Senegal Chameleons (Chamaeleo senegalensis)
Vertical area is really important in chameleon cages, as they like to climb, so minimum cage size should be no less that 24”L x 24”W x 48”H. The cage should be well furnished with live plants and trees, or combined with live and fake..which are vital to proper Senegal care. The ideal temperature should range from 80 to 85 degrees F, with a Basking spot of 80 - 90, reason why (I suggest this it will get familiar with the Senegal what temperatures he or she wants so having 3 different choices gives him or her the opportunity to change throughout the day so 3 or more vines at different temperatures can help make him or her determine what temperature they want. With 50 to 75% humidity for thriving chameleons.
Provide appropriate lighting. Lighting is absolutely essential for proper Senegal care. Your chameleon needs daily exposure to reptile-approved UVB bulbs. A minimum of 12 hours a day is recommended for most Senegal's, as well as free access to a heat bulb. Chameleons need to regulate their core body temperature, and if allowed free access to heat bulbs will keep themselves warm or cool enough depending on their needs. The best way to ensure your Senegal gets enough light is to install a simple timer on your lights, set for 12 to 14 hours a day. Daily exposure to natural light is also GREAT for your chameleon, so placing the cage in an area with good sun exposure is an added bonus.
Keep your chameleon hydrated. Dehydration is one of the lead causes and fastest ways to kill them. So proper watering is really needed. Chameleons, unlike many reptiles, will not drink out of a bowl or other type of container. They prefer to drink water that accumulates on leaves in their habitat. A misting system is an ideal watering setup, as it not only allows water to slowly accumulate for your Senegal, it also offers humidity and moisture vital to a chameleon’s skin and eye health. Run the mister frequently throughout the day, making sure your chameleon is drinking enough to stay hydrated.
Feed your Senegal Chameleon properly; this is vital to ensuring optimal health. Senegals will eat nearly any insect they come across, making feeding them fairly simple. They do not require any man-made supplements, and thrive off of small insects such as house spiders, fruit flies, butterflies and worms. They only need to be fed 1 to 3 small food items daily, and fasting for a day or two per week is perfectly acceptable.
My suggested Misting Setup (if you have auto misting systems and timers) I use a automatic misting system, connected to the mist king timer, My Senegal wake up time is from 6AM to 6PM
from 6AM my chameleon has time to get warmed up for an hour, by 7AM my first 5 minute misting session goes into play, Setting my misting starting at 7AM from 6AM wake up prevents the Senegal from getting splashed with water before his body is not even warmed up yet, Us as humans would not like to be sleeping all warm and get cold water thrown all over us early in the morning before warming up so I did it this way for my Chameleon.
Next misting session is at 10AM for 5 minutes, by that time 3 hours have passed and the water should be dried up, Next misting session after that is at 1PM can you guess how long? You got it for 5 minutes. By that time they could be thirsty after missing the first 2 sessions, the next session would be at 4PM, My Senegal I've noticed chooses the 1PM and the 4PM sessions to drink and sometimes in the morning. Depending on your humidity levels room temp etc, times could always be adjusted as well as length of the misting.
Handling:Like many chameleons they do not like to be held to much, I would suggest handling once a week (unless you are treating them for problems)
Gutloading: Insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, with an assortment of greens kale, collards, escarole, endive, mustard greens, and veggies such as carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, and more.
Crickets: (I purchase my crickets from LazyHBait) Great rates in price and high stocks
http://lazyhbait.com/
Other places I suggest, For Silk worms, Horn, etc: www.mulberryfarms.com
For mantis and other things I suggest:
http://www.mantiskingdom.com/
Being Prepared, even though the worst can and or can not happen it is always good to be prepared for what could happen so with that said I have a list of products I use and keep around Just encase a problem starts to occur.
Reptaid: http://reptaid.com/
Eye Drops: (I always keep these to keep their eyes clean) http://www.reptmart.com/p-1641-repti-turtle-eye-drops-225-oz-for-sale.aspx
Wound Healing Aid: http://www.reptmart.com/p-1643-repti-wound-healing-aid-1-oz-for-sale.aspx
Water Conditioner: (this should be used all the time) http://www.reptmart.com/p-1649-reptisafe-water-conditioner-425-oz-for-sale.aspx.
Reptile Shaker (Useful Item I promise):
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754051
For Lighting I suggest::
D3 Reptile Lamp 18" *Fits all regular 18" fluorescent fixtures*: http://lightyourreptiles.com/d3rela18fall.html
(needs to be replaced once a year)(also note Todd has many other sizes depending on your fixtures)
I suggest for basking spot lights:http://www.reptmart.com/p-1531-basking-spot-value-pk-2-pack-csa-approved-100w-for-sale.aspx ( this wattage is if you are in screen enclosures I would not recommend this wattage in a glass cage.)
My Supplement Chart:
I recommend, Next to the Supplement is the times of use.
This is my recommendation supplement that I use and go by.
1-Miner-All O ( 1x A Week)
1-Rep-Cal Calcium (3x A Week)
1-Rep-Cal Calcium WITH D3 (1x A Week)
1-Rep-Cal Herptivite (2x A Month when Older can be reduced to 1x A Month)
Making sure you have the correct tempetature: I suggest an IR Temp Gun from www.Lightyourreptiles.com (Ask todd about them)
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/rediirth.html
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/irthextopqu.html
Sexing your Senegal: ( hemipenal bulge.)
http://www.chameleonsonline.com/species.php
[Please note I've added information of my own on top of other information I've found I take credit for a small part of this guide.]
