Chameleon not eating or drinking

[Chris85]

Hi all,

I bought a 3 month old veiled chameleon about a week ago at an expo. He seemed a bit stressed but I thought he will calm down after being placed in his vivarium. It's now a week later and he is not eating much and I never see him drink.
There is a sprinkler systems that sprays up to about 3/4 ( from the bottom) of the vivarium every 2 hours. I don't want to spray any higher because of the basking light being too close to where the drops are landing. There is also a fountain with running water in the bottom. Since yesterday I've seen him sitting with his mouth open at times. He doesn't seem to want to leave the basking spot to go drink water below at all.
He also gets extremely stressed ( Hissing at me )when I open the vivarium to feed him and then he doesn't even want to look at the crickets that I place in the vivarium. He only keeps watching my movements. Some crickets will walk right over him and he won't eat them. He is also constantly a black color.
He only eats around 4-8 crickets a day. Due to the design of the cage, free range is not really possible so I need to place something on the branch for him to see and catch. It is for this reason that I can't feed him anything but crickets at this point. Meal and super worms just fall from the branches, as do most other insects I've tried.
I have also bought a large bin to feed him in, but he gets so stressed (hissing at me and even bit me) when I handle him and place him in the bin that he doesn't even take note of the food around him. He just tries to find a way out of the bin the whole time.

It's worth mentioning that the vivarium is 2x2x3.5ft, has a screen door and top, and the other sides are Plexiglas to control the heat and humidity. The bottom temps run between 60-68 degrees, the middle around 68-75 and the top at around 75-80 degrees. The basking spot is reading 82. The humidity in the middle is around 60-70%. I've also placed a Schefflera umbrella plant, a star Jasmine and a hibiscus in his cage. There is a 75W basking light and a 13W UVB. At night there is a 75W CHE at some distance above the cage for some heating. I also have a heating pad under the drip tray to heat under the floor and cause extra moisture.

Has anyone had this sort of issue before or can anybody please give me some advice on how to get little Addy healthy and calm? I really don't think he has a lot of time left if he carries on like this.

Thank you in advance.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Hello, I know you sorta have this information already but if you could please copy and paste this than fill it out it would help us help you easier. Please give as much detail as possible and pictures help more than you can imagine.


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?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Daesie11]

Only being with you a week is really not a lot of time to calm down and get used to his new environment. I've had my new cham for 3 weeks now and he is only just starting to get settled in and eating well. Pay attention to how his fecal looks to see if he is eating and drinking well. You definitely have some issues with your husbandry that, once you properly fill out the form that Camo posted, someone more experienced will come through and point out and help guide you to fixing
Also, make sure to post pictures of your cham and your full viv set up from top to bottom!

 

[JoXie411]

There is a 75W basking light and a 13W UVB. At night there is a 75W CHE at some distance above the cage for some heating. I also have a heating pad under the drip tray to heat under the floor and cause extra moisture.

Why in Thor’s name would you have so much heat on that chameleon. If you did the right research you wouldn’t have a heat pad at the bottom of the cage. Do you want a well done chameleon!!

 

[SharpShooter]

Why in Thor’s name would you have so much heat on that chameleon. If you did the right research you wouldn’t have a heat pad at the bottom of the cage. Do you want a well done chameleon!!

Add to that plexiglass with screen top and all that water/moisture and a dreaded fountain, this is not a healthy place for a cham.

Please fill out the form and be prepared to make major changes to your husbandry.

 

[Chris85]

Hi! Thanks for the responses.

