New Chameleon Questions

[MistyBlue]

Hi everyone! I got my first chameleon 16 days ago. I have spent countless hours researching and money on Miss Ivy. I had no idea how hard it was going to be to care for this little fella! Having some problems and I have discussed solutions with others but this is where I have ended up after reading replies from you wonderful people and I think you can help the most! Worried about my girl. Got her from a pet store here in WV. Pet Supplies Plus ordered her for me and I picked her up as soon as she arrived. Got her home and immediately when offered crickets from my hand she ate them. Next day, she was scared and that was the last time that happened. I started off cup feeding her with a green bird feeder cup but honestly I maybe only saw her go to it and eat like 1 or 2 crickets. She mostly climbed the cage and ate them like that. It has been hard for me to keep track of how much she has eaten daily bc of this…some escape and some I just put in bc she likes to hunt them. I put an average of 10-15 a day but the most she ever ate in one day is 5-6. I offered her roaches (small ones) not sure if they were too big that she wanted no part of and BSFL which she left in the cup also (I believe some escaped). I forgot about 5 days ago, I got her a shooting gallery and the first night she went crazy and ate like 5 crickets at one time) but after that I barely saw her go to it. I had to take it down to clean it and there were tons of bugs left in it. I find this very annoying to have to mess with the push pins every time and since she didn’t seem to care for it and only really like going for crickets that were loose, I haven’t put it back in the last two days. I am home all day right now so I watch her constantly from a distance. Plus the crickets keep hiding in the corners of the cage and places I can’t get to, so annoying!! And she can’t be getting the calcium she needs bc most of the time the ones she catches up high have lost all of the dust. I have caught her sleeping twice during the day since I had her also and she just isn’t eating enough. Also…..my humidity has been too low at night so put shower curtains around the enclosure (3 sides) but all it has done is help with keeping the mist in. Daytime is between 30-50 and nighttime is staying around 50. I know this is not high enough ( how can this affect her)? Summer is almost here and I know it will go up but I’m def worrying. Her urate did have some orange on it today and had less white than usual. Worried about dehydration. I mist in the morning before lights on and after lights off. I leave a dripper for about 5 hours a day. She will not come to me and hides behind her stick when I open the door to spot clean, add some food, etc. I know she has to be stressed bc I do have a cat ( I put it in another room a lot and spray it if it goes anywhere near the cage) and the place she is in isn’t a super high traffic area but it isn’t in a room by itself or anything either and I have a 12 year old daughter who is all over the place….that’s who this was for but it quickly became my responsibility bc it is quite difficult to keep everything good! Basking branch is about 8 inches from the ubv and heat lamp. A few days she was running all around and almost days she just basks…..she stopped climbing in the cage pretty much all together when I added that plastic shower curtain on the outside. This made me happy bc it scared me when she climbed on the top of her enclosure since her lights are laying on top. But now I’m also like what the heck bc she will rarely climb it to go get a cricket which is where most of them stay (top of cage). I have a cup in there again (different one, different color) but she hasn’t touched it today. I put 2 roaches, 2 fly larva, 7 crickets in it this morning. Do you think it can intimidate them if there is too much in there? Do you guys think I’m confusing her changing up the feeder so much? I just want the best for her. Im open to anyone’s suggestions and past experiences. Should I take the plastic down so that she will walk on the screen again to grab the crickets? Im
At a loss. I hand mist and have no fogger. My nighttime temps do not seem
Low enough to fog it stays about 70 at night and about 74-76 during the day in cage and basking 80 ish. Thank you. I can show you pics if you would like!

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. Can you please post pics of her and her entire enclosure, including lights and floor?

 

[MissSkittles]

Also need to know what supplements you have been using and how often each is used.

 

[MistyBlue]

Hi. Can you please post pics of her and her entire enclosure, including lights and floor?

She’s hiding right now but when she comes out, I will get some. Supplements the calcium without d3 every feeding and reptivite have given one time (twice per month) so far. It’s been a struggle with the lights. The t5 5.0 ubv bc I have seen so much diff info on where to put it. I did have it like 6 inches above the enclosure at first and then moved it directly on top. I can move it, or the branches, anything you think. The branch is about 7-8 inches from the ubv and heat lamp which I’ll post a pic of also. The pic of her is when I first got her. She’s not a big fan of me coming around just yet so I try to leave her be as much as possible.

