Baby Chameleon hiding & not eating nor drinking

[sethxvi]

I picked up a chameleon from pet smart 3 days ago. Before any of you give any negative comments, i researched the needs for a chameleon. Im aware of pet smarts "care quality"...... ( I know not the smartest decision ). I built my cage myself because i knew i could save money and provide good quality air flow for him. I built this cage by a 2 foot by 2 foot wooden base made from fresh fence boards. i then made it 3 feet tall, this is no little cage its a big cage which i intended on giving him lots of exploring to do for his well being. I used wire mesh (crickets can slip through so i created a cricket feeder out of a bottle and it holds the crickets in well) and i got a fine needle and poked a hole in the bottom of a clear cup and that serves its purpose as a dripper, i also have a dish at the bottom to catch the water. I also use a infrared 75 watt bulb for night time because he is so scared he sleeps deep in the vines at the back of the cage in the corner hanging onto the cage up right as he sleeps. Every time i leave the room when i come back he sits on the thermometer/humidty reader and climbs back to his corner when i come in the room. I feel like its been tormented at pet smart and they never misted the poor bugger. His skin looks dry on his sides but i mist him a lot. Im home all day and i always keep the humidity at 60%-80% sometimes i try to get randal to drink and it just hides in fear. I leave it alone and try to be quite as possible to let it adjust and settle in its new home. I also have UVA basking bulb ( The 50 watt one) and a UVB bulb (13 watt) that i picked to help calcium in his body.( I have 2 dome lamps for randal) The temperature reads around 75-83 degrees Fahrenheit. I mist him every 15 minutes through out the day since i do school from home.

The guy was happy to be out of that small bubble. The pet smart employee ripped it from its branch, i was insulted by this and was not pleased. I knew this guy has probably gone through a lot, he was as light green as can be. He was chilling on my hand looking me up and down. I put him in a 20 gallon tank for a few hours while adding finishing touches to my large cage, then transferred him to the 2ft x 2ft x 3ft tall cage. I have vines hanging all around the cage like a tropical rainforest. lots of limbs and branches to climb on, i made all the branches and vines myself. I took a stick and wrapped artificial vines and dip tied it to the branch and made sure the zip ties wont cut him as well. He has forest moss substrate thats suppose to promote humidity. I open up my window to let in fresh humid hot air from the outside and it helps with keeping the humidity reader on the tropical side. I attached pictures for it and pictures of him. He was frightened and so fearful of humans. I haven't abused him in any way, i havent forced him to go anywhere he hasnt wanted to go, i let randal do randal. He spends most of the day in hiding and can seem to move fine but slow. His limbs do not look arched or damaged to me. The first day he ate 1 cricket in front of me immediately when i put randal in the 20 gallon tank for a few hours. His colors was dark the whole time, instantly he changed to a forest green in the large cage, like he was happy to feel free and have some fresh air in a huge cage! I have not seem him eat for 2 days neither drink. He is looking rather skinny and i count my crickets throughout the day and the same number still remains. He is so frightened he wont explore very far. I just want to give him the best life he can have and take any steps necessary to successfully raise this chameleon, im reaching out for help because i do not want my first chameleon's death to made a lesson of. How can i get this chameleon to not be so frightened? I dont handle it, ive only handled it the day i got it and examined him for about 3 minutes as he layed flat on my hand and turned dark to appeared to avoid me. He climbs up and down his metal mesh cage to peak to see if im not around. I literally crack the door to see if hes standing on that thermometer. I do not understand why it is so frightened? Why its not eating food? Why i dont see it drinking after i drench it with mist for about 4 minutes each time i mist. I turn my fan on low for a nice circulation so no risk in respiratory infection. He is green throughout the day with white patches or a white line near his lower side. He sleeps at night time sometimes in the day he will take a short nap here or there. When he sleeps he turns light light green. I just need answers and guidance to help me keep the bugger alive and happy.