I hope this answers the right questions.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, male, 3 months old and I've had him about a week.
• Handling - Once or twice a day
• Feeding - Mainly medium crickets. Around 4-8 per day ( he had 10 today for the first time). I feed the crickets mainly carrots and lettuce (struggling to find a feeding block in south Africa), and dust them in calcium prior to the slaughter. I feed the chameleon around 6:30 a.m. before work and at 17:30 when I get home. I've also tried meal worms, superworms, sow bugs, black solder flies, and roaches. But he doesn't seem to interested in any of those yet. I also built a feeder with a bottle and some mesh as a tester to see if that'll work and placed it by his basking spot. I got home today and there were 7 crickets missing from it. But they could've escaped since I have no idea if my feeder is actually keeping them in.
• Supplements - Exo-terra multi vitamins (not used yet) and exo-terra calcium powder. I've used the calcium with every afternoon feed now for 3 days. I have not yet used the vitamins.
• Watering - I have a sprinkler that sprays every 2 hours for 90 seconds and a running fountain on the bed with a shallow bowl. I built a misting system too that I will install over the weekend. Reason for adding the misting system- Currently the humidity runs around 60%. I have to increase the spray intervals to once per hour to get the humidity to 70%, but that really drowns the plants. That's why i figured the fine mist will be a wiser addition. I also only use chemical free still water bought from a local supply store.
• Fecal Description - Color looks decent. The white is bright and the rest looks normal. It was not as solid as usual today but a fair amount. The chameleon defecated twice today. I'll post a photo. I've not yet tested the chameleon for parasites.
• History - He was bought at an expo where he was kept in a glass and wood vivarium with 5 other veiled chameleons. He only had a infrared light, no basking light, They fed the chameleons water through a bowl at the bottom ( hence the reason I then bought him a fountain). I am not sure how the breeder actually used to feed them since he told me he was only free ranging because he was rushed.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - The cage is an aluminium frame with a combo of Plexiglass on 3 sides (one of those 3 sides has the backdrop decor, the door is gauze and the roof is aluminium mesh. The bottom has a green drain mat that is held up by aluminium flat bars running across. Underneath the aluminium flat bars is a built-in drip tray I made from galvanized steel that guides the water to a tank ( bucket for now). It is about 2x2x3.5ft inside. It was 4ft high originally but due to my poor planning I forgot to add 1/2ft for the water tank when building the cage.
• Lighting - I use exo-terra 75W Halogen basking light, Nomoy pet 13W UVB 5.0 which runs from 6:00 to 19:00 during the day cycle. During the night cycle (19:00-6:00) I have a Nomoy pet 75W CHE which is placed around 11-12 inches above the cage to keep the night temps at around 60-65 degrees. Without the CHE the temps sometimes drop to 50-55 degrees. I'll add a photo of the lighting setup. I also have a heating pad placed at the bottom of the drip tray. It does not really affect the temperature but gives me around 5-7% humidty when switched on.
• Temperature - Day temperatures are around 65-70 degrees at the bottom and 70-75 in the middle to top. The basking spot sits at 85-90 degrees. At night the bottom is at 60 degrees and the middle to top at 65. I have a digital (probed)thermometer at the bottom and one at the basking spot, also digital and analog thermometers near the top.
• Humidity - The humidity is on average 60%. But it drops as low as 50 and get as high as 70%. I have an analog Hygrometer near the top and digital (probed) hygrometer near the middle. Humidity is mainly created through the sprinkler system. As mentioned before, there is also the heating pad on the drip tray which adds a slight increase in humidity. I am not sure if the fountain is doing much in terms of humidity. I am still planning on adding the misting system and removing the heating pad for extra humidity. I am not sure how this will affect the temperatures though.
• Plants - I have 3 live plants and a couple of fake vines. There is a Star Jasmine, Shefflera Umbrella plant, and a hibiscus. All in pots.
• Placement - The cage is situated in my Billiard room, in front of a windows which has curtains that are always closed. The reason for this spot is that it is the darkest spot during the night and there will be no light to mess with his sleep. There is also low traffic in that area. There are no fans or any artificial ventilation. The windows are sometimes open during the summers. The top of the cage is around 4ft from the floor (excluding the light stand built on top of the cage).
• Location - I am in Johannesburg, south Africa. I live next to a dam where the temps can drop to around 30 degrees during winter and reach 95 during summer. We are currently heading into winter so the temperatures are dropping rapidly. The humidity currently seems to average around 45%.

