help me make me chameleons life, and terrarium perfect.

[yoshimoto0]

My cham, for the past week has only been eating two crickets a day, and nothing else. She is wobbly while walking, and just seems clumsy in general. I have been wanting to take her to a reptile vet, but I am not aloud to, due to how expensive they are. I’m wondering if she could possibly have something wrong with her, and if so, how could I treat it on my own. She has never laid eggs before, just for a little background info. I am scared to put crickets or her feeder into her terrarium because she everytime I do, she gets so excited and then she falls while trying to catch them. I don’t want her to hurt herself if she falls. That is the reasoning that I do have hammocks in her terrarium. I know that they are not good for chams, but it is the only way i can make sure she is safe, if for some reason she falls. I’ve been feeding her in a bin, for a couple of weeks, but she doesn’t not seem to get enjoyment out of it, and that may be why she isn’t eating much. She doesn’t move around a lot, and i’m worried about that, because i feel that other chameleons do. I used to have a moss vine in her terrarium, but she was eating it so I had to take it out. I put leafy greens in her terrarium, and she used to eat them, but she doesn’t anymore. Please help me, I feel like I am a bad chameleon parent, and I don’t know what I can do to help her.

Here are some photos I am attaching of her:

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Yoshi is a female, veiled chameleon (with a little bit of translucent on her feet.) She is five months old, and i’ve added her for three months.
• Handling - I try not to handle my chameleon very often, and if I do I make sure that she walks onto my hand so that I am not forcing anything upon her.
• Feeding - Right now I am feeding my cham six large crickets, and a few super worms for more of like treats.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly (three times a week), I use D3 calcium three times a month, and I use multi vitamin also three times a month. I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium Without D3” “Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin and Mineral Powder Reptile/Amphibian Supplement” and I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3”
• Watering - I mist my chams tank, and I use a dripper aswell. I mist a few times a day, depending on when it needs it. I used to see my cham drinking but i don’t anymore, but she seems hydrated.
• Fecal Description - The white part, has a tint of yellow in it, but overall it just all seems kind of runny.
• History - Nothing that I know of, When i purchased her she was with 10ish other babies.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Reptile Habitat Screen Cage - Open Air Screen Cage Reptile Terrarium Aluminium Scren Habitat, 17.7 x 17.7 x 31.5
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for about 12 hours a day.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 80°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night. How long should I be having the heat lamp on for?
• Humidity - Before misting, I let the humidity drop down, and then I mist it again. I maintain it to stay around 60%. I know that at night it should be higher than that, but how do you keep the humidity “trapped in” and if you are sleeping how do you keep it up?
• Plants - I am not using live plants at the moment, but if anyone could give me information on them, I would love to start using them. Also would she eat them if they were live?
• Placement - My terrarium is located in the corner of my room, away from all activity like dogs and what not. Away from all fans, and vents. My room does get a nice airflow when I open the windows, if it’s a good temperature for my cham. The terrarium is on a dresser, so around waist height.
• Location - I’m located in wisconsin, usa.

And here are some photos of her terrarium:

