New, First time chameleon.

[MichaelMichael]

Last night I purchased a baby veiled chameleon and I haven’t seen it drink anything, it hasn’t really moved from the top of the cage and it won’t turn as bright green as it was the night before in the pet stores enclosure. Is this normal or could I have done something wrong? It just won’t lose the browns and blacks that show it's stressed. Could this just be because the habitat is new?

 

[DarinD]

Please fill out the form below. Please include photos of the enclosure and the chameleon.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[hopps31]

It is acclimating to its new enclosure , it is stressful. It can take up to a month to fully acclimate. The best thing is to just feed, water and leave. Most like to eat and drink in privacy. Also no handling for a while until he feels more comfortable, and then go very slowly with him/her, you need to gain trust! I would also fill out the form @DarinD posted above

 

[CamrynTheCham22]

Make sure that it has access to food pretty much at all times, just be sure to remove feeders at night (especially crickets/mealworms) if they are not in a cup.

 

[MichaelMichael]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled. I’m unsure of sex. The pet store has told me that it’s around 4 months old
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I have only held it two times, one at the store with an employee supervising. The second being when I put it into the cage
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I have 10 or so small crickets around the cage. Also some meal worms in a bowl near the bottom on the cage. I have not gut-loaded any of the crickets but plan to do so in the future.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have a hand mister and a dropper always dripping into a water bowl. Mist about ever 3 hours. I haven’t yet seen my chameleon drink.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? The chameleon hasn’t pooped yet while in the cage I have, and there was none in the cage at the pet store. As far as I know the chameleon has never been tested for parasites.
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
• There is a line on the bottom of its stomach that almost looks like dry skin but I cannot tell from the way it’s been hanging in the cage. One of its eyes is now pinkish and almost looks shriveled up

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen cage
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I’m useing two zoo med light bulbs, one is a daylight blue and another is a reptisun 5.0 UVB Bulb
• Temperature - What temp rangehave you created (cage floor tobasking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? The high of the cage is around 85 and the lowest is 70
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? I don’t have an accurate humidity gauge yet
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? No.
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? The top of the cage is 2 meters from floor level, it is not near any active fans and is a semi high traffic area because everyone wants to watch it right now
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Virginia

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. On of its eyes is pink and looks slightly swollen he had fallen once in the time I have had him, from the top of the cage, which is about 3 feet tall. I’m really worried he could have damaged his eye in a fall. Also he seems to like to rub his eye (the pink swollen one)on the side of the cage

 

[MichaelMichael]

Hopefully you guys can help?

 

[MichaelMichael]

Update: I’ve had to catch it from falling two times now and it’s still very dark colors

 

[kinyonga]

Please post a photo or two of the cage and the chameleon's eye.

 

[kinyonga]

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled. I’m unsure of sex. The pet store has told me that it’s around 4 months old look at the heels...if there's a spur there it's a male....if not it's female.
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I have only held it two times, one at the store with an employee supervising. The second being when I put it into the cage
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I have 10 or so small crickets around the cage. Also some meal worms in a bowl near the bottom on the cage. I have not gut-loaded any of the crickets but plan to do so in the future. Meal worms are not a good choice for chameleons...superworms, silkworms, hornworms, roaches, black soldier fly larva, etc are better choices along with the crickets. It's important to fee/gutload the insects properly. Crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts can be fed/gutloaded with dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, carrots, and a BIT of fruit such as berries, apple, pears, melon. Healthy food will help to keep your chameleon healthy.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? It's important to start this asap. Most feeder insects have a poor ratio of phosphorus to calcium so it's recommended that you dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorus-free calcium powder at almost every feeding. It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorus-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 but leaves it to produce the rest from it's exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to the UVB light won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will. It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources of vitamin A won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will but this leaves it up to you to decide when/if your chameleon needs a prEformed source.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have a hand mister and a dropper always dripping into a water bowl. Mist about ever 3 hours. I haven’t yet seen my chameleon drink. Make sure the bowl is covered with a screen or grating something chameleon can't fall into it or drink from it.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? The chameleon hasn’t pooped yet while in the cage I have, and there was none in the cage at the pet store. As far as I know the chameleon has never been tested for parasites.
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
• There is a line on the bottom of its stomach that almost looks like dry skin but I cannot tell from the way it’s been hanging in the cage. One of its eyes is now pinkish and almost looks shriveled up