Current Problem - Currently the chameleon only eats around 4-10 crickets and I've never see him drinking anything. I'm struggling to get water to his basking spot, and he refuses to leave the basking spot to go look for water. He also doesn't seems to like it when I dust the crickets in calcium for some reason. The past couple of days I have seen him sitting with his mouth open and he also seems to yawn quite a bit. I was thinking adding an extractor fan in the top corner to create more airflow, but I'm afraid how that might affect the balance of the temperatures and humidity if I do. He is also very stressed. I can see from the moment I enter the room he curls his body and follows my every move. When I open the cage, he will sometimes hiss. He bit me when I tried to pick him up yesterday. I did manage to get him to sit on my hand tonight though.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Beman]

@Chris85 Hi there. Welcome to the forum please see my comments in RED.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, male, 3 months old and I've had him about a week.
• Handling - Once or twice a day
• Feeding - Mainly medium crickets. Around 4-8 per day ( he had 10 today for the first time). I feed the crickets mainly carrots and lettuce (struggling to find a feeding block in south Africa), and dust them in calcium prior to the slaughter. I feed the chameleon around 6:30 a.m. before work and at 17:30 when I get home. I've also tried meal worms, superworms, sow bugs, black solder flies, and roaches. But he doesn't seem to interested in any of those yet. I also built a feeder with a bottle and some mesh as a tester to see if that'll work and placed it by his basking spot. I got home today and there were 7 crickets missing from it. But they could've escaped since I have no idea if my feeder is actually keeping them in. Should be feeding at least 12 feeders each day for a 3 month old. Your gutload needs to be improved upon see graphic.
• Supplements - Exo-terra multi vitamins (not used yet) and exo-terra calcium powder. I've used the calcium with every afternoon feed now for 3 days. I have not yet used the vitamins. Are you using the calcium with D3 or without D3? Calcium WITHOUT D3 should be used at every feeding lightly dusting the feeders. Then Calcium WITH D3 is used 2 times a month and a Multivitamin is used 2 times a month rotate between these two each week.
• Watering - I have a sprinkler that sprays every 2 hours for 90 seconds and a running fountain on the bed with a shallow bowl. I built a misting system too that I will install over the weekend. Reason for adding the misting system- Currently the humidity runs around 60%. I have to increase the spray intervals to once per hour to get the humidity to 70%, but that really drowns the plants. That's why i figured the fine mist will be a wiser addition. I also only use chemical free still water bought from a local supply store. Fountain has to go it is a breeding ground for bacteria. You only want the day time humidity to be between 30-50% max. At night you want it higher when the lights are off so it is cooler.
• Fecal Description - Color looks decent. The white is bright and the rest looks normal. It was not as solid as usual today but a fair amount. The chameleon defecated twice today. I'll post a photo. I've not yet tested the chameleon for parasites.
• History - He was bought at an expo where he was kept in a glass and wood vivarium with 5 other veiled chameleons. He only had a infrared light, no basking light, They fed the chameleons water through a bowl at the bottom ( hence the reason I then bought him a fountain). I am not sure how the breeder actually used to feed them since he told me he was only free ranging because he was rushed.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - The cage is an aluminium frame with a combo of Plexiglass on 3 sides (one of those 3 sides has the backdrop decor, the door is gauze and the roof is aluminium mesh. The bottom has a green drain mat that is held up by aluminium flat bars running across. Underneath the aluminium flat bars is a built-in drip tray I made from galvanized steel that guides the water to a tank ( bucket for now). It is about 2x2x3.5ft inside. It was 4ft high originally but due to my poor planning I forgot to add 1/2ft for the water tank when building the cage.
• Lighting - I use exo-terra 75W Halogen basking light, Nomoy pet 13W UVB 5.0 which runs from 6:00 to 19:00 during the day cycle. During the night cycle (19:00-6:00) I have a Nomoy pet 75W CHE which is placed around 11-12 inches above the cage to keep the night temps at around 60-65 degrees. Without the CHE the temps sometimes drop to 50-55 degrees. I'll add a photo of the lighting setup. I also have a heating pad placed at the bottom of the drip tray. It does not really affect the temperature but gives me around 5-7% humidty when switched on. Ok screw in compact uvb light will not be sufficient. Please let me know exactly what type of UVB bulb it is. Mercury vapor and metal halide uvb bulbs are not used on small enclosures only very large ones they produce very high UVI levels and heat. THey should never be used without a solarmeter 6.5 to check UVI levels. You need a T5HO linear fixture and a 10.0 or 12% bulb. Absolutely no heat source at night. They do well with a temp drop down to 50 degrees F. . I would not use the heating pad either but that is up to you.
• Temperature - Day temperatures are around 65-70 degrees at the bottom and 70-75 in the middle to top. The basking spot sits at 85-90 degrees. At night the bottom is at 60 degrees and the middle to top at 65. I have a digital (probed)thermometer at the bottom and one at the basking spot, also digital and analog thermometers near the top. Basking temp should be no hotter then 85 degrees for his age. You are looking for the temp right at the branch level that he is on to bask... So the highest level he can get to can not exceed 85. Heat guns work really well for a secondary temp check.
• Humidity - The humidity is on average 60%. But it drops as low as 50 and get as high as 70%. I have an analog Hygrometer near the top and digital (probed) hygrometer near the middle. Humidity is mainly created through the sprinkler system. As mentioned before, there is also the heating pad on the drip tray which adds a slight increase in humidity. I am not sure if the fountain is doing much in terms of humidity. I am still planning on adding the misting system and removing the heating pad for extra humidity. I am not sure how this will affect the temperatures though. Are you using a fogger as well? Or an actual misting system. These two are very different. Fogger running during the day will up your chance of an RI>
• Plants - I have 3 live plants and a couple of fake vines. There is a Star Jasmine, Shefflera Umbrella plant, and a hibiscus. All in pots.
• Placement - The cage is situated in my Billiard room, in front of a windows which has curtains that are always closed. The reason for this spot is that it is the darkest spot during the night and there will be no light to mess with his sleep. There is also low traffic in that area. There are no fans or any artificial ventilation. The windows are sometimes open during the summers. The top of the cage is around 4ft from the floor (excluding the light stand built on top of the cage).
• Location - I am in Johannesburg, south Africa. I live next to a dam where the temps can drop to around 30 degrees during winter and reach 95 during summer. We are currently heading into winter so the temperatures are dropping rapidly. The humidity currently seems to average around 45%. With the temps... Does your house actually drop below 50 degrees F.?