 

[MistyBlue]

Oh and I have more plants to put in I just got them today. A new bigger pothos and two bromeliads to put in the two empty pots (the others died)

 

[MistyBlue]

Hi. Can you please post pics of her and her entire enclosure, including lights and floor?

Got a couple of her. She climbs on her hanging plant but doesn’t go on the top of the screen like she used to. These aren’t very clear but I can get some better ones.

 

[MissSkittles]

Aww…she’s just a little one. Your enclosure and all look good. Adding more plants would help her to feel more secure. I would advise adding a plant light to help your plants stay alive and thrive. I like Sansi and use both the 36w bulbs and the square 70w unit. https://www.sansiled.com/ They are available on Amazon too. You’ll need to place the plant light as close to your basking light and uvb as chams automatically favor the brightest light (which is usually the plant light).
Your supplements are perfect. Temps and humidity are ok. So my next thought would be the size of your feeders. Are they too big for her to be able to eat? Anything larger than the space between her eyes is too big. Try the shooting gallery again - set it up on the door where she can see it from her basking branch. You want consistency so she knows where her food will be. Mine love theirs and anytime they see me, they go to their feeder looking inside for bugs. Going to have to get back to you. Gotta get ready for work. Have to ask if you are aware about her laying eggs when she gets older and if you need any info on that? I’ll be back in a bit (provided work doesn’t actually have work for me, lol).

 

[MistyBlue]

Aww…she’s just a little one. Your enclosure and all look good. Adding more plants would help her to feel more secure. I would advise adding a plant light to help your plants stay alive and thrive. I like Sansi and use both the 36w bulbs and the square 70w unit. https://www.sansiled.com/ They are available on Amazon too. You’ll need to place the plant light as close to your basking light and uvb as chams automatically favor the brightest light (which is usually the plant light).
Your supplements are perfect. Temps and humidity are ok. So my next thought would be the size of your feeders. Are they too big for her to be able to eat? Anything larger than the space between her eyes is too big. Try the shooting gallery again - set it up on the door where she can see it from her basking branch. You want consistency so she knows where her food will be. Mine love theirs and anytime they see me, they go to their feeder looking inside for bugs. Going to have to get back to you. Gotta get ready for work. Have to ask if you are aware about her laying eggs when she gets older and if you need any info on that? I’ll be back in a bit (provided work doesn’t actually have work for me, lol).

Thank you so much for your help. So, the first crickets I got were perfect size I would say 1/4 of an inch. Lost almost all of those bc they got invaded by ants. Next ones I got were too big and the ones I ordered online that should have been 1/4 inch were so tiny. I try to go by the in between their eye thing and the ones she has now are mixed sizes so I think it’s ok. I got the small Dubai roaches and some of them were pretty small but then I read somewhere they should have the nymphs at her age? I wanted to put the shooting gallery on the door, that would solve my problems. I will try to rig up a vine close to the entrance so that I can make it work as far as her being able to get to it easily. I thought about getting the one with the magnets from Etsy just bc they are easier to put up and down. Seems like that would be the best of both worlds for her though. Any idea as to why she may be staying off of the sides and top of enclosure pretty much since I put the plastic on the outside? I definitely need to add those new plants….what do you do to yours before putting them in there? I would try to wash all the dirt off, wash the leaves really good then spray them off well, then repot in organic soil. I don’t have a green thumb so the plants are all new to me lol plus now I’m getting a few gnats in there. How do you feel about fogging at night if the temps aren’t lower than 70? Also, once it gets hot outside are air conditioners ok? I try not to put the ceiling fans on. I just know she has to be hungry and she stares at the crickets at the top of her cage but just won’t go get them now. It is so strange. Have fun at work, we can chat later! I just feel like her cute little eyes look a little darker than they did in the beginning. Not sunken in but not as vibrant. One night she slept in the star gazing stance so I was worried she had a URI. I have caught her gaping a couple of times but it was under the heat lamp. She does usually sleep vertically now on one of her pothos leaves so I’m hoping that’s nothing to worry about. Thanks again!!

