need help with a new pet

[david sullivan]

I would not call myself an expert on reptiles but I am comfortable in looking after any snake or lizard. I now own only a Florida pine snake and as of today a veiled chameleon, i am not too shore what type exactly but I know it is a male and about a year old or so. well I have a question about feeding and I hope someone can help me. when he picks up a bug from the floor of the cage he sometimes takes a piece of tree bark along with his prize. I am concerned because I think he may ingest it sometimes...can someone please help????

 

[Brad Ramsey]

No substrate is recommended for a chameleon enclosure.
Here is some additional info:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

 

[ChromaChameleons]

If you insist on a substrate, I would recommend coco fibre. It is fairly shredded and can be digested. But with any substrate , you run the risk of impaction.

 

[DarkRapture]

If you insist on a substrate, I would recommend coco fibre. It is fairly shredded and can be digested. But with any substrate , you run the risk of impaction.

also the risk of bacterial growth!

david sullivan please check this out!
http://www.martinsreptiles.co.uk/ukchams/captivecare.htm

above is a great site, please take the time to read the previously listed site (raising kitty) and the one i listed as well (UK chams). you will learn a lot. please post picks of your enclosure, schedule for feeding, misting and anything else you are doing with your cham and i bet you will get better feedback. if we know about your setup it is easier for us to give advice.

here are some ideas... i would like to know

DO YOU HAVE:
misting system? -spray bottle/pump mister/auto mister?
a temperature guage? - digital?
hygrometer?
supplements? 3 kinds should be used
lighting and heat source? -UVB (what type), basking spotlamp?
live plants or fake, branches for climbing and basking...



what is the distance between your cham and the UVB source?
what is the temp of the basking site, ambient temp and temp at night?
what are the feeder insects you are using...

it would help a lot if you offer more info about your chameleon

 

[david sullivan]

well my enclosure is screen on all four sides and the top and about 3' x 3' x 4' the temp during daylight hours is 90 at the highest point where my chameleon can reach, maybe a little bit more, I do have a hydrometer and my bulb is a multi spectrum daylight spot bulb, 100w. In the night I switch to a 50w night glow to maintain a temp of about 70-75 degrees. I removed all the substrate from the bottom, that is what they had him in the pet store, I should have known better. for the most part I have artificial plants but I do have a pothos plant in there for him. I do not have a misting system yet but I have a bottle which I use manually several times a day. I have a waterfall in there for him as well, he seems to spend a lot of time on it. He is eating very well I guess, like I said I am not to familiar with these guys. He is still kinda small, but I have no Idea how big this guy grows and what species or sub-species he is. I will add a pic and mabe you can give me a hand. I hope what I am doign is not killing him...thanks.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

well my enclosure is screen on all four sides and the top and about 3' x 3' x 4' the temp during daylight hours is 90 at the highest point where my chameleon can reach, maybe a little bit more, I do have a hydrometer and my bulb is a multi spectrum daylight spot bulb, 100w. In the night I switch to a 50w night glow to maintain a temp of about 70-75 degrees. I removed all the substrate from the bottom, that is what they had him in the pet store, I should have known better. for the most part I have artificial plants but I do have a pothos plant in there for him. I do not have a misting system yet but I have a bottle which I use manually several times a day. I have a waterfall in there for him as well, he seems to spend a lot of time on it. He is eating very well I guess, like I said I am not to familiar with these guys. He is still kinda small, but I have no Idea how big this guy grows and what species or sub-species he is. I will add a pic and mabe you can give me a hand. I hope what I am doign is not killing him...thanks.

David,

Basking temp sounds good for a year old male veiled ... I tend to keep them a bit cooler (90 would be the maximum temp ) No heat source ir recommended for night time. 60 to 65 degrees is an ideal night time temperature (they require a cool down). Definitely start adding more live plants (make sure they are well washed and non-toxic).
Manual misting is fine ... I would add a dripper.
Remove the waterfall ... no good can come of having that in a cham enclosure, it's a breeding ground for bacteria and a nightmare to try and keep clean.
Veiled is veiled. There is no subspecies really (at least not that is commonly kept in the hobby), although there are some interesting color variations within the species.
Keep up the good work and keep reading!
They are an awesome animal to keep.

-Brad

 

[david sullivan]

how would one set up a dripping or misting system?? and how do I post a pic here or add one to my profile?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/automatic-watering-systems-9121/index2.html

I always use the attachment option (little paperclip)

The above link discusses drippers.

-Brad

 

[DarkRapture]

i read that you have no UVB light, or maybe you just forgot to add it into your post! you need to have a UVB source for your chameleon or it will get MBD: http://www.martinsreptiles.co.uk/ukchams/calciummbdd3.htm

the full spectrum bulb is only sufficient for a basing light. the infrared light can also be used during the day if you have another light fixture as long as it doesn't raise the temps too much.

you didn't say what you are using as feeders, or what supplements you are using either. i sure hope that you are dusting your crickets with the proper supplements so that your chameleon has the calcium phosphorus ratio it requires. if you dont know about these thing just ask there is a lot of info here and intelligent people on this forum.

 

[Marc10edora]

Here is a list of things NOT to buy:

1) Water falls of any sort
2) Substrate
3) Habba Mister
4) Any dusting supplements with phosphorus
5) That vapor misting thing for frogs (can't remember the name)

I've made the mistake of buying this stuff when i first started and I just wasted my money. I'd thought I would warn you in case you get tempted at the pet store like I did. Also, when you get finished going through the other links, you might want to check out these ones too:
www.Adcham.com
www.Chameleonnews.com

 

[david sullivan]

thanks for all the good advice and I do have a uvb light, 5.0.
I need to know how often does a chameleon defecate ??
and he has little white flakes on his skin in random places, they look to me like skin but I am not too shore. I am having trouble uploading pics to show him. Also he has a really small bump under/in his skin on his left dorsal side??? I only had him for about a week so I have no idea if it is getting bigger on not.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Under 6 months of age they are eating so much that you usually see 1 elimination a day.
Older chams ...???
Right now my big male veiled is going once every 2 to 3 weeks.
Kent has a male that didn't poop all winter long.
During the summer ... once or twice a week?
The flakes sound like he just shed or maybe about to.
Older veileds don't do the all over burst out of their skin shed the babies do.
They shed in pieces ... here and there over several days or weeks.
A wellness check and fecal exam would be a good idea.
You can ask the vet about that bump.

-Brad

 

[david sullivan]

I have a question about vomit?? What does it look like and why would he do so? I woke up this morning to find a collection of what looked like half digested crickets and worms. Could it be poo? Also I have never seen him drink, I mist him in the morning, and a few times through out the day, I also have a glass jar with a hole in the lid. I fill it with ice and turn it up side down so it supplies him with a constant drip?? How easy is it to stress this little guy out?? and how often can he be handled?
thanks.