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. I was expecting to see something in your husbandry that would indicate possible mbd, but you’ve got the right uvb and are using D3 appropriately. The only thing of supplements is you should be using the calcium without D3 at every feeding except for those you are using the D3 or multivitamin.
She doesn’t look gravid to me and at 5 months old, she still has her ‘baby’ green color.
So, all that really leaves is the dowels that you are using as a reason for her to be falling. Not just that the wood is very smooth and her little feet could slip on it, but that they are all angled as well and all the same diameter, which doesn’t allow her to fully use/exercise all of her foot muscles. My suggestion is to get some branches from outside, give a little scrub and good blast from the garden hose, sun dry and set those up for her. Avoid using any branches from pine or other sappy trees. To attach the branches, use your dowels and secure them with floral wire to the frame of your enclosure (one each corner) and then zip tie one or two dowels to them to create a frame/scaffold to attach branches and vines to (in a shape like an H) Attaching a pic where I did this, although hard to see the horizontal as I used branches that blend in. Just make sure to leave a little space in the front dowels so the door will close properly.
Make sure her basking spot is about 8 inches below her lights so that she is able to get in the correct uvb range.
Then, remove all of the fake plants and put in real ones. Pothos is always a great choice. If you can get a decent sized umbrella plant, money tree or weeping fig, that would be great. Yes, she will nibble at her plants and as long as they are safe, that’s ok. She may try to eat a fake one and could get impacted, which is life threatening if not treated promptly and is a slow painful way to die. It has happened. I hang my fake plants outside on the door of my enclosures to provide more privacy for my chams. Attaching safe plant lists for you.
While I don’t think it’s really contributing to your concerns, you could offer her more diversity in her diet. Roaches are super healthy feeders as are silkworms. While many are very hesitant to buy roaches and bring them into the house (as I expect your parents will be), they are nothing at all like pest roaches and kept properly, have almost zero chance of escaping and infesting your home. Dubia and discoid roaches neither fly nor climb smooth surfaces and are cleaner and quieter than crickets. The nymphs, which are what you would be feeding, are small and look like roly polies. Also, you don’t say what you are feeding your crickets. You need to keep her feeders healthy so that they are more nutritious for her. I’m also attaching feeder and gutload graphics for you. Almost forgot about feeder size...make sure all are smaller than the space between her eyes.
For humidity, ideal range during the day is between 30-50%, which is actually pretty dry. Try misting for at least 2 minutes, 2-3 times a day only...early AM, mid day for a minute, and right before lights out. At night, humidity can get as high as 80-100% when the temps are cool. Usually a fogger or cool mist humidifier is used to achieve this. There should be a good temp drop at night too. Veileds can handle drops as low as the 50’s -60’s. Btw, I never see any of my chameleons drinking.
So, make these changes and hopefully your beautiful little girl will stop wobbling and falling and have a better appetite. Do keep us updated if these changes help or not. Another more experienced member than I may be able to see something that I am missing.
Also, while I’m here and adding graphics, giving you one on her lay bin. Any day now she should be showing some pretty teals and yellows/oranges and getting restless...her receptive period. When this happens, get your lay bin set up. Make sure your bin is at least 12-13” wide and long and fill to 6” with moist play sand (avoid coco coir, calci sand, bark and other things like those). Any time after a few weeks of being receptive, she will be ready to lay eggs, so have that bin in her enclosure before then.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

To attach the branches, use your dowels and secure them with floral wire to the frame of your enclosure (one each corner) and then zip tie one or two dowels to them to create a frame/scaffold to attach branches and vines to (in a shape like an H) Attaching a pic where I did this, although hard to see the horizontal as I used branches that blend in. Just make sure to leave a little space in the front dowels so the door will close properly.

I think this is a good idea; I have something similar.
I've also used egg crate similarly attached to back or side walls, and attached things to that.
Another method is attaching (with stainless steel screws) aluminum stock (bar, angle or channel) from a home improvement store to & between frame members to attach things to; this has an added advantage of strengthening the frame.

 

[AmandaS]

That first photo would be great for the photo contest!!

 

[The Wild One]

That first photo would be great for the photo contest!!

When I saw it that’s exactly where my head went lol

 

[Beman]

She can not grip those branches in the cage. Too large for her. You need to attach some smaller diameter branches to those with zip ties. What strength UVB bulb are you using? It will show on the end of the bulb either 5.0 or 10.0. If 5.0 you want a measured 8-9 inches down to the branch directly below the fixture.

What is with the basking bulb? You want a regular incandescent 60-75 watt and you only leave it on during the day. No bulbs on at night.

I would pull all of the mats out once you put in your branches. These are not recommended for chameleons. They can not properly grip them, they can grow bacteria, and they can get their nails caught in them.

