Just got my new male baby Nosy Be today!!! And I don’t know what to do???

[Jacob Zehel]

So first of all he is gorgeous but when we try and hand feed him to get him to know our scents and for him to trust us he puffs up and hides my question is how long should I wait to hand feed??? And what should I do just throw some dusted gut-loaded crickets in there??? Please help I just want what’s best for him!! I wanted to add we aren’t trying to handle him right now we re just trying to see he can trust us?? Thanks Cham Fam!!!

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

They're not dogs so you can stop worrying about scent. Trust is built between you and your chameleon it is not just given. He needs to know you're safe and not going to eat him and just going to feed him and leave him be. That is what they truly want after all. To be left alone. It takes awhile of just being in the same room with him. Lots of feeding him and cleaning his enclosure before he will think of eating out of your hand. Unless you have something he really really wants! But even then it's hit or miss. Just let him hunt down his crickets today please.

 

[Jacob Zehel]

Thank you appreciate that!! And I will take your advice and just give him time!!

 

[Ruthless]

The most important thing you should be thinking and concerned about is if your husbandry is correct and on point.

 

[Jacob Zehel]

I don’t understand what that means!? He is only a baby months

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Husbandry is a term we in the reptile and bird community call the way we care for our animals. Lighting, humidity, gutloading, feeders, cage size, misting, and supplements are all things that are under our control and need to be correct in order to keep our animals healthy. It's like a husband who takes care of his wife.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

They are offering to review your plans for keeping him healthy.

You would benefit greatly by answering these questions!
Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.







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:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.



2 Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Jacob Zehel]

Ahhh yes we have that down pat!!! It took us a good week to get his basking area the right temp!! Had to move it a little up a little down 1/2in more up lol lol but yes he is going to be well taken care of!! We did quite a bit of research before hand

 

[Jacob Zehel]

They are offering to review your plans for keeping him healthy.

You would benefit greatly by answering these questions!
Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.







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:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.



2 Photos can be very helpful.
[/QUOT

 

[Jacob Zehel]

I understand what your asking I will get all this info from my wife and reply back ASAP!!

 

[Graves923]

Give your new cham a few weeks to settle in to the enclosure. I would set up a feeding cup so you can monitor how much he is eating each day. Hang the cup somewhere where the cham will be able to spot the feeders and can easily pick them off. This way you can dump the feeders in with minimal time in the cage so the cham starts learning you are not a threat.

After a few weeks and the cham stops or shows minimal response to you coming near the cage, start reading this: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

@Beman wrote up this awesome blog about her process of building trust with her veiled. Just remember to take things slow and learn your chams body language and know when to leave him alone and such.

 

[mvad]

The best thing you can do for chameleon is to cover the lengthy husbandry requirements before actually getting the chameleon. Surprises always pop up. Many things are easy to overlook or forget. Good luck with your new Cham

 

[KobaOregonherper]

They're not dogs so you can stop worrying about scent. Trust is built between you and your chameleon it is not just given. He needs to know you're safe and not going to eat him and just going to feed him and leave him be. That is what they truly want after all. To be left alone. It takes awhile of just being in the same room with him. Lots of feeding him and cleaning his enclosure before he will think of eating out of your hand. Unless you have something he really really wants! But even then it's hit or miss. Just let him hunt down his crickets today please.

Just adding to what Camochameleonshuman said. This isnt going to be a one time thing. Their isnt a bond you build with the chameleon. It learns to "trust" you, but shake up their life a little bit and you'll be starting over.

 

[Jacob Zehel]

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Nosy Be, Male, hatched April 10th..
We got him July 9th



◦ Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
We only handled him 3x we don’t want to stress him out


◦ Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
So we feed him small crickets and small black soldier fly larva..
We normally throw the crickets in the morning and every other day we will give him the larva about 7..
My wife has been using recipes from other chameleon owners normally we blend up some fruits and veggies and freeze them into cubes


◦ Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Rep-Cal brand calcium with Vit.D3 2-3x a week
And Herptivite w/Beta carotene 1x a week



◦ Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Eco-terra mister every 4hrs for 30sec (it keeps the humidity perfect) I see him licking the dew off the leaves or the branches..



