natzberg
Member
Hello! New to the forums. I have experience with reptiles in the past but not chameleons. We got our girl Becky about 2 weeks ago. I currently also have pet mantises so am not unfamiliar with more 'delicate' animals.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- female Panther chameleon, 8-9mo old (hatched 2/28 - 3/28). Been with us for 2 weeks
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- she's been really eager to get out of the cage, so almost daily. she doesn't seem to mind being held at all, and apparently her father also paws to get out of the cage. Not sure if personalities pass down but she keeps climbing out of the cage when I go to mist or adjust something.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- offering food daily, but she hasn't accepted any for a week. Tried tong feeding, cup feeding, but letting her hunt results in bugs hiding. Currently it's 5 fresh large crickets in a cup in her enclosure, below her. All feeders are gut-load with fresh veggies or fruit rinsed before being given. I've seen the infographic from here, using stuff from that list. I've been doing a lot of research before posting and tried feeding her before lights on, soon after lights on, evening, and still no dice.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- ReptiCalcium with D3. I dusted the first stuff I gave her and now anything I offer since she hasn't been eating.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- spray bottle on cage walls plus big dripper in an area that i definitely have seen her use. I mist for a few minutes at a time with a small spray bottle, the same distilled water I use for my mantises.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- i assume she was tested for parasites but she has a general wellness checkup tomorrow. plus bringing up current issue anyway. Her last poop was fine, white urate and normal consistency.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
I contacted her breeder, and she said that Becky was very active in their care. The first few days here she barely moved, so I don't know if her personality is coming out or not. She has NOT laid eggs before, so she could be receptive/looking for a male?
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Glass, ZooMed L 18"x18"x36" with mesh screen on top
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
ZooMed Paludarium Hood, 60W reptisun basking lamp, 5.0 UVB bulb
(from my research maybe we need a stronger UVB bulb? or the combo deep dome dual lamp instead since the bulbs will fit)
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
analog temp/humidity gauge. ambient temp is about 70-75, basking is 80+. lowest overnight temp is 70 because we turn on the heat then. digital display for A/C, so can see that the temp outside the cage doesnt fall too much.
I am definitely looking at getting another temperature gauge so i can place one in the basking and one towards the middle/bottom of the cage. I've also heard at least regarding mantis groups that analogs are not always the most accurate but mantis cages are much smaller, is this true for a large cage?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
40-50% during the day, 70-80% at night. Misting twice a day at minimum. Paper towel on bottom of cage. Added a coco liner plant hanger, currently growing a fern for it. Hibiscus plant
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
just one hibiscus plant right now. Have a lot of f
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?
The cage sits on the floor beside a computer desk. It is close-ish to the desktop PC but at least 1.5ft away still, and PC vent is perpendicular to the cage. It is in our 2nd bedroom and is not high traffic except when I enter to do work on opposite side of the room, or when my boyfriend goes to the closer side to do homework or play games on his computer
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Northern Virginia, west of DC
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
she has not eaten for a week and is VERY restless. she constantly tries to get out of her cage. I've tried adding more hiding spots, moving her lights for better basking, more sticks, adding a lay bin, but she's always just trying to get out (horizontal) not trying to go digging
the possibilities i currently think it could be in order of likelihood (correct me if wrong!):
- receptive, looking for a male
- personality, just likes to be active and explore
- gravid, looking for a place to lay
- unhappy with cage
Attaching some photos. Please note I really have done a lot of research and digging on these forums, so I tried to answer as much as I could. Her eyes are not sunken in, no injuries, just won't eat and is restless. I want to get ahead of the point of no return. If she's doing fine and I'm just overly anxious, that will make me feel immensely better!! Also, she has a vet appointment tomorrow at 1:30pm, I just want to get other experienced eyes on the situation as well in case the vet experience doesn't go well.
Editing to add: if you can't see it, the lay bin I'm using for her right now is an exoterra I had leftover from a beetle I had temporarily. It has ReptiSoil in it (holds tunnels) and twoo sticks so she can climb out. I'll try blocking ooff the lower part of the cage so she can't be seen.
Sorry for the photo qualities, my phone isn't the greatest.
