Aggession

[Rhani]

I was teying to pick him up aroumd his body as pet shop.told me to do it but i tried holding my arm out for awhile and he walked up it, only thing im worried about is hes so quick if he falls ill have to grab him which he then tries to bite

 

[Syreptyon]

Unless the substrate is bioactive (which it does not look like it is), it should be removed entirely. It will harbor dangerous bacteria and make your chameleon sick. Bare bottom is much safer, or else put some time into researching how to convert it to bioactive

 

[Rhani]

Its the coconut substrate which was told to use by my vet for hummidity

 

[Ramrod]

As posted above,if you are not going bioactive then you should not have substraight on floor. It makes cleaning easier and more important is that it eliminates places for bacteria to grow or chance of ingestion. I leave mine bare.

 

[Rhani]

Its called eco earth

 

[kinyonga]

Is your vet an exotics vet? Sounds like you may need a different vet.

As for him being fast...try not "chasing" him with the hand he's not sitting on so he won't go fast. It's all a learning process. Don't move quickly ...you will appear to be a predator and he'll run to escape you.

 

[Rhani]

Yes she is exotic vet but tbh not slatting her but she was a bit snotty if u know what i mean

 

[Rhani]

I mentioned about no substrate and the answer i got was if u want him to fall and break his legs then dnt use it and she aaid thats the best one

 

[MissSkittles]

Yes she is exotic vet but tbh not slatting her but she was a bit snotty if u know what i mean

Just because they call themselves an exotics vet does not mean they are skilled with chams. My “exotics” vet just kind of looked at my cham and said she’s healthy. The true cham skilled vet I found looked, palpated, listened to heart & lungs and was very thorough before declaring her healthy.

 

[RyanBRZ]

I had the same issue, the first vet I went to was a member of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV), so I figured he would be somewhat familiar with chameleons. He ended up giving my panther a calcium injection in his tail, which I later found out is a no-no since their kidneys filter out anything given in the rear-side of the body, everything must be given in the front side/arms. I also mentioned I thought he was overweight and he responded "no, he's fine, I can see his rib cage".

The second vet I went to seemed much more knowledgeable about chameleons..I cannot say she was an expert but seemed to have at least some knowledge specific to chameleons and I will be going back to her in the future.

 

[Ramrod]

I was teying to pick him up aroumd his body as pet shop.told me to do it but i tried holding my arm out for awhile and he walked up it, only thing im worried about is hes so quick if he falls ill have to grab him which he then tries to bite

Don't pick them up around the body. They think you are a predator and about to eat them. Slowly offer your outstretched hand under thier chin and let them come to you. Move very slowly and if you see resistance then back off. You gotta build trust first.
I would be careful taking advise from pet shops especially big box stores as usually they are not very experienced with chams.
Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have to the forum members as this is thier specialty.

 

[RyanBRZ]

You can also injure their ribs by trying to lift them up around the body.

 

[Rhani]

So am i using the right substrate, if not which one should i use, also cleaning once a month is that correct

 

[MissSkittles]

So am i using the right substrate, if not which one should i use, also cleaning once a month is that correct

As Ramrod already posted, unless you have a bio active enclosure, no substrate is best...bare bottom.

 

[Rhani]

What if he was to fall?

 

[Multivitamins]

Tbh hes prob not that bad, he will walk onto my hand after a ehile but if i go to pick him up he attacks, hes so fast aswell

I have a panther and they are known to be a bit more "laid back" vs a veiled my guys roughly a year old and just since June became "social". He was a lunatic when I took him to the vet they were shocked how "spirited" he was for a panther .... he wouldn't have anything to do with me and made it clear he didn't want my hand in his branches which made cleaning somewhat difficult. I associated myself with food and the opportunity to get natural sunlight. I use a small branch and offer it if he climbs we go outside if not I offer a worm and leave him alone. Every Cham is different and handling does cause them a bit of stress however if you can temper your beasts rage and grow trust (Mainly gained thru feeding fat worms in my experience ) the exposure to natural light is a great goal but if he's jumping and dropping it may take time .... A lot of time just remember they move slow and it may take time but it's not impossible. be patient and listen to the chameleon breeder podcast !

 

[MissSkittles]

What if he was to fall?

If you aren’t trying to grab him or otherwise cause him to get riled up, he shouldn’t be falling unless there’s an underlying issue. I strongly suggest filling out the help form provided to you for a husbandry review. Even the smallest error in husbandry can lead to big problems, so let’s check yours out and make sure all is correct.

 

[Rhani]

I filled one in last night

 

[MissSkittles]

I filled one in last night

My bad, sorry. What about your uvb? I see a linear fixture...what are you using?

 

[MissSkittles]

Sorry for the interrogation, but is that calcium with or without D3? What are your temps - ambient and basking?