leedragon
Chameleon Enthusiast
DO NOT DO THAT. that´s the precfect way to give your jacksonii mounth rot. Belive me I did the same misstake
Jackson Chameleon Care
- Thread starter Roger.bowen
- Start date
Remkon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok... I won't then, thanks!
MeruJack
Avid Member
I'm learning all about Jacksonii as I'm the proud owner of one for about 3 months now!
I don't have a Veiled but I have read up on them because I was considering them in the past.
1. No not the same, Jacksonii lives cooler and 'requires' a big temp drop (to ~60F) at night...
I've put required in '' because some people keep them warmer but in any case it should be under 70F. Younger ones do better in the higher temps, adults will probably require closer to 60F...
Just shine a light in his eye at night, if he wakes up after a couple of seconds he's not resting properly and it's probably to warm. If he stays asleep your OK. (I use the LED flashlight of my phone for this.)
2. Cage enclosure, it's demand for ventilation is also greater than that of a Veiled.
3. Baskin temps, I keep mine at around 80F under it's basking spot. Room temp in the lower regions of the cage is fine. I use a 50Watt basking lamp and a 26W spiral UVB lamp
4. Dusting I think is the same as veiled.
6x week calcium 1x vitamins, 2x a month calcium with D3.
(I'm not doing the D3, it's a choice and a matter of opinion)
5. It needs to be kept more humid as a Veiled too. 50%-70% at average. For mine I keep the whole room at 50% with a humidifier and he gets sprayed 3x a day automatically and sometimes I spray him myself with hand-warm water because he enjoys it so much... You can also put it in the shower sometimes (I will once I find a big enough Ficus tree)
6. Read care sheets, even tho they seem to differ in opinion quite often you can pick out the useful stuff...
As the current owner of 14 adult Jacksons chameleons (including all 3 subspecies), I am concerned about some of the info given by “the proud owner of one for about 3 months now!” While I applaud your research, after two and a half years of owning Jacksons, I find that there is always something new to learn to better care for and accommodate the needs of these chameleons. Here is what I’ve learned that differs from the info given:
Temperature:Baby/juvenile (<9 months): 70-75F (21-23C) ambient,
75-80F (23-26C) basking
Adult: 70-80F (21-26C) ambient, 82-85F (29C) basking
They do require a 10-15 degree temperature drop at night to be at their healthiest. The temp can drop to 60F will not harm them and is actually good for them. The actual nighttime temperature is not as important as providing the 10-15 degree drop year round.
I would not attempt to arouse a sleeping chameleon by shining a flashlight in its eyes to see if it is asleep as it is not a healthy practice. Disturbing their sleep on a regular basis could lead to health problems.
Lighting:
You can use a regular incandescent (soft white) household light bulb for a basking light. Depending on the ambient temperature of your home, you will probably need to experiment with various wattages until you achieve the desirable basking temperature. I would try 60 or 40 watts first and adjust the wattage as needed.
As for UVB, a 5.0 linear tube is optimal but there are other options such as the compact or coiled tube but many keepers have encountered problems when using compact UVB lights.
Humidity:
Humidity is an important aspect of chameleon husbandry. Jackson's chameleons require levels around 60-80%, which can be achieved by several misting sessions a day over all areas of the cage. Live plants help increase and maintain humidity.
Supplements:
Feeders should be dusted with calcium (without D3) approximately 2-3 times a week, dusted with calcium with D3 once every two weeks (one time during weeks 1 & 3, for example, instead of plain calcium), and dusted with a multivitamin once every two weeks (one time during weeks 2 & 4, for example, instead of calcium).
Caging:
Recommended sizes for screen cage:
16x16x30" (40x40x76cm) - Juveniles
18x18x36" (45x45x90cm) - Adult minimum
One and only one chameleon per screen enclosure.
Jacksons Care Sheet:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/
Remkon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Reading alot of caresheets can also give alot of mixed info...
I may be new to chameleons but I'm not new to reptiles so I try to apply what I know to what I read...
Not saying everything I do is the right way, but that's also why im here and I do hope i'm being corrected when I do something terribly wrong.
About the compact uvb lights should be placed horizontal since their surface is bigger that way... Also use a proper reflector.
I can see where that goes wrong if you put it in your average fixture vertically.
Actually the Arcadia D3 compact is the recommended lamp by cham keepers here.
about the temp drop... And this is the subject that raises the most worries and questions for me as I read alot of mixed opinions about this.
My goal is to keep mine at 15-18C at night which is about 10C temp drop. I may not be able to do this every night while im without AC so when I'm concerned I will do the light thingy... It's rare and a good method according to the dutch chameleon forums.
Humidity I don't do much about... Well 50-60% is avg humidity here... I have a humidifier to keep that up... And I have a spray system that takes care of the boost few times a day. I also have a dripper.
supplements is another thing alot of people have alot of opinions about... I guess alot of combinations work as long as you don't over do it... Lighting and food diversity will also matter here for what's best.
I'm just telling what I do, not how someone should do it.
I may be new to chameleons but I'm not new to reptiles so I try to apply what I know to what I read...
Not saying everything I do is the right way, but that's also why im here and I do hope i'm being corrected when I do something terribly wrong.
About the compact uvb lights should be placed horizontal since their surface is bigger that way... Also use a proper reflector.
I can see where that goes wrong if you put it in your average fixture vertically.
Actually the Arcadia D3 compact is the recommended lamp by cham keepers here.
about the temp drop... And this is the subject that raises the most worries and questions for me as I read alot of mixed opinions about this.
My goal is to keep mine at 15-18C at night which is about 10C temp drop. I may not be able to do this every night while im without AC so when I'm concerned I will do the light thingy... It's rare and a good method according to the dutch chameleon forums.
Humidity I don't do much about... Well 50-60% is avg humidity here... I have a humidifier to keep that up... And I have a spray system that takes care of the boost few times a day. I also have a dripper.
supplements is another thing alot of people have alot of opinions about... I guess alot of combinations work as long as you don't over do it... Lighting and food diversity will also matter here for what's best.
I'm just telling what I do, not how someone should do it.
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