My new addition...

[Jam]

<sigh>. can chameleon's classify as an addiction?

I went to the store to get my parrot some new toys and what did they have but new baby veileds. <sigh>. They were really cute..... It's one of the rare good pet stores that either breed their own animals or have private home breeders and they actually know what they are talking about. It's not a chain store.

And I know have a new baby (4 inch long) veiled male named "ernie". He's already hissing and puffing like a pro. Looks like he'll be just like my "hissy hermie".

He's a tich dehydrated so I've been misting him a lot and he's already eaten one baby cricket that I've seen since I got him home.

Any suggestions on how much I should feed him a day? I don't want him to end up like Hermie...

Who by the way is doing fabulous. He eats 5-6 silkworms a day and is just doing great ... hissing and puffing up a storm any time I go in to give him his calcium.

 

[Jam]

Well for all of you who "know" hermie ... this wont come as a surprise.

Apparently I was a bad mom this morning and left the bottom clip off of hermie's cage (mind you to get out he has to climb about 6 inches up a bottom liner and then climb down and between the flap and liner). I immediately realize what happened after getting home and start checking on everyone else before I start a Hermie search. Oh, no need for a hermie search -- there is hermie sitting on a light cord staring rather insulted looking into Ernest's cage with a total "I am SOOO insulted! What were you thinking?!?!" look on his face.

A question for you all with baby experience: How many of you guys actually observe your babies eating? Ernest appears to be taking after hermie in that he does NOT like to be seen eating and he does the "Oh HEY! There's a cricket ... I think I want that ... oh wait, it's moving kinda fast ... oh it's gone now..." ARGGG! my first cham would chase each and every cricket until she got it, which was rather nice knowing that she would get her food. I have a batch of silkworms that should be hatching soon, which I think will be good for him when they are still really small ... but for the mean time, I have baby crickets' for him. Which means I worry....

 

[Will Hayward]

I find if you provide more perches, foliage and up the general density of the cage, they feel more secure, and they are less likely to worry about having to keep one eye on you while trying to keep both on the runaway fastfood. Add in a few more plants and leafy vines for him to more easily approach prey, as well as hide you watching, as he focuses on hunting.

Tear one of the crickets legs off to sloy them down. Or alternatively put them in the freezer for 25 seconds or so (experiment) to slow them down.

 

[Frank Castle]

Hermie is a great character. How dare you bring another guy into his house. LOL. Now that Hermie knows his way out of the cage and there is another cham around, it could get interesting. I have never had a problem with my cham eating in front of me. He has hand fed from day one. Maybe I am lucky. When I got my Veiled, around the same size as yours, I fed about 6-10 1/4 crickets a day, or 5-8 meal worms. I increase the size over time, but try not to over feed. Once a day should be fine.

Frank

 

[Jordan]

Mine alway eat in front of me.

If he is in Hermie's line of sight move him. Hermie will probably intimidate Ernest more then you would. At that size with under developed colors it is not uncommon for a larger male to rape a small male. They mistake the drab colors for being receptive and pay no attention to size. That look Hermie was giving you may be for different reasons.

A good dense hiding area gives them comfort to come out in the open to move around. They know where they can run back to if they get scared. Veiled I have seen like to charge their food not sit and wait. With a lot of branches you will give him the opprotunity to do which ever he wants to do.
If he is new he might just need a day or two to get use to the change.

I would keep them away from each other and under no circumstance leave them free in the same room.

 

[Jam]

Oh they are seperate! Well ... when hermie went wandering (little devil!) he could see him (or was just attracted to the heat lamp that was on ernest's cage). There's an arm chair and entire room between the two of them -- there's no way they can see eachother. And I'd never let them out together -- i have no doubt that Hermie would flat out eat ernest. Ernest is just a few inches (3ish) long and Hermie is full grown.

My first veiled was "spoon trained" and would actually come running anytime her spoon came in her cage, and would aim before even looking half the time. It made life "easy" because I never had to worry about her finding her food.

 

[Jordan]

Chameleons can see at an estimated 100% magnification. We only see at about 20%. If they are in the same room without a barrier wall they can see each other. Veileds have also been proven to communicate on some sort of subsonic level. The implications of what they are communicating are unknow. They could be calling for a mate. They could be giving warning calls to other males.

I have heard of varying results of keeping chameleons in the same room without barrier walls. I personally have housed my female and male in the same room without any noticable signs of stress. I could not really say for sure what is going to happen with two males of this paticular species. They are extremely intolerant of each other.

Odds are he probably needs a day or two to adjust to his new surroundings. I would keep them being in the same room in the back of my mind.