 

[MissSkittles]

Hoo boy! Work was unusually busy. Hopefully it stays slow for a while now.
The main thing is to keep the feeding station higher in the enclosure and at a place where she can easily see it and the yummy bugs inside it. This is the first type that I started with and it works okay at keeping the bugs contained, at least long enough to be eaten. To attach it, I drilled some tiny holes and secured it with zip ties to a branch. If there is a chance that there are stray crickets in your enclosure, you want to leave a small piece of something for them to eat or they can and will bite your little girl as she sleeps. A piece of lettuce or similar at the bottom of the enclosure will work well. She’s probably too scared to be hand fed. It’s possible that she’s not eating well as she feels too exposed. Maybe try blocking off the side not facing the wall with a light piece of fabric (pillow cases work great) and see if that makes any difference. She should be a little eating machine and be getting at least 18-20 bugs daily or possibly even twice daily for the next couple of weeks. When babies don’t eat, it can get serious real fast. They have no resources to fall back on. Another thing that could be contributing is if you are over dusting the supplements. You want just the lightest touch of dust on the bugs. If they look like powdered donuts, it’s too much. Make sure your basking temp is at least but not higher than 78-80 so she can properly digest.
You’ll also want to make sure to keep your feeder bugs well fed and cared for, so that they will be more nutritious.
Many chameleons are secretive about drinking and some are also secretive about eating. That’s where providing a sense of more privacy and less exposure may help.

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you so much for your help. So, the first crickets I got were perfect size I would say 1/4 of an inch. Lost almost all of those bc they got invaded by ants. Next ones I got were too big and the ones I ordered online that should have been 1/4 inch were so tiny. It’s better to be a bit too small than too big I try to go by the in between their eye thing and the ones she has now are mixed sizes so I think it’s ok. I got the small Dubai roaches and some of them were pretty small but then I read somewhere they should have the nymphs at her age? The small baby roaches are nymphs I wanted to put the shooting gallery on the door, that would solve my problems. I will try to rig up a vine close to the entrance so that I can make it work as far as her being able to get to it easily. Bendy vines work great I thought about getting the one with the magnets from Etsy just bc they are easier to put up and down. Seems like that would be the best of both worlds for her though. Any idea as to why she may be staying off of the sides and top of enclosure pretty much since I put the plastic on the outside? No idea, but you don’t want her climbing the screen. Can damage her nails. I definitely need to add those new plants….what do you do to yours before putting them in there? I remove as much soil as I can down to bare root as possible, wash the leaves in Dawn dish soap and rinse rinse rinse. Repot in organic soil. Some cover the soil with large river rocks. The rocks need to be way too big for her to eat…like 3-4” or so. I would try to wash all the dirt off, wash the leaves really good then spray them off well, then repot in organic soil. I don’t have a green thumb Good soil, watering schedule and plant light will make the difference so the plants are all new to me lol plus now I’m getting a few gnats in there. Ugh! Soil gnats! We all struggle with them at some point. Don’t overwater the plants - let the top of the soil dry out a bit. How do you feel about fogging at night if the temps aren’t lower than 70? Don’t. Also, once it gets hot outside are air conditioners ok? Lol! I’m in Floriduh so run the ac almost year round. Just don’t have the vent or air flow aimed at her. I try not to put the ceiling fans on. I just know she has to be hungry and she stares at the crickets at the top of her cage but just won’t go get them now. It is so strange. Have you been able to take a peek inside her mouth? If she has a sore in her mouth (mouth rot), it’ll hurt her to eat. If you don’t get her to eat decently within the next few days, I’d say make a vet appointment. Have fun at work, we can chat later! I just feel like her cute little eyes look a little darker than they did in the beginning. Not sunken in but not as vibrant. One night she slept in the star gazing stance so I was worried she had a URI. I have caught her gaping a couple of times but it was under the heat lamp. If she’s too hot, she’ll gape She does usually sleep vertically now on one of her pothos leaves so I’m hoping that’s nothing to worry about. Thanks again!!