Any positive uplifting answers? More updates & pics will be posted about him

Thanks - seth

 

[sethxvi]

I know for sure it does not have MBD because its limbs are like little straight sticks. It sometimes will rock back and forth while climbing to pretend to be a leaf. I just really want to know how can i keep him hydrated and eating. He will not lick the leaves or even attempt to search for food. I will even leaves him alone for a few hours ( but i come in and try to mist without disturbing him ) and he will flee. Do i need to try to put a cricket by its face?

 

[Andee]

He will likely not drink in front of you. If he has white urates I wouldn't worry about him being hydrated currently. As far as your night light, it is not needed and actually detrimental. Please get rid of it. He is fearful or showing signs of nervousness because he's in a new place. Chameleons, especial guys at your age will take a very long time to settle. You hovering so much will make it worse. You also really need to fill out your cage with more pathways and foliage. That is one of the huge reasons he stays in one spot so much. In the wild babies his size hide constantly and it's easy for them to, because every they go is thick with leaves.

 

[sethxvi]

He will likely not drink in front of you. If he has white urates I wouldn't worry about him being hydrated currently. As far as your night light, it is not needed and actually detrimental. Please get rid of it. He is fearful or showing signs of nervousness because he's in a new place. Chameleons, especial guys at your age will take a very long time to settle. You hovering so much will make it worse. You also really need to fill out your cage with more pathways and foliage. That is one of the huge reasons he stays in one spot so much. In the wild babies his size hide constantly and it's easy for them to, because every they go is thick with leaves.

I dont stand there and watch him, i check on him to see if hes in that same spot sometimes but i never stare him down. I do mist him and he squints his eyes and opens them is this cleaning their eye balls? How do i get the little guy to eat? He had so many vines and pathways but he just doesnt want to explore that much. When i went to mist yesterday surprisingly i saw him in the middle branch exploring and getting some heat. He was next to the cricket feeder but did not even bother to eat. Didnt even look at it and the crickets were running up and down the white napkin i put in the bottle. theres plenty of crickets but he doesnt not care to eat. He is thin looking is this normal?

 

[Monta]

I picked up a chameleon from pet smart 3 days ago. Before any of you give any negative comments, i researched the needs for a chameleon. Im aware of pet smarts "care quality"...... ( I know not the smartest decision ). I built my cage myself because i knew i could save money and provide good quality air flow for him. I built this cage by a 2 foot by 2 foot wooden base made from fresh fence boards. i then made it 3 feet tall, this is no little cage its a big cage which i intended on giving him lots of exploring to do for his well being. I used wire mesh (crickets can slip through so i created a cricket feeder out of a bottle and it holds the crickets in well) and i got a fine needle and poked a hole in the bottom of a clear cup and that serves its purpose as a dripper, i also have a dish at the bottom to catch the water. I also use a infrared 75 watt bulb for night time because he is so scared he sleeps deep in the vines at the back of the cage in the corner hanging onto the cage up right as he sleeps. Every time i leave the room when i come back he sits on the thermometer/humidty reader and climbs back to his corner when i come in the room. I feel like its been tormented at pet smart and they never misted the poor bugger. His skin looks dry on his sides but i mist him a lot. Im home all day and i always keep the humidity at 60%-80% sometimes i try to get randal to drink and it just hides in fear. I leave it alone and try to be quite as possible to let it adjust and settle in its new home. I also have UVA basking bulb ( The 50 watt one) and a UVB bulb (13 watt) that i picked to help calcium in his body.( I have 2 dome lamps for randal) The temperature reads around 75-83 degrees Fahrenheit. I mist him every 15 minutes through out the day since i do school from home.

