Help! New owner.

[KimmieCham]

Hi there! I have had my female veiled Chameleon (Kimmie) for less than 24 hours. I would appreciate some input on my setup/husbandry and welcome any feedback. I want to make sure I am doing all I can!
Cage Info:

• Cage Type – Zoo med ReptiBreeze Medium open-air aluminum cage. 16 x 16 x 30
• Lighting – ReptiSun 5.0 UVB with a daylight 60w heat emitting bulb (this is what came with the ReptiBreeze kit). Lighting schedule is on at 6am, off at 7pm via a timer.
• Temperature –Temp ranges from 70-90 degrees (70 towards bottom, 90 under basking light). Lowest overnight temp that I read was around 72, with the thermometer placed around 2/3 of the way down the cage. I have a digital thermometer (sits 2/3 of the way down) as well as a thermometer/hygrometer combo that sits on the top left corner of the cage, opposite the light set up. I just purchased an infrared thermometer today to hopefully get better readings.
• Humidity – During the day, humidity stays between 45-50%. I am having a hard time getting it to go above 50% during the day. It reaches up to 65-75% after I mist, but will slowly decline. At night the humidity is between 60-70%. I use a hygrometer to measure the humidity level. To help maintain humidity, we have covered the back and left side of the cage with a thin plastic (it’s actually a used poncho that we had laying around). We use the Little Dripper at 1 drop every 1.5 to 2 seconds. I also have a live plant (Schefflara arboricola) in the cage.
• Plants - Schefflara arboricola
• Placement – We live in an open-concept apartment where the dining room flows in the living room (they are almost the same space). The cage is against the wall, away from any air vents or fans. It is placed next to our dining table, which we are not at a whole lot. However, across the room is our couch/tv where we spend a good amount of time. The cage is sitting on a cubicle storage square which is about 3 feet high (we are changing this soon for drainage purposes), and the cage probably reaches up to approx. 5.5 feet tall
• Location – Tampa Bay, FL

Current Problem – I have only had Kimmie for less than 48 hours & I am new at this. Trying to give her the best life I can.

• Any guesstimation on age?
• I took her to the vet yesterday and was told she’s thin (you can see her ribs). How often should I feed her? She is from a pet store, and they were only feeding her once a day – large crickets. Not sure if she was getting any nutritional supplementation. Currently I am feeding her around 8 small crickets (they are approx. ½ to ¾ an inch) in the morning w/ some sweet potato (she loves this), sweet potato as a snack mid-day and then 3-4 small crickets at night. I have also offered her waxworm and mealworms (not at the same time). Is this too much?
• How often to supplement w/ D3? I plan to give calcium without D3 3-4 times a week. I also plan to give Reptical phosphorous-free calcium WITH D3 2-3 times a month. Is this sufficient? I also have the Reptivite vitamin powder and am unsure of how often to give.
• Any suggestions on how to increase humidity during the day?
• Are the lights I have sufficient? I can provide a picture of how it looks on top of her cage, as well as how far she sits from it.
• When should I start to supply a bed for her to lay eggs in? Is this based on age?

Thanks for viewing!
- Jade

 

[Daniel266jz]

Hi there! I have had my female veiled Chameleon (Kimmie) for less than 24 hours. I would appreciate some input on my setup/husbandry and welcome any feedback. I want to make sure I am doing all I can!
Cage Info:

