My veiled chameleon is not going to his basking spot

[Tachora]

Hello everyone,

This is Gizmo, he is a 2 yo male. He hasn't had any issues with us other than when he was a baby, he has a very large enclosure with edible plants (hibiscus, golden ficus, and cripping fig).


The temperature on his highest basking spot is always 90-95F and I changed his linear UVB light about 3 months ago.

I mist him 3X a day and he also has a drip bottle that falls on the hibiscus leaves.

I feed him gutloaded crickets, super worms, blueberries, blackberries, and I get him a container of hornworms once a month.

We rarely ever handle him but sometimes we take his enclosure out to the yard so he can get some natural sunshine, since it's winter we haven't been doing this much unless it's warm enough in the sun.

Lately, he has been going to his sleeping spot as early as 5:00pm, this morning is already almost 11 am and he is still down in his sleeping spot (not sleeping, but still).

How long is it normal for an adult male to bask and to be in the shade. He never sleeps during the day, I'm not sure if his behavior is normal for the winter time but I'm starting to worry.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jpeff]

90 to 95 might just cook him that way to hot

 

[Jpeff]

I keep most of my cages about 80. Including my veiled. He bask and roams around. Yous is prob staying low to get away from heat

 

[Beman]

I would drop back your basking temp to 85 max at the branch.... Winter they slow down a bit. They may go to sleeping spot sooner or not get out of their sleeping spot until later. This is normal. He is right next to that window... Be careful with this ambient temps are going to drop more and if there is any air coming in this can cause issues. Full sun from a window has the same issue can create a much too hot ambient temp.

I would not feed him fruit they do not have the ability to process the sugars so it is not healthy for him. He looks like he is holding a bit of weight in his casque and cheeks, how much are you feeding and how often? What supplements are you using and what is the rotation?

 

[Tachora]

Thank you Beman!!!

I just ran to dial down his temperature. He doesn't eat any other vegetables I've offered so that's why I got in the habit of giving him one blueberry or blackberry daily, but he doesn't eat them everyday.

I put 2-4 crickets in his enclosure everyday but he doesn't always eat them. I do see him eating his leaves often.

The window where he is only gets sun very early in the morning at sunrise for about 20 minutes, that's why I thought this window would be nice, natural light but shaded most of the day.

Supplements I have are Calcium without D3 and calcium with D3, I alternate them once a month, but I have to sprinkle it on the bottom of his berries because he won't eat anything that looks powdery white.

So he's a fatty? Should I stop the berries altogether? how often do you recommend I give him hornworms? When I find them at the store, I also get him Phoenix worms and he does not like roaches :/

 

[Chameleoking]

How's your guy doing now that you dropped temps?

 

[Chameleoking]

Did you build that enclosure yourself. I like it.

 

[kinyonga]

Where do you live?

How do you ensure he's getting the proper amount of supplements if you only dust the berries and he doesn't always eat them?

You don't use a vitamin powder?
What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

At his age he only needs to be fed every second or third day.

 

[Kaizen]

Hello everyone,

This is Gizmo, he is a 2 yo male. He hasn't had any issues with us other than when he was a baby, he has a very large enclosure with edible plants (hibiscus, golden ficus, and cripping fig).


The temperature on his highest basking spot is always 90-95F and I changed his linear UVB light about 3 months ago.

I mist him 3X a day and he also has a drip bottle that falls on the hibiscus leaves.

I feed him gutloaded crickets, super worms, blueberries, blackberries, and I get him a container of hornworms once a month.

We rarely ever handle him but sometimes we take his enclosure out to the yard so he can get some natural sunshine, since it's winter we haven't been doing this much unless it's warm enough in the sun.

Lately, he has been going to his sleeping spot as early as 5:00pm, this morning is already almost 11 am and he is still down in his sleeping spot (not sleeping, but still).

How long is it normal for an adult male to bask and to be in the shade. He never sleeps during the day, I'm not sure if his behavior is normal for the winter time but I'm starting to worry.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Like others said, that’s a recipe for chameleon cakes. Personally, I see no reason to offer basking temps above 82, ever.

 

[Tachora]

How's your guy doing now that you dropped temps?

