Does He Hate His Cage?

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

My Veiled Chameleon is always brown and spotted and seems reallllllly scared of me when he's in his cage but as soon as I let him out he turns light green. Even when I'm holding him...

drumminherbie · Jan 13, 2014

Also Interested

My wife got a veiled chameleon for her birthday this year, and it acts very similarly. In fact, it was very brown in the pet store display, but once the employee took it out for us to check it out, it turned green very quick. Now at home, it is still not very colorful in the cage, but once it is out and climbing on one of us, it gets VERY colorful. Any ideas on why it isnt... the opposite, like I have been expecting?

Gibboltd · Jan 13, 2014

Is it possible either of you could have issues with your setup that affects the chameleon? Like incorrect temperature/lighting/humidity. How about posting your cage setup just to be sure and other members can help you further?

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

Gibboltd said:
Is it possible either of you could have issues with your setup that affects the chameleon? Like incorrect temperature/lighting/humidity. How about posting your cage setup just to be sure and other members can help you further?

I put mine on my profile.

drumminherbie · Jan 13, 2014

I'm sure there are several things I am doing wrong. Just saw that UVB rays won't go through plastic, so, I will have to put that back on top of the cage where it doesn't fit or look very good. And the pet store sold us a tiny cage, like.... the minimum of minimums. So, it's likely that we will probably be upgrading...

Gibboltd · Jan 13, 2014

drumminherbie said:
I'm sure there are several things I am doing wrong. Just saw that UVB rays won't go through plastic, so, I will have to put that back on top of the cage where it doesn't fit or look very good. And the pet store sold us a tiny cage, like.... the minimum of minimums. So, it's likely that we will probably be upgrading...

Well you are in the right place to learn everything you need to know

and good on you for researching to understand more. I replied to the other thread you started with lots of useful links I think you should read ASAP, they were incredibly helpful to me when I first got my cham. Sadly most workers at these pet stores don't actually know much about chameleons and often give wrong advice etc, this happened to me too. Keep us updated please

Gibboltd · Jan 13, 2014

AmenBrotherBen said:
I put mine on my profile.

Hi, I just checked your profile out and seen your pics, I can give you some advice but I'm no expert. I think your chameleon needs MUCH more privacy, add more branches/vines/plants asap as chameleons are very private and can become very stressed when they feel exposed.
Your plant soil needs covering (I use rock pebbles) as your chameleon could try to eat some soil which should be fertilizer free and organic. I think your plant needs some trimming as the leaf reaches right up to the bulb that rests on the cage, your chameleon could get too close to the bulb and burn without realizing it.
Could you copy/paste and fill out the form below? It'd be very useful for experienced members to help 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?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? I have a Veiled Chameleon, I think he's a male, not sure how old and I've had him for two weeks.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I try not to but latly I've been a lot because that's the only time he'll turn green.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed him crickets, abut five a day, but I don't see him eat them but they're gone. I feed them cricket food that's like a two in one water and food.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? It's exo terra multi vitamin powder supplement, and every few days.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I must the cage a few times a day, and I've never seen him drink but his feces usually look great.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? They're usually hard and with half white, and half brown. And nope.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. I got him at petsmart.

Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? It's a screen, 18x18x36.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I have one of those two in one lamp things with one UVA/heat light and one UVB light.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I don't have a thermometer but it feels good.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? I most the cage a few times a day.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? One Yucca plant.
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? It's in a good spot, it's on like a 2 and half ft. Table.
Location - Where are you geographically located? I'm near Atlanta, Georgia which is in the south east US.

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. He's always a dark color while he's in his cage but green when he's out.

Gibboltd · Jan 13, 2014

Here's some links that you should read until others reply because I think there's a couple of things you need to make slight changes to like supplements/misting/feeding etc

Kath44 · Jan 13, 2014

I think you really need a thermometer. It may feel ok, but may not be hot enough, or too hot.
You could improve your gut load too. Sandra's blog has loads of info aswell as care sheets on the forum.
He may even eat more than you're giving him, again, look at care sheets.
It was also tell you a good dusting schedule, with calcium only, calcium with d3 and multivits. Again,on the care sheets.
He may still be settling in too.kath.

Kate · Jan 13, 2014

I have looked at your profile page and his cage decor is very sparse. He needs lot more plants. For a baby he needs much more than 5 crickets. He should have as much as he can eat. Males have a little spur on their back feet, females don't. All insects need to be dusted with plain calcium daily. Calcium with d3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. Supplements need to be given daily, not now and again. If petsmart don't have them you can get them online. A thermometer is very important as for a baby the temp should be 84f . Higher or lower can be detrimental to his health. Are you using the waterfall? If so you need to know that they are very difficult to maintain and keep clean. I have used them but found that crickets drowned in it and the Cham pooped into it they are breeding ground for bacteria. You have only had him for two weeks. He needs time to settle in and you have already moved him once. The links you have been given are excellent. I hope you enjoy reading them. We are here to help.

This is what I mean by lots of foliage.

