Completely new! Any tips??

[NavyCham]

Hi everyone, I just bought my first chameleon & would like any wise advice anyone might have for a beginner. I'd done my research on the common types of pet chameleons (veiled, panther, jacksons ect) & decided on getting a carpet cham. I had my cage all set up but when I got to the reptile show in Orlando, I only found Jackson's & veiled. I really didn't want to buy one from a pet store or have one mailed to me cuz of the stress it would cause so I was just going to get a Jackson's when I found another booth that had a few Senegals. I'd never heard of Senegal chams so I should have gone home & read about em first but I fell in love with the little guys & left that day with my first Cham. Now after reading on Senegals I became worried. Iv heard that most are wild caught & don't like people but now on day 3 since coming home my little guy, Nemo, seems to prefer to be on me then in his cage. At first I thought he didn't like his cage anymore but then I noticed if anyone else opens the cage he ignores them. When I come up to the cage he goes straight to the door & waits for me to open it. Is this a normal behavior or should I be concerned?

 

[laurie]

Welcome to the world of chameleons. You have taken a big step toward a healthy Cham, you have joined here. I has a senegal but that aw about 6 years ago. My thoughts are, I do remember mine being friendly. I had to have it treated for parasites, so I would get a poop sample and have a vet check it out. Last is we could use a picture to see if he is healthy, how old he is, and any other concerns. Also tell us about your cage, lighting, temps and watering methods.

 

[NavyCham]

I am currently looking for a knowledgable vet in my area. he is a little on the thin side so i definitely want to get him checked out. Im going to take a picture tonight and will post it. my cage is a 2x3x3 open air terrarium with a 75 watt basking lamp. i am currently misting by hand until i pick up my fogger this afternoon cause im having a hard time keeping humidity up (bout 60% currently). im also getting a humidifier for the room since the room tends to be very dry anyway. for a drip system i have a water bottle with a hole in the bottom on top of the cage, the drips go thru a patch of leaves and into a drip pan at the bottom of the cage. he is on a 12/12 cycle, temp is bout mid 70s during his "day time" and low 60s at "night". I was told he is about 6 months and CB (but no proof of CB). I refer to him as a male tho I dont know the gender, I think he is actually a she.

 

[camimom]

Welcome!

Do you have a uvb bulb?

 

[Olimpia]

Welcome to the forum! I was at the show with fellow member, Dr. O, at his booth with panthers. I wish we would have met you, we would have given you tips and info in person. I did see some good looking senegals at the show, so it may be true that you did indeed find CB ones. You can usually look and tell which ones are fresh off the boat.

If you post a photo we will be able to identify the gender for you.

 

[NavyCham]

Welcome to the forum! I was at the show with fellow member, Dr. O, at his booth with panthers QUOTE]


oh I think I remember seeing you at Dr Os booth. we got our little guy/girl at the booth accross from yours from a man who also had some veiled. I do not have a UV light. I had no clue about the need for one til just now while I was reading a thread on this forum. i will pick one up while im at the pet store today though I now wish I had boght one of those nifty "double" bulb lamps :/ but i do have a spare one anyway. I also forgot to mention that his basking area is 80-85 degrees

 

[camimom]

depending on where you live, taking him outside for natural sunshine is great too.

the tube lights are better because they provide better coverage in cages.

If you bought a lamp fixture from the petstore, you can return it if you want,

you can get a fixture from home depot or lowes for alot less money.

 

[NavyCham]

so I have the basking light 12 on 12 off, how long should the UV light be on each day? can i alternate it with the basking light? 12 hours basking light/12 hours UV light

 

[NavyCham]

Got a picture

 

[NavyCham]

I'm getting more worried now. Nemo still hasn't eaten (brought him home Sunday) and I know that's only 2 days but im sure he probably didn't eat all weekend either with the stress at the reptile show. This morning I noticed his ribs are starting to show a little bit. Here is a picture. Sorry for the brightness, he was under his basking light. Also it loaded upside down

 

[camimom]

Hes ok.

Some chams may not eat the first few days, and when they arent puffed up, or are sitting at the right angle, you can see their ribs.

just offer the food, and leave the room, some are self conscious about eating.

so just put the food in, and leave.