• Cage Type – Zoo med ReptiBreeze Medium open-air aluminum cage. 16 x 16 x 30
• Lighting – ReptiSun 5.0 UVB with a daylight 60w heat emitting bulb (this is what came with the ReptiBreeze kit). Lighting schedule is on at 6am, off at 7pm via a timer.
• Temperature –Temp ranges from 70-90 degrees (70 towards bottom, 90 under basking light). Lowest overnight temp that I read was around 72, with the thermometer placed around 2/3 of the way down the cage. I have a digital thermometer (sits 2/3 of the way down) as well as a thermometer/hygrometer combo that sits on the top left corner of the cage, opposite the light set up. I just purchased an infrared thermometer today to hopefully get better readings.
• Humidity – During the day, humidity stays between 45-50%. I am having a hard time getting it to go above 50% during the day. It reaches up to 65-75% after I mist, but will slowly decline. At night the humidity is between 60-70%. I use a hygrometer to measure the humidity level. To help maintain humidity, we have covered the back and left side of the cage with a thin plastic (it’s actually a used poncho that we had laying around). We use the Little Dripper at 1 drop every 1.5 to 2 seconds. I also have a live plant (Schefflara arboricola) in the cage.
• Plants - Schefflara arboricola
• Placement – We live in an open-concept apartment where the dining room flows in the living room (they are almost the same space). The cage is against the wall, away from any air vents or fans. It is placed next to our dining table, which we are not at a whole lot. However, across the room is our couch/tv where we spend a good amount of time. The cage is sitting on a cubicle storage square which is about 3 feet high (we are changing this soon for drainage purposes), and the cage probably reaches up to approx. 5.5 feet tall
• Location – Tampa Bay, FL

Current Problem – I have only had Kimmie for less than 48 hours & I am new at this. Trying to give her the best life I can.

• Any guesstimation on age?
• I took her to the vet yesterday and was told she’s thin (you can see her ribs). How often should I feed her? She is from a pet store, and they were only feeding her once a day – large crickets. Not sure if she was getting any nutritional supplementation. Currently I am feeding her around 8 small crickets (they are approx. ½ to ¾ and inch) in the morning w/ some sweet potato (she loves this), sweet potato as a snack mid-day and then 3-4 small crickets at night. I have also offered her waxworm and mealworms (not at the same time). Is this too much?
• How often to supplement w/ D3? I plan to give calcium without D3 3-4 times a week. I also plan to give Reptical phosphorous-free calcium WITH D3 2-3 times a month. Is this sufficient? I also have the Reptivite vitamin powder and am unsure of how often to give.
• Any suggestions on how to increase humidity during the day?
• Are the lights I have sufficient? I can provide a picture of how it looks on top of her cage, as well as how far she sits from it.
• When should I start to supply a bed for her to lay eggs in? Is this based on age?

Thanks for viewing!
- Jade

If you want your humidity to go higher you could try a automatic mister such as Mist King, from what it sounds like you mist her yourself am i correct? That will help but you'd also need to figure out drainage. The live plant does you good for holding water for her and for humidity also. The bulb that come with those kits ( the daylight bulb) burns out very fast and doesn't put out too much heat. When I first got my veiled I went through at least 8 of them in a 5 month period. Id get a different bulb they're not expensive like 10$. Everything else seems good I'm not an expert but that is what I know. Also, the carpet is okay but its really hard to clean and to keep from smelling id use paper towels or spot clean I had one before also. I usually feed my guy when he was smaller about 6 medium crickets and 3 super worms and he would be content sometimes he would get full and skip a cricket. I have a male though so I don't know anything about egg laying and I do think that females, once they get older get fed less so they don't produce big clutches and have complications. Hope this helps.

 

[Graves923]

Id guess the cham is about 3-4 months old give or take a few weeks.

Try to get the basking spot temps in the low to mid 80*F range.

I agree those zoomed lights are garbage. Switch to a regular white incandescent house bulb. Try different wattage bulbs to get the desired temps range.

Only feed during the first half of the day. They need to bask in order to digest so late day feedings could lead to digestion issues. Stay away from mealworms as they are hard to digest and have next to no nutritional value. Superworms are easier to digest but, like mealworms, arent very nutritious and should be used as a treat.

Supplements: dust feeders with plain Calcium (no d3) every feeding. Use D3 twice per month or once every other week. On the weeks you are not using D3 dust with a multivitamin. Both D3 and a multivitamin should be used twice per month.

Gutload feeders with leafy greens like dandelion greens, kale, escarole and various fruits and veggies like carrots, melon, and even apple and oranges.

Misting atleast 3-4 times per day for about 2-3 minutes with one long 5+ minute misting in the morning should suffice for your chams hydration and humidity. Mist systems like a mist king or climist take the hassle out of this and are highly recommended.

