Male Veiled Chameleon Diet

[Lincolntowncar]

I highly recommend this feeding cup! Especially when you are going to be feeding him lots of bugs. I have had great success with it.

Do you think a small clear bowl would be fine or should I do a cup?

 

[Lincolntowncar]

Ok I am going to go through this line by line....

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Male, 2-3 months, 2 days.
• Handling - Not at all yet, making sure to let him settle for a little while before attempting anything to stress him.
• Feeding - Meal worms, he ate 3 so far but would not go to them at night, as he was at the top and I couldn’t find a good spot to feed him ): figured out a good place for a feeding bowl as of now but I’ll be getting some roaches or proper sized super worms tomorrow. I try to do morning and night for as long as he can eat. And I have not gone into gut loading yet but will be following the sheet I was given earlier once I get proper food. Only feed in the morning... They have to bask all day to digest. Give him about 15 feeders everyday. The bulk of his diet should be crickets and dubia. Superworms should only make up about 20% of his diet. Check into Black soldier fly larve as well.
• Supplements - Rep-cal and any time I attempt to feed I’m dusting with both. It is very important. Calcium with D3 is ONLY given 2 times a month and a multivitamin is given 2 times a month. You will pick a day of the week to do this and rotate between the two each week. Calcium WITHOUT d3 is given at every other feed. Only lightly dusting your feeders no powdered donut effect.
• Watering - I mist the cage morning and night/anytime I see the humidity drop. I try to hover over all the plants and such but I soak the soil and moss as well as go around the bottom of the glass. I also use a deli cup as a dripper just in case. I have not seen him drink, I try to stand around after I soak it but he gives me that look that indicates he wants to be alone. (Using a pressurized mister) So target range for humidity during the day is 30-50% at most. Never spraying him directly, Spray the plants. At night it can be much higher. (you need live plants like Pothos)
• Fecal Description - Fecies were a very dark brown color but have not had him long enough to take him to get tested.
• History - non. A little aggressive upon purchase but what veiled isn’t?

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 12x12x18-24? I don’t have the box in hand and am about to sleep but that’s roughly what it is. I know it’s a bit small, the helper at the vivarium told me I should be okay for now, clearly I’ll have to upgrade within a couple of months. With that size the upgrade is sooner then later. I would start looking now at what you want to get and any modifications to the cage you will need to make. Drainage, vinyl siding etc,
• Lighting - Brand of UVB - reptisus 5.0 UVB. Heat light is a nano infrared heat lamp. I’m going to be doing 8am-8pm for both lights. UVB must be a T5HO fixture with a 10.0 bulb. Basking area 7-8 inches below it. I would buy the fixture length you will need for your next cage. red heat bulb needs to be replaced asap as well.
• Temperature - I have both a humidity and temperature thermostat. Humidity I keep around mid-high 60’s. Although I’ll notice a drop at some points down to 50’s but avoid letting it go below 45 and make sure to spray up if it gets anywhere near . Temp is around 72-75 on the bottom and 91-94 at the top. I have not checked the temp over night. Not an issue with humidity dropping as low as 30% during the day. We focus on higher humidity at night utilizing a cool mist fogger between the hours of 1-5. 91-94 is Wayyyyyyy to hot... If this is what it is at basking level where he sits he is baking... Must be lowered to 85 degrees max for his age. This is why I always say screen cages are better for new keepers.
• Humidity - As mentioned before, 45 minimum, but if I see it below 50 in general I make sure to spray it and get it back to mid-high 60’s. Already mentioned this.
• Plants - fake Plants. Hoping to get live plants once I upgrade the cage. You need a live plant now and to remove all the soil and moss from the bottom now. Get a pothos plant that has some vines to it so you can weave them around the enclosure. On top of the soil put 1 inch or bigger rock to keep him from eating it. Veileds like to eat plants so you have to stick to plants that are deamed ok for them. These specific ones are all good for him https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/plants/
• Placement - Cage is on a small night stand against the wall in the corner of my room. I have an old tv blocking it so it simulates a very segregated room. Not near any fans nor air vents.
• Location - I live in The Bay Area. My town is a bit warmer than other places over here. It’s easy bay in specific. The ventilation in my room is good as well.

resources for you to check out.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/
https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/

If I’m giving him the dubia roaches should I still try and do 15 a day Or should I give a lower amount? I only ask because I was told the dubia roaches hold a lot of more nutritious value than other daily feeders.