 

[NavyCham]

thank you that makes me feel much better. I keep a little plastic cup with a few meal worms in it suspended up by his favorite branch but he hasnt shown much interest. he actually uses that cup as his sleeping spot now :/

 

[camimom]

When it comes to cup feeding, it can take them longer to adjust to it.
you can try getting a tupperware container that has a lower edge on it so he can see them better.

ALso, some chams need bugs that move to stimulate their eating, so it could just be that the mealies dont move enough for him.

got any crickets?

 

[NavyCham]

we started with wax worms but they were either too big or not active enough. he almost ate one yesterday, I set one on a branch and he bubbled his tongue like he was going to shoot but then the worm fell and he hasnt shown interest since. i thought the meal worms would be more active but i keep them in the cup cuz i dont want them to burrow into the wooden branch i have in there. My next try was going to be with crickets but im not sure on what size to get

 

[camimom]

Crickets, roaches, and silkworms should be the staple foods he eats.

mealies are waxworms are high in chitin and fat..

crickets should be no bigger than the space between his eyes.

if the bug is something that looks like he could choke, dont offer it.

 

[NavyCham]

ok i will pick up some 1/4'' crickets on my way home from work. any tips on feeding crickets that are that small? I tried using the tiny ones when my sugar glider was a baby and they were a pain in the butt cause they were too small to keep track of

 

[camimom]

I use a tupperware container that i have coated the outsides with duct tape so you cant see in it (chams have been known to injure tongues when trying to shoot for bugs through plastic)

I put a few pieces of romain lettuce in the container so the bugs stay in it, then just place in the cage near the basking spot.

then... the cham eats the bugs. (and sometimes the lettuce when its my veiled)

 

[dlegare]

Read, read, read, read, read, and when you're sick of reading, read some more. Get yourself a good quality Chameleon book like the ones they sell on this forum. Read as many posts as you can.

It is very very VERY important that you get everything up and running smoothly before you get your cham.

I highly recommend getting an automated mister from either Mistking (My preference) or Aquazamp. They really make hydration and humidity pretty darn easy to control.

You will also need to make sure you have a reliable source of food. Most baby chams eat daily. Adults every 2 to 3 days depending on species. You definitely don't want to be dependent on a pet shop that may run out of crickets and not get any in for 3 or 4 days.

If you have more than 1 or 2 animals that eat crickets you can purchase them in bulk.

Just in case get the number and directions to a reputable reptile veterinarian who has experience with Chameleons.

Buy captive bred animals. Captive bred animals usually adjust to captive life much easier than wild caught. Also wild caught animals have a higher rate of parasite infections, tend to stress out easier, and tend to be trickier to treat when sick

A special note. Like a lot of exotic animals when a chameleon starts to look and or act sick they are usually very sick. These animals have adapted to not show signs of sickness or weakness until they are extremely sick. Sick or weak animals are prime targets of predators.

Buy from a reputable breeder. E-mail or talk to them on the phone. Ask questions. Reputable breeders will be more than willing to give you lots of helpful information both pre and post purchase. They are also a good resource if you have a problem or concern.

IF YOU WANT A PET THAT YOU CAN CARY ON YOUR SHOULDER, HANDLE MANY TIMES PER DAY, AND OR LET FRIENDS AND FAMILY PLAY WITH DO NOT GET A CHAMELEON! THEY ARE NOT THE REPTILE FOR YOU.

If you want a totally cool, unique pet that is fascinating to watch and fun to interact with on rare occasion then a Chameleon may be your type of pet.

These are pretty delicate specialized reptiles that do require a bit of specialized care and attention to detail. If you take the time to research and provide the proper environment they will reward you with some very striking colorations and pretty unique behaviors.

Good luck. We are all here to help you.

 

[NavyCham]

I did have everything set up before hand, i just didnt know about UV lights til i found this site. Ive never used them for any of my other reptiles since i always kept them by windows. I did originally have a fogger set up but i wasnt expecting my cham to be afraid of it, thats something i had no control of. Misting by hand is going welll but im still looking into getting a humidifier for the room to make it easier.

 

[NavyCham]

I use a tupperware container that i have coated the outsides with duct tape so you cant see in it (chams have been known to injure tongues when trying to shoot for bugs through plastic)

I put a few pieces of romain lettuce in the container so the bugs stay in it, then just place in the cage near the basking spot.

then... the cham eats the bugs. (and sometimes the lettuce when its my veiled)

that sounds like a good idea i will try that tonight and post results