I adopted a Veiled, help with a few questions!

JonRich

JonRich

New Member
Well i am not new to keeping reptiles ( and other exotic animals)..

I had a Veiled in my Environmental Studies class in college, but as far as actually keeping one myself this is all new!

Well i got a call from my Sister stating that she knew of someone needing a good home for their pet Chameleon ! (didnt know what kind or what to expect really. i was just told it was 6 month.)But i said "sure , i'd give it a shot.

I got it late lastnight and was a bit suprised. It was a beautiful male Veiled (didn't look 6 months , more like a year). But i didnt want to stress him with gauking eyes, so i just set the terrarium in a corner and let him sleep out the night in peace.

I have already read quite a bit about husbandry, but still have a few questions that i feel i can only get from one's personal experience.

Please bare with me , i might have a lot of questions!
__________________________________________________________

PS: he slept at around 75*,this morning i had him under the basking light for about an hour (80*) before turning on the heat lamp (89*90*) while i went to the LPS to get him something to eat.

The previous owner had him eating roaches My wife would KILL me if i brought a roach into the house. So i got a mix of live foods to see which i can make due with. Crickets, mealworms and waxworms is what i eneded up with................. He ate them ALL in this order Crickets(5)-mealworms(10)-Waxxworms (5). I guess he ate the Crickets first just because they were more active!

Now my first questions.. Getting this guy to drink. He does lapp up some dropps of water when i mist the tank, but i feel like it's not enough.
Any tricks/tips?
I read about the icecube on the mesh lid melting drip trick and having it drip into a dish. But i have a little bit of surface rust on the mesh screen and didnt want to contaminate the water he'd possibly drink.

Any way , here are some pix from throught today.
 

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Welcome to the forums. I keep veileds along with panthers and a parson. He's a gorgeous boy! I would recommend a dripper for water and I also give mine water with an eye dropper (plastic only). For feeders instead of mealworms and waxworms I'd recommend silkworms, hornworms and superworms. He will need to bask in the upper 80's. I have a blog for new keepers attached below.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
 
jannb said:
Welcome to the forums. I keep veileds along with panthers and a parson. He's a gorgeous boy! I would recommend a dripper for water and I also give mine water with an eye dropper (plastic only). For feeders instead of mealworms and waxworms I'd recommend silkworms, hornworms and superworms. He will need to bask in the upper 80's. I have a blog for new keepers attached below.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
Click to expand...

thanks for the info, i'll have a read
 
other questions i have ...

I want to pull the artificial plants and see if i can get a small live tree 18" x18" to put in there for him.

I guess i'll raid the plant shop down the block for non-toxic plants that would suite my needs.

Any suggestions on plants what wont grow too large? (granted i will prune)
 
Isn't he handsome! Welcome.

I'm a huge fan of Pothos plants. You can often find them very "long" for hanging. Those vines can be pinned up around the enclosure to provide climbing opportunities. They do seem to thrive on water and chameleon poop so you might be forced to prune fairly regularly. I have one cage that is practically overgrown, but the chameleon seems very content in there (when I can find him) so I let it be.

Also, the "roaches" that most people feed chameleons are nothing like the roaches that infest your house. They are usually Dubia Roaches.

Maybe you can just call them Dubia's? Apparently, they don't smell, they don't make noise and they don't jump....all that makes them easier to deal with than crickets (but, I keep crickets! Roaches? Blech!!!! lol)
 
quick observation question..

Pajamas?? lol

My new Cham (2nd night ) changes to brighter colors at night to sleep. I call it his pajamas because it's the same colors/pattern, at the same time 2nd night in a row . Id bet my bottom dolla that he will do it again tomorrow.

Is this normal?
 
Elizadolots said:
Isn't he handsome! Welcome.

I'm a huge fan of Pothos plants. You can often find them very "long" for hanging. Those vines can be pinned up around the enclosure to provide climbing opportunities. They do seem to thrive on water and chameleon poop so you might be forced to prune fairly regularly. I have one cage that is practically overgrown, but the chameleon seems very content in there (when I can find him) so I let it be.

Also, the "roaches" that most people feed chameleons are nothing like the roaches that infest your house. They are usually Dubia Roaches.

Maybe you can just call them Dubia's? Apparently, they don't smell, they don't make noise and they don't jump....all that makes them easier to deal with than crickets (but, I keep crickets! Roaches? Blech!!!! lol)
Click to expand...

thanks for the tips. And the roach deal didn't even make it to trial (my wife has a phobia, it was not even up for question) "No roaches in this houseee or else... " was her exact words.

There are about 14 (Dubia's)of them that managed to escape him while the previous owner had him and they are all behind the foam wall (out of reach of the Cham). I can't even begin to understand how i will tell her about them. Im contemplating painting the back glass black so she never sees them, lmaoo
 
JonRich said:
Pajamas?? lol

My new Cham (2nd night ) changes to brighter colors at night to sleep. I call it his pajamas because it's the same colors/pattern, at the same time 2nd night in a row . Id bet my bottom dolla that he will do it again tomorrow.

Is this normal?
Click to expand...

Yes, they go lighter at night. As it reflects light more, it seems brighter. Sleeping chams are a whole different kind of pretty. If you check out the photo forum you'll see that people can't resist taking pictures of them when they are asleep.


