homing a chameleon for a bit! husbandry check?

[pascal016]

• Your Chameleon - paco guaco (ik.. interesting name) is about 4-5 month old male veiled chamelon. i’ve had him for two days now and am homing him for someone else. i don’t know how long i’ll be homing him so i’m doing the best i can. if i do still have him as he gets bigger, i will defiantly purchase a larger terrarium, but this is what i have for now.
• Handling - he’s very chill. i never go to pick him up but as i spray him sometimes he just crawls onto me
• Feeding - as much as he wants and is open to crickets at all times (small ones) and waxworks/silkworms (for snacks at times). i’ve had him for two days and so far he has only eaten a few crickets and two worms. i’m assuming this is due to stress because of his dark color as well.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly. I then alternate between D3 calcium and multi vitamin every other week. 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”

• 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 (will get a bigger terrarium when he gets bigger!!)
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for 12 hours a day.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 82-87°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night.
• Plants - i have “devils ivy” or pothos, and a very large umbrella plant.

he is very dark and has not changed to a lighter color, and not eating much. that is my only concern. he drinks very well, and as of his fecal, everything is very good. is there anything i can do to make him feel more comfortable so he is less stressed out?

edit: i have ordered digital temp and humidity gauges! they are coming tomorrow!

edit 2: he was very colorful on his way over to my place as he was in the warm car. since then i have not seen him like that.

edit 3: i don’t know much of the past history. he was from a breeder, thank god. and he was living in a very small container (pic attached) where he could barely stand up. he has been tested for parasites and is clear from that.

 

[Beman]

Hey there give me a few and I will go through your form.

 

[pascal016]

also this is him right now. dark with speckles of green.

 

[Beman]

also this is him right now. dark with speckles of green.

Will you attach a photo that shows the top of the cage as well so I can see lighting placement?

 

[pascal016]

Will you attach a photo that shows the top of the cage as well so I can see lighting placement?

yep! here
(the stick is just to hold up my potho)

 

[Beman]

See my feedback in red bold. Please let me know what questions you have.

• Your Chameleon - paco guaco (ik.. interesting name) is about 4-5 month old male veiled chamelon. i’ve had him for two days now and am homing him for someone else. i don’t know how long i’ll be homing him so i’m doing the best i can. if i do still have him as he gets bigger, i will defiantly purchase a larger terrarium, but this is what i have for now. Careful they are easy to become obsessed with lol. You may end up wanting to keep him.
• Handling - he’s very chill. i never go to pick him up but as i spray him sometimes he just crawls onto me... Make sure you avoid spraying him directly. Unless he goes into the mist on his own. Looks like cage is on the floor... This may be why he is wanting out. They like to be higher than their humans. So I would put the cage up on a table so he feels more secure.
• Feeding - as much as he wants and is open to crickets at all times (small ones) and waxworks/silkworms (for snacks at times). i’ve had him for two days and so far he has only eaten a few crickets and two worms. i’m assuming this is due to stress because of his dark color as well. Could be stress. How are you feeding him? Most of us use feeder runs as they can easily see the movement of the feeders. At this age they easily can take down 2 dozen crickets a day.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly. I then alternate between D3 calcium and multi vitamin every other week. 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” Switch this up a bit... The calcium without D3 is fine. But I would replace the herptivite and the calcium with D3 with an all in one multivitamin that has vitamin A. Either reptivite with D3 or repashy calcium plus LoD version. Either of these multivitamins would be used only 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. Then the calcium without D3 at all other feedings.

