LexiWoods
New Member
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Jackson’s Chameleon. Male. I’m assuming around two to three months based on the growth of his horns. He has been in our care for two weeks and two days.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
We have handled him about four times since we’ve had him. The first time was to change his enclosure from a glass tank (temporary setup) to a screen terrarium. Next was to bring him to the shower two days after placing him in his current enclosure. Then to feed him properly (placing him higher up in the plant so he could see his crickets. Finally, to weigh him. We have been trying to avoid much handling due to his new environment. We do not want to stress him.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
We are feeding Walter a mixture of breeder roaches, crickets, and mealworms because we read that a variety in his diet is a great thing. We feed him about five mealworms and then about two crickets. We have the roaches in a cup in his enclosure all the time. He’s only eaten about two since we’ve placed them in there. The feeding schedule is one time per day and at around three o’clock in the afternoon. Our crickets come gut loaded as well as our mealworms. Our roaches are fed moist cat food/fruits (watermelon, strawberries, etc.)
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
We have been using ZooMed Repti-Calcium without D3 on our crickets and mealworms everyday and Exoterra Multivitamin with D3 mixed with the calcium once every other week (so at this point, only twice). The schedule for supplements is the same as the feeding schedule.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
We have a Repti-Rain mister which mists every hour for forty-five seconds, as well as hand misting when we notice the humidity is low (around 40% to 50%). Every now and then we will hand mist warm water over Walter to give him a nice hydrating shower and he will often drink from this misting. As previously stated, we DO see Walter drink.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
The color of his fecal matter from when we obtained him and yesterday was a dark brown and white color. Today I’ve noticed it is a light brown, almost yellow color. Only one yellow movement has been observed. I am unaware if the chameleon has ever been tested for parasites.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
I have no history of my chameleon. I purchased him from a local pet store, Petsmart.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
We have Walter in a 48” tall, 24” wide, 24” long screen terrarium. We attached parts of a shower curtain to the outside of his enclosure to keep the humidity in the correct range. He has the top and front screens uncovered to ensure abundant airflow.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
We have a Repti-Sun 5.0 UVB light (15 watts) and a ZooMed basking heat UVA light (75 watts) on a timer set to come on at 8:30am and go off at 8:00pm. We also have a National Geographic red night basking UVA light (25 watts) to provide healthy digestion which comes on at 7:30am and goes off at 8:30am to provide a sunrise affect and then comes on again at 8:00pm until 9:00pm to create a sunset affect.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (basking spot to cage floor)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
From the top of the terrarium to the bottom the temperature levels are as follows: Top- 85 degrees F, Middle- around 78-75 degrees F, and the Cage Floor- around 75-72 degrees F. The lowest overnight temperature that I’ve measured is about 72 degrees F. We measure the temperatures by have two thermometers in the terrarium: one at the top and one at the bottom but not touching the floor.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Our humidity levels range from 40% to 90%. As previously stated (see ‘Watering’), we have a Repti-Rain mister system that mists every hour for 45 seconds along with hand misting about three to four times per day. We measure humidity by having two hygrometers in the terrarium: one at the top and one at the bottom but not touching the floor.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
We have a mixture of plastic plants and one Schleffera (real).
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?
Walter’s terrarium is located in our bedroom (a low traffic area). He is near the direction that air flows from our window unit, however the air does not blow directly on his terrarium. Also, we never use a cold setting for the room, only the fan setting. The terrarium is about two feet above the bedroom floor and is four feet tall.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Houma, Louisiana. The south.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about
We are concerned about Walter because he has slept all through the day today (from approximately 11:00am until now- 10:00pm) and hasn’t woken up to eat. We tried to wake him with a warm misting and he only moved a little. Then I tried touching him gently which caused him to move a bit but he still would not open his eyes. All yesterday he was awake and climbing and even had a hefty meal. Also, this morning at around 9:30am, he was climbing on the front of his terrarium. Now he is not budging and has remained in the same spot for hours. We are very worried. Please give us any advice you can! Thank you!
P.S. We are taking Walter to a vet tomorrow morning. I would just like to know if there is anything I can do tonight to ensure his survival if this is something very serious.
Vet results
I noticed Walter was climbing around again this morning all over the place. He even ate as soon as I placed his crickets in his enclosure. However, he did eat slightly less than he has been eating. When I called the vet this morning to confirm my appointment, a doctor said it was probably due to the temperatures being too cold from our air conditioner because it was very hot yesterday. I informed her that the temperature in his terrarium stayed around 72-75 degrees F. She said if he continues to sleep during the day then I will need to bring him in but since it was only for one day and he seems fine now, I should just keep an eye on him for today for any weird behavior or sleeping again. I've been checking my humidity levels and temps all morning and everything seems fine. Has this happened to anyone else?
Here are some pictures of Walter and his enclosure.
Walter's set up
A close up of his plants
Lighting placement. Shown: Repti-Sun 5.0 15 Watt UVB and ZooMed 75 Watt basking heat UVA bulb.
His mister.
His hygrometer and thermometer at the bottom of his terrarium.
And of course some of our lovely baby, Walter!