 

[janjan20]

Do you think a small clear bowl would be fine or should I do a cup?

As long as the bugs don’t get out and also there needs to be a way to keep the water from collecting when the cage is being misted. You don’t want the bugs to drown. You can YouTube diy insect feeders.

 

[Lincolntowncar]

As long as the bugs don’t get out and also there needs to be a way to keep the water from collecting when the cage is being misted. You don’t want the bugs to drown. You can YouTube diy insect feeders.

Okay thank you so much! I’m just have a hard time feeding him now, he’s staying towards the ceiling/top of the cage and the feeding bowl is placed in the middle. I’m really hoping he’ll go find the bugs when he’s hungry but I’m really stressing! Any tips?

 

[Beman]

If I’m giving him the dubia roaches should I still try and do 15 a day Or should I give a lower amount? I only ask because I was told the dubia roaches hold a lot of more nutritious value than other daily feeders.

At this age 12-15 a day min. They grow at a rapid pace when they are young. But mixing it up with other feeders is important as well.

 

[Beman]

Okay thank you so much! I’m just have a hard time feeding him now, he’s staying towards the ceiling/top of the cage and the feeding bowl is placed in the middle. I’m really hoping he’ll go find the bugs when he’s hungry but I’m really stressing! Any tips?

Be careful with him staying on the ceiling... THis is a very easy way for them to get thermal burns. How exactly are you measuring his temps on the branches below his lights? A lot of times they will hang on the ceiling if they are trying to get warm.

 

[Lincolntowncar]

Be careful with him staying on the ceiling... THis is a very easy way for them to get thermal burns. How exactly are you measuring his temps on the branches below his lights? A lot of times they will hang on the ceiling if they are trying to get warm.

So basically I have 3 current thermostats in there. One is the new timed one I have for right below the ceiling where the hotspot is. I also have an extra because of the original I purchased for humidity and temp that I’m going to try and put towards the middle (the wire for that is what he uses to climb to the ceiling. It’s his favorite spot but I’m debating on taking it down so he can go find his food and stop hanging up there!) . I also have an old fashion thermostat suction cupped to the bottom to regulate minimum temps which is always at 72.

Btw, he never goes under the heat lamp, only the UVB.

 

[janjan20]

Okay thank you so much! I’m just have a hard time feeding him now, he’s staying towards the ceiling/top of the cage and the feeding bowl is placed in the middle. I’m really hoping he’ll go find the bugs when he’s hungry but I’m really stressing! Any tips?

He will just give him time and don’t hover lol

 

[Lincolntowncar]

He will just give him time and don’t hover lol

Thanks for the relief, Ive been stressin lol

 

[Lincolntowncar]

At this age 12-15 a day min. They grow at a rapid pace when they are young. But mixing it up with other feeders is important as well.

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Welp, I put a little cup of food in there and the good news is he finally came around to eating one. Bad news is he only ate one. I put dubia roaches in his cage this afternoon and he didn’t touch them til like an hour ago. Maybe I’ll go grab some crickets? Someone responded earlier saying to let him do his thing and leave him with the food in there. I did so and he did but like I said, only one of em. I still have them in there but I feel I should take them out soon being that he shouldn’t eat right before bed.

 

[Zevil]

Welp, I put a little cup of food in there and the good news is he finally came around to eating one. Bad news is he only ate one. I put dubia roaches in his cage this afternoon and he didn’t touch them til like an hour ago. Maybe I’ll go grab some crickets? Someone responded earlier saying to let him do his thing and leave him with the food in there. I did so and he did but like I said, only one of em. I still have them in there but I feel I should take them out soon being that he shouldn’t eat right before bed.

When I got my veiled chameleon, it took 5 days for him to finally start eating. They need time to adjust to their new environment. Some need less time, some need more

 

[Lincolntowncar]

When I got my veiled chameleon, it took 5 days for him to finally start eating. They need time to adjust to their new environment. Some need less time, some need more

Man, you people are good at takin stress away lol. Thanks, much appreciated! I’m gonna try again tomorrow with a more subtle approach and try not to spy on him this time