How to take care of baby Cham

Cham_boomerang

Cham_boomerang

New Member
I am trying to get all of the info on how to take care of vailed Cham because I don't want to get one and not know how to take care of it I know a little but I mostly know about adults and idk if it's any different from taking care of adult to baby. Any info? Ps why do people say it's harder to take care of baby chams?
 
Click on the resources tab and then on caresheets. It will guide you on everything you need to do and what to buy. Babies eat a ton of food. They need to be fed everyday and can eat upwards of 25 feeders a day. When you say a baby though, how young are we talking?
 
I've cared for plenty of veiled chameleons throughout all life stages, and made plenty of mistakes as well. But, from these mistakes and experiences, I have learned many things and so I will share with you all that you should need....

First off, here are some things that I wish I had know going into the process:
Although your mind may go straight to "Oh, a new pet? I'll go to the local pet store and get it there", it's not a good idea. People tend to thing that since an animal is coming from a pet store where anyone can buy it, the animal must be easier to take care of than those purchased from private breeders. This is NOT the case! In fact, it works backwards, since when you go through a breeder you are most likely garaunteeing yourself a healthy and well bred baby. From a pet store, you have no idea who bred this chameleon and the health conditions it may have. Beginners should always go through a breeder, as you most likely do not know how to recognize signs of illness or how to treat injuries sustained with these creatures. Think of them more of a rescue animal.

A young veiled should not be immediantly placed in an enclosure suitable for it at its full size. This will be overwhelming, and will cause problems. Invest in a smaller enclosure first, then upgrade once your chameleon is ready to move up.

Chameleons can eat a variety of things, but should never consume something that is bigger than the width of its head. This means a baby is going to need small sized crickets/roaches and any worms you feed as a treat must also be that small.

Although it may seem pricey and rather daunting, you should invest in an automated misting system (I reccomend the MistKing starter kit for beginners). Why do you need this as opposed to using a spray bottle? For one, you will not always be there, and your veiled chameleon should have an enclosure that mantains a humidity level of 60-75% during the day and 40-50% at night. This is also key for hydration!

A baby should be fed twice a day. They will eat a lot until they are older.

These are the basics!
 
@Cham_boomerang The reason babies are more difficult is because they are smaller with very thin skin. There is little margin for error. They dehydrate very easily. They need cooler temperatures and I think higher humidity.

Do yourself a favor--make sure you buy a male. Females are problematic with egg laying which ultimately will drastically shorten most if not all female veiled and panther chameleons' lives. Egg laying is hard on them.

I feel a mister is a necessity, not a luxury. They need it for more than humidity and hydration--they use it to clean their eyes.

You've received some good advice from other forum members. Good luck.
 
@jajeanpierre They are in fact very fragile and require expert care. As far as temperatures goes, it's not so much that they need a lower temperature, but more that they need a greater difference between their basking and lowest points of comfort. Basking spots should stay between 85-95....lower area should range in the mid 60s to mid 70s....its a good idea to keep a thermometer at the basking spot as well as one on the middle and one on the lower portion, since it allows you to more accurately monitor things. Humidity, as with most chameleons, should be high (although Veileds tend to adjust well to dryer areas, they are bettered suited in high humidity). With my babies, I assure that my misting system is more precise and has only a 5% space for variation throughout the day. With adults, that changes to 15%. What's the reason for this? As you mentioned, they are more easily dehydrated. Always make sure to watch and make sure your baby is consuming enough water and is able to recognize sources. Also, misting systems should be set up so that they only cover an portion of the enclosure, leaving a dry space for your cham to go if it does not want to get wet. Soaking a chameleon and cooling its basking spot can make them sick.
 