Below are links to alot of great info. Take your time reading through it since it is a lot to process and dont take shortcuts!! Your cage looks great with plenty of places for the cham to hide so you are on the right track!

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[GregJD]

Tip from a friendly veiled owner: Keep her where y'all are the most. She will get used to seeing you and enjoy watching you. They're creeps, they love watching your every move. Just when you think you're alone, you see their eyes creeping on you. They're comical.
I hand-mist, I enjoy it. I just mist a few times a day.
Try to hand feed. I fed mine about 20-30 crickets a day when he was young. Of course, mine is a male. I did not feed superworms or anything like that until he was 4 months or so. I have no idea how old yours is, I have asked about both of mine.
Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, Kroger, all have cheaper lights for heat. As long as you get the wattage right, you're fine. "Heat Lamps" are the same thing with a bigger price tag.
For decorations: Hobby Lobby. They always have a plant section on 50% off. They, too, are the same thing.
Check this forum at least weekly. Look at the care-sheet page. Pet store guys don't know what they are doing. They have a bunch of different animals there, so even if they did, they'd get them mixed up every now and then. I know, my wife is a gecko lover and I get mixed up occasionally. As a matter of fact, PetCo, which I like (don't crucify me, guys), gave us a care sheet for a crested and the word "Chameleon" was on it. They're somewhat similar in habitat, so they went through and changed the words. That's an example of why you need to look here and ask here. Don't ask them. Even the good ones have too many animals to keep straight.

Also, get on a feeder website and order your bugs. My veiled cost more from a pet shop than both my dogs combined. Look at the sponsor place and order online.

And make sure you have fun. Chameleons are complicated, but once you get into a routine, they are easy. If you don't have fun, you're missing the point.

 

[GregJD]

Oh Yeah, and don't be afraid to handle often. I handle my 2 about every other day. They love getting out and free ranging, too. Just use a fake tree or the blinds or something where they can't get lost. Free ranging and handling make them more sociable. She won't like the handling at first, but if you handle her before you let her free, she will probably wind up crawling all over you. That's the best!

 

[KimmieCham]

If you want your humidity to go higher you could try a automatic mister such as Mist King, from what it sounds like you mist her yourself am i correct? That will help but you'd also need to figure out drainage. The live plant does you good for holding water for her and for humidity also. The bulb that come with those kits ( the daylight bulb) burns out very fast and doesn't put out too much heat. When I first got my veiled I went through at least 8 of them in a 5 month period. Id get a different bulb they're not expensive like 10$. Everything else seems good I'm not an expert but that is what I know. Also, the carpet is okay but its really hard to clean and to keep from smelling id use paper towels or spot clean I had one before also. I usually feed my guy when he was smaller about 6 medium crickets and 3 super worms and he would be content sometimes he would get full and skip a cricket. I have a male though so I don't know anything about egg laying and I do think that females, once they get older get fed less so they don't produce big clutches and have complications. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the response! I'm definitely going to look into the Mist King! It's a tad pricey...what do you think of "Evergreen Pet Supplies fog system"? Would this be similar? It seems to have nice reviews on Amazon, and is a little more w/in my budget.
I'm definitely going to be doing some re configuring for drainage purposes. The carpet has been getting soaked because the plant tray I have in the cage is overflowing (which is crazy because it's a HUGE pot/plant, with only 1 drip every couple of seconds). I'm going to set something up soon, until then I will be replacing the carpet/paper towels once or twice a day.
Definitely want to get a different bulb also. I've read that the one that comes with the kit isn't so great for heat purposes. Thanks for all of your info!

 

[KimmieCham]

Id guess the cham is about 3-4 months old give or take a few weeks.

Try to get the basking spot temps in the low to mid 80*F range.

I agree those zoomed lights are garbage. Switch to a regular white incandescent house bulb. Try different wattage bulbs to get the desired temps range.

Only feed during the first half of the day. They need to bask in order to digest so late day feedings could lead to digestion issues. Stay away from mealworms as they are hard to digest and have next to no nutritional value. Superworms are easier to digest but, like mealworms, arent very nutritious and should be used as a treat.

