Any help would be great

Mila333

New Member
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Jackson's Chameleon, female, two and a half (ish), about six months.
  • Handling - Almost every meal if she is willing to come on my hand.
  • Feeding - Crickets are a part of her main diet but we do feed her super worms once every couple weeks.
  • Supplements - Her food is dusted with calcium and the crickets feed on a vitamin supplement.
  • Watering - Misting system, misted for about five minutes twice a day.
  • Fecal Description - Small, white piece attached to a long brown strip, moist.
  • History - We have no history on her, because the previous owner knew nothing about chameleons and had no info when asked.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Metal mesh screen, 4ft tall 2ft wide.
  • Lighting - Ceramic bulb, basking lamp and a heat lamp.
  • Temperature - Usually between 70-80 degrees.
  • Humidity - Usually between 80-90.
  • Plants - Live (tropical) and artificial plants.
  • Placement - Located in the corner of the room in the living room (The family walks past her frequently and we also have two cats that stare but don't seem to bother her).
  • Location - Lake Oswego(Near Portland), Oregon.

Current Problem - For several months she has been very quiet and stationary, but for the past week or so, she seems to be flying up and down her cage top to bottom every minute of the day. Seeming antsy and possibly bored like she is looking for something to do. I looked at a few forums posts and saw that it could mean she may wants to be handled more and roam around outside of her cage, someone else mentioned that she could be looking for a mate...Are these accurate assumptions, or is there something I'm doing wrong? I wouldn't be so concerned about her behavior, but she climbs on the sides of the mesh which I know is bad for her claws, and regularly attempts very difficult climbs that cause her to fall from high areas. Thanks for your time.
 

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does she love being handled?
She is a not a fan. Before she started climbing out of control she seemed to like coming onto my hand and spending time outside the cage. But ever since the climbing, she hesitates to reach for my hand and gets quite sassy and acts like she will bite me(even though she has never done so).
 
Well first off the cham in the pic is a female veiled. And she could be needing to lay eggs does she look like she has gotten plumper around the mid section.
 
You have a veiled, not a Jackson's.

Does she have little nubs on the back of her hind feet? Or is the back of the hind feet smooth? If there are no nubs, she is a little girl.

Since veileds lay eggs, at about 5 or 6 months, she will need to have a laying bin.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
Thanks so much for the information! There were no nubs and she had smooth feet. She must be preparing to lay eggs.
 
You have a female veiled chameleon and you definitely need a laying bin in as soon as possible. Also, ditch the ceramic heater. She will not recognize heat emission unless it is accompanied by light...so she could burn herself. Female veileds often pace when getting close to laying eggs. The laying bin needs to be 12 inches deep minimum and filled with washed play sand. There are care sheets offered here within the Forums that could give you loads of information. Some chameleons might tolerate being handled, but if she is gravid I would definitely leave her alone for now. Good Luck!!
 
One other thought - she needs to have a UV light for everyday use. I wasn't sure from your description if she has a UV light. Females are especially prone to MBD (metabolic bone disease) because it takes so much calcium to make eggs. The UV helps her absorb and process the calcium by producing vitamin D in the body.
  • UV light and basking light (no ceramic heater needed)
  • Regular calcium with no D3 at every feeding
  • A multivitamin with D3 twice a month.
I would also recommend adding some narrower vines to her enclosure so she has a variety of sizes to climb. It's good for foot and claw health. The bendy Jungle Vines are very handy. :D
 
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