PascalsMama
New Member
My little Pascali is sleeping right now. She doesn't sleep a lot during the day, but is this normal for her to take a nap? She's little, not sure exact age but she's about 2-2 1/2 inches long, not including her tail.
Nap during the day-is this normal?
- Thread starter PascalsMama
- Start date
Thompson
Chameleon Enthusiast
Nope it is not normal. Can you fill ou this? https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
phase
New Member
treat them as a human baby. they will take naps during the day but dont worry. only start worrying when they start sleeping ALOT during the day.
my 2MO veiled was sleeping alot during the day and i have talked with the forum and they recommended to move my uvb (reptisun 5.0) light higher since it was brand new. the new bulbs may be letting out too much uvb light for the baby to handle. i moved my light up from sitting on the mesh to about 1.5 feet up.
this has made the biggest defference and he has been really active lately. also it wont hurt to take him/her out into natural sun once or twice a day.
hope this helps
my 2MO veiled was sleeping alot during the day and i have talked with the forum and they recommended to move my uvb (reptisun 5.0) light higher since it was brand new. the new bulbs may be letting out too much uvb light for the baby to handle. i moved my light up from sitting on the mesh to about 1.5 feet up.
this has made the biggest defference and he has been really active lately. also it wont hurt to take him/her out into natural sun once or twice a day.
hope this helps
Thompson
Chameleon Enthusiast
treat them as a human baby. they will take naps during the day but dont worry. only start worrying when they start sleeping ALOT during the day.
my 2MO veiled was sleeping alot during the day and i have talked with the forum and they recommended to move my uvb light higher since it was brand new. the new bulbs may be letting out too much uvb light for the baby to handle. i moved my light up from sitting on the mesh to about 1.5 feet up.
this has made the biggest defference and he has been really active lately. also it wont hurt to take him/her out into natural sun once or twice a day.
hope this helps
This is also true, about the lighting. We'll see what lights you have when you fill out the form.
PascalsMama
New Member
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, Not sure of age, it's about 2 1/2 inches long, not including tail. I've had her for a week and a half.
Handling - 1 or 2x a day. When she is stressed or my kids get too hectic I put her back.
Feeding - About 10 small crickets sprinkled with calcium powder. Sometimes D3. 1x a day we feed her. We gut-load with the orange gel type of food/water from the pet store as well as kale, leafy veggies, etc.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - Mist 3x a day, I wait until the mist dries before I mist again. I mist until all of the leaves have drops of water on them. I have not seen my chameleon drink, however the last time I misted I saw her come off of the branch to get onto the leaves.
Fecal Description - Black/brownish & white. Not runny. I've seen her eat like crazy though. Never tested for parasites.
History - At the pet store where I got her, she was on the bottom where there was dirt and pawing at the glass like she wanted to get out. The pet store said she was doing that all day long. It was like she was miming almost.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass ExoTerra 18x18x24, but we are getting one that's a little wider (24x18x24) for now, even though they like height. It's just a baby cage though.
Lighting - 12 hours for the day time lighting, 12 hours for the red night lighting. 26 watt UVB tube-ish. & 20 watt Desert 50 spiral. What do you suggest? Our hood for the tank can only take 26 watt bulbs.
Temperature - Cage floor is 80, basking spot I'm not sure. I haven't measured the lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Thermometer on the bottom of cage.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 80. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting. What do you use to measure humidity? hydrometer.
Plants - Only fake plants.
Placement - Right now we are waiting for the new cage & stand to arrive, for now the cage is on the living room floor. We are moving it upstairs to our room where she will have more quiet time and be higher up. She is located king of near an air vent. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Low for now, will be higher soon, new cage & stand should arrive Tuesday.
Location - We live in Wisconsin.
Current Problem - She naps during the day occasionally. I am also interested in any advice or tips for me. We have bearded dragons and they at much easier to care for, but I am learning so much with my veiled, I lover her!
Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, Not sure of age, it's about 2 1/2 inches long, not including tail. I've had her for a week and a half.
Handling - 1 or 2x a day. When she is stressed or my kids get too hectic I put her back.
Feeding - About 10 small crickets sprinkled with calcium powder. Sometimes D3. 1x a day we feed her. We gut-load with the orange gel type of food/water from the pet store as well as kale, leafy veggies, etc.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - Mist 3x a day, I wait until the mist dries before I mist again. I mist until all of the leaves have drops of water on them. I have not seen my chameleon drink, however the last time I misted I saw her come off of the branch to get onto the leaves.
Fecal Description - Black/brownish & white. Not runny. I've seen her eat like crazy though. Never tested for parasites.
