Is my chameleon surviving or thriving?

[reptileguy112]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled female that is about 4 months (thats my estimate), I have had her since sept. 12, 2014
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?Once every few days to let her outside
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?I feed her supers, crickets, and wax worms as a treat.Every day she eats about 2 supers and 3-4 crickets.Crickets have hydration gel and eat veggis.I feed mosly in morning but can varry
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?I think it is called repticalcium and I have one with d3 and without.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?I have dripper and misters, a used drippers 1-2 times a day for 5 mins, i mist 3-4 times a day, i do not see her drinking
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?dark brown with white urate.never tested.does not poo everyday
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.I got her from reptile show in sacramento, a and asked for male but they gave me a female without telling me.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?It is in a tall 20g glass right now but should be moved to a 2' 2' 4' screen by the end of the week
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?I usually just have the uvb light in.it is 18" exoterra 5.0.I also have a exoterra compact uvb I used when I order a new bulb and currently don't have one and I have a blue night light that I might use in the winter
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?In the morning 74-81 and at night the lowest maybe 69 but usually 72.Has 2 basking spots.I have a sticker thermometer
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?I have a circle humidity compass thingy.I keep humidity up with plants, dripper, misting, and I will have a fogger soon.It is usually about 60%
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?I have a prayer plant, ficus, cape honeysuckle, and a star jasmine
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?It is in my room next to a window and I have a fan on top of it.There is a vent in the room.4 feet high.
Location - Where are you geographically located?Sacramento, California in the northern area

 

[Lizardguy1]

I recommend a warmer basking spot- 85F at her age, raising it to 90F+ as an adult. Also I would cut back on watering- you only need a good misting 1-2 times a day, and a deep watering with a dripper once or twice a week. Let humidity drop to ambient level in your house in between watering/misting.

Feeding sounds good, she will eat more as she grows.

If you can I recommend you house her outside as long as temperatures are suitably warm. Natural sunlight is the best UV source.

 

[reptileguy112]

It gets down to 40 F were i am at night.There are also herons.I was giving you the general temp of the cage, not basking spot so I think things are good>I can open the window she is right next to for sun also.Are there any recommendations of how to keep a cham and lovebird in the same room?

 

[junglefries]

Deleted post

 

[Carlton]

Also I would cut back on watering- you only need a good misting 1-2 times a day, and a deep watering with a dripper once or twice a week. Let humidity drop to ambient level in your house in between watering/misting.

Be careful recommending how much water to provide. Everyone's particular situation and cham are different. If the cage humidity is OK, her urates don't show dehydration, and she's eating and behaving normally, the amount of watering is working. Given how dry and warm Sacramento can be (and use of AC in summer or winter heating) and her age I would err on the side of a bit too much water rather than too little.

 

[Lizardguy1]

Carlton,

I copy all and hear what you are saying, I'm just providing advice based on my experience and research. I believe that the recommendations for Veileds for humidity and watering by most pet stores are way too high, and reptileguy's description of watering 4-6 times a day and 60%+ humidity is way too much moisture for a desert-adapted species. When reviewing the climate from Jeddah, Saudia Arabia to Sanaa, Yemen, the low elevation climates are hotter than even Sacramento or Las Vegas, and as dry if not drier than the latter locations in the U.S. There is a middle elevation zone in the mountains there that get a fair amount of rainfall, but it is still a dry/arid climate when not raining. Even Sanaa is extremely dry, and surprisingly cold in the winter, often dropping well below freezing. I'm not suggesting pet owners test the physiological extremes of this species, but that they do provide a fair amount of variability within what they experience naturally. They are not however, a rainforest species, and I believe that much constant moisture and humidity contributes to problems as well. Again just my experience-