Advice on Wild Caught

[FloydPakasloslo]

I just got myself a new wild caught Jackson after swearing never to do that again. Basically it is the only available type of Jackson here, since they are locally caught. A friend of mine was on a hike and found one, offered to me, and since I was looking to get a new one, I accepted.

What I want to know is, is there any little boost or treatment that is recommended for WC individuals? I know treating them fully for parasites can be dangerous, and for the immediate time frame I don't want to overly stress him, but if there is an immune booster or suppliment that has worked for other people with WC, I'd love to know.

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new Jacskson. My daughter use to be a breeder and would often buy WC panthers to add new blood to her breeding project. Normally our vet would say to just let them acclimate for a couple of weeks and bring him a fecal as soon as we got one. Normally he would treat with panacur first unless he/she was just loaded with cociddia. If allot of cociddia was present he'd treat that first. He would treat different parasites at different times instead of all at once. The most important thing IMO is to keep them hydrated through the entire process. If I remember correctly we also used a multi vitiman with Vit. A in it such as Reptivite because some of them would have eye problems.

The very best of luck with you new Jackson and be sure to post pictures.

 

[FloydPakasloslo]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new Jacskson. My daughter use to be a breeder and would often buy WC panthers to add new blood to her breeding project. Normally our vet would say to just let them acclimate for a couple of weeks and bring him a fecal as soon as we got one. Normally he would treat with panacur first unless he/she was just loaded with cociddia. If allot of cociddia was present he'd treat that first. He would treat different parasites at different times instead of all at once. The most important thing IMO is to keep them hydrated through the entire process. If I remember correctly we also used a multi vitiman with Vit. A in it such as Reptivite because some of them would have eye problems.

The very best of luck with you new Jackson and be sure to post pictures.

Thank you so much. I have to look into a vet around here. I took my first Jackson to one I really liked, but they were over an hour away and my car is not ideal for that sort of travel. One of the downsides of living in a rural area.

My first course of action is to leave him alone and get him hydrated. I have noticed him rubbing his eye against the branch, so I'm going to keep an eye on that and make sure it's nothing serious. That's good to know about your vet's routine, so when I go in I have an idea what is the right treatment.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Thank you so much. I have to look into a vet around here. I took my first Jackson to one I really liked, but they were over an hour away and my car is not ideal for that sort of travel. One of the downsides of living in a rural area.

My first course of action is to leave him alone and get him hydrated. I have noticed him rubbing his eye against the branch, so I'm going to keep an eye on that and make sure it's nothing serious. That's good to know about your vet's routine, so when I go in I have an idea what is the right treatment.

I leave them alone and don't even look at them much for a couple of months. I mist like crazy for the first week and if they look to be off. Do you have an automatic mister? I honestly believe it is a necessary piece of equipment for keeping healthy chameleons.

Sometimes (often) in the whole capture/import process they get a lot of debris in their eyes. Run a mister for 10 mintues at a time every few hours. He might have something in his eye. If you don't have an automatic mister, you can put the cage outside and run one of those patio coolers you can buy. I have several that I attach to the hose that have several mist heads along a 10 foot 1/4 inch hose that screws into a garden hose. You can buy one from one of the big box hardware stores. I think the name of it was Arctic Cover or something like that and it was about $12.

Make sure he has lots of cover to hide in.

Unless there is a reason, I wouldn't do any worming for at least 45 days and then do it very carefully and conservatively. I wouldn't even bother getting a fecal in to the vet until about that time because you know for sure the parasite load will be high (because of all the stress he's been under). Give him time to get over the stress of everything and get his immune system back working so he can take care of the parasites. If he declines or doesn't eat, then get a stool sample in and possibly an appointment with a reptile vet. Use one medication at a time and complete that treatment before you go on to something else. Don't be too eager to treat for parasites.

Hydration is your key.

Hope that helps.

 

[FloydPakasloslo]

I leave them alone and don't even look at them much for a couple of months. I mist like crazy for the first week and if they look to be off. Do you have an automatic mister? I honestly believe it is a necessary piece of equipment for keeping healthy chameleons.

