Greetings/Salutations from a new member/former Stalker...

[Dmackman]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Panther, 4-5 months old, name is Spanky
• Handling - Very infrequently, 1-2x per week and only for a few minutes at a time, he does not stay still every and just wants to sit on my head.
• Feeding - Main feeding crickets, gut loaded with apples, carrots, kale and sometimes banana. I put eight to ten 1/4-1/2'' crickets in daily, more if I see none the next day and less if he has any remaining. I feed 1-4 hornworms 4-5x per week, he REALLY likes these. What are you feeding your cham?
• Supplements - Reptivite 6x per week, Calcium with D3 1x every other week, Herptivite 1x every other week (opposite schedule of the D3)
• Watering - Mist King auto system 5x/day 45seconds and hand misting, he seems to enjoy misting during sheds (just started his 2nd shed today and almost 100% done)
• Fecal Description - Poops frequently, brown to black sacks, pretty damn big. Doesn't really smell bad, very neutral.
• History - None, was a newborn from Bruce @ Chameleon Paradise (amazing guy!)

Cage Info:,

• Cage Type - 24x24x48 all screen
• Lighting - (2) Zoo Med T5 H0 Reptisun Hood Lights in in the front one in back, although I keep the second one off as he seemed to get too hot. 8 hours on 8 hours off with COMPLETE darkness. 1 Sansi24W LED to try and keep plants alive. Of course the heating lamp as well, ceramic.
• Temperature - Ambient room temp is mid 70's. Basking area 82-88, up to 95 if he crawled all the way up the rock (which he hasn't)
• Humidity - 60-75% - misting regularly and auto misting.
• Plants - Pothos, Hibiscus and a small Ficus. He enjoys nibbling on the Hibiscus nubs and branches...
• Placement - In my office, off the floor and 4ft of clearance above. NO natural sunlight (sad panda...)
• Location - North Carolina

Current Problem - So far nothing, just wanted to share and see if I can tweak anything. My boy SEEMS happy (as happy as they can be). He seems to love hunting for his food, have never seen any bites or nibbles on him from any remaining crickets.

1) I would like to know about the stick chewing....He got a small piece off once and I physically removed it from his mouth as it looked like it could have hurt him.

2) He has ZERO interest in me or being handled which I have accepted and read about (spent 3 months lurking here before purchasing) any tactics to make this more appealing for him?

3) He DOES like to eat dirt....just like me as a child. I find myself having to move rocks around to keep him from finding exposed soil. He has to be moving them somehow, so he REALLY likes dirt...

4) Is there such thing as too many hornworms? I know they don't have a lot of nutrients, mostly water. DO I need to limit him on these. I also do not dust them at all...should I be.

I REALLY want to build a larger enclosure from scratch for him out of wood/screening with legs, removable tray for excess water and better climbing stuff for him.

I will have pictures in a following post.

Glad to be here 'in person' now....Thanks for all the amazing information getting ready for this journey!

 

[kinyonga]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Panther, 4-5 months old, name is Spanky
• Handling - Very infrequently, 1-2x per week and only for a few minutes at a time, he does not stay still every and just wants to sit on my head.
• Feeding - Main feeding crickets, gut loaded with apples, carrots, kale and sometimes banana. I put eight to ten 1/4-1/2'' crickets in daily, more if I see none the next day and less if he has any remaining. I feed 1-4 hornworms 4-5x per week, he REALLY likes these. What are you feeding your cham? I wouldn't use banana as a part of the gutload ...I would use dandelion greens, mustard greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, carrots, and a bit of apples, pears, berries, melon.
• Supplements - Reptivite 6x per week, Calcium with D3 1x every other week, Herptivite 1x every other week (opposite schedule of the D3)
• Watering - Mist King auto system 5x/day 45seconds and hand misting, he seems to enjoy misting during sheds (just started his 2nd shed today and almost 100% done) I would use a dripper too. It can be a simple deli cup with a small hole in the bottom so it drips at the rate of one or two drips per second.
• Fecal Description - Poops frequently, brown to black sacks, pretty damn big. Doesn't really smell bad, very neutral.
• History - None, was a newborn from Bruce @ Chameleon Paradise (amazing guy!)

Cage Info:,

• Cage Type - 24x24x48 all screen
• Lighting - (2) Zoo Med T5 H0 Reptisun Hood Lights in in the front one in back, although I keep the second one off as he seemed to get too hot. 8 hours on 8 hours off with COMPLETE darkness. 1 Sansi24W LED to try and keep plants alive. Of course the heating lamp as well, ceramic.
• Temperature - Ambient room temp is mid 70's. Basking area 82-88, up to 95 if he crawled all the way up the rock (which he hasn't)
• Humidity - 60-75% - misting regularly and auto misting.
• Plants - Pothos, Hibiscus and a small Ficus. He enjoys nibbling on the Hibiscus nubs and branches...
• Placement - In my office, off the floor and 4ft of clearance above. NO natural sunlight (sad panda...)
• Location - North Carolina

Current Problem - So far nothing, just wanted to share and see if I can tweak anything. My boy SEEMS happy (as happy as they can be). He seems to love hunting for his food, have never seen any bites or nibbles on him from any remaining crickets.

