Bought female Jackson's from a sketchy guy and paid the price

[DJHiggySmalls]

So there's a convention thing that came to my town called Repticon. I went and purchased a female Jackson's chameleon in hopes of breeding her with the male that I have had for the last seven months. Just to give some reference as to how uneducated the guy I bought her from actually was, he tried to tell me that they lay eggs. Jackson's chameleons obviously do not lay eggs, so I was hoping I could give her a better home as well. The problem was, he clearly only ever fed her crickets. She had no variety in her food source. She was also very hostile to the guy, but when he handed her to me, she seemed to calm down. Long story short, he didn't take very good care of her. When I brought her home, she immediately rejected my male, but I still wanted her to have a good home. She refused to eat in the presence of my male, so I had to take her out of the cage to be fed. I misted her 3 or 4 times a day, but I have school, so I had to keep her as healthy as possible. This week, she stopped eating and drinking, and this morning, she died. I tried to revive her a little, but she was laying on the floor of the cage with her tongue out and was only moving her eyes. I tried my best to keep her going with lots of water, but she still wouldn't eat, and after about two hours, she died. Does anyone have any advice for me if I end up buying another female to avoid something like this happening again?

 

[JacksJill]

Don't keep your male and female in the same cage. They are only ever together for a day or two when the female is receptive to breeding. Let your female settle in before attempting breeding. Buy from a reputable breeder but then you knew that.
This is a good reference https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

 

[Daniel266jz]

So there's a convention thing that came to my town called Repticon. I went and purchased a female Jackson's chameleon in hopes of breeding her with the male that I have had for the last seven months. Just to give some reference as to how uneducated the guy I bought her from actually was, he tried to tell me that they lay eggs. Jackson's chameleons obviously do not lay eggs, so I was hoping I could give her a better home as well. The problem was, he clearly only ever fed her crickets. She had no variety in her food source. She was also very hostile to the guy, but when he handed her to me, she seemed to calm down. Long story short, he didn't take very good care of her. When I brought her home, she immediately rejected my male, but I still wanted her to have a good home. She refused to eat in the presence of my male, so I had to take her out of the cage to be fed. I misted her 3 or 4 times a day, but I have school, so I had to keep her as healthy as possible. This week, she stopped eating and drinking, and this morning, she died. I tried to revive her a little, but she was laying on the floor of the cage with her tongue out and was only moving her eyes. I tried my best to keep her going with lots of water, but she still wouldn't eat, and after about two hours, she died. Does anyone have any advice for me if I end up buying another female to avoid something like this happening again?

Im no expert but one thing from what ive read on this forum is that any male and female should be caged apart only to be together for breeding and then separated again for birth and then the babies all separate from both mom and dad. Maybe she was always stressed and or the male would keep all the food to himself apart from the inexperienced man you mentioned not properly caring for her. I AM NO EXPERT this is only my assumptions.

 

[DJHiggySmalls]

Im no expert but one thing from what ive read on this forum is that any male and female should be caged apart only to be together for breeding and then separated again for birth and then the babies all separate from both mom and dad. Maybe she was always stressed and or the male would keep all the food to himself apart from the inexperienced man you mentioned not properly caring for her. I AM NO EXPERT this is only my assumptions.

Yeah, I had figured that she kinda felt threatened by him being there and that's why she wouldn't eat the crickets unless she was out of the cage.

 

[hopps31]

My suggestion also is to make sure you quarantine any new reptile you get. I never put any of my new additions even in the same room as my healthy guys. I also wash everything especially my hands and anything that has come in contact with the newly acquired animal as you never know what your new addition can give your healthy ones!

 

[kinyonga]

@hopps31 is right. The female should have been in quarantine for several weeks or longer before being in the same room with your male. I hope your male will be OK now...that she was not sick with something contagious or transferable.

Good luck with the male!