History - At the pet store where I got her, she was on the bottom where there was dirt and pawing at the glass like she wanted to get out. The pet store said she was doing that all day long. It was like she was miming almost.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass ExoTerra 18x18x24, but we are getting one that's a little wider (24x18x24) for now, even though they like height. It's just a baby cage though.
Lighting - 12 hours for the day time lighting, 12 hours for the red night lighting. 26 watt UVB tube-ish. & 20 watt Desert 50 spiral. What do you suggest? Our hood for the tank can only take 26 watt bulbs.
Temperature - Cage floor is 80, basking spot I'm not sure.
I haven't measured the lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Thermometer on the bottom of cage.Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 80. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting. What do you use to measure humidity? hydrometer.
Plants - Only fake plants.
Placement - Right now we are waiting for the new cage & stand to arrive, for now the cage is on the living room floor. We are moving it upstairs to our room where she will have more quiet time and be higher up. She is located king of near an air vent. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Low for now, will be higher soon, new cage & stand should arrive Tuesday.
Location - We live in Wisconsin.
Current Problem - She naps during the day occasionally. I am also interested in any advice or tips for me. We have bearded dragons and they at much easier to care for, but I am learning so much with my veiled, I lover her!
lecham
New Member
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, Not sure of age, it's about 2 1/2 inches long, not including tail. I've had her for a week and a half.
Handling - 1 or 2x a day. When she is stressed or my kids get too hectic I put her back.
Feeding - About 10 small crickets sprinkled with calcium powder. Sometimes D3. 1x a day we feed her. We gut-load with the orange gel type of food/water from the pet store as well as kale, leafy veggies, etc.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - Mist 3x a day, I wait until the mist dries before I mist again. I mist until all of the leaves have drops of water on them. I have not seen my chameleon drink, however the last time I misted I saw her come off of the branch to get onto the leaves.
Fecal Description - Black/brownish & white. Not runny. I've seen her eat like crazy though. Never tested for parasites.
History - At the pet store where I got her, she was on the bottom where there was dirt and pawing at the glass like she wanted to get out. The pet store said she was doing that all day long. It was like she was miming almost.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass ExoTerra 18x18x24, but we are getting one that's a little wider (24x18x24) for now, even though they like height. It's just a baby cage though.
Lighting - 12 hours for the day time lighting, 12 hours for the red night lighting. 26 watt UVB tube-ish. & 20 watt Desert 50 spiral. What do you suggest? Our hood for the tank can only take 26 watt bulbs.
Temperature - Cage floor is 80, basking spot I'm not sure.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 80. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting. What do you use to measure humidity? hydrometer.
Plants - Only fake plants.
Placement - Right now we are waiting for the new cage & stand to arrive, for now the cage is on the living room floor. We are moving it upstairs to our room where she will have more quiet time and be higher up. She is located king of near an air vent. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Low for now, will be higher soon, new cage & stand should arrive Tuesday.
Location - We live in Wisconsin.
Current Problem - She naps during the day occasionally. I am also interested in any advice or tips for me. We have bearded dragons and they at much easier to care for, but I am learning so much with my veiled, I lover her!
your cage should not be a glass enclosure, this traps heat making it a little oven for your cham. you should get a small mesh cage since you have a baby. also try to keep the handling to a minimum,since she is small she is prone to high stress and this may cause her nott o adapt to her souroundings, or make it hard for her to feel comfortable in her cage, how far do u have the uvb bulb from her cage? and the veilds like a dry hot enviroment they dont need to be misted much ,but they do need to have acces to water allday.
PascalsMama
New Member
Wow, sorry for the typos/wrong words haha. I was slightly distracted with my 2 year old crawling on me.
Thanks for the advice! I will post a picture of her cage so you can see it.
Thanks for the advice! I will post a picture of her cage so you can see it.
There should be no substrate in the cage as the cham could accidentally ingest it during feeding and then could become impacted.
What type (brand and rating) of UVB bulb are you using?
You should remove the water bowl. Most chams won't drink standing water. Even if they will drink from the bowl, standing water is a breeding ground for bacteria. You should use a dripper.
If it is 80 on the cage floor then it is probably too hot at the top of the tank. The basking area should be around 78-82.
You need more plants, vines, etc. Chams need to have plenty of places to hide or they can become very stressed.
What type (brand and rating) of UVB bulb are you using?
You should remove the water bowl. Most chams won't drink standing water. Even if they will drink from the bowl, standing water is a breeding ground for bacteria. You should use a dripper.
