NEED help chameleons not eating !

[Briee]

My two chameleons has been at my place for 2 weeks, but they don't eat literally,need to know what should I do for them, Thank you!!

Chameleon Info:


Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Trioceros jacksonii. One male one female. Around one year old
I bought them from a guy at a reptile convention in November and he drove them to me on 1/21/24 now it has been 2 weeks.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I didn’t handle them for once myslef.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I tried feeding them cricket, superworm,mealworm and dubias, and gut load bugs with carrot, leaves, and yams.


Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule?
--Zoomed Repti Calcium without D3 everyday
--Zoomed Repti Calcium with D3 every 2 week



Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Both mister and fogger:
Fogging on for 20:00-8:00
Misting on : 8:00-8:05, 11-11:02, 15-15:03, 20:05-20:12, 23-23:05
My room is quite dry and the cage is a full screen cage. They drink in the morning often when the mister is turned on.


Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
i didn’t see a lot of their droppings, but I saw
a yellow thing in the female’s cage and I doubt that’s might be her dropping? I attached the photo.



History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:


Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

24x24x48 screen cage , screen cage all sides
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

One 75w basking light , one acardia uvb ProT5 24w, 12% 16 inch for one cage.
They are on from 8:00-20:00, usually I wake up and turn them on, don’t have a timer yet.


Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
baking spot 77-80
Environment temp:74
During the night: temperature around 72(I opened the window to let in cold air but the central heater is still on)
I use a infrared temp gun for measuremet.

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

30-40 in day time, and 40-50 in night. (I use the one not electric )

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
One pot of umbrella tree in each cage
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?

It’s in the dining room along with the wall, the highest part of the cage is as tall as myself. there is a heat radiator in this room . Just me walking around passing the cage in the day time.

Location - Where are you geographically located?
Rhode Island
Current Problem -
The biggest problem is both of the chameleons not eating a lot , i put in the feeder 3 superworm, 2 -4criket/dubia per day and dust them, and i will try to use the tong to feed them in the morning(I think they are more likely to eat in this way), but the male just eat 1-2 per day, and the female not eating for several days, and it only eat one superworm if it eats .

And they look getting skinner, eyes sucked in recently. The female has experiecend closing her eyes in daytime in the last week.

Now I’m trying to fix the humidity by wrapping the cage two sides with window shrink film, but I am worried what should I do for chameleons not eating for such a long time .

 

[Briee]

the female's poop??

the male

the female

the setting of the two cages.

 

[elizaann2]

Hello! Can you share a picture of your chameleons? Include pics of their enclosure(s) and the lights on top please

 

[elizaann2]

Hello! Can you share a picture of your chameleons? Include pics of their enclosure(s) and the lights on top please

You beat me to it! I’ll go through everything now

 

[Briee]

You beat me to it! I’ll go through everything now

Thank you )))) lol

 

[elizaann2]

First of all I want to say welcome! I am glad you found us! And...don't freak out just yet. Chameleons usually take a minute to eat when in a new environment.

My two chameleons has been at my place for 2 weeks, but they don't eat literally,need to know what should I do for them, Thank you!!

Chameleon Info:


Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Trioceros jacksonii. One male one female. Around one year old. Awesome! Jackson's are so incredible! Do you know if they are wild caught? This is important as they will most likely have a parasite load and require acclimation.
I bought them from a guy at a reptile convention in November and he drove them to me on 1/21/24 now it has been 2 weeks. Based on the fact that you got these guys at a convention I would strongly recommend getting their fecals tested for parasites. Most people just check the poops once or twice, I personally like to do 3 consecutive poops per new chameleon that I have to ensure there are no parasites as not all parasites shed their eggs often.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I didn’t handle them for once myslef. Perfect, chameleons are shy lizards and handling them often can cause unnecessary stress to them. Jackson's I would be especially careful with as they do not express stress and fear in the typical ways that other chameleons do by firing up, gaping, puffing out their gular etc. Jackson's tend to just hunker down and wait to be eaten. Look for those dark spots showing up in their colors, eyes sinking in, closing eyes. My Jackson's first signs that he has had enough of me is he won't look directly at me, he may back a hand up a little and then after that he will start to sink his eyes in. You'll want to pay extra attention to your Jackson's body language and learn their subtle signs of stress BEFORE the eyes sink in.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I tried feeding them cricket, superworm,mealworm and dubias, and gut load bugs with carrot, leaves, and yams. This is an excellent start. Crickets, silkworms, dubia, grasshoppers, bsfl and flies are all excellent staple feeders. Super worms, meal worms and wax worms are all treat bugs due to their high fat content or their lack of nutritional value and should be fed on at minimum. I'm attaching a document with a list of good feeders as well as great fruits and veggies you can use to gut load (which you are already doing a great job at!). Next is how much to feed them and how often. An adult Jackson should be eating 2-3 feeders every other day.


Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule?
--Zoomed Repti Calcium without D3 everyday
--Zoomed Repti Calcium with D3 every 2 week
You've got a good chunk of supplementation down great! You do need to use the calcium w/o D3 on every feeding. Jackson's are sensitive to supplements so you'll want to give your babies the D3 supplement 1x a month and they also need a multivitamin w/o D3 once a month as well.

This one is a great one to use: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptivite-without-Vitamin/dp/B00167S5GC/ref=sr_1_13?crid=USC7VDTD6KPW&keywords=reptile+multivitamin&qid=1706981192&sprefix=reptile+multivitam%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-13

Or you could get the Repashy LoD which is the D3 and multivitamin combined and then you don't need to worry about rotating the D3 and Multivitamin 1x a month each and can just give this on the 1st of every month. (my personal preference)
https://www.amazon.com/Repashy-Calcium-Plus-LoD-JAR/dp/B00DLJRMV2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=X8GK8TRMMZ3D&keywords=repashy+LOd&qid=1706981275&sprefix=repashy+lod%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1



Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Both mister and fogger:
Fogging on for 20:00-8:00
Misting on : 8:00-8:05, 11-11:02, 15-15:03, 20:05-20:12, 23-23:05
My room is quite dry and the cage is a full screen cage. They drink in the morning often when the mister is turned on.
I apologize, I am not good at military time. If the room your babies are in is dry I would consider adding some corrugated plastic sheets to their enclosures or using that seasonal window cling stuff to help hold in humidity. I also struggle with low humidity so this is my schedule for my Jacksons:
7:45 - mist for 3 min
8:00 - lights on
10:00 - dripper installed
3:00 - dripper installed
7:45 - mist for 3 min
8:00 - lights off
9:00 - mist for 2 min
12:00 - mist for 2 min
12:00-6:00 fog constantly

If you do fog, make sure it is at night with temperatures below 68 degrees. You also want to make sure that there is time in the day for your enclosure to dry out to avoid bacteria and nasty growth in your enclosure


Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
i didn’t see a lot of their droppings, but I saw
a yellow thing in the female’s cage and I doubt that’s might be her dropping? I attached the photo. That actually looks like a folicle or 'slug'. Jackson's are live bearing chameleons meaning they do not lay eggs. Your girl will most likely pass these a few times a year unless she has ever been in an enclosure with a male Jacksons, then she very well could drop babies. If that's the case you'll want to be prepared for this. There is a great podcast about this that walks you through how to be prepared on the Chameleon Academy Podcast, its Episode 2 "Surprise! Chameleon Babies!! Yay!...Yikes!!"



History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

 

[kinyonga]

Do you have something to put between the cages so they can’t see each other?

