Can someone tell me what this is

[camimom]

Ok i will seperate them but i was led to beleieve that this would be fine by a reptile shop!

And they were wrong.

Petshops.. not always the smartest.

its fine when they are young- but when they start attacking each other.. theyhave to be seperated.

Little hatchlings can be house together. but sometimes they get bullied by a bigger sibling for food and space.. and have to be seperated.


chams cannot be caged together unless they are of the pygmy species.

 

[AngieL]

I would sooner take advice from these nice folks on the forum. Pet stores are not the best source of information, my pet store gave me all the wrong stuff with my girl and we just ended up having to spend even more cash setting it right

 

[Stacey5089]

I will seperate them im quite pissed tho that i was told i could do this and it would be fine and now im gonna have to buy another viv!

 

[camimom]

I will seperate them im quite pissed tho that i was told i could do this and it would be fine and now im gonna have to buy another viv!

yea thats what happens sometimes.

Weve heard all the stories.

' my cham can live in a fish tank'
'put down substrate'
'the canned crickets are just fine'
'a nap during the day is fine'
'you need this expensive basking bulb, when ahouse bulb works just fine'

it goes on.

 

[kokom05lb]

I bought my little girl 2 days before I got my male... They were about 3-4 months of age. I didn't know when I got them that they needed to be separated. 2days later my little bite my male, that night we went out and bought a new cage for him.

I've seen some pics of chameleons being together with no harm but doesn't mean they should be housed together. I sat and watched a pet store owner selling a baby veiled that wasn't even 2 months old to a woman the other day. As I told the lady to not buy this item or that item he told them I was wrong and sold them that stuff anyways... Its sad but that's how they sale stuff so you will be going back and spending more money for the right stuff.

 

[Stacey5089]

yea thats what happens sometimes.

Weve heard all the stories.

' my cham can live in a fish tank'
'put down substrate'
'the canned crickets are just fine'
'a nap during the day is fine'
'you need this expensive basking bulb, when ahouse bulb works just fine'

it goes on.

.
Haha well i wont be listening to reptile and pet shops anymore! When i go to the reptile centre in northampton their male and female are always together.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Do i realy hav to seperate them i was told it was to keep a male and female in the same tank from they are young.

yes you need to separate them. sometimes you can keep smaller ones together for awhile, but never for long. Clearly one of yours is bullying the other. Separate them ASAP

 

[ChameleonMom]

Yes it is the v shaped mark i thought that was what it looked like but lyk i say they seem fine together.is this normal for chameleons to do or do they need to be seperated or maybe a bigger tank for them whitch i was going to get in the next couple of weeks anyway.these are my first 2 chameleons i have a bearded dragon and corn snake.

Chameleons are solitary animals and do not like to share space with anything other than food. The ONLY time you should have two in an enclosure together is when you want them to mate. Otherwise, it is an extremely bad idea to house them together - the stress will take its toll and as evidenced by your picture, its already started.

I sure wish people would do their research before purchasing these amazing animals! *sigh*

 

[martinm]

Do i realy hav to seperate them i was told it was to keep a male and female in the same tank from they are young.

i was told that two about my female nd male but i seperated them

 

[Stacey5089]

Ive seperated them now i have the male in a 10 litre fish tank/vivarium for tonight with coco fibre in the bottom and a plant to climb on thats gonna have to do till tomorrow.

 

[Slug]

You are going to hate hearing this now that you have seperated them, but get the coco fiber out and keep it out. It is better to have nothing in the bottom than any kind of loose substrate like coco fiber. They can ingest it and it will clog up there digestive system and kill them.

Don't worry, you are getting there by taking suggestions, but that is your next step. NO SUBSTRATE!

 

[Carlton]

When you separate them make sure they can't see each other. Put something between their enclosures...piece of carboard, sheet, towel, whatever. Even if they can't actually get to each other physically, they can still stress each other by displaying threating colors and posturing. They communicate their emotions visually and use color to intimidate, bully, show off, etc. If you decide to take this up with the pet shop you can download and print out these responses from the forum to back up your complaint! Believe me, we see this all the time!!!

 

[okiroo]

thats an obvious bite mark. don't put chams together. they bite.

 

[Stacey5089]

I have removed the substrate now so what is the best substrate to use for chameleons? It was the reptile shop that told me to use coco fibre! Im trying to get another viv today but i think im just gonna have to wait for one to be delivered

 

[camimom]

I have removed the substrate now so what is the best substrate to use for chameleons? It was the reptile shop that told me to use coco fibre! Im trying to get another viv today but i think im just gonna have to wait for one to be delivered

it was also the reptile shop that said to house them together.. Just sayin.

NO SUBSTRATE!! All my cham cage floors are bare.

iF you must put something down, paper towel or reptile carpet (but this can get wet and grow mold sometimes)

 

[Stacey5089]

Yes i know that the reptile shop oviously gave me the wrong advise about everyfing but i didnt know that until now i expected wot they wer telling me to be true but clearly not!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Unfortunately the pet store employees are not trained on all the different species their store may carry. They extrapolate the basics of reptile care they are familiar with (and that depends entirely on who you talk to), and chameleons often break the mold with their more unique requirements. So while the pet store employees often have good intentions, remember that they are there to make a sale, they are not experts and often have no experience with chameleons at all. It is also in the store's best interest to promote the purchase of more stuff...which may or may not be (usually is not) the stuff you need.

The good thing is now you've discovered a treasure trove of correct information here on the forums! We will help you get set up correctly. You've already done a good job to separate them quickly. We are in this for your chameleon's best interest and health so don't think we are just picking on you or anything. Pet stores make people have to start over all the time.

The best thing to do would be to fill this out based on your big cage setup, so that we can help you fix the other mistakes they've told you:

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Pictures are helpful

 

[Stacey5089]

He is a yemen chameleon he is about 10 weeks old i have had him a week now i am feeding him crickets that i feed carrot and rocket and some fruit once a week abd also some bug grub a few times a week i also feed him locusts which i feed rocket and watercress but they
dont eat much. He is only eating a few crickets aday but he seems to be eating more today that they have been seperated i dont dust all food if i put in 10 crickets i would dust about half of them and i dust them with calci dust everyday and use nutribol once or twice a week
i mist the enclosure for about 30 seconds twice aday there way be some information i have forgot abou

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

What lights are you using?

 

[Kate]

He is a yemen chameleon he is about 10 weeks old i have had him a week now i am feeding him crickets that i feed carrot and rocket and some fruit once a week abd also some bug grub a few times a week i also feed him locusts which i feed rocket and watercress but they
dont eat much. He is only eating a few crickets aday but he seems to be eating more today that they have been seperated i dont dust all food if i put in 10 crickets i would dust about half of them and i dust them with calci dust everyday and use nutribol once or twice a week
i mist the enclosure for about 30 seconds twice aday there way be some information i have forgot abou

If you are feeding locusts and using nutrabol I guess you are in uk. I've stopped using bug grub because it doesn't really say what's in it. Sandra has got a really good receipe for gut loading. I made my own then added the bug grub I had so as not to waste it. You could try adding spring greens or a few leaves of romain lettuce. I would also suggest using plain calcium every feed. Lightly dust all feeders daily and nutrabol twice a month.