Need help... veiled not eating.

hi i bought a 5 month veiled chameleon and ive had it for 6 days and it has not touch any type of food. the cage temp. 90-95. humidity level around 60. i tried every way to feed this guy .....and no luck.

The temps sound WAY too hot. Try lowering them to about 85. Do you have any pics? Also, are you sure it's a male? Males have little "spurs" above their feet on the back of their legs. Fill this out:
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

I would agree that the temps are too hot for a 5 month old. Having said that, they can take several days to settle into a new cage and house and it may take a few days for s/he to feel comfortable enough to eat. Do you have live plants in the cage to give the cham plenty of hiding places? Fill out the form as posted above - it will help us to help you and your cham!

Cage Type -Screen, What are the dimensions? 5 ft. x 2.5 ft x 2.5ft
Lighting - two sun glo 150 w, tight beam, and one uvb light.
Temperature - 85- 95.Lowest overnight temp? 70-75. How do you measure these temps? Temp. gauge
Humidity - What are your humidity levels?50- 60. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Trying to maintain humidity. What do you use to measure humidity? A humidity gauge
Plants - artificial plants , And vines. No live plants
Placement - medium traffic area.
Location - Where are you geographically located? Chicago , Illinois

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon , male, and 5 months old . How long has it been in your care? 6 days
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? No handling
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Cricket, mealworms. What is the schedule? Every two days. Cricket food, fluker’s cricket quencher
Supplements - sticky tongue farms. Every two weeks
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Dripping system on the top of the cage. How often and how long to you mist? 4 times a day. Do you see your chameleon drinking? NO
Fecal Description - Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Not sure.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - he has not been eating or drinking.

dmaizer said:

Lighting - two sun glo 150 w, tight beam, and one uvb light.
Use a 40 watt bulb for heat and a 5.0 repti-sun or a 5.0 repti-glow bulb for uvb
Temperature - 85- 95.Lowest overnight temp? 70-75. How do you measure these temps? Temp. gauge
You want the warmest basking spot 80-85 and the lower part of the cage 75. Over night can drop into the mid to upper 60's
Humidity - What are your humidity levels?50- 60. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Trying to maintain humidity. What do you use to measure humidity? A humidity gauge
you want it at a constant 50%. When you spray it should raise to at least 70% and stay above 60% for an hour after watering.
Plants - artificial plants , And vines. No live plants
Placement - medium traffic area.
get some live plans in there, pothos are great, umbrella plants, hibiscus (spelling)
Location - Where are you geographically located? Chicago , Illinois

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon , male, and 5 months old . How long has it been in your care? 6 days
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? No handling
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Cricket, mealworms. What is the schedule? Every two days. Cricket food, fluker’s cricket quencher
Ditch the meal worms they can cause your cham to get backed up. Gut load with collard greens.
Supplements - sticky tongue farms. Every two weeks
Supplements should be like this
Week1- M-F calcium
Sat-nothing
Sun-Calcium with D3
Week2- M-F calcium
Sat- Nothing
Sun- multivitamin
Week3 Repeat week1
Week4- repeat week2
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Dripping system on the top of the cage. How often and how long to you mist? 4 times a day. Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Spraay 4-5 times a day for 5 minutes each time
Fecal Description - Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Not sure.
what does his poop look like?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - he has not been eating or drinking.

Click to expand...

Can you please post a picture =]

How are you determining food intake?

He is probably aclimating. Make sure he has food at all times, preferably crickets, silkworms, and roaches as a staple. If you fix all of the things that were suggested to you he should be a happy chameleon who can't wait to be fed. I wouldn't be too worried about not eating for another 3-5 days, they can go a long time without eating. After you fix everything and he's still not eating in a few days something might be wrong.


I disagree with the 5 minute misting, I feel that as long as his urate is white misting only has to be a minute or two long. But if his urate is orange or yellow he should be misted for longer and have a drip system running throughout the day.

i would put five crickets in the cage, id come back in a few hours and they would still be in the cage. i will put some pics up later today when i get a camera. i dont think he has enough plants to feel safe. his poop is white at one end and brown at the other

The only reason I do my misting for so long I am in colorado and its not humid here at all so I need to mist longer to keep the humidity up. I dont know how humid it is in Chicago in the winter time but I do know its gets wintery like it does here. So I would mist a little longer.

Edit: Are you free ranging your crickets? Maybe try cup feeding?

I also suggest cup feeding, he may be too small for that cage and can't find his food.

I tried cup feeeding and no luck. he notices the food but doesn't eat. and i never seen him drink water.

Cup feeding takes a few days to get used to, you have to give him time. I prefer cup feeding so that i don't have to chase the crickets at night to catch them.

i got new pics!!!!

He needs WAY more cover than that. Plants plants plants! There is a safe plant list on www.flchams.com he's probably too uncomfortable/unsecure to eat. He needs enough plant coverage to hide and he needs branches for a basking spot. He also should be up higher unless everyone in your household is under 5 feet.

EDIT: just saw the branches, so scrap that part of my post.

I agree he needs a lot more plants. That could be one reason you dont see him drink. Even for now throw in some fake plants until you can get real ones and this should help him drink and eat.

i just got him a ficus plant, towmorrow will be 8 days with out food!!!!!!!!!

Try force feeding him one and see what happens... Are you placing the cup on the floor or hanging it by his baking spot? I would also try making a vet visit sometime this week

When he hisses at you, pop a cricket in his mouth. Try hanging four or five cups with two or three crickets in each one. My friends Cham wouldn't eat for almost a week until he added a few extra feeding cups at different heights. The little guy couldn't find his food all the time.

its been 8 days with out food....i dont know wants gonna happen next. i tried EVERYTHING!!!! hope is lost

Have you taken him to the vet? you cant just give up or your sure to lose your cham! You tried to force feed? You have hung multiple cups?

How big is that plant you got? Is it nice and leafy? I have a feeling your cage is not up to par withhis standards. Tell us exactly everything you've tried.