Supplements: dust feeders with plain Calcium (no d3) every feeding. Use D3 twice per month or once every other week. On the weeks you are not using D3 dust with a multivitamin. Both D3 and a multivitamin should be used twice per month.

Gutload feeders with leafy greens like dandelion greens, kale, escarole and various fruits and veggies like carrots, melon, and even apple and oranges.

Misting atleast 3-4 times per day for about 2-3 minutes with one long 5+ minute misting in the morning should suffice for your chams hydration and humidity. Mist systems like a mist king or climist take the hassle out of this and are highly recommended.

Below are links to alot of great info. Take your time reading through it since it is a lot to process and dont take shortcuts!! Your cage looks great with plenty of places for the cham to hide so you are on the right track!

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

Thanks for responding! I wasn't aware of the late-night digestion issues (still learning). Dusting the feeders every day isn't too much? I try to gutload my feeders with as much as possible. So far, it seems they only like the sweet potato I have put in there. I also use the Fluker's Orange Cube diet which they don't seem to like. I have collard greens and kale that I will try to put in today. As for the worms, how do you house them? The pet store I bought them from told me to refrigerate, but this seems odd to me. They are very immobile when I take them out of the fridge (assuming they are cold) and this can't be good to keep them alive, right?
Thanks for all of the info and the links!!

 

[KimmieCham]

Tip from a friendly veiled owner: Keep her where y'all are the most. She will get used to seeing you and enjoy watching you. They're creeps, they love watching your every move. Just when you think you're alone, you see their eyes creeping on you. They're comical.
I hand-mist, I enjoy it. I just mist a few times a day.
Try to hand feed. I fed mine about 20-30 crickets a day when he was young. Of course, mine is a male. I did not feed superworms or anything like that until he was 4 months or so. I have no idea how old yours is, I have asked about both of mine.
Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, Kroger, all have cheaper lights for heat. As long as you get the wattage right, you're fine. "Heat Lamps" are the same thing with a bigger price tag.
For decorations: Hobby Lobby. They always have a plant section on 50% off. They, too, are the same thing.
Check this forum at least weekly. Look at the care-sheet page. Pet store guys don't know what they are doing. They have a bunch of different animals there, so even if they did, they'd get them mixed up every now and then. I know, my wife is a gecko lover and I get mixed up occasionally. As a matter of fact, PetCo, which I like (don't crucify me, guys), gave us a care sheet for a crested and the word "Chameleon" was on it. They're somewhat similar in habitat, so they went through and changed the words. That's an example of why you need to look here and ask here. Don't ask them. Even the good ones have too many animals to keep straight.

Also, get on a feeder website and order your bugs. My veiled cost more from a pet shop than both my dogs combined. Look at the sponsor place and order online.

And make sure you have fun. Chameleons are complicated, but once you get into a routine, they are easy. If you don't have fun, you're missing the point.

Thanks for the reply! I love the tip about Hobby Lobby - never thought to look there for plants. We went to Michael's and their selection was pretty limited, and/or not appropriate for what we needed. We are going to look into buying our feeder's online for sure, the pet store seemed a little overpriced (but what do I know, Lol).
I am trying to have fun! Aside from worrying about her every move - I guess that fear will go away once I stop staring in her cage all day!

 

[KimmieCham]

Just realized I missed this part of the questions - some of it might have already been answered.
Your Chameleon – Veiled Chamelon, Female. Unsure of age. Adopted her on 12/3 evening.

Handling – Seldomly; had to remove her from cage to take her to the vet. But that’s about it.

Feeding – Crickets, waxworm, meal worm, sweet potato. Have tried kalem, apple and blueberry and she does not seem interested. Approx 8 small (½ to ¾ inch) crickets in AM w/ sweet potato & a couple crickets at night.

Watering – The Little Dripper w/ misting 3-4 times a day for 1-2 mins. Kimmie drinks from the leaves and from the dripper.

Fecal Description – Initial fecal sample was orange with normal brown colors (she pooped right after we transferred her to her new cage). Now they are a normal brown poop, slightly moist but firm looking. There has been no parasite testing yet.