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

Kate said:
I have looked at your profile page and his cage decor is very sparse. He needs lot more plants. For a baby he needs much more than 5 crickets. He should have as much as he can eat. Males have a little spur on their back feet, females don't. All insects need to be dusted with plain calcium daily. Calcium with d3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. Supplements need to be given daily, not now and again. If petsmart don't have them you can get them online. A thermometer is very important as for a baby the temp should be 84f . Higher or lower can be detrimental to his health. Are you using the waterfall? If so you need to know that they are very difficult to maintain and keep clean. I have used them but found that crickets drowned in it and the Cham pooped into it they are breeding ground for bacteria. You have only had him for two weeks. He needs time to settle in and you have already moved him once. The links you have been given are excellent. I hope you enjoy reading them. We are here to help.

Oh ok thanks y'all! I have some more fake vines with leaves I'll put on and I'll get a thermometer soon

Also what am I using as supplements now? Like is it helping at all?

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

Oh and also how should I feed him the crickets? I made one of those cup things but I only saw him use it once and they eventually jump out anyway.

Kate · Jan 13, 2014

He will get used to using a cup. Baby crickets annoy but don't bite so you can free range them. He might like to hunt them down. You need to look at your supplement to see if it contains d3. If not you can use it daily. If it does use it twice a month. You also need a multivitamin twice a month.

TNChameleon · Jan 13, 2014

Do a little research

Temperature is important for digestion and mood. So first get a nice digital thermometer or a analog and a digital. Locations should be at Basking area and coolest area of cage. Humidity very important keep it at constant 40%-45% by either misting or a mister or even a humidifier like my set-up. Actually my set-up is to the extreme. I tend to be a extremest with my children..Gut loading Crickets (Main food source) I use a homemade diet with sulfina and different ingredients thanks to Sandra Chameleon. I use fresh turnip Greens ,Collard greens, Romaine (Sometimes), Oranges (great vitamin-C),Mangos,Papayas etc..
Its good to do research. There are quit a few people on here that are fantastic parents. And quit a few blogs of data.. You will get it....Veileds are a one of a kind species. They all have different personalities. Like Nahla my Girl she hates being taken from her cage she changes all kinds of colors. And then walter he has a natural brown green pattern all the time even when he sleeps. It depends on a lot of variables.1st pic is my Nahla And of course my little boy Walter just hanging out

Carlton · Jan 13, 2014

AmenBrotherBen said:
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I don't have a thermometer but it feels good.

Be CAREFUL how you measure the basking temp!! It won't work to use your hand to sense temp, as YOUR body temp is a lot higher than your cham's should be. If a basking area feels "good" (ie warm?) to you (your body temp is around 98.6 F) it is probably way to hot for him. IMHO the best way to know what your temps are is to use a non-contact temp gun. It measures the surface temp of an object...your cham, a basking area perch, a bulb, a plant surface...you point it at. They are not expensive, you can measure at any area of the cage you want, and they don't give incorrectly hot readings because you don't leave them in place.

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

TNChameleon said:
Temperature is important for digestion and mood. So first get a nice digital thermometer or a analog and a digital. Locations should be at Basking area and coolest area of cage. Humidity very important keep it at constant 40%-45% by either misting or a mister or even a humidifier like my set-up. Actually my set-up is to the extreme. I tend to be a extremest with my children..Gut loading Crickets (Main food source) I use a homemade diet with sulfina and different ingredients thanks to Sandra Chameleon. I use fresh turnip Greens ,Collard greens, Romaine (Sometimes), Oranges (great vitamin-C),Mangos,Papayas etc..
Its good to do research. There are quit a few people on here that are fantastic parents. And quit a few blogs of data.. You will get it....Veileds are a one of a kind species. They all have different personalities. Like Nahla my Girl she hates being taken from her cage she changes all kinds of colors. And then walter he has a natural brown green pattern all the time even when he sleeps. It depends on a lot of variables.1st pic is my Nahla And of course my little boy Walter just hanging out

They're a good lookin group. I got a real busy day tomorrow but I'll try to get a thermometer tomorrow

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 13, 2014

Carlton said:
Be CAREFUL how you measure the basking temp!! It won't work to use your hand to sense temp, as YOUR body temp is a lot higher than your cham's should be. If a basking area feels "good" (ie warm?) to you (your body temp is around 98.6 F) it is probably way to hot for him. IMHO the best way to know what your temps are is to use a non-contact temp gun. It measures the surface temp of an object...your cham, a basking area perch, a bulb, a plant surface...you point it at. They are not expensive, you can measure at any area of the cage you want, and they don't give incorrectly hot readings because you don't leave them in place.

Where do you get one of those gun things? And how much $$$ are we talkin?

Big Gulp · Jan 14, 2014

What kind of UVB bulb are you using?

AmenBrotherBen · Jan 14, 2014

Big Gulp said:
What kind of UVB bulb are you using?

Ummm it's just like a little swirly one I got at petsmart. I'm pretty sure it had a chameleon on the box.

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