Vertical area is really important in chameleon cages, as they like to climb, so minimum cage size should be no less that 24”L x 24”W x 48”H. The cage should be well furnished with live plants and trees, or combined with live and fake..which are vital to proper Senegal care. The ideal temperature should range from 80 to 85 degrees F, with a Basking spot of 80 - 90, reason why (I suggest this it will get familiar with the Senegal what temperatures he or she wants so having 3 different choices gives him or her the opportunity to change throughout the day so 3 or more vines at different temperatures can help make him or her determine what temperature they want. With 50 to 75% humidity for thriving chameleons.
Provide appropriate lighting. Lighting is absolutely essential for proper Senegal care. Your chameleon needs daily exposure to reptile-approved UVB bulbs. A minimum of 12 hours a day is recommended for most Senegal's, as well as free access to a heat bulb. Chameleons need to regulate their core body temperature, and if allowed free access to heat bulbs will keep themselves warm or cool enough depending on their needs. The best way to ensure your Senegal gets enough light is to install a simple timer on your lights, set for 12 to 14 hours a day. Daily exposure to natural light is also GREAT for your chameleon, so placing the cage in an area with good sun exposure is an added bonus.
Keep your chameleon hydrated. Dehydration is one of the lead causes and fastest ways to kill them. So proper watering is really needed. Chameleons, unlike many reptiles, will not drink out of a bowl or other type of container. They prefer to drink water that accumulates on leaves in their habitat. A misting system is an ideal watering setup, as it not only allows water to slowly accumulate for your Senegal, it also offers humidity and moisture vital to a chameleon’s skin and eye health. Run the mister frequently throughout the day, making sure your chameleon is drinking enough to stay hydrated.
Feed your Senegal Chameleon properly; this is vital to ensuring optimal health. Senegals will eat nearly any insect they come across, making feeding them fairly simple. They do not require any man-made supplements, and thrive off of small insects such as house spiders, fruit flies, butterflies and worms. They only need to be fed 1 to 3 small food items daily, and fasting for a day or two per week is perfectly acceptable.
My suggested Misting Setup (if you have auto misting systems and timers) I use a automatic misting system, connected to the mist king timer, My Senegal wake up time is from 6AM to 6PM
from 6AM my chameleon has time to get warmed up for an hour, by 7AM my first 5 minute misting session goes into play, Setting my misting starting at 7AM from 6AM wake up prevents the Senegal from getting splashed with water before his body is not even warmed up yet, Us as humans would not like to be sleeping all warm and get cold water thrown all over us early in the morning before warming up so I did it this way for my Chameleon.
Next misting session is at 10AM for 5 minutes, by that time 3 hours have passed and the water should be dried up, Next misting session after that is at 1PM can you guess how long? You got it for 5 minutes. By that time they could be thirsty after missing the first 2 sessions, the next session would be at 4PM, My Senegal I've noticed chooses the 1PM and the 4PM sessions to drink and sometimes in the morning. Depending on your humidity levels room temp etc, times could always be adjusted as well as length of the misting.
Handling:Like many chameleons they do not like to be held to much, I would suggest handling once a week (unless you are treating them for problems)
Gutloading: Insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, with an assortment of greens kale, collards, escarole, endive, mustard greens, and veggies such as carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, and more.
Crickets: (I purchase my crickets from LazyHBait) Great rates in price and high stocks
http://lazyhbait.com/
Other places I suggest, For Silk worms, Horn, etc: www.mulberryfarms.com
For mantis and other things I suggest:
http://www.mantiskingdom.com/
Being Prepared, even though the worst can and or can not happen it is always good to be prepared for what could happen so with that said I have a list of products I use and keep around Just encase a problem starts to occur.
Reptaid: http://reptaid.com/
Eye Drops: (I always keep these to keep their eyes clean) http://www.reptmart.com/p-1641-repti-turtle-eye-drops-225-oz-for-sale.aspx
Wound Healing Aid: http://www.reptmart.com/p-1643-repti-wound-healing-aid-1-oz-for-sale.aspx
Water Conditioner: (this should be used all the time) http://www.reptmart.com/p-1649-reptisafe-water-conditioner-425-oz-for-sale.aspx.
Reptile Shaker (Useful Item I promise):
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754051
For Lighting I suggest::
D3 Reptile Lamp 18" *Fits all regular 18" fluorescent fixtures*: http://lightyourreptiles.com/d3rela18fall.html
(needs to be replaced once a year)(also note Todd has many other sizes depending on your fixtures)
I suggest for basking spot lights:http://www.reptmart.com/p-1531-basking-spot-value-pk-2-pack-csa-approved-100w-for-sale.aspx ( this wattage is if you are in screen enclosures I would not recommend this wattage in a glass cage.)
My Supplement Chart:
I recommend, Next to the Supplement is the times of use.
This is my recommendation supplement that I use and go by.
1-Miner-All O ( 1x A Week)
1-Rep-Cal Calcium (3x A Week)
1-Rep-Cal Calcium WITH D3 (1x A Week)
1-Rep-Cal Herptivite (2x A Month when Older can be reduced to 1x A Month)
Making sure you have the correct tempetature: I suggest an IR Temp Gun from www.Lightyourreptiles.com (Ask todd about them)
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/rediirth.html
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/irthextopqu.html
Sexing your Senegal: ( hemipenal bulge.)
http://www.chameleonsonline.com/species.php
[Please note I've added information of my own on top of other information I've found I take credit for a small part of this guide.]
