Meet James... and new chameleon keeper

[Beman]

Totally normal.

 

[Asyaneo]

Just wanted to post an update on James) he is definitely getting bigger. And finally I managed to find a way to put enclosures up. Just need to add more plants…

 

[elizaann2]

Oh he is just darling! Thank you for sharing

 

[Kodyf]

I'm that awful person who keeps buying chameleons from petshops... (( Went to PetSmart to buy some decor and passed a small enclosure (or even box) with baby chameleon in PetSmart. It has closed eyes - which I believe is a sign of illness, couldn't stop myself - I was thinking about him for several days and decided that I couldn't let him die...

I want to start this comment by saying you made the best choice getting him from the wicked pet stores like petsmart. These chameleons might need the most care to become a healthy chameleon but that makes it even more the right choice and I want to personally thank you for doing this and putting in the extra work he looks beautiful. These pet stores will continue to starve the chameleon, they also feed d3 instead of give uvb under policy to keep the chameleon small so it looks like a “baby” for you. Juvenile chameleons grow so fast and they know this so they feed them just enough to survive and keep them in a 1x1 they do both of these to keep the Cham from growing so it stays small for the customer. It’s sad, the rep from petsmart I spoke with when I got my baby Iris knew nothing about chameleons and said she was fed 2 small crickets a day and that I should continue that diet. Juveniles should be fed as many small feeders as they can eat in a 15 minute period twice a day so my baby was battling for her life/couldn’t even grow. I let her get an all you can eat buffet of small crickets twice a day, she ate so much and grew so fast, I started giving her hornworm treats and increasing the size of her feeders as she grew. Your Cham will never forget you saved him from there. I still remember my little Iris’s face when I looked in the glass she wanted out so bad we stared back at each other for a long minute, her eyes spoke to me and I recognized her stress, she will never forget that moment the first time we met her life changed from a mistreated chameleon to be a forever cared for, wanted and loved member of my family when I saved her from there. I’ve went back in the same store I got her from a few times and it puts a hole in my heart every time I see the veiled chameleons I can’t save suffering from their lack of care for the animals. It’s a very rewarding feeling to save even just one chameleon from these wicked places. Keeping chameleons is too hard for a multimillion dollar company ironically, what they do should be ILLEGAL.

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

Omg! James is beautiful. I love his color pattern.

 

[naterowley]

Looks great! Where did you find the stand?

 

[Asyaneo]

Omg! James is beautiful. I love his color pattern.

Thank you

Looks great! Where did you find the stand?

That was a journey and I still experimenting with it - the one of the picture is this one (picnic table)-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2YXMLSF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I have also ordered this one suggested by Neptune Chameleon, but havent' received yet:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097RXWTRM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

[naterowley]

Thank you

That was a journey and I still experimenting with it - the one of the picture is this one (picnic table)-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2YXMLSF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I have also ordered this one suggested by Neptune Chameleon, but havent' received yet:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097RXWTRM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Awesome, looks like you just didnt raise it up all the way, would you be as so kind if you dont mind to measure how tall it sits when it's all the way down?

 

[Asyaneo]

Awesome, looks like you just didnt raise it up all the way, would you be as so kind if you dont mind to measure how tall it sits when it's all the way down?

Sorry, missed that one. Is it still relevant for you?

Added this space for James - outside of cage - he is going there every time I open his cage…. Really likes watching what is happening outside. Really recommend - this is an expandable shower organizer where I put photos plants (got them for ~10$ each in Traders’ Joe)

 

[Asyaneo]

James says “hi”. Changed his enclosure again - tried to add more plants & sticks, but also just got a Dragon Strand enclosure. Absolutely love it - planning to set it up for James in next couple of weeks.

 

[Paradalis]

That’s fantastic Can’t wait to see the new set up with the dragon strand enclosure!!!

 

[Sonny13]

Great job

 

[Asyaneo]

Our upgrade:

When put everything together realized that now James can’t see through the window, so will rotate so he has a mesh screen near the window. Also planning to add some plants closer to the bottom.

What do you think? Any ideas what to add - plants, sticks?

 

[MissSkittles]

Looks great! I don’t know if you’re wanting to leave the bottom bare or not, but you could add a taller plant, like a schefflera, weeping fig or something similar. Or you could put a pothos down low and have it grow upwards. Their leaves get huge when they grow up instead of down.

 

[GrannyK]

Looks great!

 

[Asyaneo]

Looks great! I don’t know if you’re wanting to leave the bottom bare or not, but you could add a taller plant, like a schefflera, weeping fig or something similar. Or you could put a pothos down low and have it grow upwards. Their leaves get huge when they grow up instead of down.

That’s exactly what I had in my old enclosures, got for it couple huge umbrella trees, money tree. But not sure if they can be put in Dragon Strand enclosures on mesh floor - do you know? As they are pretty heavy