New cham owner.

[Decadancin]

Okay I will start 12 on 12 off. Are there any threads that have cage recommendations? Brand, things like that

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/the-official-enclosure-picture-thread.49688/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/official-enclosure-picture-thread-2-post-your-pics.94781/
Here are a few to look through. You can check out some site sponsors such as

http://diycages.com/
http://dragonstrand.com/

And others, and for lighting there are quite a few options. I use lights from

http://lightyourreptiles.com/

But tons of options are out there.

You can also search the different forums for previous threads about all things chameleon .

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

If you don't have a dripper you should invest in those. The crickets and all the other bugs that you feed him/her should be dusted with calcium with d3 once or twice a month and regular calcium every other time. Chameleons like a variety of food so you should look into that as well. Pet stores usually have wax worms, Dubai roaches, and supers (though I wouldn't get them too into this one). But they also like hornworms and Phoenix/calci worms, stick bugs, beetles, etc. If you live in a particularly cold area then you might want to get your chameleon a heat lamp to keep him warm at night. A lot of natural sunlight is also a great idea for your pet. You need a uvb and basking light. Also, depending on how old your chameleon is and how big the cage is when he/she starts to grow you are going to have to upgrade that baby.

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

Okay I will start 12 on 12 off. Are there any threads that have cage recommendations? Brand, things like that

I would advise those 12 hours to go along with the sunrise sunset too if at all possible because it's the more natural way they would function in the wild. Mesh cages are ideal.

 

[Decadancin]

heat lamp

As in ceramic heat emitter. Again, no lights at night. You likely don't need one unless the Temps get below 50 degrees. The drop in nighttime Temps is actually beneficial.

 

[Sethnewbs]

As in ceramic heat emitter. Again, no lights at night. You likely don't need one unless the Temps get below 50 degrees. The drop in nighttime Temps is actually beneficial.

Okay in the winter it gets to 30 f and below regularly where I live, how would I deal with that

 

[akabob]

Does it get that low inside your home?

 

[Sethnewbs]

Does it get that low inside your home?

Certainly not that cold, but it gets below 50 for sure.

 

[Decadancin]

Certainly not that cold, but it gets below 50 for sure.

You could use one in those situations. My house up north got into the 60'system at night, so I wouldn't need one there, but now in Florida I will never need one.

 

[Peachypink]

Certainly not that cold, but it gets below 50 for sure.

Inside your house drops below 50? How do you sleep? That would be too cold for me and I like it chilly.

 

[Sethnewbs]

Inside your house drops below 50? How do you sleep? That would be too cold for me and I like it chilly.

don't use my homes heat to save power, I use electric heaters where needed after doing some research a ceramic heating bulb will work

 

[Peachypink]

don't use my homes heat to save power, I use electric heaters where needed after doing some research a ceramic heating bulb will work

Ahhh, makes sense.

 

[Andee]

Ok here's the break down, females need a temp all through out their life like that if juveniles so no higher basking than 85 degrees. They need a lay bin around about 6 months old inside their cage 24/7. I recommend trying calci-worms and also allowing them to pupate into soldier flies and allowing those to be recreational feeders. Phoenix worms, black soldier larvae, or calci-worms never need to be dusted as they are naturally amazingly high in calcium and are great for growing babies. Stick insects are good for growing for your own colonies as their food sources, since almost all eat evergreen oak and bramble, are easy to find. Dubia roaches and other types of feeder roaches are amazingly easy to breed and almost all types are practically garbage disposals. Great for getting rid of scraps of veggies or fruit. Crickets are great for gutloading but make sure to get them from a safe breeder or else you could end up with some serious parasite ridden crickets. Silkworms and hornworms are amazingly healthy, silkworms are easier to breed, and both are great for getting a boost of hydration. There are also mantis, though they are an extreme amount of work for a feeder. Isopods, superworms. Probably some others I am forgetting. Most of the ones I have mentioned I raise so that's why it's easy to remember lol. Remember not to feed any of your feeder insects animal proteins. It has been proven with some feeders that when they are fed large amounts of animal protein regularly they build up to much uric acid and can pass it onto the chameleon in the form of gout. I would recommend finding a good exotic vet near you who you trust with your chameleon. Remember though, just because they have treated reptiles before doesn't mean they know beans about chameleons. I also recommend when the time comes and you have to worry about laying thinking about getting some liquid calcium from a vet. It's amazing how much calcium it can take from the body of a female to lay and create eggs. And a female who has no wild caught genes is susceptible to having more problems with mbd down the line even with proper supplementing, more than people realize. I have begun recommending giving about .1 cc or .2 a few days before and after laying. That's just a maintenance measurement and will make it much easier on her to recover. I honestly recommend a uvb light fixture from light your reptiles, ask Todd who is the owner of them, about which you should have. I am now hungry and have to go eat.

 

[Decadancin]

I am now hungry and have to go eat.

You know @Andee , you shouldn't be eating that late-not good .

 

[Andee]

Neh I haven't been asleep for about 24 hours XD

 

[Decadancin]

Sleep is over-rated.