• 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 (will get a bigger terrarium when he gets bigger!!) Start planning on a bigger cage now. This cage is meant for really young babies. By 6 months it will be way too small for him. You want a 2x2x4 foot enclosure. I prefer these over the zoomed https://www.diycages.com/collection...ducts/sc4-48x24x24-jumbo-vertical-screen-cage
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for 12 hours a day. Perfect and can you tell me the bulb strength? Should be written on the end of the bulb either 5.0 or 10.0.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 82-87°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night. Too hot at basking. You want it more in the 80-83 for how young this one is. Max for an adult would be 85 although most of us keep them in the low 80's. Why type of bulb are you using for the basking and what is the wattage?
• Plants - i have “devils ivy” or pothos, and a very large umbrella plant. great.

he is very dark and has not changed to a lighter color, and not eating much. that is my only concern. he drinks very well, and as of his fecal, everything is very good. is there anything i can do to make him feel more comfortable so he is less stressed out? Dark can be absorbing heat... Can also mean stressed out. Lift cage up off the floor. It will take him time to settle in. Everything is new to him correct? He was not well taken care of prior? This cage is new?

edit: i have ordered digital temp and humidity gauges! they are coming tomorrow! Great.
edit 2: he was very colorful on his way over to my place as he was in the warm car. since then i have not seen him like that. Bright colors can be stress colors same with getting spots of color.

edit 3: i don’t know much of the past history. he was from a breeder, thank god. and he was living in a very small container (pic attached) where he could barely stand up. he has been tested for parasites and is clear from that. How long was he living in that tiny container?

You will want to remove the thick rope. They can get their nails caught in these.

Start reading everything here. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Then ask questions in the forum.

This will help as well.

 

[pascal016]

See my feedback in red bold. Please let me know what questions you have.

• Your Chameleon - paco guaco (ik.. interesting name) is about 4-5 month old male veiled chamelon. i’ve had him for two days now and am homing him for someone else. i don’t know how long i’ll be homing him so i’m doing the best i can. if i do still have him as he gets bigger, i will defiantly purchase a larger terrarium, but this is what i have for now. Careful they are easy to become obsessed with lol. You may end up wanting to keep him.
• Handling - he’s very chill. i never go to pick him up but as i spray him sometimes he just crawls onto me... Make sure you avoid spraying him directly. Unless he goes into the mist on his own. Looks like cage is on the floor... This may be why he is wanting out. They like to be higher than their humans. So I would put the cage up on a table so he feels more secure.
• Feeding - as much as he wants and is open to crickets at all times (small ones) and waxworks/silkworms (for snacks at times). i’ve had him for two days and so far he has only eaten a few crickets and two worms. i’m assuming this is due to stress because of his dark color as well. Could be stress. How are you feeding him? Most of us use feeder runs as they can easily see the movement of the feeders. At this age they easily can take down 2 dozen crickets a day.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly. I then alternate between D3 calcium and multi vitamin every other week. 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” Switch this up a bit... The calcium without D3 is fine. But I would replace the herptivite and the calcium with D3 with an all in one multivitamin that has vitamin A. Either reptivite with D3 or repashy calcium plus LoD version. Either of these multivitamins would be used only 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. Then the calcium without D3 at all other feedings.

• 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 (will get a bigger terrarium when he gets bigger!!) Start planning on a bigger cage now. This cage is meant for really young babies. By 6 months it will be way too small for him. You want a 2x2x4 foot enclosure. I prefer these over the zoomed https://www.diycages.com/collection...ducts/sc4-48x24x24-jumbo-vertical-screen-cage
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for 12 hours a day. Perfect and can you tell me the bulb strength? Should be written on the end of the bulb either 5.0 or 10.0.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 82-87°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night. Too hot at basking. You want it more in the 80-83 for how young this one is. Max for an adult would be 85 although most of us keep them in the low 80's. Why type of bulb are you using for the basking and what is the wattage?
• Plants - i have “devils ivy” or pothos, and a very large umbrella plant. great.

he is very dark and has not changed to a lighter color, and not eating much. that is my only concern. he drinks very well, and as of his fecal, everything is very good. is there anything i can do to make him feel more comfortable so he is less stressed out? Dark can be absorbing heat... Can also mean stressed out. Lift cage up off the floor. It will take him time to settle in. Everything is new to him correct? He was not well taken care of prior? This cage is new?

edit: i have ordered digital temp and humidity gauges! they are coming tomorrow! Great.
edit 2: he was very colorful on his way over to my place as he was in the warm car. since then i have not seen him like that. Bright colors can be stress colors same with getting spots of color.

edit 3: i don’t know much of the past history. he was from a breeder, thank god. and he was living in a very small container (pic attached) where he could barely stand up. he has been tested for parasites and is clear from that. How long was he living in that tiny container?