He is out basking now

 

[Tachora]

Did you build that enclosure yourself. I like it.

Yes, with the help of my husband. I didn't like that all enclosures for sale felt too small so for my birthday last year that's what I ask for, lol!

 

[Tachora]

Where do you live?

How do you ensure he's getting the proper amount of supplements if you only dust the berries and he doesn't always eat them?

You don't use a vitamin powder?
What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

At his age he only needs to be fed every secon or third day.

Hi Kinyonga,

We live in the Monterey Bay.

No vitamin powder, should I get one? I know he gets the supplement when I give it to him because I continue to dust the berry with it until I see it's gone, sometimes he goes for it as soon as I put it on his feeding dish.

I gutload the insects with dandelion leaves, shredded carrots, cucumbers, squash, potatoes sometimes, I try to give them varied stuff.

Ok, I'll lessen his feed.

Thank you!

 

[Tachora]

Like others said, that’s a recipe for chameleon cakes. Personally, I see no reason to offer basking temps above 82, ever.

Got it! I had gotten a book to learn about chameleons when he was a baby and it says that adults need up to 100F temperatures, but that always felt too high too.

 

[Kaizen]

Got it! I had gotten a book to learn about chameleons when he was a baby and it says that adults need up to 100F temperatures, but that always felt too high too.

That’s bonkers. 82 is great.

 

[Tachora]

That’s bonkers. 82 is great.

good to know, I promise to abide, I'm more careful with this guy than with my own kids sometimes, lol!

 

[kinyonga]

Hi Kinyonga,

We live in the Monterey Bay.

No vitamin powder, should I get one? I know he gets the supplement when I give it to him because I continue to dust the berry with it until I see it's gone, sometimes he goes for it as soon as I put it on his feeding dish.

I gutload the insects with dandelion leaves, shredded carrots, cucumbers, squash, potatoes sometimes, I try to give them varied stuff.

Ok, I'll lessen his feed.

Thank you!

The recommended supplementing should be...dust the insects every feeding but one a week lightly with a phos free calcium powder. On the one feeding a week that you don't use that powder, alternate between a phos free/D3 powder lightly and a vitamin powder with a prEformed source of vitamin A and no D3.

You can add sweet red peppers, sweet potatoes, zucchini, kale, collards, endive, etc to your insects diet.

I would start by feeding him the same amount every second day, then cutting down on the number of insects to the point where he's not fat and not thin.

 

[Kaizen]

Sorry, you’re the second post I’ve been abrupt on. I’m really a nice guy, just running on little sleep. I keep Jackson’s, panthers, Veileds, and Parsons, and 80 is about the highest they see. AS the hobby grows and learns, things change and we get better at stuff. One such change for the better has been a reduction in the recommended basking temps. Unfortunately, many care sheets aren’t caught up.

 

[Beman]

Thank you Beman!!!

I just ran to dial down his temperature. He doesn't eat any other vegetables I've offered so that's why I got in the habit of giving him one blueberry or blackberry daily, but he doesn't eat them everyday.

I put 2-4 crickets in his enclosure everyday but he doesn't always eat them. I do see him eating his leaves often.

The window where he is only gets sun very early in the morning at sunrise for about 20 minutes, that's why I thought this window would be nice, natural light but shaded most of the day.

Supplements I have are Calcium without D3 and calcium with D3, I alternate them once a month, but I have to sprinkle it on the bottom of his berries because he won't eat anything that looks powdery white.

So he's a fatty? Should I stop the berries altogether? how often do you recommend I give him hornworms? When I find them at the store, I also get him Phoenix worms and he does not like roaches :/

Ok so at his age you should be feeding 3-4 feeders every other day or 3 days a week only. With the supplements can you take pics of what you are using? You want to be using calcium without D3 at all feedings except two times a month you would use calcium with D3. If your D3 is also a multivitamin that is great if not you need a multivitamin that does not include D3. This is where knowing exactly what your using is helpful.

You can give him hornworms as often as you like as long as your feeding other feeders as well. So example 3 crickets and a hornworm. They are insectivores so no need to offer anything other than what your feeding for insects.