 

[MistyBlue]

Wow….I just want to thank you for taking so much time out of your day to answer all of these things, most likely over and over again. I have not been able to see inside if her mouth. She stays at the back half of the cage most of the time. I can try to take her out but I’m scared that will freak her out even more. I will definitely put something on the exposed side of her cage. I didn’t even think about that damaging her nails…..I feel dumb. I will put the shooting gallery back up. Ok another more serious question. I found her sleeping like this 5 nights ago, other nights vertical in her pothos plant but only bc she was holding on to a vertical leaf. Last night I found her in her cute little position on a vine with her head resting on the vine but this morning I see this. Is this alone concern for URI?

 

[MistyBlue]

This is how I found her when waking her up this morning.

 

[MistyBlue]

Wow….I just want to thank you for taking so much time out of your day to answer all of these things, most likely over and over again. I have not been able to see inside if her mouth. She stays at the back half of the cage most of the time. I can try to take her out but I’m scared that will freak her out even more. I will definitely put something at the back half of her cage. I didn’t even think about that damaging her nails…..I feel dumb. I will put the shooting gallery back up. Ok another more serious question. I found her sleeping like this 5 nights ago, other nights vertical in her pothos plant but only bc she was holding on to a vertical leaf. Last night I found her in her cute little position on a vine with her head resting on the vine but this morning I see this. Is this alone concern for URI?

Wow….I just want to thank you for taking so much time out of your day to answer all of these things, most likely over and over again. I have not been able to see inside if her mouth. She stays at the back half of the cage most of the time. I can try to take her out but I’m scared that will freak her out even more. I will definitely put something at the back half of her cage. I didn’t even think about that damaging her nails…..I feel dumb. I will put the shooting gallery back up. Ok another more serious question. I found her sleeping like this 5 nights ago, other nights vertical in her pothos plant but only bc she was holding on to a vertical leaf. Last night I found her in her cute little position on a vine with her head resting on the vine but this morning I see this. Is this alone concern for

Hoo boy! Work was unusually busy. Hopefully it stays slow for a while now.
The main thing is to keep the feeding station higher in the enclosure and at a place where she can easily see it and the yummy bugs inside it. This is the first type that I started with and it works okay at keeping the bugs contained, at least long enough to be eaten. To attach it, I drilled some tiny holes and secured it with zip ties to a branch. If there is a chance that there are stray crickets in your enclosure, you want to leave a small piece of something for them to eat or they can and will bite your little girl as she sleeps. A piece of lettuce or similar at the bottom of the enclosure will work well. She’s probably too scared to be hand fed. It’s possible that she’s not eating well as she feels too exposed. Maybe try blocking off the side not facing the wall with a light piece of fabric (pillow cases work great) and see if that makes any difference. She should be a little eating machine and be getting at least 18-20 bugs daily or possibly even twice daily for the next couple of weeks. When babies don’t eat, it can get serious real fast. They have no resources to fall back on. Another thing that could be contributing is if you are over dusting the supplements. You want just the lightest touch of dust on the bugs. If they look like powdered donuts, it’s too much. Make sure your basking temp is at least but not higher than 78-80 so she can properly digest.
You’ll also want to make sure to keep your feeder bugs well fed and cared for, so that they will be more nutritious.
Many chameleons are secretive about drinking and some are also secretive about eating. That’s where providing a sense of more privacy and less exposure may help.
View attachment 337450View attachment 337451

 

[MissSkittles]

Was she just waking up in that pic? Curious because her eye looks mostly closed and we never want our chams to close their eyes when lights are on - is one of the signs of illness. They sleep in all manner of ways and positions and those are usually no cause for concern. Most likely she doesn’t have any mouth rot, but it is one of the reasons for a cham to want to eat but not be able to and I’m trying to cover all bases. Except I failed so far to mention parasites. My brain was tripping over itself during the night. I suggest a visit with a vet who has solid experience with chams and make sure to take the freshest poo sample you can get to check for parasites. If you need help to find a good vet, you can use the forum search feature and search for a vet in the largest city near you. Other resources to find one are herehttps://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/area-by-area-country-vet-list.32880/unread and herehttp://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

 

[MistyBlue]