You will want to remove the thick rope. They can get their nails caught in these.

Start reading everything here. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Then ask questions in the forum.

This will help as well.

View attachment 335710View attachment 335711View attachment 335712

thank you so much for everything, i will reply back when i can in a bit!

 

[pascal016]

• Careful they are easy to become obsessed with lol. You may end up wanting to keep him. oh gosh, now i have to worry about the attachment issues lol
• Make sure you avoid spraying him directly. Unless he goes into the mist on his own. Looks like cage is on the floor... This may be why he is wanting out. They like to be higher than their humans. So I would put the cage up on a table so he feels more secure. picture may look weird, but he is on a dresser that is about waist height, so pretty tall.
• Could be stress. How are you feeding him? Most of us use feeder runs as they can easily see the movement of the feeders. At this age they easily can take down 2 dozen crickets a day. i do not know what a feeder run is. would i be able to make one? where would it be placed? can the crickets escape it? as of now i have a plastic cup easily reachable in the tank. i have a fear of letting the crickets run free because ive had issues with them destroying my plants and escaping into my house some how. is there something else i can do besides letting them roam in the tank?
• The calcium without D3 is fine. But I would replace the herptivite and the calcium with D3 with an all in one multivitamin that has vitamin A. Either reptivite with D3 or repashy calcium plus LoD version. Either of these multivitamins would be used only 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. Then the calcium without D3 at all other feedings. okay, i will order this!

You want a 2x2x4 foot enclosure. I prefer these over the zoomed https://www.diycages.com/collection...ducts/sc4-48x24x24-jumbo-vertical-screen-cage. do you know of a type that could be found on amazon? that is the only place i really order from. if so, i could order it now.

• Perfect and can you tell me the bulb strength? Should be written on the end of the bulb either 5.0 or 10.0. pics attached
• Too hot at basking. You want it more in the 80-83 for how young this one is. Max for an adult would be 85 although most of us keep them in the low 80's. Why type of bulb are you using for the basking and what is the wattage? in my place we've decided to keep the house temp at a lower more comfortable temp. so now the tank basking area is 79-83. so this works great for me. the bulb is a 100w, because i had a 75w and the temp would only reach to 75.

Dark can be absorbing heat... Can also mean stressed out. Lift cage up off the floor. It will take him time to settle in. Everything is new to him correct? He was not well taken care of prior? This cage is new? the cage is lifted, and yes everything is new to him. i dont think he has ever had any proper care sadly. the cage is old, but very well cleaned out before using again.

How long was he living in that tiny container? three days at the least.. i know. its heartbreaking. before that i dont know what he was in, most likely in a bin with other chams. he was in this tiny container where he couldnt even stand up with no food. thats why i assume he is so stressed, hes confused and has never had even decent care.

You will want to remove the thick rope. They can get their nails caught in these. okay, thank you.

also, he is now closing one of his eyes. he is not sleeping though because the other is open and he is very alert. right when i saw this i panicked that he was sleeping during the day, but hes not. is this something to worry about?

he looks lethargic now compared to earlier. i know i’m probably just overthinking this, but i don’t want the little guy to die under my care.

 

[Beman]

• Careful they are easy to become obsessed with lol. You may end up wanting to keep him. oh gosh, now i have to worry about the attachment issues lol
• Make sure you avoid spraying him directly. Unless he goes into the mist on his own. Looks like cage is on the floor... This may be why he is wanting out. They like to be higher than their humans. So I would put the cage up on a table so he feels more secure. picture may look weird, but he is on a dresser that is about waist height, so pretty tall.
• Could be stress. How are you feeding him? Most of us use feeder runs as they can easily see the movement of the feeders. At this age they easily can take down 2 dozen crickets a day. i do not know what a feeder run is. would i be able to make one? where would it be placed? can the crickets escape it? as of now i have a plastic cup easily reachable in the tank. i have a fear of letting the crickets run free because ive had issues with them destroying my plants and escaping into my house some how. is there something else i can do besides letting them roam in the tank? You could order from fullthrottle feeders. Or make your own. https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/
• The calcium without D3 is fine. But I would replace the herptivite and the calcium with D3 with an all in one multivitamin that has vitamin A. Either reptivite with D3 or repashy calcium plus LoD version. Either of these multivitamins would be used only 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. Then the calcium without D3 at all other feedings. okay, i will order this!