JonRich said:
There are about 14 (Dubia's)of them that managed to escape him while the previous owner had him and they are all behind the foam wall (out of reach of the Cham). I can't even begin to understand how i will tell her about them. Im contemplating painting the back glass black so she never sees them, lmaoo
Click to expand...

Oh, you should never own up to that one....If she happens to see one, pretend you have no idea how it got there. Maybe a neighbor has reptiles and keeps the nice, non-smelly, quite roaches that you would never, ever bring into her house.
 
Elizadolots said:
Yes, they go lighter at night. As it reflects light more, it seems brighter. Sleeping chams are a whole different kind of pretty. If you check out the photo forum you'll see that people can't resist taking pictures of them when they are asleep.




Oh, you should never own up to that one....If she happens to see one, pretend you have no idea how it got there. Maybe a neighbor has reptiles and keeps the nice, non-smelly, quite roaches that you would never, ever bring into her house.
Click to expand...

Yea i try not to disturb , but i can just imagine the colors and patterns he has while sleeping.

By the way would he be considered a "Sunburst" Veiled Cham?
and how long do they live for?
 
JonRich said:
Yea i try not to disturb , but i can just imagine the colors and patterns he has while sleeping.

By the way would he be considered a "Sunburst" Veiled Cham?
and how long do they live for?
Click to expand...

He's a good lookin boy. I guess you'd call that sunburst. They can live for 6 or 7 years but not many do.
 
Feeding time?

Do you guys feed your Chams at the same time everyday?

When i got him it was over the weekend and i had a few days off. So i had the chance to pretty much watch him all day! I fed him around 2pm after he was done basking and seemed a lil more active.

My question is , now that im back at work (9-5) . Is it better to feed him in the AM before i leave or PM when i get home.?

I ask this because i kinda want to monitor and log what and how much he eats. That and my wife will not touch any live insect and i really don't want any to escape into my home!

I'm sure you guys get this. My home sounded like a nigth in the woods with the crickets chirping (i actually like it, but the wife is not so understanding) lol
 
some questions.

There is a garden in the courtyard of my building that has a nicee tree that i'm considering taking Kamo down to while we are still in the mid 80's. Would this do more harm than good , being as how i only had him 3 days.?

Also since i seem to think too much into things. I have noticed quite a few Monarch butterflies in and around the past week(either roosting or flapping around lost). I know they are toxic, what if i do take him down and he tags and eats one? I assume a vet would be involved if he does swallow it rite?

Anyway today I had him walk onto this 2 foot stick and took him out to get a good look at him,a chance to clean the tank and i really wanted to take the substrait out and replace it with some sort of turf material or a rug/carpet. He seemed calm and even snapped up a few mealworms.

Will the artificial turf, rug or carpet be an issue in the rare chance he does come all the way down?
 
JonRich said:
Feeding time?

Do you guys feed your Chams at the same time everyday?
Click to expand...

Not exactly...weekends are usually later in my house....

My question is , now that im back at work (9-5) . Is it better to feed him in the AM before i leave or PM when i get home.?
Click to expand...

Feed him so he has at least 4 or 5 hours to digest before the lights go off. If you get off work early, that might be after work, but generally, it's the morning.

I'm sure you guys get this. My home sounded like a nigth in the woods with the crickets chirping (i actually like it, but the wife is not so understanding) lol
Click to expand...

It's nice, isn't it?

JonRich said:
some questions.

There is a garden in the courtyard of my building that has a nicee tree that i'm considering taking Kamo down to while we are still in the mid 80's. Would this do more harm than good , being as how i only had him 3 days.?
Click to expand...

How sure are you that you'll be able to get him out of the tree? How sure are you that a random fly by bird won't be able to nab him? Only you can answer those questions.

Will the artificial turf, rug or carpet be an issue in the rare chance he does come all the way down?
Click to expand...

It's an issue for bacteria which don't really feel compelled to stay where they form...usually people here suggest nothing on the bottom except possibly some disposable paper product to absorb the dripper. I suggest no substrate (stuff on the bottom) at all and a drainage system so water is collected below the cage.
 
By the way Eliza, thanks for the responces.

I live in Midtown Manhattan. It's sad but if you see a bird other than a pigeon , consider yourself lucky. I do see Peregrine Falcons from time to time , but they are often wayy up in the sky.

There is a Hibiscus tree about 5 feet tall that i would have him free range on with my supervision. I guess i spoke too soon because it calls for rain and lower (high 60s-low 70s) temps for the rest of the week and it seems Fall is officially here!:(
 
Elizadolots said:
Feed him so he has at least 4 or 5 hours to digest before the lights go off. If you get off work early, that might be after work, but generally, it's the morning..
Click to expand...

Well i made a discovery today. Seems i have a auto-feeder lol

Remember the roaches behind the foam background? Well they do come out at night! I had a plastic cup pinned to the wall in the upper right hand corner that Kamo feeds out of. (clifnote: there is a quater sized hole in the foam that leads to the back where the Dubia's are).

The cup was empty lastnight b4 i went to bed, aside from one dead mealworm. My wife woke up before me this morning and checked on Kamo before i did. I heard her scream and came running . The cup had 6 medium sized Dubia's in it , lol.

seems they came out to skavenge on whatever they could and was drawned to the cup because there was the one mealworm in there and fell in and could not get back out to head back behind the wall before morning. Kamo had already ate 3 by the time i left for work!:D

Im just wondering if this "auto-feeder" can happen every day, till all the Dubias are gone, haha.
 
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