New chameleon

[The Bearded Derek]

Hello guys, just got a male baby veiled chameleon from a reptile show yesterday and I wanted to make sure if he's doing fine with what I have so far.

Currently, he's about 4.5 inches from nose to tail tip, about a month and a half old (According to the seller),bought him while he was shedding (Helped him out a little with a tiny, dull tweezer very slowly as it seemed he struggled with his back and neck but I stopped after like 3 minutes until I read never to do it unless cutting off circulation) and so far he has a tiny bit on his tail, 2/3 of his head and 2 tiny pieces around his body.

When I bought him, they told me everything he needed for a simple, basic setup, I got him a 10 gallon aquarium (The seller told me to change it to a mesh cage in about a month or 3)screen top, dual fixture for a heat bulb (I'm not sure of the wattage but my sister that was with me asked for one suitable for a veiled chameleon) and UVB bulb, 2 vines, large log(Forgot what type it was but it has a lot of twirls, previously used it for my leopard geckos), very flat layer of coconut fiber substrate, and 1/4 inch crickets (I suspect he's only eaten one so far as there was one roaming around his cage I go into my room to check something, I come back and he has a tiny coco twig in his mouth) I also got a tall cup and put about 18 crickets in there to see if he'll get it from in there.

While I was on the way home, we had him in a tiny deli cup with a barely damp napkin, couple minutes later he pooped but his urate was like a cheddar cheese yellow and dry while his poop was normal shaped but had a very faint purple tinge to it, about an hour later, I read that yellow urates mean they're dehydrated and I didn't have a spray (I do now) around, I got a cup, dipped my finger, put it down to wet the leaves, but surprisingly he just went up to finger and started licking the droplets off and drank a lot (He took about 30 minutes drinking) after he finished licking my finger, I just poured a bit of water on the vines. Haven't seen his poop after that.

Now he seems to be fine, he has a pale green and sometimes turns brown every couple minutes.

By the way, how much should I spray? I have a tiny 2 oz spray and surprisingly it being a glass cage (Which I'd expect it to keep humidity pretty good) doesn't seem to look humid. I sprayed everything (Except the substrate and mostly the leaves) and doesn't have any humid marks. I tried spraying a bit on his head where he has shed but he got scared so I stopped. The seller told me I have to spray twice a day and not too much. I've been thinking about getting a humidity gauge but I heard people say they're not reliable

Almost forgot to ask, how old does he have to be to be able to eat mealworms or superworms? I really hate crickets lol

 

[carol5208]

Everyone is going to tell you the fish tank and the substrate are a no no. Fish tanks versus glass terrariums: the terrariums have bottom ventilation, tanks do not. Also substrate: bacteria breeder, places for feeders to hide, and your chameleon might injest it. Here is a caresheet for you to read. It will tell you everything you need and how to create the proper habitat so you chameleon can live a happy and healthy life. Glad you found us! Welcome to chameleon ownership!
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[happy]

so a few things i would consider,
Remove the substrate. chameleons dont need, and can be a health hazard.
as you saw, he had some in his mouth.
you can use a paper towel or two.... easy clean.

definitely get a humidity gauge, digital is best, as you know, the dial indicators, not very accurate.

you also need a temp guage, again digital....

i would try to ensure you are not baking him by having the 2 bulbs, with a digital thermo.

i would also post info on the bulbs, there is a form of sorts for assistance.

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

its the first post on that page, try also adding pictures... seems to help.

edit:
if you hate crickts, you might try dubia roaches(not shipable to florida), or something similar. meal worms, as i have read, are very high in chittin, its not easily digestible... and too many could cause an impaction. there are other roach types that can be shipped to fl... i think.... just have to look... i think the banananana roaches are one.....
there are several site sponsors that have other insect types to assist in this....

 

[The Bearded Derek]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon: Male veiled chameleon, about a month and a half, got it yesterday

Handling: I handled it when I got home for about 20 minutes while my sister was setting up the cage

Feeding: 1/4 inch Crickets, in a cup to see if he'll eat it at all, currently about 18 in that cup, I suspect he's only eaten one.

