My Chameleon just had babies...not expected...please help

[Daisy]

My chameleon just had 10 live babies. My local pet store that I got it from doesn't have any advice. Do you know anywhere I can find reliable information regarding raising them.

I now have no idea what kind she is. The pet store sold her as a spotted chameleon, but spotted chameleons lay eggs...so I guess she is not that. She is not a jacksons chameleon. She is about 6 inches including tail. Normally tan with a white stripe down her side. Sometimes she gets yellow or black spots on her side. I found out she had babies back in february also before I got her. Please help, I want these babies to live.

10 were born, I found 9 alive. They are currently in a critter keeper with small branches and leaves. I have a heat lamp set up and the temp is about 80 degrees. I am getting fruit flies in the morning. What can I do to help my babies?

 

[lanceman]

pin head cricks also be good to get. and i believe the temps are a bit lower for the babies than aults like the 80's that u said. watch close in that cage they dont get to hot.

adcham.com/html/husbandry/babycare

sory dont know how to link it.

 

[dodolah]

can you post a pic of her. It's quite hard for us to give a proper advise when we are unsure of the species of the chameleon.

My chameleon just had 10 live babies. My local pet store that I got it from doesn't have any advice. Do you know anywhere I can find reliable information regarding raising them.

I now have no idea what kind she is. The pet store sold her as a spotted chameleon, but spotted chameleons lay eggs...so I guess she is not that. She is not a jacksons chameleon. She is about 6 inches including tail. Normally tan with a white stripe down her side. Sometimes she gets yellow or black spots on her side. I found out she had babies back in february also before I got her. Please help, I want these babies to live.

10 were born, I found 9 alive. They are currently in a critter keeper with small branches and leaves. I have a heat lamp set up and the temp is about 80 degrees. I am getting fruit flies in the morning. What can I do to help my babies?

 

[Julirs]

This is the place for reliable information. There are several people that have experience with the live bearers and I am sure they will answer soon. I would back those temps off to even room temp if your room temp is in the mid to low 70's. They need MUCH cooler temps and will start to die off if too hot. You need to be sure of your temps-about 80 makes me think you need a more reliable digital thermometer. Get the flies ASAP, and mist them regularly. Pics would be great to identify Mom. Good luck!

 

[sharkey]

daisy,

i found 4 names w/a link (i hope the link works) try to see if yours is one of these;high casqued, two-striped, ellioit's and uganda mountain chams, then go to http://books.google.com/books?id=pf...hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result

to see if you see your cham in one of the pics. it would be unusual for you to have a rare species but possible. are you in the us? did you pay over $100? it is too bad that the store you got her from is so unable to help. this forum is wonderful - i too joined when my cham had babies (unexpectedly).

you are on the right track; feeding small-sized food, providing heat (but as others have cautioned, not too hot, the babies will cook. you need a thermometer), giving frequent mistings. shortly you will need to get them the appropriate light (not coils, regular tube uvb, repti-sun brand, chameleon specific) and , i think, a screened cage so that they don't develop infections.

if you can get a picture up, do so. someone on the forum is bound to be able to id it for you.

 

[Daisy]

Update on Daisy and babies

I found another baby this morning, so she has 10 live babies. The babies temp is 73 degrees. I have attached a picture of mom (daisy) and a baby. Daisy is in her "happy" color. When she upset she turns almost black. Her body is just under 4" long (not including tail) The babies are eating fruit flies and drinking water. Thanks for all your help.

 

[dodolah]

General baby care:

http://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/babycare.html

 

[reptimom]

She may be in the chameleo rudis family - maybe a ruwenzori side striped chameleon. They give birth to live young. If this is the case - the babies will need high humidity and no heat source. Rudis chams like cooler temps 72 - 76. Mine love fruit flies and pinhead crickets.

 

[Trace]

For future reference you have a Chamaeleo trioceros bitaeniatus or Side Striped Chameleon.

Like everyone else has said, these are montane chameleons and high temperatures are lethal. I keep my basking spot temperature no higher than 80F(max) and my humidity (and this is crucial for montanes) no lower than 80%. Babies are born eating so make sure you've got plenty appropriate sized feeders ready. I have not found the true bitaeniatus to be fussy eaters and FF's and crickets are readily accepted. I also separated and reared my bitan litters into pairs or trios. I found there was less competition for food and basking spots when done this way and the babies were stronger for it.

Good luck with the babies - 10 is a nice average sized litter for the bitaeniatus. These guys are one of my absolute favourite species so keep me posted on their progress.

Cheers,
t

 

[camothechameleon]

The Reptile Store near me had Mountain Chameleons for sale. The female looked exactly like that. I was looking into them, but I wanted something that got a little bigger. But from what the store told me, they like the temperature a little cooler then Veiled, since they are from a cooler climate. Also, and I don't know if this applies at this point, but the person at the store told me that when they give birth, you should refrain from touching the babies until they are stronger, because they could just roll over and die in the beginning. Although, it appears that you were holding one, so his information could have been inaccurate. Good luck!!! If you are looking to sell off any of them, once they get a little bigger, let me know. I might be interested in a Male/Female pair. Thanks

 

[lbesok]

I don't think that this has already been mentioned. Keeping a fresh paper towel in the bottom of the enclosure, will help maintain humidity and also help keep it a bit cleaner. Good luck.

 

[Daisy]

just a little update

All 10 babies are doing good. Eating soooo many fruit flys. I ordered pin heads so they should be here today. Nummy nummy. Around this time of day, the sun comes in to their enclosure and they all move over to it. It is so adorable watching them bask in it. I've been watching and it doesn't get too warm. I've been sharing the UVB light between the mom and babies. As a struggling college student, I'm saving my money to get an extra UV light (they are expensive around here) I can honestly say, I wasn't prepared for babies, but I have everything they need. I'm glad they are all still alive. When she had babies at the pet store, 5 died within the first week.

PS: Is there a time when the babies will be "out of the woods" as far as being so fragile and easy to get sick and die?

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."the sun comes in to their enclosure"...is it passing through glass or plastic? Is the enclosure screen?

 

[Daisy]

enclosure

it is partly screened and partly glass. I know they need an all screen enclosure, so I am working on building one. Hopefully I will have it done soon.

 

[kinyonga]

So...does the sun pass through glass or plastic?

Just watch that you don't overheat them!

 

[Daisy]

I don't overheat

I've been watching to make sure they don't overheat, the sun goes through glass. There is a thermometer in the "sunny" area as well.

On a bad note though, I ordered my pin heads and well over half are dead. I was here when the UPS guy came, so I know they weren't sitting in the sun (on my end anyway) So I guess the little guys will have to stick with fruit flys until I get more.

 

[kinyonga]

Sun passing through glass won't provide UVB...just in case you don't know.

 

[Daisy]

Uvb

I do know that sun won't pass through, but its always good to hear again. I didn't used to know that when I had a beardie, but I learned. They have a 5.0 UVB light, the sunlight just seems to be enjoyable to them.

 

[lbesok]

PS: Is there a time when the babies will be "out of the woods" as far as being so fragile and easy to get sick and die?

This time is usually ~3mo. This is why most breeders wait until this time to start sending them off to their new homes. If you are worried about the necessary UVB, you could try to take them outside to bask in their cage for a couple of hours a week Also LLLReptile has some good deals on their UVB lights, and Walmart sells a cheepo fixture that I use on most of mine.

 

[BocaJan]

My chams each know when the afternoon sun shoots a sunny spot in their enclosure and they are there! I have UVB lights for them so I don't expect they are getting any through the window. I just think they like the sunlight for the warmth. I am glad my setup provides them some light they can bask in in the afternoon.