 

[Mountain Dragon]

My cham, for the past week has only been eating two crickets a day, and nothing else. She is wobbly while walking, and just seems clumsy in general. I have been wanting to take her to a reptile vet, but I am not aloud to, due to how expensive they are. I’m wondering if she could possibly have something wrong with her, and if so, how could I treat it on my own. She has never laid eggs before, just for a little background info. I am scared to put crickets or her feeder into her terrarium because she everytime I do, she gets so excited and then she falls while trying to catch them. I don’t want her to hurt herself if she falls. That is the reasoning that I do have hammocks in her terrarium. I know that they are not good for chams, but it is the only way i can make sure she is safe, if for some reason she falls. I’ve been feeding her in a bin, for a couple of weeks, but she doesn’t not seem to get enjoyment out of it, and that may be why she isn’t eating much. She doesn’t move around a lot, and i’m worried about that, because i feel that other chameleons do. I used to have a moss vine in her terrarium, but she was eating it so I had to take it out. I put leafy greens in her terrarium, and she used to eat them, but she doesn’t anymore. Please help me, I feel like I am a bad chameleon parent, and I don’t know what I can do to help her.

Here are some photos I am attaching of her:
View attachment 302968
View attachment 302969
View attachment 302970


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Yoshi is a female, veiled chameleon (with a little bit of translucent on her feet.) She is five months old, and i’ve added her for three months.
• Handling - I try not to handle my chameleon very often, and if I do I make sure that she walks onto my hand so that I am not forcing anything upon her.
• Feeding - Right now I am feeding my cham six large crickets, and a few super worms for more of like treats.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly (three times a week), I use D3 calcium three times a month, and I use multi vitamin also three times a month. I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium Without D3” “Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin and Mineral Powder Reptile/Amphibian Supplement” and I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3”
• Watering - I mist my chams tank, and I use a dripper aswell. I mist a few times a day, depending on when it needs it. I used to see my cham drinking but i don’t anymore, but she seems hydrated.
• Fecal Description - The white part, has a tint of yellow in it, but overall it just all seems kind of runny.
• History - Nothing that I know of, When i purchased her she was with 10ish other babies.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Reptile Habitat Screen Cage - Open Air Screen Cage Reptile Terrarium Aluminium Scren Habitat, 17.7 x 17.7 x 31.5
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for about 12 hours a day.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 80°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night. How long should I be having the heat lamp on for?
• Humidity - Before misting, I let the humidity drop down, and then I mist it again. I maintain it to stay around 60%. I know that at night it should be higher than that, but how do you keep the humidity “trapped in” and if you are sleeping how do you keep it up?
• Plants - I am not using live plants at the moment, but if anyone could give me information on them, I would love to start using them. Also would she eat them if they were live?
• Placement - My terrarium is located in the corner of my room, away from all activity like dogs and what not. Away from all fans, and vents. My room does get a nice airflow when I open the windows, if it’s a good temperature for my cham. The terrarium is on a dresser, so around waist height.
• Location - I’m located in wisconsin, usa.

And here are some photos of her terrarium:
View attachment 302971
View attachment 302972
View attachment 302973
View attachment 302974

I know you have the hammocks so she doesn’t hurt herself but IMO I think she’s falling bc the dowels are to thick and smooth like misssktles said get some outdoor sticks and remove the hammocks

 

[yoshimoto0]

I know you have the hammocks so she doesn’t hurt herself but IMO I think she’s falling bc the dowels are to thick and smooth like misssktles said get some outdoor sticks and remove the hammocks

since this post it old, its been a while, and since then ive made a lot of changes. thank you

 

[Mountain Dragon]

since this post it old, its been a while, and since then ive made a lot of changes. thank you

It’s been to days but okay

 

[Mountain Dragon]

It’s been to days but okay

Ha jokes one me I thought it said July not June but you did recently post an update and it still has hammcoks