My chameleon won't eat

[jadegreencham]

Me and my boyfriend have two chameleons jade and scarlet we bought them together and they don't have any problem being in the same cage. They are sisters and we got them from a breeder that did not want them anymore they are flat neck, but I'm worried. Jade eats all the time but I only saw scarlet eat once she always watches when we put grasshoppers and crickets in the cage but she never goes for them. I think it might be because jade is in the cage and she is intimidated by her. I am I'm the process of getting her a new cage, because I don't want her to starve. Thee cage size she is in right now is 24x18x24 the lights are all exoterra UVB, night light, and 100 wt basking heat light and the temp. Stays at about 82. Do you guys think that she doesn't eat because there is another chameleon in the cage? Please put your insight I need some advice, thanks

 

[Carlton]

Several things to do here...

First, the name is flap neck, not flat neck. Check out the cham species information resources here for more specific info on this species.

Separate them as soon as possible. Make sure they can't even see each other. They are stressed from the move to a new home and possibly weren't getting the care they should have before you got them.

Get rid of the night light. Chams need darkness to sleep and the temp in the cage needs to drop at least 10 degrees at night. There should be a gradient of temperature (warmest under the basking light but cooler away from it) throughout the cage so the chams can warm up or cool off by moving. A larger cage will make this easier to do.

Make sure there are lots of live plants in the cages...so they can hide from view, keep the cage humidity higher, and offer them lots of leaf surfaces to drink from.

Even if 2 chams don't actively fight, they are still stressing each other by competing for space...and one will lose, break down and eventually die.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I think its quite possible having both in the same cage is effecting one of them negatively. And you dont want light at night.

 

[tkilgour]

Yes, most certainly take them out of the same cage. This is very stressfull for them. I went in a pet shop, where they had 2 veileds in the same cage. 1 veiled was eating and getting big, while the other was looking blackish, weak and a lot smaller. I asked the girl working what was up w/ them and she said "the bigger one takes all the food and the other doesnt get to eat". So this is a good example of what happens when they are together. good luck

 

[chambabysitter1]

Not to be a debbie downer, but this person has made like 4 threads over the past few days and never responded to any.

I hope she comes back and reads the threads she creates, because people are trying to offer what advice they can.

 

[jadegreencham]

we got another cage and she's starting to look better she's eating more and is more active than she was thanks for ur input sorry my phones been cut off so I couldnt reply cause of it . I don't have a computer so I do all this from my phone

 

[writh]

we got another cage and she's starting to look better she's eating more and is more active than she was thanks for ur input sorry my phones been cut off so I couldnt reply cause of it . I don't have a computer so I do all this from my phone

That is really good to hear

 

[tkilgour]

Great I knew you would see improvements with another enclosure. Chameleons do not like to co-habitat

 

[jadegreencham]

they r now both eating crickets and grasshoppers