Thank you
K_Wolf said:
@jajeanpierre They are in fact very fragile and require expert care. As far as temperatures goes, it's not so much that they need a lower temperature, but more that they need a greater difference between their basking and lowest points of comfort. Basking spots should stay between 85-95....lower area should range in the mid 60s to mid 70s....its a good idea to keep a thermometer at the basking spot as well as one on the middle and one on the lower portion, since it allows you to more accurately monitor things. Humidity, as with most chameleons, should be high (although Veileds tend to adjust well to dryer areas, they are bettered suited in high humidity). With my babies, I assure that my misting system is more precise and has only a 5% space for variation throughout the day. With adults, that changes to 15%. What's the reason for this? As you mentioned, they are more easily dehydrated. Always make sure to watch and make sure your baby is consuming enough water and is able to recognize sources. Also, misting systems should be set up so that they only cover an portion of the enclosure, leaving a dry space for your cham to go if it does not want to get wet. Soaking a chameleon and cooling its basking spot can make them sick.
Click to expand...
jajeanpierre said:
@Cham_boomerang The reason babies are more difficult is because they are smaller with very thin skin. There is little margin for error. They dehydrate very easily. They need cooler temperatures and I think higher humidity.

Do yourself a favor--make sure you buy a male. Females are problematic with egg laying which ultimately will drastically shorten most if not all female veiled and panther chameleons' lives. Egg laying is hard on them.

I feel a mister is a necessity, not a luxury. They need it for more than humidity and hydration--they use it to clean their eyes.

You've received some good advice from other forum members. Good luck.
Click to expand...
But I was wondering how do you the basking light so warm my friend has a chameleon and she said that her basking light isn't warm enough
 
I'm on my first veiled, and this forum is like the Bible: read it daily. The BEST advice is on here.
Unlike the Bible: Do I take all of it? No. Do I try all of it? YES.

Babies do eat a LOT. I have 2 dogs over 50 pounds, 2 Guinea Pigs, a mouse, a crested gecko, and a hermit crab. Not to mention the wild birds and other critters that my wife and I feed on purpose and on accident. That 1 Veiled has cost more in food than all of them put together. My advice is either breed (which I don't) or order online (that I do). The pet store will make you take out a 2nd or 3rd mortgage.

georgiacrickets.com is my preferred. I met them at a Repticon and bought their set up. Go with the 1000 cricket tub. It is easier to load regardless of how many you wind up ordering.

Oh yeah! Repticon! repticon.com go there. That's where my wife got Stanley, our crested gecko. That's our Mecca. We vacation around Repticon. You will save on enclosures and supplies. (check me on that, sometimes you do and sometimes you don't)

And remember: handling is largely dependent on individual personality. Veileds are jerks. Mine is, but I handle him at least every other day. As a result, he actually climbs on my hand, and get's upset if I don't take him out enough. He has NEVER bitten me. The other pets have drawn blood, I have scars from wild birds, but Gary has never bitten me. . .he, and yours, will give you plenty of warning when they're tired of your face.

Free range them while you watch TV and stuff. They are hilarious. You know when they claim a new spot because they get all colorful and and stick their arm straight out and do this quick hiss/bark thing. Then they look at you like, "this is my curtain now! It is yours no longer!"

P.S. is anyone else's chameleon a creep? Gary loves to watch everything we do. . .everything. He always has to see where we are and is so nosy. He get's mad if he can't see us, or we play with other pets. . .and he is ALWAYS watching.

P.S.S. my word may be crap, but it has worked for me and my veiled is happy. I agree with everything that was said before. I've had Gary since he was a tiny little snot, and this forum has helped me more than anything else. The only thing I can authoritatively say about it is this: Do NOT fret over him. If you do what the care sheet says, you won't have anything to worry about. He will be fine.

Have Fun!
 
Cham_boomerang said:
Thank you


But I was wondering how do you the basking light so warm my friend has a chameleon and she said that her basking light isn't warm enough
Click to expand...
Make sure its high enough power. Let it sit right on top of the screen and make sure your cham can get close enough to it but is not able to reach the light itself. Also, keep the area dry (free of misting zones).
 
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