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen cage
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I’m useing two zoo med light bulbs, one is a daylight blue and another is a reptisun 5.0 UVB Bulb colored lights are not recommended...white ones are. You can use a regular household incandescent bulb for basking.
• Temperature - What temp rangehave you created (cage floor tobasking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? The high of the cage is around 85 and the lowest is 70
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? I don’t have an accurate humidity gauge yet
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? No. Veileds eat vegetation so I recommend using non toxic well washed (both sides of the leaves) real plants.
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? The top of the cage is 2 meters from floor level, it is not near any active fans and is a semi high traffic area because everyone wants to watch it right now
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Virginia

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. On of its eyes is pink and looks slightly swollen he had fallen once in the time I have had him, from the top of the cage, which is about 3 feet tall. I’m really worried he could have damaged his eye in a fall. Also he seems to like to rub his eye (the pink swollen one)on the side of the cage are the branches a good size for his feet to grip? Covered in bark or smooth and slippery?

 

[MichaelMichael]

are the branches a good size for his feet to grip? Covered in bark or smooth and slippery? I have added in more vines that are perfect for the chameleon’s foot to grip on to.
Veileds eat vegetation so I recommend using non toxic well washed (both sides of the leaves) real plants. How often would a chameleon need to eat plant’s directly? And what plants are best for chameleons and won’t hurt or kill them.
Make sure the bowl is covered with a screen or grating something chameleon can't fall into it or drink from it. There is a plant inside the bowl the has a dropped dripping onto it, would this be enough or should the be a full screen over it?
It's important to start this asap. Most feeder insects have a poor ratio of phosphorus to calcium so it's recommended that you dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorus-free calcium powder at almost every feeding. It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorus-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 but leaves it to produce the rest from it's exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to the UVB light won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will. It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources of vitamin A won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will but this leaves it up to you to decide when/if your chameleon needs a prEformed source. The two images are the supplements I have now, do I need more? Should I get different supplements or are these fine?
Meal worms are not a good choice for chameleons...superworms, silkworms, hornworms, roaches, black soldier fly larva, etc are better choices along with the crickets. It's important to fee/gutload the insects properly. Crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts can be fed/gutloaded with dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, carrots, and a BIT of fruit such as berries, apple, pears, melon. Healthy food will help to keep your chameleon healthy. How should I feed the crickets? Do I just put in whatever it want them to eat and they eat it?
look at the heels...if there's a spurthere it's a male....if not it's female. I don’t believe I see any spurrs but I’ve only held it twice and haven’t gotten a a very good look. Thank you!

 

[MichaelMichael]

Also, just something I want to ask about, is 45 a good humidity or is that to low for a veiled?

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."How often would a chameleon need to eat plant’s directly? And what plants are best for chameleons and won’t hurt or kill them:...they don't have to eat plants and greens and veggies...they can though if they want to. Pothos, scheffleura, hibiscus, ficus, are a few good plants you can use. I don't have a link handy right this minute to give you a longer list. I'll try to remember to come back and add it later but if I forget just tag.me.

You said..."There is a plant inside the bowl the has a dropped dripping onto it, would this be enough or should the be a full screen over it?"...the water will get bacteria in it unless you change the dish and clean it out really often....that's why I would cover it completely.

You sajd..."The two images are the supplements I have now, do I need more? Should I get different supplements or are these fine?" ...the yellow bag has prEformed vitamin A in it (acetate, liver,etc) which you have to be careful of. I would hope the manufacturer has the right amount of it in it. The jar doesn't list any D3. I like to follow what I said in my previous post. There is no one kind of supplement that is perfect but the calcium, phosphorus, D3and vitamin A are important to be in balance/need to be right IMHO.

How should I feed the crickets? Do I just put in whatever it want them to eat and they eat it? I keep my crickets in plastic bins with cardboard egg carton pieces in there and in one corner I put a lid and chop up the veggies and greens into pieces the size we would likely eat and put them in. In a day or so I change them (and wash the dish). You don't want to let them mold.i don't dry the leafy greens off when I wash them...I just shake most of it off... because the little bit of water left on them provides water for the crickets.

Male or female...you will need to find this out before it's mature because females can produce eggs without having mated and need a different treatment than males. They also need an egglaying bin in their cages so they won't become eggbound and die.

 

[MichaelMichael]

Okay, tomorrow I’ll check again if it has the tarsal spurrs or not, I’ll also get mech and put it over the water bowl. I’ll also have to look into the egg laying bin because I think it is a female. And the calcium is the supplement given everyday correct? The yellow packet being twice a month?