 

[elizaann2]

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

24x24x48 screen cage , screen cage all sides. Perfect! As mentioned earlier, if you struggle with humidity being too low you are a good candidate for a hybrid enclosure which will help with the humidity issue.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

One 75w basking light , one acardia uvb ProT5 24w, 12% 16 inch for one cage. Fantastic, if you have a 12% you'll need to make sure that the light is raised above the enclousure. You want a UV index of 3 or 4 at the top branches. I see you have yours raised that looks good, if you have a solar meter I suggest checking the UV index to make sure its correct, if not just measure about 10 inches from UVB light to the top branch. Timers are a necessity with chameleons . I use these https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Bluetooth-Assistant-Remotely-Certified/dp/B095KG3M4Y/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=23Z2NWYCY5GDC&keywords=govee+smart+plug&qid=1706981964&sprefix=govee+smart+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
They are on from 8:00-20:00, usually I wake up and turn them on, don’t have a timer yet.


Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
baking spot 77-80. Perfect! You'll want it closer to 80 but not higher than that.
Environment temp:74. Perfect!!!!
During the night: temperature around 72(I opened the window to let in cold air but the central heater is still on). Night time temps for Jacksons is 65 degrees or lower, ideally you get into the 50's with these guys at night if you can. Without a drastic nighttime drop your chameleons lives will be shortened drastically and may only live for a couple of years. Most of us achieve the temp drops by getting a room AC unit. This is the one I have and am quite happy with it. https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-BPACT08WT-Portable-Conditioner/dp/B01DLPUWL2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=A4ZWILNCKCG1&keywords=AC+unit+for+room&qid=1706982094&sprefix=ac+unit+for+room%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-3
I also keep my Jackson's in my basement which is cooler, in the winter I am finding that I don't need to use the AC unit.

I use a infrared temp gun for measuremet. Good, I use these sensors, I like them because they send alerts to my phone if temps are too high and it tells me the humidity as well which is equally important. https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Hygrometer-Thermometer-H5151-Temperature/dp/B09BVLP9C5/ref=sxin_12_recs_zoco_stores_brand_identity_bs?content-id=amzn1.sym.7d2e00dd-9358-4f89-aca0-04685eb73811%3Aamzn1.sym.7d2e00dd-9358-4f89-aca0-04685eb73811&crid=2B6HHH2HVE4Q4&cv_ct_cx=govee+hygrometer&keywords=govee+hygrometer&pd_rd_i=B09BVLP9C5&pd_rd_r=0624dcfd-456e-4188-a5c4-10299e7af490&pd_rd_w=IiGa6&pd_rd_wg=9iDWf&pf_rd_p=7d2e00dd-9358-4f89-aca0-04685eb73811&pf_rd_r=YKKM5ASQ79BEYCHFM7CF&qid=1706982231&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=govee+hyr%2Caps%2C136&sr=1-4-5f457e4f-4cf5-45bd-948b-58563dcb013a

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

30-40 in day time, and 40-50 in night. (I use the one not electric ). Humidity during the day is perfect, at night you want 80-100%

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
One pot of umbrella tree in each cage. Perfect! I'll attach a document with other safe plants. The general rule of thumb is if you can look in the enclosure and easily spot your chameleon, you do not have enough coverage. (Attached a photo of one of my enclosures for you to get some ideas). Same with branches, they spend their lives in the trees, you'll want a lot of branches in your enclosure as well. You can use branches found outside so long as they are not from sap producing trees. Wash them in your tub with soap and hot water and rinse well.
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?

It’s in the dining room along with the wall, the highest part of the cage is as tall as myself. there is a heat radiator in this room . Just me walking around passing the cage in the day time. Low traffic areas are generally preferred. Just pay attention to your babies, if they seem stressed then consider moving them to another room with lower traffic. Same with the height of the enclosure, you want the top branches to be at least at eye level or higher. Height equals safety for a chameleon

Location - Where are you geographically located?
Rhode Island
Current Problem -
The biggest problem is both of the chameleons not eating a lot , i put in the feeder 3 superworm, 2 -4criket/dubia per day and dust them, and i will try to use the tong to feed them in the morning(I think they are more likely to eat in this way), but the male just eat 1-2 per day, and the female not eating for several days, and it only eat one superworm if it eats . Its possible they could be acclimating to a new environment or there might be parasites. I'd recommend taking them to an exotic vet with chameleon care experience to get them checked out and get a fecal. Add more branches and plants to provide proper coverage for them, if they are constantly exposed they may feel unsafe and stressed. The other thing I would do is put some kind of divider between their enclousres, chameleons get stressed when they see each other.

