My New Senegal Chameleon

[skaterofguitars]

Hello! My name is Tyler. I've had reptiles as pets my whole life but I've never had a chameleon before. Just last week I purchased a Senegal Chameleon from a local petshop because I did not know where else to get one. I haven't seen him eat yet but I've had to buy a couple dozen crickets for him already because they keep on disappearing. (im pretty sure he is eating them). Also I already have him trained to drink water from this little dropper thing I have!

He is only about 3 inches in length (not including the tail). I was wondering if anyone knows how old he probably is and how long they take to fully mature. Also I think there is something wrong. I know chameleons are slow but when I saw them in the pet store they were moving around alot and mine doesn't seem active at all. But when I hold him he seems fine and walks all over me. I have him in a small glass terrarium next to a window and i dont have a uvb bulb or whatever you call it.

Could you guys please help me with what kidn of enclosure and lighting i need. also is it ok to hold the chameleon? That would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AFH]

Congratulations on your new pet! Now you're going to have to do a lot of research to make sure you provide the correct care. I'm not too familiar with Senegal chams, so I'll defer to some of the members that have raised them.

However, here are some good sites for basic info. A lot of it is geared towards veiled and panthers, but I think the basic set up is similar.

www.keepingchameleons.com
www.raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com

Some info on Senegal:
www.chameleonnews.com
www.chameleonsonline.com (look under species info)

Also, when you run into problems, use this format to ask for help, you'll get help much faster. https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

Oh, and as for handling, the less the better. Chameleons stress easily and it can be detrimental to their health. Obviously, you've got to handle them sometimes, but the more you leave them alone, the healthier they will be.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Congratulations on your new addition.
It does seem like you made a bit of an impulse purchase, however, and are going to need to quickly get your cham's living arrangements up to speed.
I'm glad you have found the forums!
Chamaeleo senegalensis is a species I am planning to work with this year.
My plan is to keep them similarly to my veileds.
They do need to have a constant supply of water (glad to hear you have the dripper) and they appreciate a very densely planted environment.
You have already been given the link to my site concerning veiled husbandry which should all apply. Cage size should be no smaller than 15x15x24 and I do recommend that you get a screen enclosure. You MUST get the Repti-sun 5.0 UVB linear tube as soon as possible. Your chameleon is young and growing and will not be able to do this properly without UVB light. MBD is (unfortunately) an all too common malady and will happen to your growing cham if the proper lighting and supplements are not provided.
Senegals can reach a total length of 10 to 12 inches ... males are smaller than females.
The animal is most likely wild caught and does not need the added stress of you holding it ... I would refrain from this practice.
Please let us know how this progresses for you and post pics of your chameleon and set up.
By the way, where do you live and what store did you get the animal from??

Good Luck!

-Brad

 

[skaterofguitars]

Thank you so much for answering my questions. Today i bought a pretty big enclosure for him. I also bought a live bonsai plant thing and a heat lamp. Now I just need to convince my dad that Freddy (my chameleon) needs this light. I will get it as soon as I can. Another thing is that he eats from my hand now. I tried holding a cricket kind of close to him and he shot his tongue out and got it!!!!! Ive never seen a chameleon do that before. It was awesome.

Also it seems like when I hold him he is very happy. He doesn't hiss or anything and he doesn't change to a darker color. Also if I open up his cage and put my hand out he climbs over to it and crawls up my arm. Do you still think that I should not hold him?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I think you should take the heat lamp back (no need for it what-so-ever) and get the UVB light (without it you will lose this animal).

Please do some reading and research.

-Brad

 

[Cherron]

Senegals don't need a basking light? Seems like they would need the heat lamp to provide a basking spot...

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I assumed heat lamp was a red bulb or ceramic heat emitter.
A basking light would be a fine idea for a senegal.

-Brad

 

[AFH]

Right, he needs a basking lamp that gets one spot, preferrably near a vine or branch that gets about 80-85. AND the UV tube light.

 

[bucky]

Make sure the plant is a safe plant. Go to the home page find the plant list. And is the enclosure a screened enclosure? I suggest getting supplements to sprinkle on your crickets too.

 

[skaterofguitars]

Reply thing

I am going to get crickets tomorrow and I will definately get the supplement and as long as only my dad is there I will definately get the uvb light. is it just a bulb or do you have to get a special lamp to go with it????

 

[ChrisnLisa]

If your dad is worried about the cost of supplies I would recommend using LLLReptile.com for your supplies. You need a Zoo-med Reptisun 5.0 Flourescent tube light. You will also need a flourescent tube fixture to go with it. Also for supplements we use Reptical with D3, reptical without D3, and Minerall Outdoor formula. You can p.m. us for more ideas. We don't know the specifics of Senegal's but will help you with your set-up the best we can. Good luck!

 

[ChrisnLisa]

Oh yeah, just in case you don't know about cricket size. Do not feed your chameleon a cricket that is larger than the space in between your chameleons eyes. Hope this helps.

 

[studiocham]

Also I already have him trained to drink water from this little dropper thing I have!