The guy was happy to be out of that small bubble. The pet smart employee ripped it from its branch, i was insulted by this and was not pleased. I knew this guy has probably gone through a lot, he was as light green as can be. He was chilling on my hand looking me up and down. I put him in a 20 gallon tank for a few hours while adding finishing touches to my large cage, then transferred him to the 2ft x 2ft x 3ft tall cage. I have vines hanging all around the cage like a tropical rainforest. lots of limbs and branches to climb on, i made all the branches and vines myself. I took a stick and wrapped artificial vines and dip tied it to the branch and made sure the zip ties wont cut him as well. He has forest moss substrate thats suppose to promote humidity. I open up my window to let in fresh humid hot air from the outside and it helps with keeping the humidity reader on the tropical side. I attached pictures for it and pictures of him. He was frightened and so fearful of humans. I haven't abused him in any way, i havent forced him to go anywhere he hasnt wanted to go, i let randal do randal. He spends most of the day in hiding and can seem to move fine but slow. His limbs do not look arched or damaged to me. The first day he ate 1 cricket in front of me immediately when i put randal in the 20 gallon tank for a few hours. His colors was dark the whole time, instantly he changed to a forest green in the large cage, like he was happy to feel free and have some fresh air in a huge cage! I have not seem him eat for 2 days neither drink. He is looking rather skinny and i count my crickets throughout the day and the same number still remains. He is so frightened he wont explore very far. I just want to give him the best life he can have and take any steps necessary to successfully raise this chameleon, im reaching out for help because i do not want my first chameleon's death to made a lesson of. How can i get this chameleon to not be so frightened? I dont handle it, ive only handled it the day i got it and examined him for about 3 minutes as he layed flat on my hand and turned dark to appeared to avoid me. He climbs up and down his metal mesh cage to peak to see if im not around. I literally crack the door to see if hes standing on that thermometer. I do not understand why it is so frightened? Why its not eating food? Why i dont see it drinking after i drench it with mist for about 4 minutes each time i mist. I turn my fan on low for a nice circulation so no risk in respiratory infection. He is green throughout the day with white patches or a white line near his lower side. He sleeps at night time sometimes in the day he will take a short nap here or there. When he sleeps he turns light light green. I just need answers and guidance to help me keep the bugger alive and happy.

Any positive uplifting answers? More updates & pics will be posted about him

Thanks - seth

Hi, I don't think I see any real plants in the cage. What size crickets are you feeding him! No lights on at night ceramic bulb is best they like the dark.also dust your crickets and gut load them too. That just a few things that is a must I think.
Good luck with him and any questions you have ... just ask. Welcome to the Chameleon forum.

 

[Andee]

Well he is sleeping during the day, this is indicative of him not getting enough sleep at night or feeling badly... it's likely the first one, due to your night light currently. That may be why he isn't showing interest in eating. He also is fairly new, though he is young and I would prefer him eating at this age by this time, it's not unheard of. Nervous chameleons do not drink in front of keepers usually, they also don't usually eat in front of them. I would fill that cage at least 5x over with greenery if not more.

 

[sethxvi]

Hi, I don't think I see any real plants in the cage. What size crickets are you feeding him! No lights on at night ceramic bulb is best they like the dark.also dust your crickets and gut load them too. That just a few things that is a must I think.
Good luck with him and any questions you have ... just ask. Welcome to the Chameleon forum.

I removed the light immediately once i found out they do not require one, its actually healthy for them to get a little cool at night it keeps their metabolism up.

 

[sethxvi]

Well he is sleeping during the day, this is indicative of him not getting enough sleep at night or feeling badly... it's likely the first one, due to your night light currently. That may be why he isn't showing interest in eating. He also is fairly new, though he is young and I would prefer him eating at this age by this time, it's not unheard of. Nervous chameleons do not drink in front of keepers usually, they also don't usually eat in front of them. I would fill that cage at least 5x over with greenery if not more.

How do i get the little fella to eat? At his age can i put some berries or small slices bite sized (bite size for a chameleon) apple slices out on a feeder tray attached to my cage?