And they look getting skinner, eyes sucked in recently. The female has experiecend closing her eyes in daytime in the last week.

Now I’m trying to fix the humidity by wrapping the cage two sides with window shrink film, but I am worried what should I do for chameleons not eating for such a long time .


Tagging some experienced keepers here as well for their feedback and support
@Beman @MissSkittles
Like Quote Reply

 

[Beman]

Everything looks good in your feedback @elizaann2 only thing to comment on is the use of the 12%... Need more like 11-12 inches between the bottom of the fixture and the highest branches to bask on.

 

[Briee]

First of all I want to say welcome! I am glad you found us! And...don't freak out just yet. Chameleons usually take a minute to eat when in a new environment.

My two chameleons has been at my place for 2 weeks, but they don't eat literally,need to know what should I do for them, Thank you!!

Chameleon Info:


Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Trioceros jacksonii. One male one female. Around one year old. Awesome! Jackson's are so incredible! Do you know if they are wild caught? This is important as they will most likely have a parasite load and require acclimation.
I bought them from a guy at a reptile convention in November and he drove them to me on 1/21/24 now it has been 2 weeks. Based on the fact that you got these guys at a convention I would strongly recommend getting their fecals tested for parasites. Most people just check the poops once or twice, I personally like to do 3 consecutive poops per new chameleon that I have to ensure there are no parasites as not all parasites shed their eggs often.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I didn’t handle them for once myslef. Perfect, chameleons are shy lizards and handling them often can cause unnecessary stress to them. Jackson's I would be especially careful with as they do not express stress and fear in the typical ways that other chameleons do by firing up, gaping, puffing out their gular etc. Jackson's tend to just hunker down and wait to be eaten. Look for those dark spots showing up in their colors, eyes sinking in, closing eyes. My Jackson's first signs that he has had enough of me is he won't look directly at me, he may back a hand up a little and then after that he will start to sink his eyes in. You'll want to pay extra attention to your Jackson's body language and learn their subtle signs of stress BEFORE the eyes sink in.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I tried feeding them cricket, superworm,mealworm and dubias, and gut load bugs with carrot, leaves, and yams. This is an excellent start. Crickets, silkworms, dubia, grasshoppers, bsfl and flies are all excellent staple feeders. Super worms, meal worms and wax worms are all treat bugs due to their high fat content or their lack of nutritional value and should be fed on at minimum. I'm attaching a document with a list of good feeders as well as great fruits and veggies you can use to gut load (which you are already doing a great job at!). Next is how much to feed them and how often. An adult Jackson should be eating 2-3 feeders every other day.


Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule?
--Zoomed Repti Calcium without D3 everyday
--Zoomed Repti Calcium with D3 every 2 week
You've got a good chunk of supplementation down great! You do need to use the calcium w/o D3 on every feeding. Jackson's are sensitive to supplements so you'll want to give your babies the D3 supplement 1x a month and they also need a multivitamin w/o D3 once a month as well.