 

[kinyonga]

Just wanted to mention that female veileds can lay eggs without having mated so once she's sexually mature she needs a proper egglaying bin in her cage at all times. She will show mustardy yellow splotches and bright blue spots when mature. Its also important not to overfeed them constantly once they are mature too.

I gutload/feed crickets, mealworms, roaches with dandelion greens, kale, escarole, enddive, squash, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, and a bit of fruit such as apples, melons, berries, melon....all of these can be offered to the chameleon too.

 

[KimmieCham]

Just wanted to mention that female veileds can lay eggs without having mated so once she's sexually mature she needs a proper egglaying bin in her cage at all times. She will show mustardy yellow splotches and bright blue spots when mature. Its also important not to overfeed them constantly once they are mature too.

I gutload/feed crickets, mealworms, roaches with dandelion greens, kale, escarole, enddive, squash, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, and a bit of fruit such as apples, melons, berries, melon....all of these can be offered to the chameleon too.

Yes, I know of the egg laying. I am currently trying to think of something use for the bin. I don't have room for trashcans and huge buckets. Trying to find something that is at least 12in by 12in that can fit in her cage.
Question - how do you store your worms?

 

[bishop]

How is your cage set up? Do you have equal access across the canopy, middle and bottom (especaially near the cage corners/sides)?

From what you said, it sounds like your girl could eat a bit more. Gut-loaded/dusted crickets roaming around the cage, and the same with superworms roaming around the bottom should do her well.

And, she’s a baby still, so don’t worry about her being skinny as long as she’s eating and drinking, and is actively hunting - and sleeping when it’s bedtime.

If anything, it sounds like you should look into a better watering system. I found a Mondoon for $100 and it’s incredible - even if I still hand mist with warm water from time to time (especially when my girl is looking “full” or is shedding).

 

[kinyonga]

You asked how do I keep the worms...Do you mean the superworms?

 

[hopps31]

Welcome to the wonderful world of chameleons, she is beautiful

The worms you got at the pet store must of been mealworms if they told you to put them in the fridge. Mealworms can live in the refrigerator for a while. They are really not a great feeder at all and you should really look into superworms instead. Also waxworms are fatty and are not a very good staple feeder either, they can be used as an occasional treat! I would look into getting some dubia roaches, red runner roaches, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, black solider fly larvae for variety! A great site to order from is rainbowmealworms.net and also full throttle feeders!!

As far as keeping all the bugs, I use 10 gallon tanks with screen covers, but most people just use a plastic tote from a local chain store and cut part of the top out and glue screen in. One side has egg cartons and on the other side you can add water crystals for hydration and any type of veggie/fruit gut load you are using. You don't have to use water crystals but my house is super dry and I find they die quicker without it. The flukers orange cubes are really not that great either they have no nutritious value. Just plain old clear colored water crystals are what I use!! You can also buy dry gut loads like cricket crack, full throttle feeders sells that also

I would also change the UVB bulb to a linear type, linear will give her much better exposure, unfortunately the coil type bulbs limit the exposure to such a small area. I use Reptisun T5 HO 5.0.

 

[KimmieCham]

You asked how do I keep the worms...Do you mean the superworms?

Yes. I am finding it difficult to get info regarding how people keep them (my crickets are in a well ventilated tub). The pets store told me to keep the worms refrigerated? I thought this was odd. I purchased waxworms and mealworms.

 

[KimmieCham]

Welcome to the wonderful world of chameleons, she is beautiful

The worms you got at the pet store must of been mealworms if they told you to put them in the fridge. Mealworms can live in the refrigerator for a while. They are really not a great feeder at all and you should really look into superworms instead. Also waxworms are fatty and are not a very good staple feeder either, they can be used as an occasional treat! I would look into getting some dubia roaches, red runner roaches, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, black solider fly larvae for variety! A great site to order from is rainbowmealworms.net and also full throttle feeders!!

