I've got a diva female jackson chameleon about 6 months old.

[GonzoBatCountry]

I recently purchased a female jackson chameleon and she is absolutely the most difficult diva to make happy. She was quite friendly the first week eating a little and drinking fairly well from the information I've found. This second week she's become disinterested in eating. I've tried different size crickets and meal worms but everything is to no avail. I tried changing her set up but that just seems to be more pissed. She doesn't want to be touched and has had a darker pattern this week. I've made sure her set up is nice and warm. I mist her several times a day and offer water multiple times. I'm open to all suggestions. Are females just more particular than males? I just want her to well and relax a bit more. She's definitely got me perplexed.

 

[Peeps101]

Welcome to the forums! First off, mealworms are a no as they can cause your chameleon to choke. Fill out this and provide much info as possible. Pictures are helpful too.

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.

 

[GonzoBatCountry]

Welcome to the forums! First off, mealworms are a no as they can cause your chameleon to choke. Fill out this and provide much info as possible. Pictures are helpful too.

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.

]

Welcome to the forums! First off, mealworms are a no as they can cause your chameleon to choke. Fill out this and provide much info as possible. Pictures are helpful too.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Jackson, female, about 6 months, 2 weeks
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Every couple days, first week she would come to my hand in her terrarium.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Cricket and mealworms, a few crickets and 10 small mealworms, feed after I offer water about an hour or two after uncovering her setup, feeding feeders different greens and veggies.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Repti calcium, once every few days
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Misting and simulated rainfall, 3 to 4x a day for several minutes, yeah she drinks pretty good.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• Greenish brown clump with liquidy white stuff, no not been tested yet.
• 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?
• Glass, 12x18x20 I think
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Basking bulb 40 watt, 11-12 hours (12pm to 11pm).
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• 85-75, 70, several times throughout the day.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Not sure but medium to high, misting down the bark backboard and cage heavily a couple times a day
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Haven't been able to get out and pick up live plants, planning on next Monday. I've got branches,moss,and a artificial vine.
• 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?
• Bedroom, no fan, keeping a little heater running to keep the room warmer, about 3 1/2 from floor.
• Location - Where are you geographically located?
• Tennessee

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

She just seems pissed this week and isn't interested in feeding for the past week.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Meal worms will not cause your Cham to choke but peeps is on the right track in that they aren’t recommended for Chams.

 

[Peeps101]

]

She just seems pissed this week and isn't interested in feeding for the past week.

Okay a LOT of things need to be fixed here. First off STOP feeding the mealworms. As I said before your cham could choke on them. Calcium D3 should only be used twice a month not every other day. That enclosure will not do, it is way too small, it at least needs to be 24x24x48 or somewhere close to it. You need to also be dusting your insects with multivitamin supplements not just calcium. And the light bulb, very important, you have a basking bulb but the more important one you need is either a T5 or T8 linear bulb. You can find them pretty cheap online like Amazon. I bought mine from there and it came with the fixture. Another thing, don’t try to handle her so much as handling causes high stress. Also, green fecal does not sound good. Something else besides being ‘pissed’ could be going on inside her.

 

[Chameleophlaged]

With the little information you've provided I can see one potential problem for a Jackson Chameleon, other than those previously mentioned
You said you made her set-up nice and warm,...Jacksons like nice and cool, and they don't mind wet either.

 

[JacksJill]

Most D3 supplements will overdose your Jacksons if given more than once a month. She will need extra hydration to support her organs while her body deals with the excess.
Some reading for you Care sheet and this http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulManchen.html
A 24x24x48 cage would be great but female Jacksons are bit smaller and can handle a 18x18x36.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Helpful guides:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

 

[GonzoBatCountry]

Okay a LOT of things need to be fixed here. First off STOP feeding the mealworms. As I said before your cham could choke on them. Calcium D3 should only be used twice a month not every other day. That enclosure will not do, it is way too small, it at least needs to be 24x24x48 or somewhere close to it. You need to also be dusting your insects with multivitamin supplements not just calcium. And the light bulb, very important, you have a basking bulb but the more important one you need is either a T5 or T8 linear bulb. You can find them pretty cheap online like Amazon. I bought mine from there and it came with the fixture. Another thing, don’t try to handle her so much as handling causes high stress. Also, green fecal does not sound good. Something else besides being ‘pissed’ could be going on inside her.

I was supposed to have gotten a larger cage. When I went to check her they had a nice big cage but it's was gone when my son's went to pick it up the next day (I'm disabled with arm crutches and can't lift anything) the obig one was gone and my sons got the one I presently have. At the beginning of next month I plan on getting her a nice big unit. I'll be addressing the issues with the lighting per the forums suggestions instead of Petland's recommendations. Outside of this forum there's a not a great deal of information, I'm glad I found some folks to line me out at help get everything straight.

 

[Peeps101]

I was supposed to have gotten a larger cage. When I went to check her they had a nice big cage but it's was gone when my son's went to pick it up the next day (I'm disabled with arm crutches and can't lift anything) the obig one was gone and my sons got the one I presently have. At the beginning of next month I plan on getting her a nice big unit. I'll be addressing the issues with the lighting per the forums suggestions instead of Petland's recommendations. Outside of this forum there's a not a great deal of information, I'm glad I found some folks to line me out at help get everything straight.

It is. I’ve needed some help as well before getting my cham. Take notes (mental notes) of what I said about the food, supplements and lights which are important. Read through some of the resource taps on this webpage, you’ll find them very informative

 

[GonzoBatCountry]

Meal worms will not cause your Cham to choke but peeps is on the right track in that they aren’t recommended for Chams.

Thank you... pet store employees were giving out bad information. I'm disabled and have plenty of time to pour into my little Dinah Shore. It just threw me off with her abrupt change in demeanor the past week. And I did change her things around, so I guess her attitude shows me she just wants to hang and chill.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Thank you... pet store employees were giving out bad information. I'm disabled and have plenty of time to pour into my little Dinah Shore. It just threw me off with her abrupt change in demeanor the past week. And I did change her things around, so I guess her attitude shows me she just wants to hang and chill.

For the most part Chams don’t do well with change and generally prefer to be left alone. They are more of a hobby, not a pet.

We get this all the time, pet store employees mean well but are simply uneducated and inexperienced. More of the managers fault than the employees. You’ve definitely come to the right place, as long as you keep asking questions you’ll do just fine! It’s the ones that don’t ask questions that don’t last too long in this hobby. Welcome to the forums!