The last pic is the very first day we got her home after driving home from the reptile expo.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- female Panther chameleon, 8-9mo old (hatched 2/28 - 3/28). Been with us for 2 weeks
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- she's been really eager to get out of the cage, so almost daily. she doesn't seem to mind being held at all, and apparently her father also paws to get out of the cage. Not sure if personalities pass down but she keeps climbing out of the cage when I go to mist or adjust something.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- offering food daily, but she hasn't accepted any for a week. Tried tong feeding, cup feeding, but letting her hunt results in bugs hiding. Currently it's 5 fresh large crickets in a cup in her enclosure, below her. All feeders are gut-load with fresh veggies or fruit rinsed before being given. I've seen the infographic from here, using stuff from that list. I've been doing a lot of research before posting and tried feeding her before lights on, soon after lights on, evening, and still no dice.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- ReptiCalcium with D3. I dusted the first stuff I gave her and now anything I offer since she hasn't been eating.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- spray bottle on cage walls plus big dripper in an area that i definitely have seen her use. I mist for a few minutes at a time with a small spray bottle, the same distilled water I use for my mantises.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- i assume she was tested for parasites but she has a general wellness checkup tomorrow. plus bringing up current issue anyway. Her last poop was fine, white urate and normal consistency.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
I contacted her breeder, and she said that Becky was very active in their care. The first few days here she barely moved, so I don't know if her personality is coming out or not. She has NOT laid eggs before, so she could be receptive/looking for a male?
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Glass, ZooMed L 18"x18"x36" with mesh screen on top
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
ZooMed Paludarium Hood, 60W reptisun basking lamp, 5.0 UVB bulb
(from my research maybe we need a stronger UVB bulb? or the combo deep dome dual lamp instead since the bulbs will fit)
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
analog temp/humidity gauge. ambient temp is about 70-75, basking is 80+. lowest overnight temp is 70 because we turn on the heat then. digital display for A/C, so can see that the temp outside the cage doesnt fall too much.
I am definitely looking at getting another temperature gauge so i can place one in the basking and one towards the middle/bottom of the cage. I've also heard at least regarding mantis groups that analogs are not always the most accurate but mantis cages are much smaller, is this true for a large cage?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
40-50% during the day, 70-80% at night. Misting twice a day at minimum. Paper towel on bottom of cage. Added a coco liner plant hanger, currently growing a fern for it. Hibiscus plant
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
just one hibiscus plant right now. Have a lot of f
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?
The cage sits on the floor beside a computer desk. It is close-ish to the desktop PC but at least 1.5ft away still, and PC vent is perpendicular to the cage. It is in our 2nd bedroom and is not high traffic except when I enter to do work on opposite side of the room, or when my boyfriend goes to the closer side to do homework or play games on his computer
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Northern Virginia, west of DC
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
she has not eaten for a week and is VERY restless. she constantly tries to get out of her cage. I've tried adding more hiding spots, moving her lights for better basking, more sticks, adding a lay bin, but she's always just trying to get out (horizontal) not trying to go digging
the possibilities i currently think it could be in order of likelihood (correct me if wrong!):
- receptive, looking for a male
- personality, just likes to be active and explore
- gravid, looking for a place to lay
- unhappy with cage
Attaching some photos. Please note I really have done a lot of research and digging on these forums, so I tried to answer as much as I could. Her eyes are not sunken in, no injuries, just won't eat and is restless. I want to get ahead of the point of no return. If she's doing fine and I'm just overly anxious, that will make me feel immensely better!! Also, she has a vet appointment tomorrow at 1:30pm, I just want to get other experienced eyes on the situation as well in case the vet experience doesn't go well.
Editing to add: if you can't see it, the lay bin I'm using for her right now is an exoterra I had leftover from a beetle I had temporarily. It has ReptiSoil in it (holds tunnels) and twoo sticks so she can climb out. I'll try blocking ooff the lower part of the cage so she can't be seen.
Sorry for the photo qualities, my phone isn't the greatest.
The last pic is the very first day we got her home after driving home from the reptile expo.
Attachments
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but I keep seeing such variable feeding schedules re: whether to feed her every other day, every 2-3days skipping weekends, etc. But thank you, will get on this!!
