Chameleon Growth

[WelshOneEmma]

Is it possible for babies / juveniles to grow too quickly? We have had our male veiled 4 weeks, and in that time he has shed twice, and gone from 1 1/4 inches (excl. tail) to 3.5 inches (excl. tail). We leave a food bowl in for him during the day. If it is empty by about 3 pm, we put a couple more in. he eats anything from 12-25 crickets a day, depending on his mood / appetite. He isn't fat, just growing really quickly, and i just wanted to check if this is normal. he is about 12 weeks old.

 

[Julirs]

That is what Veileds do-you can almost watch them grow before your eyes.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

That's good. We were watching him the other day, and thought "he's getting big" then i checked the diary as to when we got him (feelslike we have had him forever) and we realised it was 4 weeks! I was prepared for the possibility he may be big as his dad was HUGE, but wasn't expecting growth that quick!

He hasn't got any colours yet, just a pale green with the occasional dark green markings, so i presume that these will come in later and that he's still a little young?

 

[klangford]

Are you weighing him (gram scale) to track his growth? Would be interesting to track/forecast the data (yeah, I'm a numbers guy).

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I am doing nothing that involves handling him in the slightest way at the moment. He has just started tolerating me putting my hands in the cage (as long as it isn't for too long) and will take the occasional waxworm from me. I want him to get used to me before i try to handle him. Plus the last time i handled him he jumped out my hands and landed 4ft down on the floor with a splat!

 

[klangford]

IPlus the last time i handled him he jumped out my hands and landed 4ft down on the floor with a splat!

I can appreciate the concern. Once he's acclimated to you a safe option is to weigh a small tupperware/plastic container first, then put him in it and weigh them together - subtract the weight of the empty container and you've got his weight.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Hmmm, i do that for my other animals, yet never thought of that for Hugo. Dozy woman that I am! it's probably getting to the time where we should take him to the vets for a check up (they saw him when he landed on the floor, he was fine apart from the black eye i felt like a bad owner!). Might wait for that and then carry on weekly checks at home. Can do it when his cage has its weekly deep clean.

 

[danni]

my veiled has just turned 10 weeks, i have had him since he was 4 weeks old & i totlly agree with you, he grows daily!!!!!!!!!!!!

i had another veiled before monty, but he sadly died after i had him for 5 weeks, i was told that rocky was 6 months when i bought him, but i am now doubting that, as monty is the size rocky was when he died!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(monty also eats tonns - i dont know if his food will last untill i get my weekly delivery on thursday)

 

[kinyonga]

"If a reptile is pushed to grow quickly, the necessary vitamins and minerals may not be available or assimilated for proper bone growth and formation."...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=45

https://www.chameleonforums.com/few-questions-1361/

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Thanks for that Kinyonga, interesting reading. I supplement his food every day with calcium, and twice a month he has calcium with d3 and vitamins. Also the feeders get a mix of fruit, veg, bee pollen, bran and supplements themselves, so hopefully this is enough to keep up with his growth! I may take him for another check up at the vets soon though, just to make sure!

 

[BocaJan]

Sounds like you have a healthy boy there! Be sure to take pictures as he grows. I am always amazed at how much they change as they get older, even my females.

Keeping a spread sheet is also a good idea. I have a workbook set up with several sheets. One keeps track of weight (I weigh them once a month), another mating info and a third for DOB and if/when they leave my house to go somewhere else. Over the years this will become most informative.