General Advise Please

[Eltanko]

Hello,

So I have had my Chameleon for little over a week and I'm finding things to be very frustrating!

- He hides constantly, mainly on the cooler side, so doesn't seem to warm up. I have had to bring him to the warmer side just to get his temp up and get him moving. After I do this he is generally more active. This is probably the wrong thing to do and I'm scaring him.

- I have only seen him eat once, baby roaches out of a bowl, he ate 6 and that's all he's had in a week despite offering a bowl and hand feed everyday. Have tried crickets and locusts, and he's not interested. He's looking very thin and I am worried.

- Have been misting multiple times a day, but have yet to actually see him drink anything. He runs away as soon as I mist, guess he doesn't like the water, but I never spray him directly.

Is this normal for a starter? Any advice would be helpful, as I feel like we are failing miserably at the moment.

 

[werecat]

Oh yes! This sounds like my experience in the beginning. Our chameleon would get upset and cower/hide when we walked in the room for at least the first month we had him. Yours is a baby so hiding is very normal.

Regarding his staying on the cooler side and not moving around much, he probably needs more time to acclimate to his new home. You've only had him a week. I'd would avoid picking him up. If your cage is an appropriate size and set up correctly he should find the temperature he needs on his own. Chameleons self regulate. Trust that he is doing so when you are not looking. You might want to post pictures and a description of your setup so other members can help make sure you're set up right and that there's nothing there contributing to this behavior.

If you are cup feeding and are sure he's not getting enough food then posting about your setup might help with that too. I never had a problem with my cham eating in front of me besides him never having been a big eater. Sometimes they go off food for awhile in the beginning. Maybe back off hand feeding for a few weeks and stick to just the cup. Your presence might be stressing him out. Gradually start trying again after he's had a few weeks to adjust.

Many people never see their cham drink. Make sure your misting sessions are long enough. Some chameleons need misting for several minutes before they even start to drink. Make sure to do several good sessions and get all the plants really dripping wet. He should drink when you aren't watching. You will know he's well hydrated when you see his poops. The white urate part should be white, not yellow or orange.

I know it's hard, but try to give him space and privacy at the beginning. They can see you watching them and this is very scary. Especially for babies. He will eventually get more comfortable around you!

 

[werecat]

Also, make sure feeders are appropriately sized. If they are too big it might be a reason for him not eating.

 

[Eltanko]

So a fortnight later and to be honest, not much has changed. He still doesn't come out, hides all day, doesn't seem to eat much at all. Putting 7-8 crickets in a cup each day and most days they are still there at night time. Due to this, I don't think he's grown much and is now 4 months old.

I have handled him a few more times and he seems fine with it, stays light coloured and doesn't crouch down or run away, but sits happily on my hand.

Is there any other advice that anyone can give?

Here's a picture of his viv. It's the plant on the right that he hides away in all day.

 

[carol5208]

What kind of lighting are you using?. That is an awfully big cage for that little of a chameleon! That lighting looks very bright and powerful for a baby, What are temps, basking and other parts of the cage? Is that a floodlight? If so, that could be why he is hiding. Imagine that shining in your eyes.

 

[Eltanko]

Thanks for the reply.
The viv is 18" x 24" x 36"
The lighting is and Arcadia d3 80watt basking lamp. Both were a part of the kit I bought, and I'm guessing misold? The basking temp is 31-32, not sure about the cool side, I do need a second thermometer.

 

[shomegirl]

that temp might be a little high for him. I have an almost 5 month old and it took me a good week to figure out what temps he needs. My basking is 82-84 F. The rest of the enclosure needs gradients. Mine didn't eat for a good 3-4 days. What size crickets are you trying to feed him?

 

[shomegirl]

Also, he should be in a screen enclosure, that looks like all glass? No air flow.

 

[Eltanko]

The crickets are classed as small/medium, they are pretty tiny. He ate bigger locusts before, just doesn't seem interested in the crix.
It's a wooden via, with glass front, it has a fair few vents on though. It's too cold here most of the time for a screen, the heat doesn't like staying in my house!