You want a 2x2x4 foot enclosure. I prefer these over the zoomed https://www.diycages.com/collection...ducts/sc4-48x24x24-jumbo-vertical-screen-cage. do you know of a type that could be found on amazon? that is the only place i really order from. if so, i could order it now. The only one on amazon is the zoomed brand it is more expensive. I have ordered from DIY cages. It is a site I would trust and it is a much better cage.

• Perfect and can you tell me the bulb strength? Should be written on the end of the bulb either 5.0 or 10.0. pics attached With the 5.0 bulb you want a measured distance of 8-9 inches between the bottom of the fixture and the closest branches below it for the correct UVI exposure.
• Too hot at basking. You want it more in the 80-83 for how young this one is. Max for an adult would be 85 although most of us keep them in the low 80's. Why type of bulb are you using for the basking and what is the wattage? in my place we've decided to keep the house temp at a lower more comfortable temp. so now the tank basking area is 79-83. so this works great for me. the bulb is a 100w, because i had a 75w and the temp would only reach to 75. Ok you need to drop this back to a 60 watt bulb. 100 is going to be far too intense. You can dehydrate him. How are you currently checking the temp at basking? For ambient temps your looking at wanting it to be about 70-72. So if your heat is on higher then you want to either lower it or close down the vents in the room. I think he is showing black from heat and stress.

Dark can be absorbing heat... Can also mean stressed out. Lift cage up off the floor. It will take him time to settle in. Everything is new to him correct? He was not well taken care of prior? This cage is new? the cage is lifted, and yes everything is new to him. i dont think he has ever had any proper care sadly. the cage is old, but very well cleaned out before using again. So this boy has been through it. He is very thin... Looks a little dehydrated. Put ice cubes on top of the screen and let them drip down onto the plants below it.

How long was he living in that tiny container? three days at the least.. i know. its heartbreaking. before that i dont know what he was in, most likely in a bin with other chams. he was in this tiny container where he couldnt even stand up with no food. thats why i assume he is so stressed, hes confused and has never had even decent care. ugg... people suck. glad he is with you now.

You will want to remove the thick rope. They can get their nails caught in these. okay, thank you.

also, he is now closing one of his eyes. he is not sleeping though because the other is open and he is very alert. right when i saw this i panicked that he was sleeping during the day, but hes not. is this something to worry about? This is a stress response. You want to get him eating make sure they are smaller sized crickets. Make sure to keep the dripping on the cage so he has access to water. I would not change anything in the cage for the next week. Let him settle.

he looks lethargic now compared to earlier. i know i’m probably just overthinking this, but i don’t want the little guy to die under my care. I really think this is a combo of all the stress and I think your temps are much hotter than you think. Follow what I put above. Try to get him eating even if you just release a few crickets at a time near him.

 

[Beman]

Also baby boy is showing signs of edema... You said you got a fecal checked... Did he also go to a vet? If so did they do anything? give him a shot anything? Edema is normally linked to an imbalance in the body. Most typically to a supplement issue.

 

[pascal016]

Also baby boy is showing signs of edema... You said you got a fecal checked... Did he also go to a vet? If so did they do anything? give him a shot anything? Edema is normally linked to an imbalance in the body. Most typically to a supplement issue.


View attachment 335719

he did go. they said he was healthy and didnt give him anything. could this be the angle of the pic? it doesnt look like that now

 

[Beman]

he did go. they said he was healthy and didnt give him anything. could this be the angle of the pic? it doesnt look like that now

Ok could have been that he was puffing... But that is rare for them to puff there without puffing their entire gulular out. Just keep an eye on it.

I also responded to your comments let me know if you have questions.

