Ingredients like broccoli, tangerines, spinach, watercress and parsley, have large amounts of oxalic acids which bind calcium absorption. Also, avoid things like dog food, cat food, and fish flakes which are high in protein which is very harmful as mentioned earlier.
Extra Hints & Tips for A Female Veiled Chameleon (Clutch Laying):
Female Chameleons are able to develop and lay eggs without mating with a male. This is called developing an “infertile clutch”. It is important to know that any egg laying process is very stressful and tolling on both the Chameleon and a new keeper experiencing egg-laying for the first time. Keepers have been able to successfully minimize the size of a Veiled clutch by great numbers, to even stopping an infertile clutch all together. This has been successfully done by following the feeding schedule stated earlier, along with keeping basking temps no higher than 81-82 degrees Fahrenheit from 5 months of age to life.
It is also important to provide a well balanced intake of vitamins, calcium and fat. If the female did become gravid with either a fertile or infertile clutch, she will be sharing her intake of calcium and vitamins to develop the eggs. Deficiency or unbalance ratios of the vitamins and minerals, can lead to undeveloped eggs (leading to a cause of egg binding), it can also lead to edema (hypo/hyper-vitaminosis is too much or too little of Vitamin A, E, D & K). This is why it is so important to stay devoted to gut-loading and proper supplementation.
A female will start showing signs of getting ready to lay by showing dark colouration with bright blue and yellow patterning. However, this pattern doesn’t always show up all the time. The female will start to become restless, climbing in all areas of her cage, she will also start clawing at the walls, and possibly start digging in her plants. Another sign of getting ready to lay eggs is one new keepers often get very worried about. The female will lose her appétit. She can stop eating a couple days to a week or two before egg laying.
A laying bin should be placed in the cage at all times, unless you have lots of experience and know when the female will lay. You can then move her to a larger more private bin (ie. Brand new garbage can (with wheels)). For cage laying bins, a 5g paint bucket will work well. Every design of laying bin needs an egg laying medium. Keepers find success using washed play-sand, or washed play-sand/soil mix. It is important to have the medium at wetness that you can dig a tunnel to the bottom and not have it collapse. If the medium is too wet or too dry, the female will not dig and could possibly become egg bound and die. The female needs complete privacy while laying her eggs, if she catches you peeking at her, she could stop digging and egg-bind herself. Each female is different, some females can take a few days to dig and lay, while others can take one full day.
After your female is finished laying her eggs and covering her hole up, offer her a good feeding dusted with calcium and multivitamin, also offer as much water as she will drink. She will be both very hungry and thirsty, so make sure you meet her needs and give her as much as she wants.
This care sheet information was based on the research, experierence and situations I've gone through in my time working with Veiled Chameleons. This is all my opinion that has worked wonderful for me, and I only hope you can use it to your advantage as well. This was all submitted by me, absolutely NO copy & pasting was done and no material used from other sources.
(Chamaeleo Calyptratus) Part 2
by ChameleonsInMyHouse
TIP: Chameleons are insectivores meaning they should only be fed insects in captivity. Feeding such things like pinky-mice, fuzzies, and feeder anoles are extreamly high in fat and protein content. This is harmful to your Chameleons health, bones and organs that can lead to serious illnesses like Gout, Edema, Organ Failure and Fatality. Great feeder insects include Crickets, Silkworms, Hornworms, Roaches, Locusts, Butterworms and Superworms . Other suitable feeder insects, but should only be used in moderations and as a treat include Waxworms and Mealworms. Both are very high in fat content and Waxworms do not provide too much nutrition.
Feeding Schedule for Veiled Chameleons:
Neonates – Juvenile (hatchling–3 months old) – feed as much as the Chameleon can eat in two 5 minute feed sessions daily.
Juvenile – Sub-Adult Male(3-5 months old) – continue to feed the Chameleon daily but cut down the diet to one feeding a day. **about 10-12 crickets or an equivalent weight in other feeders**
Juvenile – Sub-Adult Female (3-5 months old) - continue to feed the Chameleon daily but cut down the diet to one feeding a day. **about 7-8 crickets or an equivalent weight in other feeders**
Sub-Adult – Adult Male(5-12 months old) – may be fed daily or every other day. **For everyday feeding, cut down quantity to about 3-4 less feeders. If fed every-other day, food quantity should be kept the same**
Sub-Adult – Adult Female (5-12 months old) – cut down the feeding to every other day at this point, at the same time keeping the quantity of food supply at a feeding the same amount. **about 7-8 crickets and/or the equivalent weight in other feeders**
Adult Male (12+) – may be fed every other day. **about 8-10 crickets and/or the equivalent in other feeders**
Adult Female (12+) – feed every two days. **about 7-8 crickets and/or the equivalent weight in other feeders**
TIP: Supplementing must be used while considering factors like (the amount of natural sunlight Chameleon gets, gut-loading ingredients, and feeder insects. Supplements should include a powder form of calcium, calcium with vitamin D3, and a multivitamin. I’ve been using only Rep-Cal brands because there is no Phosphorus in the calcium supplements, and no preformed vitamin A in the multivitamin. Too much preformed vitamin A is harmful to the organs of the Chameleon, that is why I recommend Rep-Cal Herptivite which uses Beta-Carotene instead, a safe and form of vitamin A. Visit http://www.repcal.com to order the top recommended supplement product on the market.
