Help identifying age and sex veiled Cham

[Beman]

Hi there welcome to the forum. @elizaann2 has given you some wonderful info. I am going to add to this.

You will need to do some upgrades. You do have a female. And she is quite plump so I am betting she is holding eggs. They will lay infertile eggs like chickens. So they have to have a lay bin.
No showers. Get a pressurized misting bottle and use only room temp water. Spray all plants down for a good 2 minutes.

There is an issue with the enclosure as well. Fish tanks become hot boxes and it is very hard to control not only temps but humidity. Also very very easy to have stagnant air. They become high risk for respiratory infections. You really want to move her to a 2x2x4foot screen enclosure. This one is better made then the zoo med brand https://www.diycages.com/collection...ducts/sc4-48x24x24-jumbo-vertical-screen-cage

Willows and maple tree branches are great to use. You can build a frame system in the screen cage. Take a look at this https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...anches-to-screen-cage-diy-alternative.184190/

THen get some tall centerpiece live plants that are deemed safe for veileds. Fake plants are very dangerous because they will eat them and become impacted.



You then have to accommodate the lay bin in the bottom of the cage.
A lay bin should be added as a permanent fixture by the time they are 6 months old so they get used to it and it does not cause stress.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video.77225/




Lets go over supplements as well. You need a plain calcium without D3 for everyday dusting of feeders. And then a multivitamin with D3 and A for 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. Both of these are extremely important because we need to not only balance the phosphorus to calcium levels of the insects but for a female developing eggs without it she will pull calcium from her bones.

Zoomed makes a calcium without D3 and reptivite makes a multivitamin with D3. Both of these are sold at most pet stores. Get these asap.

Get appropriate feeder insects as well. You can gutload with vegetables from this image below. Or get repashy Bug burger and mix as directed.




Finally you have to have the correct UVB lighting. This is the long linear UVB light fixture. With the 5.0 or 6% bulb. Some petsmarts are now carrying the arcadia proT5 with 6% bulb. Some have the reptisun one with the 5.0 bulb. Just make sure it is a T5HO fixture and not a T8. THis is extremely important without this she will develop MBD. You want the basking branches to be 8-9 inches below this fixture sitting on the cage top.


Start reading everything here. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

Let us know what questions you have.

 

[PascalDonatello]

There is an issue with the enclosure as well. Fish tanks become hot boxes and it is very hard to control not only temps but humidity. Also very very easy to have stagnant air. They become high risk for respiratory infections. You really want to move her to a 2x2x4foot screen enclosure. This one is better made then the zoo med brand https://www.diycages.com/collection...ducts/sc4-48x24x24-jumbo-vertical-screen-cage

I’m aware of the risks of a glass enclosure but the temperature and humidity where I live is not well regulated and can be hard to control at times so this is what I’m doing for now. I will probably switch to a hybrid 24x24x48 eventually but I don’t think a screen enclosure is going to work for me.

 

[Beman]

I’m aware of the risks of a glass enclosure but the temperature and humidity where I live is not well regulated and can be hard to control at times so this is what I’m doing for now. I will probably switch to a hybrid 24x24x48 eventually but I don’t think a screen enclosure is going to work for me.

You can modify the screen enclosures. I live in AZ and have to have a hybrid style enclosure. Otherwise my humidity levels are next to nothing. But with the modified screen cage I have airflow in the cage from the bottom service door being screen and the top. It pulls in and up through the cage. All of my other panels are solid. But I do not risk my boy developing a respiratory infection because there is airflow and the heat moves rather than just becomes overall hot. There become gradients in the levels from the bottom of the cage to the top that they have to have so they can regulate their temp as they need it.

You can use corrugated plastic panels from home depot to hook to the outside of a screen cage so it holds temps and humidity better. You can use duct window film on the outside panels as well. As long as you leave the service door at the bottom front and the top screen you get the chimney effect circulating air.

 

[PascalDonatello]

You can modify the screen enclosures. I live in AZ and have to have a hybrid style enclosure. Otherwise my humidity levels are next to nothing. But with the modified screen cage I have airflow in the cage from the bottom service door being screen and the top. It pulls in and up through the cage. All of my other panels are solid. But I do not risk my boy developing a respiratory infection because there is airflow and the heat moves rather than just becomes overall hot. There become gradients in the levels from the bottom of the cage to the top that they have to have so they can regulate their temp as they need it.

You can use corrugated plastic panels from home depot to hook to the outside of a screen cage so it holds temps and humidity better. You can use duct window film on the outside panels as well. As long as you leave the service door at the bottom front and the top screen you get the chimney effect circulating air.

View attachment 335599

Yeah thanks for this, could you pls share links for the recommended materials to cover the screens with?

 

[PascalDonatello]

Should I be concerned- this doesn’t seem normal I’ve been trying to figure it out but idk

 

[kinyonga]

While you’re using the glass tank as a cage…until you get a chameleon cage….place any/all the heat-producing lights at one end of the tank so that it will create a chimney effect of airflow. Run the UVB light along either the front of the tank or the back as well. When I first started keeping chameleons back in the dark ages before the wheel was invented, I had to use tanks…and this is what I did to help with airflow.

 

[Beman]

Yeah thanks for this, could you pls share links for the recommended materials to cover the screens with?

You can get corrugated plastic sheets in a 4x8 foot panel and cut them down to 2x4ft sections to fit the sides and back of the cage. Then use the command strips to hook them to the outside frame of the cage. Duct window film is also sold there.

 

[elizaann2]

Here are links for what you need when you get a different enclosure for your chameleon:

Coroplast sheets
Window Insulation Kit
Command Strips

 

[elizaann2]

This is how I turned my all-screen enclosure into a hybrid enclosure.

I cut the coroplast sheet to fit the 2 sides and back of the enclosure. I attached them with screws but had I known about the command strips I totally would have done that. That sounds MUCH easier!

I cut holes in the coroplast when getting ready to attach my base sticks and pots in the enclosure, this helps take strain off of the screen to prevent ripping. I used black zip ties to attach the sticks and plants. Cut the extra part of the zip tie off and round/flatten the cut end so there are no sharp edges for your chameleon to hurt herself on.

You will want larger sticks to help hold the potted plants in place as well as to help hold your smaller vertical branches for your chameleon to use as 'highways' to get around her home.

This is a photo of the full enclosure. I have also used the window insulation kit for the front doors of her enclosure, however, I kept the service door at the bottom open to create a chimney effect for air flow through the top of the screen. Note where I placed my basking bulb and linear UVB bulbs on the top. The white bin at the bottom of the enclosure is her lay bin, I keep this in her enclosure at all times so she is used to it being a part of her enclosure. Note the sticks leading down to the lay bin so she can access it easily.