Supplements: Fluker's "Cricket Quencher" , I have a calcium and vitamin dust mix but I wanna see first if he'll eat the crickets before adding it

Watering: I use a tiny 2 oz spray, I sprayed it for about 15 seconds, gonna do it again by night time, seen him drink off the leaves and from my finger, he was very thirsty when I got him. The leave's water seem to evaporate pretty quickly and I'm not sure if I should constantly spray

Fecal Description: His first poop was normal shaped with a faint purple tinge and his urate was dry and yellow. Haven't seen any again as of now. Don't know if he has parasites or not.

History: He was in a aquarium just like mine with about 20 other baby chameleons it, he had more shed at that time.

Cage Info:

Cage Type: 10 gallon aquarium with screen top, Not sure of exact dimensions but I think it's about 18h x 16w x 13l

Lighting: Dual fixture for UVB bulb and heat bulb, fixture is from zoo med, I threw away the boxes of the bulbs before reading what brand they were. I turn off both bulbs after 12 hours.

Temperature: I'm not sure what's the temperature of his cage but it feels like about 80+, the leaves provide shade.

Humidity: Not sure what's the humidity level, I use the spray bottle, don't have anything to measure it yet

Plants: None at the moment. Just fake plastic plants.

Placement: He's indoors, on top of a shelf about 4.5 off the floor, barely anyone goes in there, just me, my mom, my sister, and rarely a few guests. There's an air vent about 9 ft away from him.

Location: Hialeah, Florida.

Current Problem: Just wondering if everything is fine for him


I removed the cup and placed the crickets on the tank floor after the picture, he ate about 4. I'm not looking at him right now so he might be eating while I type this.

By the way, do I pour the dust right on the crickets or pour it on their food?

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!

Regarding supplements, its recommended that you dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phos. found in most of the feeder insects we use. (You sprinkle the powders on the insects lightly.)

We usually recommend dusting twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 from supplements without overdoing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but D3 produced from exposure to the UVB light should not build up as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the light when it wants to. The most often recommended UVB light is the long tube Repti-sun 5.0.

We also recommend using a vitamin powder with a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources do not build up in the system like prEformed sources do so this leaves you in control of the prEformed sources without the worry of overdosing when using the vitamin powder.

Appropriate temperatures allow for good digestion and thus aid in nutrient absorption. Basking temp for a veiled can be in the low 80's F.

Proper feeding/gutloading of the insects is important too. Crickets, locusts, roaches, superworms can be fed a wide assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc. and veggies such as carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.

 

[happy]

he definitely needs some real hiding space... somewhere he can feel secure.
smaller branches... think twigs... for him to easily grasp when climbing.

the bulbs may be too much for such a small chameleon. should get a thermo, and hygrometer... need them...

id find a good reptibreeze, dragon strand, or other type open air enclosure.

remove the coco, its not needed at all... and if you get real plants, it helps with humidity.

chameleons are an arboreal reptile, meaning they like to be in tree's, climbing... like monkeys...

as recomended by Kinyonga, gutload is an integral part of keeping healthy chameleons. there are a few blogs on here regarding gutloading... check them out... they help.



dusting can be done any way you like.... i use the bags that the crickets came in... sprinkle a small amount in,,, blow it up with air... toss like a salad....

 

[The Bearded Derek]

How long would it take for the chameleon to have problems with that cage? I was gonna wait until Wednesday (Payday) so me and my sister can go buy stuff (Thermostat, vines, other fake plants and humidity gauge)and maybe a screen cage. If we get the screen cage, we're gonna buy a automated humidifier along with it, and maybe a dripper as the leaves seem to dry pretty quick. I'll get the real plants when I get the screen cage. By the way what plants are best in terms of difficulty? It'll best if I get one that gives little to no extra work for the chameleon. Do they sell plants that are from the same area that veileds live in?

Right now I have about 1000 small crickets in a little plastic box with a lid (Forgot the name of them, they sell them in pet stores and sometimes Walmart), I guess I'll just get a tall cup put the crickets in and throw the dust in there and shake it.