Was she just waking up in that pic? Curious because her eye looks mostly closed and we never want our chams to close their eyes when lights are on - is one of the signs of illness. They sleep in all manner of ways and positions and those are usually no cause for concern. Most likely she doesn’t have any mouth rot, but it is one of the reasons for a cham to want to eat but not be able to and I’m trying to cover all bases. Except I failed so far to mention parasites. My brain was tripping over itself during the night. I suggest a visit with a vet who has solid experience with chams and make sure to take the freshest poo sample you can get to check for parasites. If you need help to find a good vet, you can use the forum search feature and search for a vet in the largest city near you. Other resources to find one are herehttps://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/area-by-area-country-vet-list.32880/unread and herehttp://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

I actually was worried about the parasites, so I took a sample Friday and it was negative. So thrilled about that…one of my worst fears as I’ve been reading the horror stories. I had been reading and watching videos for at least a month every single day trying to learn all I can. I started with the chameleon group at Reddit, and they were a tad bit rude to me when I asked questions about methods, just to ask. Not all of them just one person. So then I talked to a nice woman who has been raising chameleons for forever. She helped a lot. I watched Neptune the Chameleon videos constantly and even ordered the kit that she provided ( the basic one). I even talked to her actually about the lighting and had to purchase another one….the 60 watt bulb bc the one that came with the kit wouldn’t fit in my fixture. I give the crickets and roaches carrots, apples, greens, trying to make sure they are fed. I bought horn worms but they all looked way too big. Should I buy another kind of work to entice her maybe?? I tried the BF LARVA and she either ate 2 or they escaped lol Anyway, she was sleeping when I took that picture….think she had just opened them a tad cuz I was Taking the picture lol She hadn’t woken up yet but I have caught her sleeping two times in the last 16 days….only for a very short time but it still worries me. I attached the feeder to the front door, like you said and bent one of the vines in front of it. I have tried everything to get this little girl to eat….I almost think maybe too much. I guess I just need to leave her alone and I really try my best to just watch from far away but sometimes I’ll try to put a cricket on the branch she is on….just cuz I want her to eat more. I’m going to just strictly do the shooting gallery for the next couple of days and see if it helps. I know she is not eating nearly enough. I am off work at the moment so I’ve been able to put all my energy into her but when I go back I won’t be able to so I’m trying to get everything in order! I really think she may be stressed. That’s a real possibility in the location she is at. Just don’t really have another option so I guess covering it is the best I can do right now. I really appreciate all of your help. I see you reply to all of these people and I just think about the countless chameleons that you save. You should be proud of yourself! I live in a small town in Elkins WV. We have a vet here but I don’t know how experienced any of them are with chameleons. The closest one is 3 hours away….I hate it here. Do people normally just make the trip? As I was sitting here writing this in the other room, the chameleon starting making a weird sound. The best way I can explain it was like moving its upper body and face side to side making a noise over and over again kind of like a half sneeze and half hiss. I’ve never heard her hiss before. I thought she was gagging but I know she hasn’t ate yet, she is just sitting on her branch. She stopped as soon as she saw me, I was trying to get a video for you. I swear I worry about this little girl more than my own kid these days hahahaha What could that be?

 

[MissSkittles]

Silkworms are awesome feeders, but at times it can be a bit of a challenge to find them in stock. They don’t grow nearly as fast as hornworms do and can be used as a staple feeder. You’d probably be best to order small ones and make sure they come with enough chow for them to grow. They also don’t bite back like hornworms and superworms do.
Is there anything that could have caused her to hiss? Another animal being near or walking past, a human peeking at her, something she could see her reflection in? Do monitor for signs of a respiratory infection - noises when breathing, keeping her head pointed up, gaping, thick stringy saliva.
Unfortunately, many exotics vets lack solid experience and knowledge of chameleons and pretty much treat them like a generic lizard. While that’s better than no veterinary care at all, it’s ideal if you can find a vet who knows chams. Many of us do have to travel a bit for good vets. While I have a pretty decent exotics vet within walking distance of me, I drive an hour for one with cham experience.
Do you by chance have any artificial reptile plants? If so, hang them on the outside of the door so that they partially cover the shooting gallery and a bit around it. That may help your little sweetie to feel safer to eat. Pic below of what I mean. If you don’t have those, use what you do have…it doesn’t have to be a fake plant. Do avoid bright colors like red and orange though and anything that could possibly look like an eye. Yes, we do worry as much about our chams as we do our kids.
I’ll take that as a good thing that Reddit chased you away. To be as tactful as possible, I’ll just say that they do things very very differently than we do here. I do hope I’ve been able to help prevent chameleons from becoming sick and passing. I’m a total animal lover. Gotta get some zzz’s…work again tonight. Bleh!