 

[jamest0o0]

Get fecals done, add more plants(living), add more branches, raise his cage up so he's above eye level, don't touch him, listen to above posters. Why are you surprised he's afraid? He is a small animal commonly preyed upon in the wild, he's going to be nervous and fearful for a long time. You have to give him distance and ease into things. I'd do long mistings less frequent. For example, I mist 15 minutes when lights on on, then 3 minutes a few hours later, and usually another 2 a few hours after that.

 

[sethxvi]

Get fecals done, add more plants(living), add more branches, raise his cage up so he's above eye level, don't touch him, listen to above posters. Why are you surprised he's afraid? He is a small animal commonly preyed upon in the wild, he's going to be nervous and fearful for a long time. You have to give him distance and ease into things. I'd do long mistings less frequent. For example, I mist 15 minutes when lights on on, then 3 minutes a few hours later, and usually another 2 a few hours after that.

When ever i find out that his humidty has gone down to 50-60% i spritz his cage real good and get the leaves dripping wet and i try to get a little bit of mist on his skin is this fine?

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

I'm not sure, but aren't you afraid his tongue will get stuck to the napkin if he shot for a cricket? This would be my fear. You did good back taking the night light out. I know it would seem like they would need a night light because of the moon in the wild but these divas like it extremely dark. I even put up a blanket over the cage if I'm going to watch some tv in the room after lights out.

Also as everyone else has said he needs more sticks and plants in there. They really like to hide and they also really like to move around. The way yours is setup makes sense as to why he is staying in one spot. Also a great deal of chameleons prefer being up high so you might want to place the cage somewhere where the little give feels more untouchable? And to add to the live plants comment not only is it better for the humidity situation but live plants tend to hold water longer than fake plants.

Good luck!

 

[sethxvi]

I'm not sure, but aren't you afraid his tongue will get stuck to the napkin if he shot for a cricket? This would be my fear. You did good back taking the night light out. I know it would seem like they would need a night light because of the moon in the wild but these divas like it extremely dark. I even put up a blanket over the cage if I'm going to watch some tv in the room after lights out.

Also as everyone else has said he needs more sticks and plants in there. They really like to hide and they also really like to move around. The way yours is setup makes sense as to why he is staying in one spot. Also a great deal of chameleons prefer being up high so you might want to place the cage somewhere where the little give feels more untouchable? And to add to the live plants comment not only is it better for the humidity situation but live plants tend to hold water longer than fake plants.

Good luck!

Thank you for your commentary im taking it into consideration. Can you help answer a few questions? So hes about 4 months old , i kept finding actual rocks in his fecal matter. it was very black and hard and dry and i broke it up with my hands to check out whats commin out of this guy. it was cricket body parts and actual rocks. i went back to the petstore to notice his cage substrate has those same rocks in the bottom of his cage. pet smart even apologized to me for having him in the wrong environment! They tell me this after i purchase him the next day. I do not want to return him because he will not have a better life going back but is there any way i would help him eat? He wont go over by the cricket feeder. He will sneak out and hang on the cage and bask while he can since he spends so much time hiding. i wish the poor guy knew i was just trying to help him but thats not how it works. I have even seen a single urine and i check the bottom of his cage everyday. i now notice im not seeing even fecal matter. hes exploring his cage a little bit and pushing the boundaries farther than he has yesterday. hopefully he will notice those 5 crickets in that feeder.

 

[Andee]

He won't eat if he's impacted, which he likely is from the sounds of what you found in his stool. You need to take him to a vet to get him a warm water enema. It will help. You also should do a fecal. You need more plants if you haven't already done it.

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

As Andee said above he might be impacted if you're finding rocks in his poop then in top of that he hasn't pooped in a while. The best case is to take him to the vet as was also mentioned. Also mistings with warm water will help to make the poor guy want to poop. Warm water sometimes makes my guy want to go. Being impacted is a reason why he might not be wanting to eat. But maybe try letting the crickets free roam the cage. Some chameleons just prefer hunting better than waiting for a cup. If he still doesn't eat then yes definitely he is impacted.