(last week)
Jackson’s Chameleon. Male. I’m assuming around two to three months based on the growth of his horns. He has been in our care for two weeks and two days.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
We have handled him about four times since we’ve had him. The first time was to change his enclosure from a glass tank (temporary setup) to a screen terrarium. Next was to bring him to the shower two days after placing him in his current enclosure. Then to feed him properly (placing him higher up in the plant so he could see his crickets. Finally, to weigh him. We have been trying to avoid much handling due to his new environment. We do not want to stress him.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
We are feeding Walter a mixture of breeder roaches, crickets, and mealworms because we read that a variety in his diet is a great thing. We feed him about five mealworms and then about two crickets. We have the roaches in a cup in his enclosure all the time. He’s only eaten about two since we’ve placed them in there. The feeding schedule is one time per day and at around three o’clock in the afternoon. Our crickets come gut loaded as well as our mealworms. Our roaches are fed moist cat food/fruits (watermelon, strawberries, etc.)
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
We have been using ZooMed Repti-Calcium without D3 on our crickets and mealworms everyday and Exoterra Multivitamin with D3 mixed with the calcium once every other week (so at this point, only twice). The schedule for supplements is the same as the feeding schedule.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
We have a Repti-Rain mister which mists every hour for forty-five seconds, as well as hand misting when we notice the humidity is low (around 40% to 50%). Every now and then we will hand mist warm water over Walter to give him a nice hydrating shower and he will often drink from this misting. As previously stated, we DO see Walter drink.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
The color of his fecal matter from when we obtained him and yesterday was a dark brown and white color. Today I’ve noticed it is a light brown, almost yellow color. Only one yellow movement has been observed. I am unaware if the chameleon has ever been tested for parasites.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
I have no history of my chameleon. I purchased him from a local pet store, Petsmart.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
We have Walter in a 48” tall, 24” wide, 24” long screen terrarium. We attached parts of a shower curtain to the outside of his enclosure to keep the humidity in the correct range. He has the top and front screens uncovered to ensure abundant airflow.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
We have a Repti-Sun 5.0 UVB light (15 watts) and a ZooMed basking heat UVA light (75 watts) on a timer set to come on at 8:30am and go off at 8:00pm. We also have a National Geographic red night basking UVA light (25 watts) to provide healthy digestion which comes on at 7:30am and goes off at 8:30am to provide a sunrise affect and then comes on again at 8:00pm until 9:00pm to create a sunset affect.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (basking spot to cage floor)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
From the top of the terrarium to the bottom the temperature levels are as follows: Top- 85 degrees F, Middle- around 78-75 degrees F, and the Cage Floor- around 75-72 degrees F. The lowest overnight temperature that I’ve measured is about 72 degrees F. We measure the temperatures by have two thermometers in the terrarium: one at the top and one at the bottom but not touching the floor.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Our humidity levels range from 40% to 90%. As previously stated (see ‘Watering’), we have a Repti-Rain mister system that mists every hour for 45 seconds along with hand misting about three to four times per day. We measure humidity by having two hygrometers in the terrarium: one at the top and one at the bottom but not touching the floor.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
We have a mixture of plastic plants and one Schleffera (real).
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?
Walter’s terrarium is located in our bedroom (a low traffic area). He is near the direction that air flows from our window unit, however the air does not blow directly on his terrarium. Also, we never use a cold setting for the room, only the fan setting. The terrarium is about two feet above the bedroom floor and is four feet tall.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Houma, Louisiana. The south.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about
We are concerned about Walter because he has slept all through the day today (from approximately 11:00am until now- 10:00pm) and hasn’t woken up to eat. We tried to wake him with a warm misting and he only moved a little. Then I tried touching him gently which caused him to move a bit but he still would not open his eyes. All yesterday he was awake and climbing and even had a hefty meal. Also, this morning at around 9:30am, he was climbing on the front of his terrarium. Now he is not budging and has remained in the same spot for hours. We are very worried. Please give us any advice you can! Thank you!
P.S. We are taking Walter to a vet tomorrow morning. I would just like to know if there is anything I can do tonight to ensure his survival if this is something very serious.
Vet results
I noticed Walter was climbing around again this morning all over the place. He even ate as soon as I placed his crickets in his enclosure. However, he did eat slightly less than he has been eating. When I called the vet this morning to confirm my appointment, a doctor said it was probably due to the temperatures being too cold from our air conditioner because it was very hot yesterday. I informed her that the temperature in his terrarium stayed around 72-75 degrees F. She said if he continues to sleep during the day then I will need to bring him in but since it was only for one day and he seems fine now, I should just keep an eye on him for today for any weird behavior or sleeping again. I've been checking my humidity levels and temps all morning and everything seems fine. Has this happened to anyone else?
Here are some pictures of Walter and his enclosure.
Walter's set up
A close up of his plants
Lighting placement. Shown: Repti-Sun 5.0 15 Watt UVB and ZooMed 75 Watt basking heat UVA bulb.
His mister.
His hygrometer and thermometer at the bottom of his terrarium.
And of course some of our lovely baby, Walter!
(last week)
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