 

[MistyBlue]

Silkworms are awesome feeders, but at times it can be a bit of a challenge to find them in stock. They don’t grow nearly as fast as hornworms do and can be used as a staple feeder. You’d probably be best to order small ones and make sure they come with enough chow for them to grow. They also don’t bite back like hornworms and superworms do.
Is there anything that could have caused her to hiss? Another animal being near or walking past, a human peeking at her, something she could see her reflection in? Do monitor for signs of a respiratory infection - noises when breathing, keeping her head pointed up, gaping, thick stringy saliva.
Unfortunately, many exotics vets lack solid experience and knowledge of chameleons and pretty much treat them like a generic lizard. While that’s better than no veterinary care at all, it’s ideal if you can find a vet who knows chams. Many of us do have to travel a bit for good vets. While I have a pretty decent exotics vet within walking distance of me, I drive an hour for one with cham experience.
Do you by chance have any artificial reptile plants? If so, hang them on the outside of the door so that they partially cover the shooting gallery and a bit around it. That may help your little sweetie to feel safer to eat. Pic below of what I mean. If you don’t have those, use what you do have…it doesn’t have to be a fake plant. Do avoid bright colors like red and orange though and anything that could possibly look like an eye. Yes, we do worry as much about our chams as we do our kids.
I’ll take that as a good thing that Reddit chased you away. To be as tactful as possible, I’ll just say that they do things very very differently than we do here. I do hope I’ve been able to help prevent chameleons from becoming sick and passing. I’m a total animal lover. Gotta get some zzz’s…work again tonight. Bleh!
View attachment 337465

I guess it is possible she could see her reflection in the shower curtain….it is clear. I don’t think so though. I was thinking maybe she ate a gnat and it went down the wrong hole? lol just playing but today, after that she stayed on her branch for a while and then became curious about the shooting gallery I put on the door. She finally decided to check it out….she walked over to it, hissed at it and then went to her pothos plant. She climbed up on one of the hanging basket hooks and fell asleep. She stayed there for most of the day…..showed no other interest in the feeder until a cricket escaped. I saw her climb to the top corner by the light and I think she ate it. She has slept today though more than ever. I put a pillow case over the front door where the feeder is and ordered some fake vines. Another thing, and this is probably a super dumb question but when anyone walks near the cage, it shakes a little. It’s just the way the hardwood floors are in that spot and I always try my best to walk lightly I can’t say they for everyone. It is almost impossible for it not to shake the plants some when walking by and always walking up to the cage….I’m sure this probably scares the heck out of her on a daily basis? Could this all just be from stress?? Why would she hiss at her feeder? Today is the first day I’ve really ever heard her hiss. She usually basks on her branch a lot but today after that she didn’t go back to it at all. I know she loves to free range but I can’t really monitor that to see if/when she eats and I hate leaving crickets in there at night, like you said. I’m afraid she is getting weaker by the day and I think I should take her to the vet….but how? I have read how to pick them up but I’ve never tried and what would we transport her in? Good luck at work tonight!

 

[MissSkittles]

If she’s sleeping at all during the day, she needs a vet and the sooner the better. Being so young she has no bodily resources to fall back on and can decline very quickly. The first few times you remove her from her enclosure is scary, but you can do it…be confident. I reach up from below in the front with one hand, while my other hand is behind and slightly above, cutting off potential escape and herding towards the front hand. In their seconds of trying to figure out which threat to attack, quickly and gently slip your front hand beneath her body and lift until her little feet grasp onto you. You may get hissed at, lunged at or even possibly bitten. You can back off a little, but don’t give up. Btw, the bites are more of a surprise than hurt. You’ll have prepared a small box (shoebox or similar size will work) with a stable branch or something for her to grip onto and a few air holes. Put her in the box and close it. In the dark, she will sleep.

