Growth

[ChamazingZina]

I've had my veiled for a little more than a month, and she hasn't grown at all. If I recall the girl I bought her from said she was maybe 3 months. I feed her two dusted crickets everyday, some days I skip the dusting.
I have a 50w UVA light and a night glo light I keep on over night just to keep the temp. and humidity at a decent percentage since my room is cold.
She's in a 16.5x16.5x30 Reptarium.

I was just wondering some tips I could use to help her grow.
I see others pictures of their 5-6 month cham's and they are A LOT bigger than mine.

Also, I recently tried feeding her meal worms. She's ate one and she won't eat them anymore, but will chow down on 3 or 4 crickets.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I have a 50w UVA light and a night glo light"...unless the temperatures fall below the mid 60's at night you don't need any heat and chameleons certainly don't need light at night. You should have a UVB light on the cage too. The most often recommended one is the Repti-sun 5.0 long linear tube.

Please fill this in and post pictures...
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.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

If she's three or four months old you should be feeding her 8-12 appropriately(small for a small cham and big for a big cham) sized crickets a day. The reason she is not growing is that she is not eating enough to grow. She really really really needs to eat more. Sorry I just had to stress that. Please fill out the ask for help form provided by kinyonga so we can see if there is anything else you need a little information on. I promise it will help your little girl out and make sure she lives a longer and healthier life. Good luck and remember to feed her more. Lol.


Justin

 

[ChamazingZina]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, I'd say she's 5-6 months. I purchased her at a reptile expo December 28th.

* Handling - I handle her only to get her out to eat, every day. I find this a good way to build her trust.

* Feeding - Right now, only 3-4 crickets a day. I feed her in the evening while she's awake. She doesn't eat if I wake her up because she just falls back asleep. The crickets I buy from a pet store and they provide them in boxes that have special cricket gutloaders. I have recently tried meal worms, she has only eaten one. I don't think she likes them very well.

* Supplements - I use Flukers calcium with vitamin d3, every other day or every other cricket.

* Watering - I mist the cage 3-4 times a day. I try to mist the whole thing to rise humidity, but I don't mist my chameleon. I've read it's bad for them, and I've read it's good for them..I'm not taking any chances. I've seen my chameleon drink once, and that was the day I brought her home. But I don't sit and wait for her to drink because she just stares at me if I stare at her.

* Fecal Description - She goes maybe every week. It's brown and white. Almost like dry snake feces.

* History - None


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - 16.5"x16.5"x30" all mesh screen.

* Lighting - Fluckers lamp clamp, 50w UVA bulb. It's usually on 12 hours of the day (2pm-2am), off the other 12.

* Temperature - Temperatures range from 72 at night to 84 during the day. 90 in her basking spot. I use a Flukers digital thermo-hygrometer.
* Humidity - After misting, the humidity level is usually around 84%. To rise the humidity, I mist the whole cage.

* Plants - A Golden Pothos was all I could find around my area this time of year.

* Placement - I had recently moved it from next to my bedroom door to a corner, with very low traffic. No fans, vents, etc. Her cage is maybe 2.5 feet off the ground.

* Location - Missouri.


Current Problem - Shedding and growth. She hasn't shed since I've had her, nor has she grown.

 

[Chameleonguy5756]

You should really handle a veiled chameleon as little as possible due to stress issues. I fed mine about 15 small to medium dusted crickets a day when they were about that age. They grew like weeds. My male was HUGE at 5-6 months.

 

[panthercham]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, I'd say she's 5-6 months. I purchased her at a reptile expo December 28th.

* Handling - I handle her only to get her out to eat, every day. I find this a good way to build her trust.

* Feeding - Right now, only 3-4 crickets a day. I feed her in the evening while she's awake. She doesn't eat if I wake her up because she just falls back asleep. The crickets I buy from a pet store and they provide them in boxes that have special cricket gutloaders. I have recently tried meal worms, she has only eaten one. I don't think she likes them very well.

* Supplements - I use Flukers calcium with vitamin d3, every other day or every other cricket.

* Watering - I mist the cage 3-4 times a day. I try to mist the whole thing to rise humidity, but I don't mist my chameleon. I've read it's bad for them, and I've read it's good for them..I'm not taking any chances. I've seen my chameleon drink once, and that was the day I brought her home. But I don't sit and wait for her to drink because she just stares at me if I stare at her.

* Fecal Description - She goes maybe every week. It's brown and white. Almost like dry snake feces.

* History - None


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - 16.5"x16.5"x30" all mesh screen.

* Lighting - Fluckers lamp clamp, 50w UVA bulb. It's usually on 12 hours of the day (2pm-2am), off the other 12.

* Temperature - Temperatures range from 72 at night to 84 during the day. 90 in her basking spot. I use a Flukers digital thermo-hygrometer.
* Humidity - After misting, the humidity level is usually around 84%. To rise the humidity, I mist the whole cage.

* Plants - A Golden Pothos was all I could find around my area this time of year.

* Placement - I had recently moved it from next to my bedroom door to a corner, with very low traffic. No fans, vents, etc. Her cage is maybe 2.5 feet off the ground.

* Location - Missouri.


Current Problem - Shedding and growth. She hasn't shed since I've had her, nor has she grown.

Welcome to the forum!

You should be feeding her in the morning or early afternoon at the latest not in the evening. They need heat to digest their food and do so through basking. Once they are asleep that should be it for them at night and shouldn't be disturbed.

Leave her in her cage to eat. You are putting undue stress on her by taking her out of her cage to eat, she is probablly uncomfortable/stressed with the whole situation and that is why she is not eating as much as she should be. If you want to build her trust then slowly introduce hand feeding her with a feeder/treat in her cage.

Change these 2 things and you should see an improvement in her appetite over time.

Stay away from meal worms they are not a good feeder as they have a high chitin ratio and can lead to impaction. Vary her diet with silk, horn or superworms and this should pick up her appetite as well.

The Flukers calcium with d3 that you have got should only be used twice a month not every other day. You will need to get some plain calcium powder and use that 5 - 7 times a week along with a little vitamin supplement twice a month.

Also at 5 - 6 months of age she should have a laying bin in her cage...do you have one yet?

Why is her light schedule 2pm - 2 am? Her light schedule should be closer to the natural sun cycles like 7am - 7pm or 6am to 6pm. Also as Kinyonga has stated you need a UVB light as well......do you have one?

Sorry if this is overwhelming...it sounds like you have a wonderful little girl...you need to post some pictures of her for all of us to see

 

[ChamazingZina]

I plan on taking the mealworms back, if they take them back since I only used one. I guess while I'm there I'll pick up everything else. [ah, I bet all this money spending angers my mother, haha].

I do have a laying bin, I've been in the process of trying to find play sand the past couple days [no success yet.]

Her light schedule is that because that's my sleeping schedule :/.

And I have pictures on my profile, in my gallery! She's gorgeous.