This one is a great one to use: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptivite-without-Vitamin/dp/B00167S5GC/ref=sr_1_13?crid=USC7VDTD6KPW&keywords=reptile+multivitamin&qid=1706981192&sprefix=reptile+multivitam%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-13

Or you could get the Repashy LoD which is the D3 and multivitamin combined and then you don't need to worry about rotating the D3 and Multivitamin 1x a month each and can just give this on the 1st of every month. (my personal preference)
https://www.amazon.com/Repashy-Calcium-Plus-LoD-JAR/dp/B00DLJRMV2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=X8GK8TRMMZ3D&keywords=repashy+LOd&qid=1706981275&sprefix=repashy+lod%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1



Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Both mister and fogger:
Fogging on for 20:00-8:00
Misting on : 8:00-8:05, 11-11:02, 15-15:03, 20:05-20:12, 23-23:05
My room is quite dry and the cage is a full screen cage. They drink in the morning often when the mister is turned on.
I apologize, I am not good at military time. If the room your babies are in is dry I would consider adding some corrugated plastic sheets to their enclosures or using that seasonal window cling stuff to help hold in humidity. I also struggle with low humidity so this is my schedule for my Jacksons:
7:45 - mist for 3 min
8:00 - lights on
10:00 - dripper installed
3:00 - dripper installed
7:45 - mist for 3 min
8:00 - lights off
9:00 - mist for 2 min
12:00 - mist for 2 min
12:00-6:00 fog constantly

If you do fog, make sure it is at night with temperatures below 68 degrees. You also want to make sure that there is time in the day for your enclosure to dry out to avoid bacteria and nasty growth in your enclosure


Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
i didn’t see a lot of their droppings, but I saw
a yellow thing in the female’s cage and I doubt that’s might be her dropping? I attached the photo. That actually looks like a folicle or 'slug'. Jackson's are live bearing chameleons meaning they do not lay eggs. Your girl will most likely pass these a few times a year unless she has ever been in an enclosure with a male Jacksons, then she very well could drop babies. If that's the case you'll want to be prepared for this. There is a great podcast about this that walks you through how to be prepared on the Chameleon Academy Podcast, its Episode 2 "Surprise! Chameleon Babies!! Yay!...Yikes!!"



History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.The

Thank you so much for these, really helpful to me! Then adult Jacksont is good as long as they eat 2-3 feeders every other day, I thought they would eat more, like 4-5 bugs per day, and now I feel more relieved.. It's amazing to know those are follicles, and I would definitely check that out to learn more about chameleons having babies! But right now I need to provide them with a comfortable environment and take them to a vet to check for the parasite first.

 

[Briee]

Do you have something to put between the cages so they can’t see each other?

Hi--I didn't put anything in between, but after going through the comments here, I realized it's a problem if they can just see each other, even though they are in different cages. Now I use a canvas cloth to block the view between the two cages.

 

[Briee]

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

24x24x48 screen cage , screen cage all sides. Perfect! As mentioned earlier, if you struggle with humidity being too low you are a good candidate for a hybrid enclosure which will help with the humidity issue.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

One 75w basking light , one acardia uvb ProT5 24w, 12% 16 inch for one cage. Fantastic, if you have a 12% you'll need to make sure that the light is raised above the enclousure. You want a UV index of 3 or 4 at the top branches. I see you have yours raised that looks good, if you have a solar meter I suggest checking the UV index to make sure its correct, if not just measure about 10 inches from UVB light to the top branch. Timers are a necessity with chameleons . I use these https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Bluetooth-Assistant-Remotely-Certified/dp/B095KG3M4Y/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=23Z2NWYCY5GDC&keywords=govee+smart+plug&qid=1706981964&sprefix=govee+smart+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
They are on from 8:00-20:00, usually I wake up and turn them on, don’t have a timer yet.


Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
baking spot 77-80. Perfect! You'll want it closer to 80 but not higher than that.
Environment temp:74. Perfect!!!!
During the night: temperature around 72(I opened the window to let in cold air but the central heater is still on). Night time temps for Jacksons is 65 degrees or lower, ideally you get into the 50's with these guys at night if you can. Without a drastic nighttime drop your chameleons lives will be shortened drastically and may only live for a couple of years. Most of us achieve the temp drops by getting a room AC unit. This is the one I have and am quite happy with it. https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-BPACT08WT-Portable-Conditioner/dp/B01DLPUWL2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=A4ZWILNCKCG1&keywords=AC+unit+for+room&qid=1706982094&sprefix=ac+unit+for+room%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-3
I also keep my Jackson's in my basement which is cooler, in the winter I am finding that I don't need to use the AC unit.