 

[pascal016]

• With the 5.0 bulb you want a measured distance of 8-9 inches between the bottom of the fixture and the closest branches below it for the correct UVI exposure.i can raise this now.
• Ok you need to drop this back to a 60 watt bulb. 100 is going to be far too intense. You can dehydrate him. How are you currently checking the temp at basking? For ambient temps your looking at wanting it to be about 70-72. So if your heat is on higher then you want to either lower it or close down the vents in the room. I think he is showing black from heat and stress. currently i am using a cheap gauge. tgat is why i ordered digital ones. i can run to the store in a few hours. only petsmart and petco are near me. what bulb should i buy? or is any 60w fine? with the 60w, my temps are always very low. what can i do to change this then without a hight wattage? should i turn this bulb off for now, or leave it?

So this boy has been through it. He is very thin... Looks a little dehydrated. Put ice cubes on top of the screen and let them drip down onto the plants below it. doing it now

ugg... people suck. glad he is with you now. me too. and that is why im so hard on myself that he is not doing the best right now.

This is a stress response. You want to get him eating make sure they are smaller sized crickets. Make sure to keep the dripping on the cage so he has access to water. I would not change anything in the cage for the next week. Let him settle. just released 5 small ones dusted with normal calcium. one jumped onto him and he was not interested at all and just sat there.

updated pic now. he "fell" just then like this, but slowly got back up. he is now laying his body on a branch with one leg hanging down. everytimt he moves he struggles and seems to have to drag himself.

anything i can do to get him interested in his food? im not neaer him at all, and the crickets are right next to him and he does not care.

 

[pascal016]

leaving right now to get bulb.

 

[Beman]

Ok you need to drop this back to a 60 watt bulb. 100 is going to be far too intense. You can dehydrate him. How are you currently checking the temp at basking? For ambient temps your looking at wanting it to be about 70-72. So if your heat is on higher then you want to either lower it or close down the vents in the room. I think he is showing black from heat and stress. currently i am using a cheap gauge. tgat is why i ordered digital ones. i can run to the store in a few hours. only petsmart and petco are near me. what bulb should i buy? or is any 60w fine? with the 60w, my temps are always very low. what can i do to change this then without a hight wattage? should i turn this bulb off for now, or leave it?

Get a zoomed temp gauge with probe, they sell these at pet co and petsmart. You want to hook this in on the basking branch right below the heat. If it says 80 at the branch then it will be a few degrees hotter where the cham rises up. Get this bulb for heat unless you have a standard white incandescent 60 Watt. They sell these as well.

ugg... people suck. glad he is with you now. me too. and that is why im so hard on myself that he is not doing the best right now.

He may decline further... If he does this is not your fault. They are very fragile animals. Stress is one of the hardest things on their bodies.

updated pic now. he "fell" just then like this, but slowly got back up. he is now laying his body on a branch with one leg hanging down. everytimt he moves he struggles and seems to have to drag himself.

anything i can do to get him interested in his food? im not neaer him at all, and the crickets are right next to him and he does not care.

He may not eat... You can put wax worms in the little cup you have put enough so they are moving. Don't include the substrate they come in though. Dust them with calcium without D3.

 

[Beman]

leaving right now to get bulb.

See the post I just did.

 

[Sonny13]

Poor boy, he has had rough start. How can someone call himself a breeder and putting these wonderful creatures in such poor situations . You’re doing all you can and you’re in good hands with @Beman I do really hope he isn’t declining from the stress this poor boy was into and hopefully he hangs in there long enough to soak up all your good care .

Like been said try waxworms, they hardly can’t refuse them. And normally they aren’t recommended because of their high fat, in your case it wouldn’t harm him.

Hang in there little fella

Ps the ice cube idea or dripper (pinch a small hole in a cup) is a good idea. This could give him the boost he needs (almost for sure he’s dehydrated)

 

[Sonny13]

Oh……once he’s settled in, you won’t give him away anymore

 

[pascal016]

i got the bulb.

i don’t think there is anything else i can do. he cannot walk and is simply dragging himself. he will barely open his eyes.

still hissing here and there though if i get too close to him.

i’m leaving him alone now, but i think i have done all i have.

 

[elizaann2]

Keeping my fingers crossed for him.