◦ Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Poop is a little white and green maybe some grey.. never been tested



◦ History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Since we only had him for 1 week their isn’t much info we are still learning his colors and what they mean we love it







Cage Info:



◦ Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
It’s all screen cage, 18x24x36



◦ Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Arcadia T-5 5% and 50w heat lamp
Schedule is 8am to 8pm timer



◦ Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
From floor 72F to basking 89F to 91F we have a digital temp inside and we have a handheld temp gauge



◦ Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
From 40 to 70 with a digital reader


◦ Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
We have 2 Pothos plants a fig tree and umbrella tree



◦ 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’s on top of a coffee table in my bedroom, no to all the questions, it’s about 6ft high from the floor


◦ Location - Where are you geographically located?
Michigan






Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.


--------------
Please Note:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.



2 Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Graves923]

See my suggestions and comments below in RED. There are few husbandry things that need to be corrected for the future health of your cham. Any questions let us know!

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Nosy Be, Male, hatched April 10th..
We got him July 9th

◦ Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
We only handled him 3x we don’t want to stress him out -- would not recommend this amount of handling. Follow the blog post I linked previously.


◦ Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
So we feed him small crickets and small black soldier fly larva..
We normally throw the crickets in the morning and every other day we will give him the larva about 7..
My wife has been using recipes from other chameleon owners normally we blend up some fruits and veggies and freeze them into cubes. -- I suggest cup feeding a couple times per week if you do not currently so you can monitor how much he is eating.


◦ Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Rep-Cal brand calcium with Vit.D3 2-3x a week -- Only use D3 twice per month! D3 can easily be overdosed with this schedule.
And Herptivite w/Beta carotene 1x a week -- Use multivitamin twice per month.
Add plain phosphorus-free calcium with NO D3 for use with every feeding.

Alternative: I currently use Repashy Calcium Plus LoD. This is an "All - in - one" calcium and multivitamin supplement with a lo amount of D3 which is safe for use with every feeding. This eliminates needing to keep 3 jars of powder and making sure to keep on schedule.

◦ Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Eco-terra mister every 4hrs for 30sec (it keeps the humidity perfect) I see him licking the dew off the leaves or the branches.. -- Must mist for 2-3 minutes. This give the cham time to clean its eyes. You may need to build a drainage system to handle the extra water.


◦ Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Poop is a little white and green maybe some grey.. never been tested -- Keep an eye on the droppings. Should be solid brown with white to off white urates. No odor should be present unless your nose is on the dropping...



◦ History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Since we only had him for 1 week their isn’t much info we are still learning his colors and what they mean we love it


Cage Info:

◦ Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
It’s all screen cage, 18x24x36 --- Will need to upgrade to atleast a 48" tall enclosure before the cham is 1 year old.


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.


--------------
Please Note:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.

2 Photos can be very helpful.

 

[The Wild One]

So first of all he is gorgeous but when we try and hand feed him to get him to know our scents and for him to trust us he puffs up and hides my question is how long should I wait to hand feed??? And what should I do just throw some dusted gut-loaded crickets in there??? Please help I just want what’s best for him!! I wanted to add we aren’t trying to handle him right now we re just trying to see he can trust us?? Thanks Cham Fam!!!

As for hand feeding I had the same question. Mine is 4 months old and this helped a lot. I tried it for the first time today and it took her 29 min. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

 

[Jacob Zehel]

Thank you so much for responding back so quickly!!! I’m glad I took the time to fill this out I will definitely cut wayyyyy back on the D3 and correct the other issues as well!!! Thanks again I honestly appreciate it and sully does as well!!

 

[jamest0o0]

I would also add a source of preformed vitamin A(retinol). I like to do a drop from an 8000 iu vitamin A retinol gel cap on a feeder once a month. There are also powders containing it like reptivite and I think repashy. It can also be found in the organs of invertebrates such as lizards and mice for the more daring people out there...

 

[hammerhead]

It depends how hungry mine is. 1st feeding in the morning is the only time he will take food from tongs. He never takes food from my hand. I have a custom feeder, but he will hunt down anything left in the cage before he uses the feeder. I stopped using it. Its betterr for them to hunt for there meals anyway. He has no problems coming out my hand for a visit outdoor. You have to be very slow and patient. The longer there with us the more excepting they become of us.