Sometimes (often) in the whole capture/import process they get a lot of debris in their eyes. Run a mister for 10 mintues at a time every few hours. He might have something in his eye. If you don't have an automatic mister, you can put the cage outside and run one of those patio coolers you can buy. I have several that I attach to the hose that have several mist heads along a 10 foot 1/4 inch hose that screws into a garden hose. You can buy one from one of the big box hardware stores. I think the name of it was Arctic Cover or something like that and it was about $12.

Make sure he has lots of cover to hide in.

Unless there is a reason, I wouldn't do any worming for at least 45 days and then do it very carefully and conservatively. I wouldn't even bother getting a fecal in to the vet until about that time because you know for sure the parasite load will be high (because of all the stress he's been under). Give him time to get over the stress of everything and get his immune system back working so he can take care of the parasites. If he declines or doesn't eat, then get a stool sample in and possibly an appointment with a reptile vet. Use one medication at a time and complete that treatment before you go on to something else. Don't be too eager to treat for parasites.

Hydration is your key.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the thorough response!

No automatic mister here, unfortunately. I have an outdoor set-up since this is an ideal climate and elevation for them. I run a dripper and will use a hose to give the cage a good soak about twice a day if it hasn't rained. I have seen those free-standing outdoor garden hose misters and do plan on setting one of those up just to make my life easier.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I wasn't totally ready for this guy when I got him. I had some repairs I had to do last minute to the cage so he saw a little more action that I hoped, but now everything is settled and he's going to be left entirely alone apart from feeding and cage cleans. I'm not even going to offer him any food today and will get some in the cage tomorrow.

Just to be sure about his feeding, I was going to use a cup. I'd like to eventually get him foraging, but until I see he has an appetite I want to make sure that he's getting some food. Is there normally an issue with WC not using a cup feeder, or do they adjust quickly?

 

[jpowell86]

I too would leave him alone for a while. The stress of being captured has weakened his immune system and if you keep him in that state, the parasites can really take a toll.

But, since they are collected locally in your area, you can get around the problem most of us have in regards to captive husbandry. I would just set up a generous cage outside. The worst thing you can do for WC chameleons is make them feel confined. That increases their stress levels exponentially. If you can get him setup and acclimated a bit, treating for parasites in a couple of months won't have near the negative effects as if you do this immediately. Also, if you get him stabilized, you might be surprised by the fact that treatment may not be necessary. Water, water, water. Xanths also need sunshine. I used to lose my babies even in the most perfect setups. I have been successful with the last two broods because I housed them outside. This species just needs the sunshine more than some, IMO.

If they are local, then I am guessing you are either in Maui or Florida....either way, the outdoor enclosure could really prove best in the acclimation of this animal.

 

[FloydPakasloslo]

I too would leave him alone for a while. The stress of being captured has weakened his immune system and if you keep him in that state, the parasites can really take a toll.

But, since they are collected locally in your area, you can get around the problem most of us have in regards to captive husbandry. I would just set up a generous cage outside. The worst thing you can do for WC chameleons is make them feel confined. That increases their stress levels exponentially. If you can get him setup and acclimated a bit, treating for parasites in a couple of months won't have near the negative effects as if you do this immediately. Also, if you get him stabilized, you might be surprised by the fact that treatment may not be necessary. Water, water, water. Xanths also need sunshine. I used to lose my babies even in the most perfect setups. I have been successful with the last two broods because I housed them outside. This species just needs the sunshine more than some, IMO.

If they are local, then I am guessing you are either in Maui or Florida....either way, the outdoor enclosure could really prove best in the acclimation of this animal.

I am located on Oahu. At this point almost all the Hawaiian Islands have these guys. I do have an outdoor set-up, about 24"x24"48". It is pretty lush, but not as much as I would like. I may remove some branches and add some more plants. Currently I have one decent sized arrowhead vine, another unknown small vine, a large dwarf umbrella tree, and another unknown small plant, as well as a good amount of pele's hair (spanish moss, I guess) and tillandsia. Half of the roof of the cage is screen, the other half is wood as a sort of shelter.

I just opened the cage door for a moment to adjust some of the foliage, and a moth flew inside and he snapped it right up. At least he knows what to do!

