My gravid Rudis female(T.Sternfeldi)

[Anilr16]

She is super poofy! I think if I get her near a needle she'll POP! Lol.
Question here is, sometimes I see her basking with her eyes closed
Temps are 70-80 in the house, shes misted every two hours, fed gut loaded crickets/dusted 3 times a week and ive recently fed her about 4 wax worms in the past week for some fat and a treat.

Anyone know what can be wrong?(as to why shes basking with her eyes closed?)

p.s. she only does it for a couple seconds to a minute or two, maybe it isnt as serious as im thinking?

Best regards, Anil

 

[cushcameleon]

Is she blinking repetitively? Please fill this out so we can get a better understanding of how your taking care of your cham, there could be a couple reasons why.

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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

She is super poofy! I think if I get her near a needle she'll POP! Lol.
Question here is, sometimes I see her basking with her eyes closed
Temps are 70-80 in the house, shes misted every two hours, fed gut loaded crickets/dusted 3 times a week and ive recently fed her about 4 wax worms in the past week for some fat and a treat.

Anyone know what can be wrong?(as to why shes basking with her eyes closed?)

p.s. she only does it for a couple seconds to a minute or two, maybe it isnt as serious as im thinking?

Best regards, Anil

What kind of UVB light are you using? Also what kind of light is the basking bulb?

 

[Anilr16]

Is she blinking repetitively? Please fill this out so we can get a better understanding of how your taking care of your cham, there could be a couple reasons why.

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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Cage Info: An exo-terra, pvc coating i believe(tough black one.)
Cage Type -Well....the size is 16x16x20
Lighting - Only a UVB bulb from exo-terra(coiled). 5.0
Temperature - 70-78 for the most part. 73-76? measured with a thermostat.
Humidity - not sure what humidity levels are but i mist the bottome of the cage(the newspapers) to create humidity.
Plants - Live, Benajamin Ficus, my fav
Placement -this ranges. at my dads, by the kitche with a towel covered to not see traficking. at my moms, in a coner of my room. at my dads, id say about 4ft above the ground and at my moms, on the actual floor.
Location -Orlando Fl, more humid weather considering the rains etc.

Your Chameleon - Rudis or T.Sternfeldi, Female, age is unknown because i think she was a wild caught. she looks around a year to be honest and ive kept so far for about a month and a half.
Handling - every two days to get her out their for about twenty minutes of natural sunlight and extra misting.
Feeding - Crickets mostly. OCASIONALLY a mealworm/wax worm. 3-4 crickets and whenever i do feed worms, about one or two? 11, 4 and 7.? I use some green cubed gut load feed a friend gives me that he uses on his crickets to carrots/potatoes.
Supplements - Rep-cal with Vitamin D3. and 3 times a week. Sunday, wendsday, and friday.
Watering - Always misting. I mist for about a minute til the plants are SOAKING. and I ALWAYS see her drinking. shes very responsive and not shy. And if she drinks eagerly, i sit their and mist repetetively her while she slowly laps up the water while being sprayed.
Fecal Description - Brown/black with whit mixtures. and she has never been tested.
History - When I first bought her at a repticon in orlando she was BRIGHT BRIGHT green with a highlighter yellow stripe. Now, I never see that BRIGHT LIME GREEN. Occasionally it comes back when i set her cage outside for sunlight.
Current Problem - Sometimes basking with eyes closed and well...not showing that nice BRIGHT LIME GREEN

 

[Anilr16]

What kind of UVB light are you using? Also what kind of light is the basking bulb?

eXO-tERRA 5.0, and no basking beacuse Rudis arent a fan of the warmer temps.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

eXO-tERRA 5.0, and no basking beacuse Rudis arent a fan of the warmer temps.

I would lean tward this Only a "UVB bulb from exo-terra(coiled). 5.0"
Coiled bulbs have been know to cause problems with the eyes of chameleons.

I just wanted to mention
I have chameleons that "are not a fan of the warmer temps" but bask under a lower watt bulb and are under the light often. Do you ever keep them outside?

 

[Anilr16]

I would lean tward this Only a "UVB bulb from exo-terra(coiled). 5.0"
Coiled bulbs have been know to cause problems with the eyes of chameleons.

I just wanted to mention
I have chameleons that "are not a fan of the warmer temps" but bask under a lower watt bulb and are under the light often. Do you ever keep them outside?

Ive heard so about the coiled bulbs. But I bought my coiled bulb before this knowledge of eye damage. its a shame they still sell em if they can do such damage
And i dont keep them outside because down here in Florida it gets FAR too hot for the Rudis. We're talkin 90's now
But what watt of bulb would you find apprpriate for the Rudis species?