1) I would like to know about the stick chewing....He got a small piece off once and I physically removed it from his mouth as it looked like it could have hurt him.
I don't know how to stop them from doing this...wish I did.
2) He has ZERO interest in me or being handled which I have accepted and read about (spent 3 months lurking here before purchasing) any tactics to make this more appealing for him?
patience...hand feed...allow it to walk onto you (don't grab it).
3) He DOES like to eat dirt....just like me as a child. I find myself having to move rocks around to keep him from finding exposed soil. He has to be moving them somehow, so he REALLY likes dirt...
Hmmm...did you have worms? There has to be a reason for them eating dirt...maybe looking for nutrients, maybe need for roughage, maybe it is for treating parasites too in some cases.
4) Is there such thing as too many hornworms? I know they don't have a lot of nutrients, mostly water. DO I need to limit him on these. I also do not dust them at all...should I be.

I REALLY want to build a larger enclosure from scratch for him out of wood/screening with legs, removable tray for excess water and better climbing stuff for him.

I will have pictures in a following post.

Glad to be here 'in person' now....Thanks for all the amazing information getting ready for this journey!

Don't you know we don't allow stalkers on here?
About time you Participated!
Welcome to the "real" forum!

 

[Clayton0520]

Welcome to the best place in the world for Chameleon info!! al welcome to the family

 

[Lunatuck]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Panther, 4-5 months old, name is Spanky
• Handling - Very infrequently, 1-2x per week and only for a few minutes at a time, he does not stay still every and just wants to sit on my head.
• Feeding - Main feeding crickets, gut loaded with apples, carrots, kale and sometimes banana. I put eight to ten 1/4-1/2'' crickets in daily, more if I see none the next day and less if he has any remaining. I feed 1-4 hornworms 4-5x per week, he REALLY likes these. What are you feeding your cham?
• Supplements - Reptivite 6x per week, Calcium with D3 1x every other week, Herptivite 1x every other week (opposite schedule of the D3)
• Watering - Mist King auto system 5x/day 45seconds and hand misting, he seems to enjoy misting during sheds (just started his 2nd shed today and almost 100% done)
• Fecal Description - Poops frequently, brown to black sacks, pretty damn big. Doesn't really smell bad, very neutral.
• History - None, was a newborn from Bruce @ Chameleon Paradise (amazing guy!)

Cage Info:,

• Cage Type - 24x24x48 all screen
• Lighting - (2) Zoo Med T5 H0 Reptisun Hood Lights in in the front one in back, although I keep the second one off as he seemed to get too hot. 8 hours on 8 hours off with COMPLETE darkness. 1 Sansi24W LED to try and keep plants alive. Of course the heating lamp as well, ceramic.
• Temperature - Ambient room temp is mid 70's. Basking area 82-88, up to 95 if he crawled all the way up the rock (which he hasn't)
• Humidity - 60-75% - misting regularly and auto misting.
• Plants - Pothos, Hibiscus and a small Ficus. He enjoys nibbling on the Hibiscus nubs and branches...
• Placement - In my office, off the floor and 4ft of clearance above. NO natural sunlight (sad panda...)
• Location - North Carolina

Current Problem - So far nothing, just wanted to share and see if I can tweak anything. My boy SEEMS happy (as happy as they can be). He seems to love hunting for his food, have never seen any bites or nibbles on him from any remaining crickets.

1) I would like to know about the stick chewing....He got a small piece off once and I physically removed it from his mouth as it looked like it could have hurt him.

2) He has ZERO interest in me or being handled which I have accepted and read about (spent 3 months lurking here before purchasing) any tactics to make this more appealing for him?

3) He DOES like to eat dirt....just like me as a child. I find myself having to move rocks around to keep him from finding exposed soil. He has to be moving them somehow, so he REALLY likes dirt...

4) Is there such thing as too many hornworms? I know they don't have a lot of nutrients, mostly water. DO I need to limit him on these. I also do not dust them at all...should I be.

I REALLY want to build a larger enclosure from scratch for him out of wood/screening with legs, removable tray for excess water and better climbing stuff for him.

I will have pictures in a following post.

Glad to be here 'in person' now....Thanks for all the amazing information getting ready for this journey!

1. Biggest danger to stick chewing is that they can get a sore and it can get infected. My guy has a mouth sore, and I think it mar be from his chewing of sticks which is typically when he’s trying to drink off it. Make sure the sticks are sanitary. Not picked from your yard.

2. I have a tree that my guy free ranges in and he prefers it to his cage. At first, I gave him a handbridge to the tree. Eventually, he was comfortable coming to my hands and climbing on me. Its all about giving them a perceived reward for coming out. Maybe use hornworms for this, bit not often.

3. Very dangerous for them to eat dirt. They can easily get impacted. Cover all the dirt with riverstones.

4. Hornworms should only be a treat. I’d say once every couple weeks at most unless needing to hydrate. The problem isnt with the hornworms as much as them deciding they don’t like their primary foods. Mine even decided he prefered silkworms over crickets, so I cut out the silkworms. They are healthy, but I prefer crickets because they are easier and more consistant to source.

Welcome to the crazy 4 chameleon club.

 

[Lennoncham]

4. Hornworms should only be a treat. I’d say once every couple weeks at most unless needing to hydrate. The problem isnt with the hornworms as much as them deciding they don’t like their primary foods. Mine even decided he prefered silkworms over crickets, so I cut out the silkworms. They are healthy, but I prefer crickets because they are easier and more consistant to source.

this is interesting. I have only ever heard of them doing this with superworms.

 

[Lunatuck]

this is interesting. I have only ever heard of them doing this with superworms.

Mine did it with superworms and silkworms. Took a week to get him eating crickets again. That was when I was 100% cup feeding. Now he mostly free rage feeds.

I just don't trust them to know whats best.

 

[Dmackman]

Thanks for your replies!