And when/if you get live plants for your cage make sure to cover the soil with very large rocks or at least big enough for them not to be ingested by your chameleon to keep him from eat the soil, which could also cause impaction.

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

Also when I say the cage could be up somewhere higher I don't mean like it has to tower over everything in the house. I just mean the top of the cage could be higher than you. If that's possible.

 

[sethxvi]

Also when I say the cage could be up somewhere higher I don't mean like it has to tower over everything in the house. I just mean the top of the cage could be higher than you. If that's possible.

Thanks, he seems to be alright when i came home from the mall i had found him on the plant right next to the dripper. I really hope he took in some water, there were drips of water bubbles on his head lol. He's like a child trying to get away from a parent. He doesnt make such a run for it but he slowly will creep back to his safe spot. I think hes starting to come out more and be more active. I held him for a little and offered him several cricket i removed the back legs and they were crawling right in front of him but he just wouldnt even look at it. I was very gentle with the guy and i did not pull him out of his cage he ran on my hand attempting to get away from me, he turns light beautiful lime green when i hold him, i notice when he goes back in the cage he turns back to dark green but i have only handled him about 2 times. I also gave him a nice mist while holding him, flared out his torso as i misted him and was licking his lips and blinking his eyes. I guess this kind of stimulated some kind of drinking but he definitely enjoyed it! I do not handle him because i want him to be happy in his home first before coming out of it. Any suggestions on what to feed a baby chameleon. I do not let crickets free roam the cage due to finding crickets slipping through the mesh so easily.
Ill consider moving him to my dresser. He will be a little higher than eye level if thats alright. I took some pictures of him so you guys could determine if i'm freaking out over nothing or if he looks dehydrated or healthy. I would like input & thanks. I also went outside and picked up some branch like stick and they stretch across the cage a few ways. this would also help him reach his feeder better and helped make the vines more stable. He has been adventuring his whole cage today which was a big step for him. Just very shy around me when i enter the room.

Recommend a feeding method rather than free roaming crickets? If he was hungry he would have already got them, he saw them but just doesnt care to consume anything. How about releasing smaller crickets into the feeder?? Should i try a few super worms? He seems to be ok with the water situation i guess? I found him right under the dripper but the same amount of crickets still remain. I did add in a few more vines/shrubbery for him. I do not have a live plants nor the money for one right yet. He has lots of crawling space and plenty of areas to cool off and plenty to bask.

So i just held him again to spray him with warm mist. I hold him for a bit longer to examine his condition. He looks fine but just thin. I then place him back in the cage and he sits on the top branch and does not run for the hills!!! he just turns around and makes himself comfortable and stares at me so i leave him alone. HE POOPED FINALLY. Its nice and wet so hopefully that means its hydrated. I come back later, he had checked out his cricket feeder and went into it to check what it is. He obviously saw crickets and it was crawling on his head( BUT DID NOT EAT ) I stuck my finger to help him out and he grabbed my hand and i set him on a higher sturdy branch. He made his way to the bottom of the cage and checked out the substrate and went back up and climbed the mesh cage. Here is a few pictures of him. Can you guys give me input on his health?

 

[Andee]

He looks fine to me, why do you think he's not eating? Have you been counting the crickets etc? That poop looks fine to me, maybe a bit dark but it depends on when you took that pic etc.

As far as "he" goes, I am pretty sure you have a "she". Though the pics aren't the best to tell by.

 

[sethxvi]

He looks fine to me, why do you think he's not eating? Have you been counting the crickets etc? That poop looks fine to me, maybe a bit dark but it depends on when you took that pic etc.

As far as "he" goes, I am pretty sure you have a "she". Though the pics aren't the best to tell by.

