New chameleon owner here

[Boston Pitty]

So I work at a petstore and a pair of jackson chameleons came in (not something we get often at all) and i fell in love with the male one. So now I have a chameleon named Argo.

So far he's settling in well I think. His first day he wasnt fully green, showing stress colors. Today hes green again. He even ate this morning. However this morning he is sitting at the higest point on his vine near the basking light and keeps opening his mouth and closing it. I've never seen him do this before at the store. He also keeps staring right up at the light.

I dusted his crickets this morning with reptivite but now im woundering if I put to much on them and thats why he keeps opening his mouth?

I know to only use reptivite only twice a week, but how much do I use? The bottle says for new reptiles give it to them daily for the first week. Today I tossed about 5 crickets into a bag and shook it onto them. The crickets were almost all white with it.

Cage specifics:
Reptiebreeze meduim
Humidity : 60-65
Uvb : zilla 25 jungle strip
Heat bulb day: 60 ; night: 50
Live Umbrella bush

From what i can find online he is about 5 months, but could be younger. Hes very tiny, but has his horns and is bright green. Photo of him as avatar.

 

[Fiona's Mom]

So I work at a petstore and a pair of jackson chameleons came in (not something we get often at all) and i fell in love with the male one. So now I have a chameleon named Argo.

So far he's settling in well I think. His first day he wasnt fully green, showing stress colors. Today hes green again. He even ate this morning. However this morning he is sitting at the higest point on his vine near the basking light and keeps opening his mouth and closing it. I've never seen him do this before at the store. He also keeps staring right up at the light.

I dusted his crickets this morning with reptivite but now im woundering if I put to much on them and thats why he keeps opening his mouth?

I know to only use reptivite only twice a week, but how much do I use? The bottle says for new reptiles give it to them daily for the first week. Today I tossed about 5 crickets into a bag and shook it onto them. The crickets were almost all white with it.

Cage specifics:
Reptiebreeze meduim
Humidity : 60-65
Uvb : zilla 25 jungle strip
Heat bulb day: 60 ; night: 50
Live Umbrella bush

From what i can find online he is about 5 months, but could be younger. Hes very tiny, but has his horns and is bright green. Photo of him as avatar.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

The 1st attachment will tell you how to care for your jackson...forget everything else you read or know and follow it. The second attachment has a form how to ask for help...answer the questions as through as possible and people on here will offer suggestions to tweek what the problem may be. I do not know Jacksons so this is the best I can do for you. Also...post picture of your set up and of your Jackson. Welcome...this is the best place to learn.

 

[Syreptyon]

What is the basking temp? He is probably opening his mouth to release excess heat (similar to a dog panting). Also, twice a week is a lot for reptivite. We only recommend using it twice a month. Are you using calcium supplements? You need to be.

 

[jamest0o0]

Please follow the above^

Not trying to offend in anyway, but if you want this guy to thrive there will probably be a lot need changing, and possibly a few vet bills.

 

[Boston Pitty]

The temp was about 80-90 a little bit ago. After looking through some posts here i found out that my light shouldnt be places right on the screen.
Hes stressed out right now because i just hooked the light to the wall and it scared him when the light moved (I would be to if i didnt know what was going in). Posting photos from my cell so its not the best quality. I have a cool mist humidifier next to cage as well.

 

[Boston Pitty]

Wasnt loading both photos in one post, heres the other side

 

[JacksJill]

You will want to adjust his basking temperature according to his age 90˚F is too hot and even tho he probably likes it he's over heating.
"Temperature:
Baby/juvenile (<9 months): 70-75F (21-23C) ambient, 75-80F (23-26C) basking
Adult: 70-80F (21-26C) ambient, 82-85F (29C) basking"
The most common supplement schedule for Jackson's is much less that what Panthers or Veiled need so don't over do it.
"Feeder insects should be lightly dusted with powdered supplement before being fed to your chameleon. As a montane species (native to higher altitudes) Jackson's have decreased supplementation requirements compared to tropical species due to metabolism differences. Use calcium (without D3 or phosphorus) twice a week, a multivitamin once a month, and calcium with D3 once a month."

 

[Boston Pitty]

I rasied his heat lamp up about 4 -5 inches Temps gone down and no longer painting. I knew the bottle made it sound like a lot so that's why I wanted to ask. He only ate 3 of the crickets and 2 of them were after I sprayed water in the cage. That might have re-moved so of the vitamins stuff on those last ones. I tossed the other covered crickets into the cricket bin and gave him some that had none on them. I don't see any crickets in the cage now so I think he ate those ones.

I'm open for any suggestions and the vet I go to for my other pets also speiclises in exotics and reptiles so I can make him an appointment. Should I atleast wait till he's used to his new cage first or get him in for a check up asap?

Wasn't sure if a sooner vet app. would stress him out more or just waiting till I noticed any odd behavor?

 

[JacksJill]

He's probably wild caught from Hawaii unless you know otherwise so let him settle in 2-3 weeks and see about getting him and a fecal sample into the vet. Go earlier if he has other problems that can't be explained as adjusting to his new home.
Don't worry about the crickets he got today supplement problems tend to build up over time. Just go easy and consistently from now on.
The cool mist humidifier is great for night time, hand or auto mist first thing in the am and last thing at lights out, run your dripper so he can have access to water during the day. I use an auto mister in short bursts during the midday in place of a dripper for water access.

 

[Boston Pitty]

I asked the day I got him if he was a wild caught or captive bred because we get some reptiles as wild caught and others as captive bred. He came from a breeder is what I was told. I guess wild is harder to keep alive in the pet store envorment for chameleons.

I did call my vet and talked to them about getting him in for a yearly and they said give him about a month or so unless there is any problems.

I Fill both my dripper and cool mist every morning and let both run all day and the cool mist all night. The dripper seems to last a while before it needs re-filled. Took me a while to find that sweet spot on it that it drips every minute or two so I just leave it all day and night on the same speed.

For spraying with a mister I do the morning, mid day after work and right before bed.

 

[Boston Pitty]

Will he get used to being sprayed with water? Everytime I go to mist the cage he takes cover from the water. This morning I sprayed everything around him but avoided spraying him. Also I have another spray that I spray in his cage daily(mostly in the morning) called Tropical mist humidifying spray from zilla. Again I just spray it around him. I've also ready that weekly he should get a shower, but if he hates being sprayed on daily basis would this scare him to much? I know to point the shower head away on a wall and let it bounce back, but still?

 

[JacksJill]

They usually avoid the mist at the beginning of the spraying. Spray him enough to get him mostly wet. Then wait a minute and start again after he's settled. After they get over the "something is touching me" stage they will get into it. Then you may see them clean their eyes and/or drink.

 

[Boston Pitty]

Thanks. When i get home ill give him a good spray than.

 

[jamest0o0]

For a jacksons you really should have a mist system. I'd make that a priority investment.

 

[Boston Pitty]

I've been looking into one, just wanted Argo to be okay with the sprays first, but if its just what jacksjill sad and its the somethings touching me thing than I should be good