Just bought an adult veiled chameleon

Newveiledowner

Newveiledowner

Member
I just recently bought an adult veiled chameleon and when he is in the uvb and heat lamp he turns dark but when the lights are off he is his beautiful colors. The first day I brought him home I gave him horn worms and he ate about 3. Can someone give me some advice for a grown adult veiled chameleon? The picture of him dark is what he looked like when we bought him and also what he looks like when under the light. The picture of him green is what he looks like with the lights off. I also have a tall slipper plant in his enclosure because the reptile store I bought his enclosure from didn't really tell me what plants to buy. I just need some help first chameleon I bought and I bought him cause the petstore that had him he was in a glass cage and it was super small he barely had any room to move around in. Is a slipper plant okay for him? Please get back to me asap so I can make urgent changes if I need too! Edit added a picture of his enclosure
He is a veiled chameleon.
Think he is a male the pet store had no info other than price.
I've fed him the first day a couple of horn worms and the second day about 6 crickets no gutloading didn't know that was a thing till I came across this forum.
Watering was using a mister but it sucks so I'm going to change it in for a higher quality one today.
No droppings from what I can see hasn't been tested this will be the 3rd day I've had him.
It's a screen cage I've heard glass is bad for chams so I made sure I got that right.
For lights I am using zoomed 25w daylight blue and zoomed 5.0 uvb light.
The lowest temps are around 70f at night and during the day I'm not sure I need to get a temp gauge for when the lights are on.
Not sure what the humidity levels are.
Live plants they are called tall slipper plants.
Cage is in my room there is a fan but I have it off during the day no direct breeze towards the cage.
I have the cage on the floor in my room.
I live in phoenix arizona
 

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Here's the questions @CasqueAbove is referring to...
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

--------------

Please Note:
The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
Photos can be very helpful.
 
His basking air temperature needs to be 80-85 degrees F with a humidity no higher than 40-50% during the day. He needs many more horizontal climbing branches at various heights in the enclosure, with a cooler shaded area at the bottom at room temp or 70 degrees F. The heat lamp likely needs to be raised from the top of the enclosure to get 80-85 basking. If it's still too warm, go with a lower wattage bulb. The UVB lamp needs to be a 5.0 T5 linear UVB bulb or 6% T5 UVB bulb, about 8-9" above the basking spot.
 
kinyonga said:
Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!
It's usually best to learn about them before you get one...but we can give you he crash course. Be ready to absorb a lot of info all at once!

Did they tell you how old he is?
Did they give you any background information on him?
Click to expand...
They gave me no information on him they didn't even know he was a veiled. I've been wanting a cham for a long time a Jackson's to be exact.
 
kinyonga said:
Here's the questions @CasqueAbove is referring to...
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

--------------

Please Note:
The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
Photos can be very helpful.
Click to expand...
I update the post with all info
 
sergeantapone said:
His basking air temperature needs to be 80-85 degrees F with a humidity no higher than 40-50% during the day. He needs many more horizontal climbing branches at various heights in the enclosure, with a cooler shaded area at the bottom at room temp or 70 degrees F. The heat lamp likely needs to be raised from the top of the enclosure to get 80-85 basking. If it's still too warm, go with a lower wattage bulb. The UVB lamp needs to be a 5.0 T5 linear UVB bulb or 6% T5 UVB bulb, about 8-9" above the basking spot.
Click to expand...
Do you recommend a temp reader for his cage?
 
Yes a thermometer/hygrometer with a wired probe will help you keep track of his temp and humidity levels. One at his basking spot and maybe one halfway down the cage and one at the bottom. Just make sure they are not where they will get wet
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled, male I believe, today would be 3rd day.
Handling - only handling was putting in him in his cage.
Feeding - first day I fed him horn worms and the second day I fed him about 6 crickets no gut loading first day was in the afternoon and second day was at night big mistake from what I've found out.
Supplements - no supplements. Any recommendations?
Watering - Was misting for 15secs every 3hrs. Haven't seen him drinking l.
Fecal Description - haven't seen any and hasn't been tested for parasites
History - the pet store had no info about him at all.
 
CasqueAbove said:
I will fire out a guess and say he is to hot. Seems counter intuitive, but they get dark when Unhappy.

But More important fill out this questionnaire.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

Also this is a great getting started page on my sight. It goes over the basics and their importance to a healthy cham.
https://caskabove.com/getting-started
Click to expand...
Casque above gave you some great recommendations. Check out the second link in his message
 
Cage Info:
Cage Type - it is a screen cage, 24"x 18"x 36"
Lighting - zoomed daylight blue and a 5.0 uvb
Temperature - don't have a temp gauge yet so not sure
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - tall slipper plants and yes they are live
Placement - cage is in my room on the floor not by vents I have a fan but I turn it off during the day
Location - I'm in phoenix arizona
 
@Beman @MissSkittles I’m tagging in some others to help since I don’t keep veileds. You definitely have some husbandry issues that need addressing so he can live a long healthy life with you. By the way, if he has little nubs on the back of his hind feet, he is a boy. That’s how you tell with veileds. If there are no nubs then it’s a girl.
 
Lindasjackson said:
@Beman @MissSkittles I’m tagging in some others to help since I don’t keep veileds. You definitely have some husbandry issues that need addressing so he can live a long healthy life with you. By the way, if he has little nubs on the back of his hind feet, he is a boy. That’s how you tell with veileds. If there are no nubs then it’s a girl.
Click to expand...
He has little cute nubs on his feet so it's a boy!
 
sergeantapone said:
His basking air temperature needs to be 80-85 degrees F with a humidity no higher than 40-50% during the day. He needs many more horizontal climbing branches at various heights in the enclosure, with a cooler shaded area at the bottom at room temp or 70 degrees F. The heat lamp likely needs to be raised from the top of the enclosure to get 80-85 basking. If it's still too warm, go with a lower wattage bulb. The UVB lamp needs to be a 5.0 T5 linear UVB bulb or 6% T5 UVB bulb, about 8-9" above the basking spot.
Click to expand...
Cage is about 75f all the way around is that bad? Gets to about 72-70 at the bottom I checked this using a laser temp reader
 
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