Hi there,

I think there was some confusion in this thread over whether you are using a dropper (eyedropper with a rubber bulb to squeeze out water) or a dripper (a water receptacle that drips water from the roof of the screen enclosure). The dropper is only marginally better for this species than a dripper; he will do best with daily warm hand spray mistings or an automatic mist system. I kept Senegals for years, and found they like to drink quite a bit. They thrive with automatic mist systems, Hudson hand-pump sprayers with warm mist, and lukewarm showers in the tub. The mist/shower rain should feel warm when you test it on your wrist. Your Senegal is still too small for bathroom showers.

He is only about 3 inches in length (not including the tail). I was wondering if anyone knows how old he probably is and how long they take to fully mature.

It sounds like yours is a subadult, maybe 3-4 months old. Some reach sexual maturity around six months of age, but growth slows after 1 year.

Also I think there is something wrong. I know chameleons are slow but when I saw them in the pet store they were moving around alot and mine doesn't seem active at all. But when I hold him he seems fine and walks all over me. I have him in a small glass terrarium next to a window and i dont have a uvb bulb or whatever you call it.

Start with getting a proper screen enclosure, lights, and maybe a ReptiBulb 50watt for heat while he's so small... I am guessing that you are using one of those red heat bulbs from a pet shop? That doesn't offer the UVAs (which are not the same as UVB) they need for psychological benefits. He will also need the ReptiSun 5.0 for UVB basking, as already noted. The red heat bulbs just burn chams. Usually when you correct the husbandry, chameleons will improve immediately. Since he is likely a Wild Caught, he needs to be checked for parasites by a veterinarian.

also is it ok to hold the chameleon? That would be greatly appreciated.

Some chameleons really despise human contact. I have found Senegals to be the exception to the rule, but I think it also has a lot to do with individual keepers' approaches. Contact should be the chameleon's choice, and it should be allowed privacy and a return to its territory the minute it gives any signal of "enough". Here is my article that discusses the care, growth, color signal translation, behavior (and handling) of Senegals:

http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=164

I hope your dad can help you get your new Senegal set up for success. Senegals can make outstanding pets (especially compared with other chameleon species), it just takes a little work to set up the enclosure and get rid of its parasites. If you have more specific questions, I can be reached by PM.

 

[kinyonga]

I have had quite a few Senegals over the 20+ years that I have been keeping chameleons.

You can use a regular incandescent household bulb in a hood as a basking light. The wattage required will be whatever wattage puts the temperature in the basking area into the mid to high 80's F. Appropriate basking temperatures aid in digestion so that helps with nutrient absorption.

The Repti-sun 5.0 tube/linear (not compact) comes highly recommended by people to provide UVB for the chameleon. Exposing the chameleon to UVB from either the UVB light or from exposing it to direct sunlight allows the chameleon to produce vitamin D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its system. There should be no glass or plastic between the light or the sunlight and the chameleon.

To save some money, places like Home Depot and Canadian Tire sell a fixture that will hold the fluorescent UVB light...cheaper than buying one elsewhere. Its ballasted so you can buy a timer so that the lights will come on and off automatically. I recommend a non-digital type of timer. (Digital ones usually reset themselves when the power is off.)

Most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous so its important to dust them before feeding them to your chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder such as Rep-Cal to help make up for this.

I also dust twice a month with a vitamin powder (such as Herptivite) that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like preformed vitamin A will. There is some controversy about whether all chameleons can convert beta carotene to vitamin A so some people give the chameleons a little bit of preformed vitamin A once in a while. Excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD...so don't overdo it.

If a chameleon is exposed to sunlight then it won't likely need any more vitamin D3 added to its diet, but if it only gets UVB from tube lights, then its a good idea to dust with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder (such as Rep-Cal's calcium/D3 powder) twice a month lightly. D3 from supplements also builds up in the system.

You should feed your insects a nutritious diet and gutload them before feeding them to the chameleon.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and play important parts in other processes in the chameleon so its important to have them in balance. Whatever goes into your chameleon in the way of supplements, insects and whatever you feed to the insects needs to be looked at when trying to balance these.

Senegals really seem to need to drink well. Some of them are stubborn to get started to drink and you need to be persistant.

Unless your room temperatures drop below the mid 60's your chameleon doesn't need any heat at night...and the lights should only be on during the day for 12 to 14 hours.

It might be a good idea to show this to your Dad so that he understands what is needed too.

Good luck with your chameleon!

 

[skaterofguitars]

Reply

Today I bought the ReptiSun 5.0 uvb bulb and i already had the fixture thing to use it with. I have noticed that Freddy has become much more active. I was wondering if there is a way that I can post pictures of him, so you guys can see if he is healthy looking and just to admire his coolness.

 

[AFI]

gender?

I also have a question, how do I tell what gender my senegal chameleons is?

 

[YumeKitsune4]

Check the thickness of the tail and look for a bulge near the vent. Males have the bulge and a thicker tail. Also, I sent you a PM