 

[jpowell86]

Glad he is eating. I agree with you about the plants. The more the better. The outside enclosure look like a great place for him to live.

When I was in Maui this year I talked to a biologist that was explaining to me the effects that the xanths have on the local snail population. Is that a commonality among all the islands? I don't know if that particular species of snail is prevalent on other islands as well. Just curious.

I would add some ferns is you could. Something lush that he can get in and hide if need be.

 

[FloydPakasloslo]

Glad he is eating. I agree with you about the plants. The more the better. The outside enclosure look like a great place for him to live.

When I was in Maui this year I talked to a biologist that was explaining to me the effects that the xanths have on the local snail population. Is that a commonality among all the islands? I don't know if that particular species of snail is prevalent on other islands as well. Just curious.

I would add some ferns is you could. Something lush that he can get in and hide if need be.

To be honest, I have no idea their effect on native species. I know generally invasive species are hugely destructive, but I'm not sure the specifics. Out here invasive species have killed off almost everything else. We're basically a rock covered in people, pigs, chickens, and chameleons.

A hanging type fern would be nice, that's a good idea. I'll go pick one up from my plant lady this week. So far he's actually stayed away from the plants and is cruising around on the exposed top branches. I think he is trying to plan an escape.

 

[jajeanpierre]

In general, I don't use cup feeding. I like them at least to have that little bit of natural behavior and the pleasure of hunting. Others have been successful using cup feeding. With any chameleon, sometimes the size of the "cup" is the issue of whether they use it or not. You can use anything from a deli cup to a big bucket or tote. I personally don't like to give the wild caughts especially anything unnatural. Hunting is normal and the presence of insects free ranging in a cage sometimes triggers an appetite that is a little on the low side. You can tell how much they are eating by the stool. Sometimes the stool is hidden in the foliage, but the white urates are usually visible so you can find stool that way.

Good luck.

 

[guanagator]

Thanks for the thorough response!

No automatic mister here, unfortunately. I have an outdoor set-up since this is an ideal climate and elevation for them. I run a dripper and will use a hose to give the cage a good soak about twice a day if it hasn't rained. I have seen those free-standing outdoor garden hose misters and do plan on setting one of those up just to make my life easier.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I wasn't totally ready for this guy when I got him. I had some repairs I had to do last minute to the cage so he saw a little more action that I hoped, but now everything is settled and he's going to be left entirely alone apart from feeding and cage cleans. I'm not even going to offer him any food today and will get some in the cage tomorrow.

Just to be sure about his feeding, I was going to use a cup. I'd like to eventually get him foraging, but until I see he has an appetite I want to make sure that he's getting some food. Is there normally an issue with WC not using a cup feeder, or do they adjust quickly?

I only have limited experience with WC ( pair of C. O'shaughnessy) but I have noticed that the female readily adjusted to cup feeding while the male has not, he waits until the roaches escape then chows down. It's been frustrating bc I want to keep the feeders from possibly exacerbating any parasite issues. They will both handfed so why he doesn't want to use the camo cup is beyond me I've tried different placement in the enclosure and he just waits till the feeders escape. I have heard from another person who has the same issue with this species so it may be they just prefer the food to come to them and hunt ambush style. Yours taking the moth is a great sign, hope he also likes the more typical feeders for you.

 

[FloydPakasloslo]

I only have limited experience with WC ( pair of C. O'shaughnessy) but I have noticed that the female readily adjusted to cup feeding while the male has not, he waits until the roaches escape then chows down. It's been frustrating bc I want to keep the feeders from possibly exacerbating any parasite issues. They will both handfed so why he doesn't want to use the camo cup is beyond me I've tried different placement in the enclosure and he just waits till the feeders escape. I have heard from another person who has the same issue with this species so it may be they just prefer the food to come to them and hunt ambush style. Yours taking the moth is a great sign, hope he also likes the more typical feeders for you.

I actually got him to eat a grub right out of my hand. I work on an organic farm and went rooting through the soil pile for roaches and grubs. I was able to get him to cup feed without a problem. He was unsure for a minute, and I need a better set-up, but at least I know he will go for it and that he's got a healthy appetite.