How much do your chameleons weigh?

[starter]

I have a Yemen Veilded female called "Lizzie" who is very healthy, happy and round (she might be gravid meanwhile) and weighs 210 grams. She is about 1.5 years old and I have raised her from a baby. A few months ago I have adopted a 2 year old male called "Yoshi" and I wonder whether he is healthy and normal or not - or whether my female is just overweight? On Google images I see that males are usually bigger than females. This male is only about the same size as Lizzie, weighs only 190 grams, and looks very thin. I had hoped to feed him up (he is getting the same abundance of food as Lizzie), but he just won't get fatter. Therefore I would like to know: What is a healthy body weight for a female and for a male chameleon?

 

[starter]

Hi, I have not got any replies to this one (yet), so I have googled a bit and found: "Females should have good body weight, but not be obese. Suitable females generally weigh about 65 to 90 grams." Source: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Lizards/Breeding-Lizards/How-to-Breed-Veiled-Chameleons/
My female reached 240g at the peak of her gravidity - she then laid 84 eggs (!) - and after laying she still weighed 160g. So she indeed is a very large female. I have raised her from 2 months old and she always has been healthy and ate well, mainly worms (mealworms, Morio worms, wax worms) and insects (locusts and crickets) as well as small portions of fruit and vegetables, mainly green salad leaves.

My male came to me as a very sick adult and extremely thin with only 130g bodyweight due to a missing or badly injured tongue (I have never seen his tongue come out yet), so he has to be hand-fed or syringe-fed. Meanwhile, his weight has increased to 215g. A high-energy paste from the vet which I have been feeding him over the last week, has really given him a big boost. Is that already an acceptable weight for a male? I found another website saying "Veiled chameleons are not heavy-bodied lizards, with males weighing in at about 3 to 6 ounces (85 to 170 grams) and females at 3 to 4 ounces (85 to 118 grams)." These numbers seem far too low to me, so I thought I'd better ask other chameleon owners and breeders.

How much do your male Yemen veiled chameleons weigh?

 

[starter]

Cool! I have found my question already answered here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/adult-male-veiled-weight.33734/
It looks like I have managed to feed up my tongue-less male (Yoshi) to a healthy bodyweight. And I female (Lizzie) is definitely a very big one.

 

[creolebeans]

My female Veiled Cham is 12 inches (snout to tail) (I don’t remember what it is snout to vent). She is around 12-15 months I’m assuming based on the age the breeder told me and she weighs 109grams as of 02/11/2021. Is that acceptable? Is she too heavy or too light? I can still see her ribs slightly and her stomach doesn’t drag on her branches or anything. I only just recently as of last month started to weigh her.

 

[cruz.m]

Hi, I have not got any replies to this one (yet), so I have googled a bit and found: "Females should have good body weight, but not be obese. Suitable females generally weigh about 65 to 90 grams." Source: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Lizards/Breeding-Lizards/How-to-Breed-Veiled-Chameleons/
My female reached 240g at the peak of her gravidity - she then laid 84 eggs (!) - and after laying she still weighed 160g. So she indeed is a very large female. I have raised her from 2 months old and she always has been healthy and ate well, mainly worms (mealworms, Morio worms, wax worms) and insects (locusts and crickets) as well as small portions of fruit and vegetables, mainly green salad leaves.

My male came to me as a very sick adult and extremely thin with only 130g bodyweight due to a missing or badly injured tongue (I have never seen his tongue come out yet), so he has to be hand-fed or syringe-fed. Meanwhile, his weight has increased to 215g. A high-energy paste from the vet which I have been feeding him over the last week, has really given him a big boost. Is that already an acceptable weight for a male? I found another website saying "Veiled chameleons are not heavy-bodied lizards, with males weighing in at about 3 to 6 ounces (85 to 170 grams) and females at 3 to 4 ounces (85 to 118 grams)." These numbers seem far too low to me, so I thought I'd better ask other chameleon owners and breeders.

How much do your male Yemen veiled chameleons weigh?

How much are you feeding? 84 eggs is A LOT and you should look into reducing that amount, feeding a lot and providing high basking temps leads to more eggs which is not good as it comes with many health risks. Mealworms are not recommended for chameleons so I’d stop feeding those, wax worms are treats, and I’m pretty sure morio worms are as well, most of your feeders aren’t very nutritious and are fatty. Remember you must properly gutload and supplement all your feeders as well. Chameleons are insectivorous they do not need to eat fruits and vegetables and it isn’t recommended so I’d also stop feeding those as well. I have a feeling you are over feeding your little guys and they may either have or start developing obesity, but I’m not sure so pictures would be great! The thread you linked may differ with your chameleon, so pictures would be good as mentioned so we can see what your chameleons look like as weight differs between chameleons. Also be very careful with syringe feeding because it’s very dangerous if not done properly, you can aspirate your cham if you feed too much at a time (etc) their mouths aren’t like ours they have their airway is at the front of their mouth etc...just be careful
If you could please fill this out and provide pictures that’d be great!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.