I use a infrared temp gun for measuremet. Good, I use these sensors, I like them because they send alerts to my phone if temps are too high and it tells me the humidity as well which is equally important. https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Hygrometer-Thermometer-H5151-Temperature/dp/B09BVLP9C5/ref=sxin_12_recs_zoco_stores_brand_identity_bs?content-id=amzn1.sym.7d2e00dd-9358-4f89-aca0-04685eb73811%3Aamzn1.sym.7d2e00dd-9358-4f89-aca0-04685eb73811&crid=2B6HHH2HVE4Q4&cv_ct_cx=govee+hygrometer&keywords=govee+hygrometer&pd_rd_i=B09BVLP9C5&pd_rd_r=0624dcfd-456e-4188-a5c4-10299e7af490&pd_rd_w=IiGa6&pd_rd_wg=9iDWf&pf_rd_p=7d2e00dd-9358-4f89-aca0-04685eb73811&pf_rd_r=YKKM5ASQ79BEYCHFM7CF&qid=1706982231&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=govee+hyr%2Caps%2C136&sr=1-4-5f457e4f-4cf5-45bd-948b-58563dcb013a

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

30-40 in day time, and 40-50 in night. (I use the one not electric ). Humidity during the day is perfect, at night you want 80-100%

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
One pot of umbrella tree in each cage. Perfect! I'll attach a document with other safe plants. The general rule of thumb is if you can look in the enclosure and easily spot your chameleon, you do not have enough coverage. (Attached a photo of one of my enclosures for you to get some ideas). Same with branches, they spend their lives in the trees, you'll want a lot of branches in your enclosure as well. You can use branches found outside so long as they are not from sap producing trees. Wash them in your tub with soap and hot water and rinse well.
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?

It’s in the dining room along with the wall, the highest part of the cage is as tall as myself. there is a heat radiator in this room . Just me walking around passing the cage in the day time. Low traffic areas are generally preferred. Just pay attention to your babies, if they seem stressed then consider moving them to another room with lower traffic. Same with the height of the enclosure, you want the top branches to be at least at eye level or higher. Height equals safety for a chameleon

Location - Where are you geographically located?
Rhode Island
Current Problem -
The biggest problem is both of the chameleons not eating a lot , i put in the feeder 3 superworm, 2 -4criket/dubia per day and dust them, and i will try to use the tong to feed them in the morning(I think they are more likely to eat in this way), but the male just eat 1-2 per day, and the female not eating for several days, and it only eat one superworm if it eats . Its possible they could be acclimating to a new environment or there might be parasites. I'd recommend taking them to an exotic vet with chameleon care experience to get them checked out and get a fecal. Add more branches and plants to provide proper coverage for them, if they are constantly exposed they may feel unsafe and stressed. The other thing I would do is put some kind of divider between their enclousres, chameleons get stressed when they see each other.

And they look getting skinner, eyes sucked in recently. The female has experiecend closing her eyes in daytime in the last week.

Now I’m trying to fix the humidity by wrapping the cage two sides with window shrink film, but I am worried what should I do for chameleons not eating for such a long time .


Tagging some experienced keepers here as well for their feedback and support
@Beman @MissSkittles
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As you said here, I'm going to raise up the humidity level by covering the cages with films, and reduce their stress, see if they feel safer and more willing to eat. The humidity caused me a big problem, I used both a fogger and a mister and it's still not reaching 80, better to have purchased a hybrid cage in the beginning lol.
The UVb lamp will need to be raised higher after I get UVB index checked, if the index it's higher than 3 or 4 for a 6-inch height from the top of the branch.