If it is 80 on the cage floor then it is probably too hot at the top of the tank. The basking area should be around 78-82.
You need more plants, vines, etc. Chams need to have plenty of places to hide or they can become very stressed.
swordfish1030
New Member
Why are all the answers on this Forum the same?
1) fill out this form
2) you sure can not use glass!!!
3) your bulbs are all wrong
4) you don't water you cham properly.
First of all, the form is nice if the problem is complicated. But the form is OVER complicated to fill out and not needed for so many reasons.
Second, YOU CAN USE GLASS, a leading expert in chams has posted countless times on true success of using glass enclosures on a variety of chams. In Europe
most people use glass and they have been doing this a lot longer and with success then here in the states.
Third, bulbs come on. Sure it is important but I have seen people post that you have to use type A and type B is bad and others say type B is a must and A is bad.
Last, proper hydration is mandatory and definitely needed but why do people use this as an excuse for everything?
---
The Chams in question are babies and yes they will sleep during the day.
Now the questions, are your chams eating properly? are they getting proper hydration? Do you have the correct lights for them? do they have a cage with room to move and exercise? Do you have enough and the proper plants and vines? Do they have proper and healthy urine and feces.
If yes to these then it is simply that they are babies and need sleep. Growing takes a lot out of a creature. Especially how fast they grow the first 6 to 9 months of their lives depending on species.
P.S. glass is nice for babies, helps you maintain better moisture and more consistent heat levels just be careful and make sure that you have the proper levels for your species needs.
Handling of any pet is actually a GOOD thing if done properly. Else they grow up to not be use to you and if you ever do need to touch them expect it to be difficult.
Go slow, let the Cham come to you, try offering it food as an invite that you are not a threat. let the Cham see you often watching, cleaning, watering it. It will get use to you.
Yes, try to not spook it, don't GRAB it. be kind and gentle and it will come around to you. You need to be part of its life not some one watching through binoculars. Like all
animals it takes a lot of time and patience to get an animal use to you.
I have even done this with humming birds in my own backyard and now they look for me to come outside and they fly towards me like they are saying hello if not begging for attention
and food.
Common sense is the best tool along with love for the animal, care and patience is a must!
1) fill out this form
2) you sure can not use glass!!!
3) your bulbs are all wrong
4) you don't water you cham properly.
First of all, the form is nice if the problem is complicated. But the form is OVER complicated to fill out and not needed for so many reasons.
Second, YOU CAN USE GLASS, a leading expert in chams has posted countless times on true success of using glass enclosures on a variety of chams. In Europe
most people use glass and they have been doing this a lot longer and with success then here in the states.
Third, bulbs come on. Sure it is important but I have seen people post that you have to use type A and type B is bad and others say type B is a must and A is bad.
Last, proper hydration is mandatory and definitely needed but why do people use this as an excuse for everything?
---
The Chams in question are babies and yes they will sleep during the day.
Now the questions, are your chams eating properly? are they getting proper hydration? Do you have the correct lights for them? do they have a cage with room to move and exercise? Do you have enough and the proper plants and vines? Do they have proper and healthy urine and feces.
If yes to these then it is simply that they are babies and need sleep. Growing takes a lot out of a creature. Especially how fast they grow the first 6 to 9 months of their lives depending on species.
P.S. glass is nice for babies, helps you maintain better moisture and more consistent heat levels just be careful and make sure that you have the proper levels for your species needs.
Handling of any pet is actually a GOOD thing if done properly. Else they grow up to not be use to you and if you ever do need to touch them expect it to be difficult.
Go slow, let the Cham come to you, try offering it food as an invite that you are not a threat. let the Cham see you often watching, cleaning, watering it. It will get use to you.
Yes, try to not spook it, don't GRAB it. be kind and gentle and it will come around to you. You need to be part of its life not some one watching through binoculars. Like all
animals it takes a lot of time and patience to get an animal use to you.
I have even done this with humming birds in my own backyard and now they look for me to come outside and they fly towards me like they are saying hello if not begging for attention
and food.
Common sense is the best tool along with love for the animal, care and patience is a must!
The correct bulb is critical to the proper development, especially for a baby. If the bulb is too strong it can cause eye problems. If it is too weak, the cham could develop MBD.
phase
New Member
yes i use half glass and half mesh and some people have told me to use all mesh.. i have been very succesful with keeping my temps and humidity stable. i really hate when people tell me NOT to use it but if i can keep it stable then why not?
seanUTD
New Member
This thread looks like its spiraling out of control so I'll see if I can kinda smash everyones advice coercively
Your cage is fine for a baby (IF YOU PROPERLY MAINTAIN LEVELS OF PROPER HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE) Which is very difficult considering the two meters you are using are at the bottom of the enclosure, they need to be where your cham will spend most of it's time, up high.