Yes it is a she, i just call it a he for easy reference. Honestly wanted a male because i do not like the fact that it will lay eggs and possibly die if not able to lay them. Can you give me information on this egg laying and how many of these batches she will lay? God i hope its not crazy like 20 or 40 eggs lol. I still call it randal because of my child hood and monsters incoporated i call it randal i asked on my other post about if i should change its name? And yes it seems to like it when i mist it. Do chameleons take in moisture through their skin? i heard they hydrate through their skin a bit.. is this true?

 

[kinyonga]

Sorry if I repeat things but there's a lot to read here...which is good in a way because there is lots of information...
I don't know if someone said to remove the moss substrate but I would. It can lead to impaction just like the stones that were in its cage at the store. If it's impacted that might be why it's not eating and it's a serious issue. It might also be not eating if the way you are presenting the crickets is not acceptable or if they are too large for it. They should fit comfortably into the chameleon's mouth.

You said you used fence boards to make the cage...treated ones, cedar, or what?

You said you made a feeder and it has a napkin in it. I hope it won't eat any of the napkin. Can you post a photo of the feeder please?
It should not be napping during the day at all.

What supplements are you dusting the crickets with and how often for each? What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

You said you didn't want to have to deal with eggs...but you will have to keep her properly to prevent it or slow it down at least. Veiled females can produce eggs once they are sexually mature without having mated. If not mated, they will of course be infertile and should be counted and then you can throw them away. It's important to provide a place in the cage so that once she's mature (gets yellowish splotches on her) so she can dig to show you she's ready to lay. The minimum size for this opaque container should be 12" deep x 12" x 8"... filled with moist washed playsand. Having a proper place to lay them will help prevent eggbi ding as will proper husbandry. You'll need to understand the egglaying process once she's gravid.

 

[sethxvi]

Sorry if I repeat things but there's a lot to read here...which is good in a way because there is lots of information...
I don't know if someone said to remove the moss substrate but I would. It can lead to impaction just like the stones that were in its cage at the store. If it's impacted that might be why it's not eating and it's a serious issue. It might also be not eating if the way you are presenting the crickets is not acceptable or if they are too large for it. They should fit comfortably into the chameleon's mouth.

You said you used fence boards to make the cage...treated ones, cedar, or what?

You said you made a feeder and it has a napkin in it. I hope it won't eat any of the napkin. Can you post a photo of the feeder please?
It should not be napping during the day at all.

What supplements are you dusting the crickets with and how often for each? What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

You said you didn't want to have to deal with eggs...but you will have to keep her properly to prevent it or slow it down at least. Veiled females can produce eggs once they are sexually mature without having mated. If not mated, they will of course be infertile and should be counted and then you can throw them away. It's important to provide a place in the cage so that once she's mature (gets yellowish splotches on her) so she can dig to show you she's ready to lay. The minimum size for this opaque container should be 12" deep x 12" x 8"... filled with moist washed playsand. Having a proper place to lay them will help prevent eggbi ding as will proper husbandry. You'll need to understand the egglaying process once she's gravid.

Im sorry i didnt update you guys! She has taken a nice juicy poop! Her poop is looking good I gave her a home enema, i heated water up and made sure it was luke warm before misting her, i held her on my finger and fine misted her gently, she was placed on her big vine branch and i come back and below her is poop. This time it didnt consist of rocks. neither the moss substrate. She doesnt ever go to the bottom. Theres a literal level of heavy vines. I renamed her to Jule. Shes so beautiful and light green when she sleeps and hangs on her mesh ( She gets a great grip on the metal mesh , she prefers it over real branches with vines on the branch. Ill mist her with warm water while she sleeps. She seems ok right now.

earlier when i held her, she was rocking back and forth like a leaf in diguise. Very cute, she doesnt ever turn dark colored when out of her cage she turns pretty patterns.

Thank you for your suggestion, someone just sent me a link to a guide on setting up a laying bin. Thank you all for the help !!!