As far as keeping all the bugs, I use 10 gallon tanks with screen covers, but most people just use a plastic tote from a local chain store and cut part of the top out and glue screen in. One side has egg cartons and on the other side you can add water crystals for hydration and any type of veggie/fruit gut load you are using. You don't have to use water crystals but my house is super dry and I find they die quicker without it. The flukers orange cubes are really not that great either they have no nutritious value. Just plain old clear colored water crystals are what I use!! You can also buy dry gut loads like cricket crack, full throttle feeders sells that also

I would also change the UVB bulb to a linear type, linear will give her much better exposure, unfortunately the coil type bulbs limit the exposure to such a small area. I use Reptisun T5 HO 5.0.

Thanks for all of your advice! Since y'all think she's a baby still, I would love some extra advice on basking temps. I read in a blog here females dont need to be above 80 or 82, then maybe 84 to 85 when she's older. Today she spent most of her time towards the bottom 2/3 of her enclosure and I wonder if she is getting too hot. I can always move the vine that she basks on, but I'm worried she'll just climb up the screen

 

[KimmieCham]

Sidenote, the worms I refrigerated seemed to have died. I did not purchase superworms but I am definitely going to.

 

[KimmieCham]

How is your cage set up? Do you have equal access across the canopy, middle and bottom (especaially near the cage corners/sides)?

From what you said, it sounds like your girl could eat a bit more. Gut-loaded/dusted crickets roaming around the cage, and the same with superworms roaming around the bottom should do her well.

And, she’s a baby still, so don’t worry about her being skinny as long as she’s eating and drinking, and is actively hunting - and sleeping when it’s bedtime.

If anything, it sounds like you should look into a better watering system. I found a Mondoon for $100 and it’s incredible - even if I still hand mist with warm water from time to time (especially when my girl is looking “full” or is shedding).

She has a large schefflera plant in the cage with 3 or 4 vines going horizontal and vertical. Also a ladder that goes down to the bottom of the cage. I would say she has equal room to roam. Yesterday she was all over the place. Especially hiding in a corner. As far as the feeding goes, I have been cup feeding her in the mornings before I go to work, which she likes. I am worried if I let the crickets loose in the cage and she doesn't get them all, then they'll bite her when I'm at work, or I won't find them all by nighttime before lights out.
I am looking into new watering systems for sure! The litter dripper does not seem super reliable...sometimes it seems like the drip rate changes or stops all on its own, even if there is plenty of water in there.

 

[hopps31]

I buy all of my feeders from one of the sites I listed, or I already have breeding colonies going. @Katacara is amazing for her great silkworms and other feeders!! Pet stores I find never keep a healthy stock of feeders.

 

[bishop]

She has a large schefflera plant in the cage with 3 or 4 vines going horizontal and vertical. Also a ladder that goes down to the bottom of the cage. I would say she has equal room to roam. Yesterday she was all over the place. Especially hiding in a corner. As far as the feeding goes, I have been cup feeding her in the mornings before I go to work, which she likes. I am worried if I let the crickets loose in the cage and she doesn't get them all, then they'll bite her when I'm at work, or I won't find them all by nighttime before lights out.
I am looking into new watering systems for sure! The litter dripper does not seem super reliable...sometimes it seems like the drip rate changes or stops all on its own, even if there is plenty of water in there.

I’m by no means an expert, but a few points based on my own experience...

First, crickets certainly won’t bite your cham during daytime - they’ll be eaten if they try, and if they aren’t then your cham is sick.

Second, if your cage is big and complex enough, with food in places your cham won’t be able or want to get into, you shouldn’t worry about bites at night. Having the bugs wake up with your cham (and a good/timed rainfall/mist) makes for a great schedule - basking/drinking when waking, hunting/feeding/pooping, then doing whatever for the rest of the day until bedtime.

Third, and related to the second, be sure to provide quality hunting grounds throughout your cage, and don’t neglect the bottom. I have branches at 2:4 corners, plus a cool curved/3-pronged branch along one of the sides (crickets tend to fall, and superworms always fall). Branches from your yard (cleaned and baked) are better than fake bendies from the store.

Last, invest in a monsoon system. Super easy to set up, and you’ll be thankful once you have it. I don’t even bother watering my pothos thanks to it - besides the fact that it sprays the canopy perfectly, with a good and lasting drip until it eventually dries, then the next misting cycle kicks in.