You need a UVB, reptisun is recommended but either reptiglo or reptisun will work. A linear 18" is great for those as if I'm not mistaken you can actually buy a fitting hood CONVENIENT!!
You may OR MAY NOT need a basking bulb for a cham that young, depending on the ambient temperature at the top of the enclosure. For a baby that young too hot becomes around 85 so between 80-82 is perfect (as they get older you can up the temps to more like 88 for veiled chams). Basking temps are best achieved with the simple solution of a household incandescent bulb. For that young I don't recommend anything bigger than a 20 watt.
You definitely need foliage in there as the cham needs to be able to hide from stress.. i.e. you, bright light, the heat. They are arboreal and like trees obviously lol.
Substrate needs to be removed. There are MANY issues with it so just allow me to say, remove it.
With a supplement schedule you need to use Calcium W/O D3 every day, Calcium W/D3 around twice a month (debated issue depending on how much natural sun your cham receives), and a multivitamin twice a month.
I hope some of this helps. Im always on so PM if you need anything or ask in a thread, people are ALWAYS willing to help!
Your cage is fine for a baby (IF YOU PROPERLY MAINTAIN LEVELS OF PROPER HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE) Which is very difficult considering the two meters you are using are at the bottom of the enclosure, they need to be where your cham will spend most of it's time, up high.
You need a UVB, reptisun is recommended but either reptiglo or reptisun will work. A linear 18" is great for those as if I'm not mistaken you can actually buy a fitting hood
CONVENIENT!!You may OR MAY NOT need a basking bulb for a cham that young, depending on the ambient temperature at the top of the enclosure. For a baby that young too hot becomes around 85 so between 80-82 is perfect (as they get older you can up the temps to more like 88 for veiled chams). Basking temps are best achieved with the simple solution of a household incandescent bulb. For that young I don't recommend anything bigger than a 20 watt.
You definitely need foliage in there as the cham needs to be able to hide from stress.. i.e. you, bright light, the heat. They are arboreal and like trees obviously lol.
Substrate needs to be removed. There are MANY issues with it so just allow me to say, remove it.
With a supplement schedule you need to use Calcium W/O D3 every day, Calcium W/D3 around twice a month (debated issue depending on how much natural sun your cham receives), and a multivitamin twice a month.
I hope some of this helps. Im always on so PM if you need anything or ask in a thread, people are ALWAYS willing to help!
lecham
New Member
some tips
there is need for ventilation in the cage especially during its young years of a cham. they have samll lungs and their lungs are so delicate, having a glass cage is possible but if ur a BEGINNER in the cham buiz, i would NOT recommend it..since its a veiled they need more heat than a jacksons or a panther due to it not being of tropical areas.and the glass would trap more humidity and heat but this COULD be bad for your chameleon if not leveled appropietly ..they seek hot dry are and some misting, but not as much as a i mentioned..i also see that u have the cage on your floor, it would enjoi itself more if it were in a high place abouve ur eye level, this will make it have more privacy and be less stressed.. and u definetly need more plants in there towards the top of the cage were the cham will spend most of its time..every chameleon is different and will adapt to most of the souroundings but be sure itsnot to exagerated and try to immitate its natural envir. as best as possible.. thats why i suggest a screen so there will be some ventilation..oh and definetly no substrate u cN GET A CARPET OR USE SIMPLE CLEENEX PAPER(excuse my gramer)
there is need for ventilation in the cage especially during its young years of a cham. they have samll lungs and their lungs are so delicate, having a glass cage is possible but if ur a BEGINNER in the cham buiz, i would NOT recommend it
..since its a veiled they need more heat than a jacksons or a panther due to it not being of tropical areas.and the glass would trap more humidity and heat but this COULD be bad for your chameleon if not leveled appropietly ..they seek hot dry are and some misting, but not as much as a i mentioned..i also see that u have the cage on your floor, it would enjoi itself more if it were in a high place abouve ur eye level, this will make it have more privacy and be less stressed.. and u definetly need more plants in there towards the top of the cage were the cham will spend most of its time..every chameleon is different and will adapt to most of the souroundings but be sure itsnot to exagerated and try to immitate its natural envir. as best as possible.. thats why i suggest a screen so there will be some ventilation..oh and definetly no substrate u cN GET A CARPET OR USE SIMPLE CLEENEX PAPER(excuse my gramer)
PascalsMama
New Member
Whew! Lots of info, thanks!