 

[elizaann2]

Everything looks good in your feedback @elizaann2 only thing to comment on is the use of the 12%... Need more like 11-12 inches between the bottom of the fixture and the highest branches to bask on.

Thanks for correcting that I still get confused on that part!

 

[elizaann2]

Thank you so much for these, really helpful to me! Then adult Jacksont is good as long as they eat 2-3 feeders every other day, I thought they would eat more, like 4-5 bugs per day, and now I feel more relieved.. It's amazing to know those are follicles, and I would definitely check that out to learn more about chameleons having babies! But right now I need to provide them with a comfortable environment and take them to a vet to check for the parasite first.

Oh yes you have time to learn all about that.

 

[elizaann2]

As you said here, I'm going to raise up the humidity level by covering the cages with films, and reduce their stress, see if they feel safer and more willing to eat. The humidity caused me a big problem, I used both a fogger and a mister and it's still not reaching 80, better to have purchased a hybrid cage in the beginning lol.
The UVb lamp will need to be raised higher after I get UVB index checked, if the index it's higher than 3 or 4 for a 6-inch height from the top of the branch.

Awesome you are on the right track! Please let us know how your progress goes and how their fecals are. Jackson’s are incredible. You will love them!!

 

[Beman]

Thanks for correcting that I still get confused on that part!

This of it this way. 12% 12 inches... That is how I remember.

 

[elizaann2]

This of it this way. 12% 12 inches... That is how I remember.

Ok I think I can remember that. Thank you!

 

[Briee]

Hi, I am updating my two Chameleon status from last week!

Things I have changed :
1. I cover each cage's two sides with window shrink film to keep the humidity level.
2. I use a canvas as the divider so the male and female won't see each other.

Temperature/humidity:
The basking spot is around 80, the environment temperature is between 72-78, and the humidity is around 30 in the daytime.
But in the night time, the temperature i dropped to 60-65f by opening the windows. The humidity still not reached 80, only around 40-60. (with fogger on for the entire night and a full misting for 5 minutes after lights off).


Current status of my Two Chameleons:
The male now(see the photo of him and its fecal) eats one to two bugs per day , I found he didn't eat from the feeder,
I need to use a tongue to let it see the bugs, and sometimes he would only eat worms(superworms or hornworms), it shows no interest in dubia or cricket as i tried to give to him first. I tried to feed it more bugs, but it just didn't eat more.

The female kind of troubles me more(also please look at her photos). She sometimes didn't eat for one day, and she didn't eat cricket or dubia, nor eat from the feeders. she is more likely to eat worms run in the cage, and close to her, or she would eat bugs I give to her with the tongue when she seems to be quite hungry. I saw she didn't move from the place a lot, does it mean she still feel stressed out? From her fecal there are still yellow folicles with the poop, looking alright.

I checked the UV index(shown in the pictures below), ranging from the max 420 to around min 100 as I measured from the highest point in the cage.


Now I still think the chameleons feel stressed out, so I want to ask for any suggestions to make them feel better and eat more?
And should I change to a completely sealed glass cage cuz the humidity is still below 80 in the night?(or better ways to raise up the humidity levels)?

Thanks a lot!!

 

[Briee]

And I asked my vendor who sold me the two cham, he said he haven't done a parasite check, but he said he got them from a chameleons breeder, Dans Chameleons, and they are CBB.
I called the local vet in RI about doing a fecal check, but doing such a check caused as much as my chameleons. I don't know if it is super important to check for it or I could trust the two Cham are safe by knowing where they came from.(CBB is less likely to have parasite maybe)? Want to hear about your opinion... Let me know!

 

[elizaann2]

Hello! I’ll jump on later so do a deeper dive on the in the info you provided. Two things real quick. Don’t let ambient temps go above 76. Don’t feed it tongs it can hurt their tongues.

Do you have vet apts set up? Fecal checks for parasites?

Be on later!