Current Problem - Currently the chameleon only eats around 4-10 crickets and I've never see him drinking anything. I'm struggling to get water to his basking spot, and he refuses to leave the basking spot to go look for water. He also doesn't seems to like it when I dust the crickets in calcium for some reason. The past couple of days I have seen him sitting with his mouth open and he also seems to yawn quite a bit. I was thinking adding an extractor fan in the top corner to create more airflow, but I'm afraid how that might affect the balance of the temperatures and humidity if I do. He is also very stressed. I can see from the moment I enter the room he curls his body and follows my every move. When I open the cage, he will sometimes hiss. He bit me when I tried to pick him up yesterday. I did manage to get him to sit on my hand tonight though.

So typically misting systems are put at the top of the enclosure pointed down toward the plants. So when they spray it causes the water to drip. I think because you have yours coming from the bottom up this is your issue. Gaping (mouth open) is typically a sign that it is too hot. Can also indicate an RI. As long as the front and top of the cage are screen you do not need more airflow. Do not push him when it comes to handling. They stress very easily. You can look at the blog I did for building trust but this is based on needs as a keeper to take care of them safely not play with them. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

Additional resources.
https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[Syreptyon]

Not sure if anyone has commented this yet, but that chameleon is way older than 3 months

 

[Beman]

Not sure if anyone has commented this yet, but that chameleon is way older than 3 months

Yep that was what I was seeing as well. More like a 5-6 month old to me. Seemed as though the thread dropped off after they posted the help form so I thought I would bump it and add feedback.

 

[Syreptyon]

Yep that was what I was seeing as well. More like a 5-6 month old to me. Seemed as though the thread dropped off after they posted the help form so I thought I would bump it and add feedback.

I hope they read it! Excellent advice as always

 

[Beman]

I hope they read it! Excellent advice as always

Thanks hun.. I appreciate that. I love it when they give lots of info. Makes me want to give lots back lol.