General Supplementing Schedule for Veiled Chameleons (using Rep-Cal):
Neonates – Sub-Adult (hatchling–5 months old)
- Plain calcium every day
- Calcium D3 twice a month
- Multivitamin twice a month
Sub-Adult – Adult Male(5-10 months old)
- Plain calcium 4 times a week
- Calcium D3 twice a month
- Multivitamin twice a month
Adult (12+)
- Plain calcium 3-4 times a week
- Calcium D3 once or twice a month
- Multivitamin once or twice a month
Gut-loading – Gut-loading is one of the most important things you can do for your Chameleon. What your feeders eat is what your Chameleon eats and gets all of its natural nutrients. There are many different gut load products on the market, many that are unsafe to Chameleons due to high vitamin and protein contents. The best way to gut load your feeder insects is by making your own gut loads. It is important to offer your Chameleon a number of various types of feeder insects on a regular basis; the only con is that some insects will eat different gut loads than others. Luckily, staple feeders (crickets, roaches, superworms and mealworms) can be gut-loaded with the same ingredients, but in different formats. The best way to see how to feed your insects is to do further research, http://www.youtube.com has many videos on how to feed different types of insects.
TIP: In order to properly provide you need to have a dry source, and a wet source. Most blend wet ingredients in a food processor and freeze ice cubes of the mix, making food available and fresh at hand. For dry mixes, ingredients can be ground in a coffee grinder and stored in a zip-lock or air tight container in a cool dry environment.
Common Gut-loading Ingredients for Common Feeders:
Wet: kale, collards, red lettuce, romaine lettuce, carrots, yams, winter squash, alfalfa sprouts, orange, apples, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon inner-skins, sweet pepper, strawberries, dandelion leaves, hibiscus leaves and flowers, papaya…
Dry: bee pollen, alfalfa powder, kelp powder, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, raw uncooked sunflower seeds, raw uncooked pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, small amounts of whole grain cereals, spirulina algae, small amounts of chicken mash *check ingredients…
TIP: The list goes on and on, but there are also ingredients that can be harmful to the Chameleon. Ingredients like broccoli, tangerines, spinach, watercress and parsley, have large amounts of oxalic acids which bind calcium absorption. Also, avoid things like dog food, cat food, and fish flakes which are high in protein which is very harmful as mentioned earlier.
Extra Hints & Tips for A Female Veiled Chameleon (Clutch Laying):
Female Chameleons are able to develop and lay eggs without mating with a male. This is called developing an “infertile clutch”. It is important to know that any egg laying process is very stressful and tolling on both the Chameleon and a new keeper experiencing egg-laying for the first time. Keepers have been able to successfully minimize the size of a Veiled clutch by great numbers, to even stopping an infertile clutch all together. This has been successfully done by following the feeding schedule stated earlier, along with keeping basking temps no higher than 81-82 degrees Fahrenheit from 5 months of age to life.
It is also important to provide a well balanced intake of vitamins, calcium and fat. If the female did become gravid with either a fertile or infertile clutch, she will be sharing her intake of calcium and vitamins to develop the eggs. Deficiency or unbalance ratios of the vitamins and minerals, can lead to undeveloped eggs (leading to a cause of egg binding), it can also lead to edema (hypo/hyper-vitaminosis is too much or too little of Vitamin A, E, D & K). This is why it is so important to stay devoted to gut-loading and proper supplementation.
A female will start showing signs of getting ready to lay by showing dark colouration with bright blue and yellow patterning. However, this pattern doesn’t always show up all the time. The female will start to become restless, climbing in all areas of her cage, she will also start clawing at the walls, and possibly start digging in her plants. Another sign of getting ready to lay eggs is one new keepers often get very worried about. The female will lose her appétit. She can stop eating a couple days to a week or two before egg laying.
A laying bin should be placed in the cage at all times, unless you have lots of experience and know when the female will lay. You can then move her to a larger more private bin (ie. Brand new garbage can (with wheels)). For cage laying bins, a 5g paint bucket will work well. Every design of laying bin needs an egg laying medium. Keepers find success using washed play-sand, or washed play-sand/soil mix. It is important to have the medium at wetness that you can dig a tunnel to the bottom and not have it collapse. If the medium is too wet or too dry, the female will not dig and could possibly become egg bound and die. The female needs complete privacy while laying her eggs, if she catches you peeking at her, she could stop digging and egg-bind herself. Each female is different, some females can take a few days to dig and lay, while others can take one full day.
After your female is finished laying her eggs and covering her hole up, offer her a good feeding dusted with calcium and multivitamin, also offer as much water as she will drink. She will be both very hungry and thirsty, so make sure you meet her needs and give her as much as she wants.
This care sheet information was based on the research, experierence and situations I've gone through in my time working with Veiled Chameleons. This is all my opinion that has worked wonderful for me, and I only hope you can use it to your advantage as well. This was all submitted by me, absolutely NO copy & pasting was done and no material used from other sources.