 

[Sethnewbs]

Ok here's the break down, females need a temp all through out their life like that if juveniles so no higher basking than 85 degrees. They need a lay bin around about 6 months old inside their cage 24/7. I recommend trying calci-worms and also allowing them to pupate into soldier flies and allowing those to be recreational feeders. Phoenix worms, black soldier larvae, or calci-worms never need to be dusted as they are naturally amazingly high in calcium and are great for growing babies. Stick insects are good for growing for your own colonies as their food sources, since almost all eat evergreen oak and bramble, are easy to find. Dubia roaches and other types of feeder roaches are amazingly easy to breed and almost all types are practically garbage disposals. Great for getting rid of scraps of veggies or fruit. Crickets are great for gutloading but make sure to get them from a safe breeder or else you could end up with some serious parasite ridden crickets. Silkworms and hornworms are amazingly healthy, silkworms are easier to breed, and both are great for getting a boost of hydration. There are also mantis, though they are an extreme amount of work for a feeder. Isopods, superworms. Probably some others I am forgetting. Most of the ones I have mentioned I raise so that's why it's easy to remember lol. Remember not to feed any of your feeder insects animal proteins. It has been proven with some feeders that when they are fed large amounts of animal protein regularly they build up to much uric acid and can pass it onto the chameleon in the form of gout. I would recommend finding a good exotic vet near you who you trust with your chameleon. Remember though, just because they have treated reptiles before doesn't mean they know beans about chameleons. I also recommend when the time comes and you have to worry about laying thinking about getting some liquid calcium from a vet. It's amazing how much calcium it can take from the body of a female to lay and create eggs. And a female who has no wild caught genes is susceptible to having more problems with mbd down the line even with proper supplementing, more than people realize. I have begun recommending giving about .1 cc or .2 a few days before and after laying. That's just a maintenance measurement and will make it much easier on her to recover. I honestly recommend a uvb light fixture from light your reptiles, ask Todd who is the owner of them, about which you should have. I am now hungry and have to go eat.

A lay bin? So a heat rock or something of the sort?

 

[Decadancin]

A lay bin? So a heat rock or something of the sort?

Nope, for females you will need to prepare for eggs. Even if she isn't bred she will most likely develop them. After 6 months old or so you should have one ready for her. I still have not seen a tarsal spur, so I think we are dealing with a girl.

Great resources here for laying bins...

https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

Ok here's the break down, females need a temp all through out their life like that if juveniles so no higher basking than 85 degrees. They need a lay bin around about 6 months old inside their cage 24/7. I recommend trying calci-worms and also allowing them to pupate into soldier flies and allowing those to be recreational feeders. Phoenix worms, black soldier larvae, or calci-worms never need to be dusted as they are naturally amazingly high in calcium and are great for growing babies. Stick insects are good for growing for your own colonies as their food sources, since almost all eat evergreen oak and bramble, are easy to find. Dubia roaches and other types of feeder roaches are amazingly easy to breed and almost all types are practically garbage disposals. Great for getting rid of scraps of veggies or fruit. Crickets are great for gutloading but make sure to get them from a safe breeder or else you could end up with some serious parasite ridden crickets. Silkworms and hornworms are amazingly healthy, silkworms are easier to breed, and both are great for getting a boost of hydration. There are also mantis, though they are an extreme amount of work for a feeder. Isopods, superworms. Probably some others I am forgetting. Most of the ones I have mentioned I raise so that's why it's easy to remember lol. Remember not to feed any of your feeder insects animal proteins. It has been proven with some feeders that when they are fed large amounts of animal protein regularly they build up to much uric acid and can pass it onto the chameleon in the form of gout. I would recommend finding a good exotic vet near you who you trust with your chameleon. Remember though, just because they have treated reptiles before doesn't mean they know beans about chameleons. I also recommend when the time comes and you have to worry about laying thinking about getting some liquid calcium from a vet. It's amazing how much calcium it can take from the body of a female to lay and create eggs. And a female who has no wild caught genes is susceptible to having more problems with mbd down the line even with proper supplementing, more than people realize. I have begun recommending giving about .1 cc or .2 a few days before and after laying. That's just a maintenance measurement and will make it much easier on her to recover. I honestly recommend a uvb light fixture from light your reptiles, ask Todd who is the owner of them, about which you should have. I am now hungry and have to go eat.

That's very interesting about the 85 degrees for females. I never kept one before. If they have to stay in that tempture I guess my question would be how would they pull this off in the wild because it's not like they can just turn down the sun. If it were too hot of a day that day would they just spend all their time in the shade?

 

[carol5208]

They can live below 50 degrees at night so don't fret over that. That is just a basic guideline. Your chameleon will NOT die if your house gets below 50 and you forgot to put on extra heat for him. They live out in the wild here in Florida and they are thriving in super high temperatures and the lows we get in the winter. Granted our winters are not like most of the other states in the US, but we do get below 50 quite often during the winter months. Same goes for Panther Chameleons.

 

[Decadancin]

That's very interesting about the 85 degrees for females. I never kept one before. If they have to stay in that tempture I guess my question would be how would they pull this off in the wild because it's not like they can just turn down the sun. If it were too hot of a day that day would they just spend all their time in the shade?

In the wild they are not trying to suppress egg development, so they wouldn't try to stay cooler to do so. From what I have read, many chameleons actually do spend most of their time in filtered light and don't need to be constantly basking for heat. We just try to suppress egg development in an effort to prolong their captive lives. The egg laying and developing process is brutal on the females.