H e l p ! ! ! !

[ekiehl]

While visiting PetLand this past Saturday to purchase some tropical fish - my wife was bitten by the impulse bug and we ended up getting a Graceful Chameleon. We purchased an 18" X 18" X 24" 'envioronment will all the 'trimmings'. We spent the whole day on Saturday setting the thing up and reading articles about them on the internet.

We read one article that said to keep the habitat 66-74 degrees and another one that said 74 - 86.

We didn't put the heat lamps on on Saturday night and the little guy must have shivered all night. We put all of the lamps on, misted, and fed him around 15 very small crickets yesterday - and by late afternoon - he greened up. We left the heat lamp on last night and he was still green this morning.

He does turn brown everytime we go in his 'area'.

We have cleaned feces from the cage - so he's 'going'.

His body is between 3.5 and 4 inches long. Here are some of my questions . . .

1. How can you tell if he is drinking ?

2. How much should we feed him ?

3. Other than color - how can we tell if he's 'happy'.

We need some 'Tips' and instruction. We know now that we were not too smart in buying him and want to learn quickly and do as much of the 'right thing' as possible.

 

[jannb]

GREAT info here: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
Good luck with your little guy! Jann

 

[ViolentJ]

I'm still new to Chameleons myself so can't really help you but I'm sure someone will ask what "all the trimmings" are including brand, wattage and location of basking light, and brand + % UV and location. A picture of your set up will help as well. Oh and size / age of Chameleon. basically everything you've got set up and any dusting powders you've been sold etc

I thought the kitty guide was just for Yemens?

 

[Julirs]

Ouch-tell me the "environment with all the trimmings" is not a glass exoterra. Could you please tell us what the "trimmings" are? And...hopefully you have a UVB light (and not one of those screw in kinds, but a long flourescent tube kind. If you do have the screw in kind turn it off immediately and return it-they cause eye issues!) In the mean time, assumming you have a DIGITAL thermometer, make sure it has a basking spot in the low 80's until we can determine age and that it is actually a Graceful. Hand mist with warm water 3X a day, feed crickets that are no bigger than the space between his eyes, and do not handle him-he needs to settle in.

 

[ekiehl]

Did we do everything wrong ? ? ?

I realized this morning, after reading some of the good stuff on this site, that I should not have bought the glass exoterra - and I'm planning to 'modify' it with screening ASAP - but I've got to unscrew the uv light bulb first.

We are misting - 2 to 4 times a day. The crickets we purchased are small - just the right size the way it sounds ( I was going to get bigger ones today - whoops again ).

Now - how many should we give the little fella - he ate around 20 of them yesterday and gobbled up 4 more this morning.

We do have a digital thermometer and a hydrometer - temperature is right - but how about the humidity ? What should it be at ?

I do feel good in saying that we haven't handled him - we got him for his beauty - not to 'pet' on.

Keep the tips coming - how do I figure out how old he is ?

Even though it's a 'buyers beware' enviornment out there I feel we were definitely taken advantage of at PetLand ! ! ! !

 

[RachelRiot]

I try to avoid the pet stores these days. Every time I go into one I get played or see an animal that really needs to be saved.

At least you are doing everything to make sure he/she is happy and healthy.

I would try and post some pictures. The Raising Kitty site is hands down the best source for information. That site and this one!

 

[CammieNLeno]

I realized this morning, after reading some of the good stuff on this site, that I should not have bought the glass exoterra - and I'm planning to 'modify' it with screening ASAP - but I've got to unscrew the uv light bulb first.

We are misting - 2 to 4 times a day. The crickets we purchased are small - just the right size the way it sounds ( I was going to get bigger ones today - whoops again ).

Now - how many should we give the little fella - he ate around 20 of them yesterday and gobbled up 4 more this morning.

We do have a digital thermometer and a hydrometer - temperature is right - but how about the humidity ? What should it be at ?

I do feel good in saying that we haven't handled him - we got him for his beauty - not to 'pet' on.

Keep the tips coming - how do I figure out how old he is ?

Even though it's a 'buyers beware' enviornment out there I feel we were definitely taken advantage of at PetLand ! ! ! !

Yes Petland has taken advantage of you, and got you off on the wrong foot for a start. Good news is that you are here, which means you care to fix this.

Doesnt look like you have been to the link posted to you earlier yet.

Please read up @ http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/ it will anwser every question you have, and you wont need to search anywhere else.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

The Kitty site should be a good place for information.
You would keep a graceful the same as a veiled.
Juli is right though ... you should post pictures ... it may not be a graceful.
No heat at night is preferred ... they need to cool down.

-Brad

 

[BocaJan]

Some no-no's

Twisty UV bulb
substrate
no supplements
waterfalls
glass habitats

All things a pet store want to sell you.

 

[dodolah]

again.. NO HEAT Lamp at night.
unless the temp drop below 50F.
They prefer temperature drop at night for their metabolism.

 

[kinyonga]

Quoting myself from another thread...
"A good gutload/nutritious diet for the insects is important for the health of your chameleon. I feed my crickets a wide assortment of greens (dandelion, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrot, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc.).

Exposure to UVB from a UVB light or direct sunlight allows the chameleon to produce vitamin D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its system. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.

Most of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous so I dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder.

I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A. Beta carotene can't build up in the system like preformed vitamin A can. Excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD...so its good not to overdo it.

I also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder. D3 from supplements can build up in the system, so don't overdo it.

Appropriate temperature allows for good digestion...so it plays a role too."

Its recommended to use a linear long tube UVB light...NOT the compact/spiral type.

Can you post a picture so we can see what species it is?

 

[rachelk]

especially avoid PETLAND, you shouldn't even purschase anything from them b/c they support puppy mills, sorry i just had to add that in there...

 

[johnandlyn]

especially avoid PETLAND, you shouldn't even purschase anything from them b/c they support puppy mills, sorry i just had to add that in there...

we are from the uk and was wondering what puppy mills are we are shocked a pet shop would take advantagewe hope everything goes well for you

 

[ColorChanginClick]

PetLand is easily the worst pet store I have walked into, I went in there once and they had a "jacksons chameleon" for sale which was actually a veiled, no UVB, no heat lamp, the highest climbing area was under 6" tall, and just a water dish. When I alerted the manager of the problem she actually asked if I would like to work for them as their reptile manager as they did not currently have one (obviously), I told her I would not even consider working for a store with such poor practices and informed her they shouldn't be keeping what they cannot properly care for. Aside from the poor treatment of their reptiles, the puppies that they not only get from puppy pills, are housed in containers that have NO ventilation whatsoever other than a single slot in the back where a water dripper that should be used for hamsters, gerbils, etc. is put through.