 

[Chris85]

Hi Beham,

Thank you for the advice!
I'm going to try and do all the changes this weekend.

I'm really struggling to get him to eat more than 3 at a time, and I can only feed him twice a day because of my work. The alternative is to keep his light on longer but I don't think that is a good idea because he's already up for 13 hours a day.
He does however love eating soldier flies. But on the enclosure they state that it contains much more calcium than crickets. So I only feed him 2-4 per day. Would it be safe to feed him more soldier flies rather than crickets and should I still be dusting them then?
Also please note, I've bought a large tub (1x2x1ft) to feed him in, but it is not working at all. He will climb on the branch in the tub and ignores all the crickets and meal worms on the floor. When I remove the branch he will literally trample the insect without even noticing them.

I dust the cricket in calcium without D3 daily. The multi-vitamin powder I got has D3 in it so I dust with that once every 7 days. Is this correct?

Unfortunately it's difficult to get hold of the shorter T5 HO UVB 10.0 linear lights. Around here they generally stock the 3-4ft desert light for geckos. Due to the short width and length of the cage this won't work because most of the light will be wasted.
I did manage to find a Nomoy pet 22" UVB 10.0 linear bulb, but it's only 15W. I'm not sure if Nomoy pets is any good or if 15W will be strong enough.

I am currently only using a misting system. I have already built an ultrasonic fogging system but I did not install it because of the temperature drop. Would it be better to add fog for maybe a minute once or twice a day or should you not EVER use fogging with a chameleon?

In winter the temperatures inside the house drops to about 45.

With regards to the age, I was just told that he was three months old when I bought him. Keep in mind, I have really small hands

Thanx again for the feedback and great advice.

 

[Daesie11]

Hi Beham,

Thank you for the advice!
I'm going to try and do all the changes this weekend.

I'm really struggling to get him to eat more than 3 at a time, and I can only feed him twice a day because of my work. The alternative is to keep his light on longer but I don't think that is a good idea because he's already up for 13 hours a day.
He does however love eating soldier flies. But on the enclosure they state that it contains much more calcium than crickets. So I only feed him 2-4 per day. Would it be safe to feed him more soldier flies rather than crickets and should I still be dusting them then?
Also please note, I've bought a large tub (1x2x1ft) to feed him in, but it is not working at all. He will climb on the branch in the tub and ignores all the crickets and meal worms on the floor. When I remove the branch he will literally trample the insect without even noticing them.

I dust the cricket in calcium without D3 daily. The multi-vitamin powder I got has D3 in it so I dust with that once every 7 days. Is this correct?

Unfortunately it's difficult to get hold of the shorter T5 HO UVB 10.0 linear lights. Around here they generally stock the 3-4ft desert light for geckos. Due to the short width and length of the cage this won't work because most of the light will be wasted.
I did manage to find a Nomoy pet 22" UVB 10.0 linear bulb, but it's only 15W. I'm not sure if Nomoy pets is any good or if 15W will be strong enough.

I am currently only using a misting system. I have already built an ultrasonic fogging system but I did not install it because of the temperature drop. Would it be better to add fog for maybe a minute once or twice a day or should you not EVER use fogging with a chameleon?

In winter the temperatures inside the house drops to about 45.

With regards to the age, I was just told that he was three months old when I bought him. Keep in mind, I have really small hands

Thanx again for the feedback and great advice.

You move your chameleon out of his enclosure and in to a bin to feed it?
Also, the internet has the correct bulbs you are looking for.

 

[Chris85]

You move your chameleon out of his enclosure and in to a bin to feed it?
Also, the internet has the correct bulbs you are looking for.

Yes. I saw someone do the same thing who was also having the same problems I am, so I gave it a shot.

Also, the internet for you and the internet for me are two very different places. Unfortunately, things don't work the same in south Africa as they do most of the world. There is no variety of anything mentioned on these forums available in south Africa and it could take more than a week get a bulb if you order it locally and 2-3 months if ordered from another country. And if the fittings don't match or the wattage is wrong, or whatever else could go wrong when ordering without physically being able see what you are buying, those timelines can be doubled.
You can't even buy a panther chameleon in south Africa. I was at a reptile expo that literally had a choice of 5 veiled chameleon for the entire expo. I went to some of the biggest nurseries in our state and not a single one of them has ever heard of Pothos. My last few orders off of ebay took nearly 3 months to be delivered, if it didn't get lost in the mail.
So I know it must be fun to make sarcastic comments, but please think about the circumstances before you do.