 

[MistyBlue]

If she’s sleeping at all during the day, she needs a vet and the sooner the better. Being so young she has no bodily resources to fall back on and can decline very quickly. The first few times you remove her from her enclosure is scary, but you can do it…be confident. I reach up from below in the front with one hand, while my other hand is behind and slightly above, cutting off potential escape and herding towards the front hand. In their seconds of trying to figure out which threat to attack, quickly and gently slip your front hand beneath her body and lift until her little feet grasp onto you. You may get hissed at, lunged at or even possibly bitten. You can back off a little, but don’t give up. Btw, the bites are more of a surprise than hurt. You’ll have prepared a small box (shoebox or similar size will work) with a stable branch or something for her to grip onto and a few air holes. Put her in the box and close it. In the dark, she will sleep.

Ok I will call tomorrow and get her in asap. In your experience, what could be wrong with her? Do you think it is most likely a URI since I have seen her do the gaping occasionally and star gazing? They can do an X-ray to find out can’t they? I’m just really worried about her. If you were me, would you use her time out if the cage to get her set up in a more quiet area of the house? I can always just put her in my bedroom if I have to. Could too much stress be that hard on her? We really leave her alone most of the time but like I said, she is right by a door to one is the rooms that is open and closed quite frequently, the plants shake a bit bc of the floor, the cat, etc if I put her in there, she could be all alone and feel safer. Thanks again.

 

[Gloriawood]

I actually was worried about the parasites, so I took a sample Friday and it was negative. So thrilled about that…one of my worst fears as I’ve been reading the horror stories. I had been reading and watching videos for at least a month every single day trying to learn all I can. I started with the chameleon group at Reddit, and they were a tad bit rude to me when I asked questions about methods, just to ask. Not all of them just one person. So then I talked to a nice woman who has been raising chameleons for forever. She helped a lot. I watched Neptune the Chameleon videos constantly and even ordered the kit that she provided ( the basic one). I even talked to her actually about the lighting and had to purchase another one….the 60 watt bulb bc the one that came with the kit wouldn’t fit in my fixture. I give the crickets and roaches carrots, apples, greens, trying to make sure they are fed. I bought horn worms but they all looked way too big. Should I buy another kind of work to entice her maybe?? I tried the BF LARVA and she either ate 2 or they escaped lol Anyway, she was sleeping when I took that picture….think she had just opened them a tad cuz I was Taking the picture lol She hadn’t woken up yet but I have caught her sleeping two times in the last 16 days….only for a very short time but it still worries me. I attached the feeder to the front door, like you said and bent one of the vines in front of it. I have tried everything to get this little girl to eat….I almost think maybe too much. I guess I just need to leave her alone and I really try my best to just watch from far away but sometimes I’ll try to put a cricket on the branch she is on….just cuz I want her to eat more. I’m going to just strictly do the shooting gallery for the next couple of days and see if it helps. I know she is not eating nearly enough. I am off work at the moment so I’ve been able to put all my energy into her but when I go back I won’t be able to so I’m trying to get everything in order! I really think she may be stressed. That’s a real possibility in the location she is at. Just don’t really have another option so I guess covering it is the best I can do right now. I really appreciate all of your help. I see you reply to all of these people and I just think about the countless chameleons that you save. You should be proud of yourself! I live in a small town in Elkins WV. We have a vet here but I don’t know how experienced any of them are with chameleons. The closest one is 3 hours away….I hate it here. Do people normally just make the trip? As I was sitting here writing this in the other room, the chameleon starting making a weird sound. The best way I can explain it was like moving its upper body and face side to side making a noise over and over again kind of like a half sneeze and half hiss. I’ve never heard her hiss before. I thought she was gagging but I know she hasn’t ate yet, she is just sitting on her branch. She stopped as soon as she saw me, I was trying to get a video for you. I swear I worry about this little girl more than my own kid these days hahahaha What could that be?

I’m not going to be any help really, I just wanted to say I feel your pain! I just took my little guy to the vet about two weeks ago and I had to make a 2 hour trip one way. It sucks, but it was worth it to get him headed in the right direction. I think there is a thread somewhere on here that has vets listed. Maybe try searching it.