 

[cushcameleon]

Definitely get rid of your coil bulb. You will see plenty of articles and posts on this forum that explain the dangers of UVB bulbs. I myself have experienced the negatives of coil bulb exposure. First it temporarily blinds the chameleon, which causes them to blink and close their eyes periodically. However as exposure continues the chameleons become snowblind and shuts it's eyes for most of the day, which in turn causes them to become anorexic, dehydrated, lethargic and eventually they will die. I have had first hand experience with the negatives of coil bulbs, if not removed it will reduce the health/life-span of your cham. If you don't believe me try it out for yourself. Stare into a coil bulb for a few minutes and you will notice that your eyes begin hurting, you will also see white spots in your vision when you look away. Then stare into a regular 5.0 fluorescent tube and you will notice that your eyes feel no pain and you will see no white spots in your vision when you look away. I also think you should get a heat lamp for your rudis. Yes it's true that they can live fine without heat lamps, but a heat lamp will add more a a temperature gradient, which aids with digestion and proper body temperature regulation.

 

[cushcameleon]

But what watt of bulb would you find apprpriate for the Rudis species?

My rudis and carpet chameleons are both under 57watt incandescent, soft-white bulbs. I got them for super cheap (under a buck) from the Home Depot, they work great, last long and don't emit too much heat.

 

[Anilr16]

Definitely get rid of your coil bulb. You will see plenty of articles and posts on this forum that explain the dangers of UVB bulbs. I myself have experienced the negatives of coil bulb exposure. First it temporarily blinds the chameleon, which causes them to blink and close their eyes periodically. However as exposure continues the chameleons become snowblind and shuts it's eyes for most of the day, which in turn causes them to become anorexic, dehydrated, lethargic and eventually they will die. I have had first hand experience with the negatives of coil bulbs, if not removed it will reduce the health/life-span of your cham. If you don't believe me try it out for yourself. Stare into a coil bulb for a few minutes and you will notice that your eyes begin hurting, you will also see white spots in your vision when you look away. Then stare into a regular 5.0 fluorescent tube and you will notice that your eyes feel no pain and you will see no white spots in your vision when you look away. I also think you should get a heat lamp for your rudis. Yes it's true that they can live fine without heat lamps, but a heat lamp will add more a a temperature gradient, which aids with digestion and proper body temperature regulation.

Okay Cush! Thanks so much for the knowledge
And as I stated above, I purchased my bulb without prior knowledge to the negatives on a coil bulb. But okay, ill stick a 40w on their asap.

 

[cushcameleon]

I purchased my bulb without prior knowledge to the negatives on a coil bulb.

I can totally relate, for several days I was using a powersun bulb without prior knowledge as well. Thankfully I found this forum to help with my chameleon husbandry, theres lots of nitty gritty when it comes to successfully caring for these awesome animals .

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

My rudis and carpet chameleons are both under 57watt incandescent, soft-white bulbs. I got them for super cheap (under a buck) from the Home Depot, they work great, last long and don't emit too much heat.

I use the same bulbs for my carpets and Jacksons.

 

[Anilr16]

I can totally relate, for several days I was using a powersun bulb without prior knowledge as well. Thankfully I found this forum to help with my chameleon husbandry, theres lots of nitty gritty when it comes to successfully caring for these awesome animals .

indeed cush. people like you and chris anderson are improving my knowledge s well
Well appreciated!!!

 

[cushcameleon]

I also think you may be over-supplementing. Montane chameleons do not need to be supplemented as much as other chameleons. I only supplement once a week (every Sunday) and I vary my supplements as follows. First Sunday- Reptivite w/out D3, Second Sunday- Reptivite with D3, Third Sunday- Reptivite w/out D3, Fourth Sunday- Herptivite

 

[Anilr16]

Alright Cush.

 

[kinyonga]

Reptivite has preformed vitamin A and phosphorous in it...so I would be careful of how often I used it. I would use a phos.-free calcium at most feedings and a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder twice a month if the chameleon gets no direct sunlight and Herptivite twice a month (and if you want to ensure that it gets preformed vitamin A, substitute Reptivite once a month).

D3, vitamin A, phos. and calcium are main players in bone health and should be in balance. Many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. so dusting with the phos.-free calcium helps to make up for it. D3 from supplements and preformed vitamin A can build up in the system and cause organ damage and excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. Montane species still need calcium, but its important to watch that you don't overdo the other supplements with them IMHO.

A wider assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, celery leaves, parsnips, etc.) will make a better gutload than just the couple of things you mention using.

Hope this helps!

 

[Anilr16]

Thanks kinyonga for the advice.
Ill make sure to switch up my gutload.

 

[eisentrauti]

Try to breed soldier flies, they have a very good calcium : phospor proportion

 

[Anilr16]

All this breeding talk sounds hard, lol!
Is it that easy to just do it?
To breed fruit flies, do i just leave a piece of fruit in their and seal it so the flies cant get out???

 

[Damaranum]

there are many recipies on the internet for breeding them.