 

[happy]

there is a thread about live plants to use. its in the enclosure section.

i use 2 large golden pothos, a medium sized dwarf umbrella, and a corn plan(not really corn).

you will know when its too small....

for humidity, you can get a cool mist humidifier from wal-mart or kmart or home depot... just a room humidifier... i pipe mine into the enclosure with some fish tank hose....

i am of the mindset myself, the bigger the enclosure, the better, as are most members..... with veiled and panthers, definitely true they are some of the larger chams.....

if you check the enclosure section of the forums, you will see there are two "enclosure thread" check them out... they might give you a few ideas....

 

[The Bearded Derek]

Almost forgot to ask, how do I know when it's stressed out and what the colors mean? I was watching videos in how to tame them and hand feed and I tried picking him up. At first he was brown, then I picked him up and started letting him walk around my hands and his patterns and stripes showed up and his belly turned green while his main color stayed brown and his head had a slight red hue.

 

[The Bearded Derek]

Also wanted to know if it was okay getting sticks from outside. I have a very large Avocado tree in the backyard that drops sticks sometimes and I have a small Soursop tree that's pretty much dead and has a lot of branches with no leaves

Sorry for the double post, forgot I had an edit button

 

[happy]

so, i know people say the avocado is toxic. but i believe that its the leaves. Dont trust me. do your research.... you can do a search at the top of almost all pages. as far as getting sticks from outside, I do it all the time, i dont bake them... but its a risk i take. a majority will suggest you bake them... again... the search function works great.
as far as colors, usually their pajama colors, that's the content, ok.. im fine...
when they start to get vibrant.... spotted... and bright.... usually a sign that something is stressing them... be it another male, something in the enclosure, something out side of the enclosure.... you get the idea.... you will figure it out.... each chameleon is different.. each signal different... just have to pay attention..... try not to stare at him... if you must, close one eye.. my female, if i use both eyes, she will stop what she is doing... if i close one, she will continue... i know people say they dont learn... i dont believe that one bit...

 

[The Bearded Derek]

It's almost about to be 4 days and my chameleon still has shed on his head and tiny tiny pieces scattered on his body and 1 very small piece on his tail. Should I assist?
For some reason he tends be a normal green while his tail turns light brown with some dark blotches.

 

[The Bearded Derek]

Well, it's been 5 days still with shed. Just yesterday, I saw him trying to eat a cricket but when he tried eating it, his tongue didn't extend, as if he was pulling back, I got it on video too, but right after I finished the video in 5 seconds he ate the cricket with his tongue back to normal. Just today I also took him out to replace his substrate with carpet and he was doing a little "Leaf dance" while walking on my hands which he never did before when I handled him, does this mean anything? I also bought a Bend-A-Branch by Fluker's and I have no idea how to attach it since it doesn't come with anything to attach to (No adhesive, hooks, magnets, nothing. Just bare branch)

Also wanted to see if he appears healthy. By the way, the first image isn't him trying to stand, the picture was taking while he was trying to climb on top of the phone.
Almost forgot to ask, what substrate would be good for the chameleon but at the same time something naturalistic? Can't say this carpet is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and if this list really is safe for chameleons: http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp this page has a lot of plants but doesn't really have information on it or images while the list here has images and information but has very few plants on the list.

 

[DragoLikesReptiles]

This has happened to me. What is your wattage on your bulb? I increased the heat and he started eating. Your wrap the bendy branches around the plants in the cage. You don't use substrate in a chameleon cage.

 

[The Bearded Derek]

I believe its 75 watts as the tank is around 90 degrees.

Not sure what my chameleon is doing but sometimes after I mist (Or spray a tiny bit on him to see if that small shed on his head will come off) he'll walk a bit fast then right after he might start opening his mouth pretty wide for about a second, expand his throat pouch a bit, then expand his ribs. Not sure if he's mad, he's not hissing or making any sound. (Well I googled a bit and either it could be URI but doesn't have any saliva on his mouth or making any sound but I heard they might "Face stretch" to get some skin off their head, which she does have so I'm just gonna assume it's that for now)