This picture was taken one of the first 2 days we got her, now there is much more in there, tons of leaves to the point where we can't find her sometimes, which is a good thing I'm assuming if she wants privacy.
We will put her up higher, we are waiting for the stand.
Glass vs. screen... yikes big controversy! I am going to talk to my Dad about making a screened enclosure so it's ready for her when she's bigger.
I didn't know that about the substrate. So I want NOTHING on the bottom of the cage, or what do you guys use? Thanks so much!
This picture was taken one of the first 2 days we got her, now there is much more in there, tons of leaves to the point where we can't find her sometimes, which is a good thing I'm assuming if she wants privacy.
We will put her up higher, we are waiting for the stand.
Glass vs. screen... yikes big controversy! I am going to talk to my Dad about making a screened enclosure so it's ready for her when she's bigger.
I didn't know that about the substrate. So I want NOTHING on the bottom of the cage, or what do you guys use? Thanks so much!
PascalsMama
New Member
Also, what kind of multivitamin do you use?
I've been keeping chameleons for over 20 years...and IMHO the babies veileds should not be napping during the daytime.
Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Regarding your chameleon...
I would handle her less for now. It might be stressing her out even though you don't think it is.
Your supplements and gutloading/feeding of the insects needs attention...see what I posted above.
There is nothing wrong with the glass cage. I've been using glass cages since I started keeping chameleons. Some of mine have/had screen lids, some had screen doors and lids. There are positives and negatives to glass and screen. Its hard to keep the heat and humidity in the screen cages. Its more difficult to stop the water from laying stagnant in the glass cages but with screen cages you have to deal with overspray and water collection at the bottom of the cages. Its harder to keep the glass cages cool in summer unless you have air conditioning....but its hard to keep the screen ones warm in the winter. Chris has written a good article about glass cages here...
http://chameleonnews.com/10JulAndersonGlass.html
Unless your temperature drops below 65F at night you don't need heat and if you do you should use a heat emitting "bulb" so that there is no light produced.
For young veileds, the temperature in the hottest area only needs to be in the mid to low 80's F during the day. Their small body size heats and cools more quickly than adults do and also dehydrates more quickly. Also, growing them more quickly can result in MBD. Your high temps may be what is making it sleep during the day.
Once the chameleon is about 4 months of age, I would recommend using real non-toxic well-washed plants (both sides of the leaves) since veileds can eat the leaves.
You said.."She is located king of near an air vent"..this can lead to problems too.
With females too...once she reaches sexual maturity (gets goldish/yellowish splotches on her) she could produce eggs. Overfeeding her constantly at this point can make her produce large clutches, lead to reproductive issues and other health issues.
Hope this helps!
Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Regarding your chameleon...
I would handle her less for now. It might be stressing her out even though you don't think it is.
Your supplements and gutloading/feeding of the insects needs attention...see what I posted above.
There is nothing wrong with the glass cage. I've been using glass cages since I started keeping chameleons. Some of mine have/had screen lids, some had screen doors and lids. There are positives and negatives to glass and screen. Its hard to keep the heat and humidity in the screen cages. Its more difficult to stop the water from laying stagnant in the glass cages but with screen cages you have to deal with overspray and water collection at the bottom of the cages. Its harder to keep the glass cages cool in summer unless you have air conditioning....but its hard to keep the screen ones warm in the winter. Chris has written a good article about glass cages here...
http://chameleonnews.com/10JulAndersonGlass.html
Unless your temperature drops below 65F at night you don't need heat and if you do you should use a heat emitting "bulb" so that there is no light produced.
For young veileds, the temperature in the hottest area only needs to be in the mid to low 80's F during the day. Their small body size heats and cools more quickly than adults do and also dehydrates more quickly. Also, growing them more quickly can result in MBD. Your high temps may be what is making it sleep during the day.
Once the chameleon is about 4 months of age, I would recommend using real non-toxic well-washed plants (both sides of the leaves) since veileds can eat the leaves.
You said.."She is located king of near an air vent"..this can lead to problems too.
With females too...once she reaches sexual maturity (gets goldish/yellowish splotches on her) she could produce eggs. Overfeeding her constantly at this point can make her produce large clutches, lead to reproductive issues and other health issues.
Hope this helps!
PascalsMama
New Member
OH and that isn't a water dish, we put the worms in there, it's very shallow, about 1cm.
PascalsMama
New Member
Thank you for the great information, I am going to let my husband read this too. We need to gut -load with more variety.
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Along with what everyone else said you need alot more plants. It's so bare!
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