 

[Beman]

.

She is not being sarcastic... Please understand we have to ask questions to fully know details. She is just getting a clear picture.

 

[Daesie11]

.

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic, I was trying to help. Believe it or not, people dont always think of the internet when they are looking for things. Sometimes the most obvious option is the easiest to forget.
And I also never said that it was "so terrible" to move your cham to a tub to eat, I wanted to make sure I was understanding correctly. With that being said though, moving your cham to another tub to eat could cause unnecessary stress, which could cause a lack of appetite as well. What kind of bin are you using? What are you putting in the bin when you're feeding? Can you post pictures of your feeding setup?
You told me to think about the circumstances before speaking, but you didnt do that yourself. Everyone is here to help so please dont go on the defensive right away. I was also one of the first people to jump on this post to try and help you.

 

[Beman]

I'm really struggling to get him to eat more than 3 at a time, and I can only feed him twice a day because of my work. The alternative is to keep his light on longer but I don't think that is a good idea because he's already up for 13 hours a day.
He does however love eating soldier flies. But on the enclosure they state that it contains much more calcium than crickets. So I only feed him 2-4 per day. Would it be safe to feed him more soldier flies rather than crickets and should I still be dusting them then?
Also please note, I've bought a large tub (1x2x1ft) to feed him in, but it is not working at all. He will climb on the branch in the tub and ignores all the crickets and meal worms on the floor. When I remove the branch he will literally trample the insect without even noticing them. So try to not move him out of the cage to feed him. More then likely this is actually causing more stress then doing any good. They do not like the change in environment. Even when I make a change within my boys cage it can take him a week or two to get comfortable with a new plant or moved branches. I would try making a feeder run cup. Have you seen these anywhere? Or just cup feed. Either one of these get put in the cage at basking level away from any water fixtures so the insects don't drown. All food items should be added to it about an hour after lights go on. This gives him time to warm up and time to start eating and all day to fully digest. So you want to feed a varied diet. If he is about 3 months old he is going to want to eat anywhere from 12-20 feeders a day. Having 5 of them be black soldier flies larve is fine. I am guessing they are in worm form and have not turned into flies... correct? Do not dust the BSFL. Mealworms are very low in nutritional value I would do away with those and do the crickets instead.

I dust the cricket in calcium without D3 daily. The multi-vitamin powder I got has D3 in it so I dust with that once every 7 days. Is this correct? Can you take a pic of the multi vitamin powder for me?

Unfortunately it's difficult to get hold of the shorter T5 HO UVB 10.0 linear lights. Around here they generally stock the 3-4ft desert light for geckos. Due to the short width and length of the cage this won't work because most of the light will be wasted.
I did manage to find a Nomoy pet 22" UVB 10.0 linear bulb, but it's only 15W. I'm not sure if Nomoy pets is any good or if 15W will be strong enough. Is this one a T8 bulb? Typically T8 linear bulbs are much lower wattage. Yes, you can use this and it is much better then a compact bulb. Just make sure that it it the long florescent bulb that has 2 prongs on each side.

I am currently only using a misting system. I have already built an ultrasonic fogging system but I did not install it because of the temperature drop. Would it be better to add fog for maybe a minute once or twice a day or should you not EVER use fogging with a chameleon? You can use the fogging at night from say 12-4am or 1-5am this is when it is coolest.

In winter the temperatures inside the house drops to about 45. So you will want to warm the cage a bit. You really do not want it below 50 degrees. Do you have heat in your home? If you do just turning this on to keep the house at 50 degrees or so would make the ambient temp warmer without putting heat directly on the cage.

With regards to the age, I was just told that he was three months old when I bought him. Keep in mind, I have really small hands
Hehe it is possible. I was looking at how he was sitting on your hand.

Thanx again for the feedback and great advice.