new here

[crablady]

I just thought I'd introduce myself here.

My name is Laura. I'm a mother of four boys (9,7,4,2) My username came about after I became a keeper of hermit crabs. Friends started calling me the "lady with crabs"! I thought, oh no! we need to change that! So I gave my self the name crablady. It stuck, and to make life easier for me, I just use the name on all forums I visit. Since then, my pet collection has grown to include 85 gallons of hermit crab home (not sure how many crabs that is now), 6 african fat tailed geckos, 11 crested geckos and most recently a baby veiled chameleon.

I have learned from experience that the best place to learn about a pet is from people that have them, usually found at the wonderful forums on then net. I do visit a couple of general reptile forums but thought a chameleon specific one might be usefull for me

So I think I'm off to a decent start with the little guy but after I read around a bit here, I'm sure I'll still have some questions. I look forwards to learning everything I ever need to know from everyone here!

 

[Julirs]

Welcome to the Forums! A good way to start is to fill out the following form and let people make sure that everything is good to go with your husbandry-a crucial part of chameleon keeping:
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Let me start by directing you here:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

I think you will enjoy being on these forums, very nice, helpful people and great information.

Welcome!

-Brad

 

[NewOwner]

Welcome to the forums ! You made me smile... 'The lady with crabs' Haha Very cool! You will love this site, and like many of use, get addicted to it..

Welcome!

-Levi

 

[Ricardo]

Welcome to the forum! I can say this is the best addictive thing iv ever seen!!! loads of useful information here

 

[Jason4045]

Welcome to the forums Crablady.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Welcome to the forums - I hope you find this site as informative and fun as I have!

While this site is by far my favourite, others you may like to check out are:
http://www.adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://chamworld.blogspot.com/
http://www.herpvetconnection.com
http://www.chamaeleonidae.com
http://www.animalarkshelter.org/cin/
http://www.chameleonsonline.com/
http://chamownersweb.net/

And I keep a bunch of links to useful threads on this forum as well as other sites in my blog:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/useful-links/

I also keep hermit crabs. luckily for me, I had lizards and bugs before I had crabs, so I'm "the lizard lady" or "that crazy person who keeps bugs on purpose" rather than the lady with crabs.

 

[crablady]

Oh trhank you all so much for the warm welcome. I can tell already that this is as active and social as my hermit crab site. Thank you all for the links I've been doing some reading, but will be doing lots more before I'm a confident chameleon owner. I'll get that form filled out as soon as I can

I do think I'll like it here!

Sandrachameleon, have you checked out this? http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/index.php

 

[crablady]

Welcome to the Forums! A good way to start is to fill out the following form and let people make sure that everything is good to go with your husbandry-a crucial part of chameleon keeping:
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Current home is temporary. 10g glass tank with screen lid, a 20x18x12 terrarium will arrive on Fri. Future plans are for a 24x24x48 screen terrarium

Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
reptisun 5.0 for uvb and 50 sunglo for heat. 12hours on, 12hours off.

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Temp during day 84-86 to 74ish top to bottom. Have one thermometer in tank and have been checking daily with temp gun

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Humidity between mistings is in the high 60's. 90's immediately after misting. Have a hygrometer in tank

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Currently one ficus. Have started pothos cuttings

Location - 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 cage is located in my dining room. High traffic at breakfast and supper but quiet the rest of the day. Tank is sitting on my desk and top is probably about 4 feet from the ground.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Male Veiled chameleon. About 9-10 weeks old. I have had it for about a week and a half. Picked it up at the Mississauga reptile show on the 22.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Hard to controll kids excitement at first. Have taken him out twice for the kids to see and their friends. I understand about stress and the kids are generally pretty good and just watch.

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Mostly crickets. Have offered meal worms. This is my area of most uncertainty. The breeder told me 8 1/4 in crickets every day. When I put that many in there, it is a few days before they are all gone. Crickets are fed fluckers cricket food or carrots and lettuce.

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Rep-Cal calcium with vit D every day and ReptoLife multivitamin once a week.

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 2 gallon pump sprayer. Have been misting 3-4 times a day when I'm home. Minimun of 2 . Thoroughly mist all leaves and glass of tank. Have observed drinking at least once a day.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
small semisolid brown droppings, with the white (urea??) Looks like my geckos poops only smaller.

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

No real problem I don't think. I am concerned about the amount he's eating. I have seen him eat (not much and he does seem to be pooping daily. I have just started a roach colony that he will be fed from. Also, what vegetation is best for him to eat?

Many thanks for any pointers and advice!

 

[Julirs]

Wow-great job-sounds like you have been doing some research! He is still adjusting and that is probably why he is not eating much, but 8-15 crix is normal for a Veiled that age! Roaches are great too! My thought would be to just keep him in what you have for now-the terrarium is hardly any bigger and NOTHING grows like a Veiled-he will need his big home at 5-6 months-which will be something like a 24X24X48 cage! Cut back on that Calcium with D3-you need to get a Calcium without D3 to use most of the time and the D3 once a week or every other-as adults mine are getting D3 twice a month. Again-welcome!

 

[Hilikus311]

Greetings and welcome! i hope you learn alot and enjoy your new friends here

 

[laurie]

Welcome to the forum. This will become your chameleon family. I started slow but now need my daily fix. I have learned more than I can believe on this forum. By the way I also started with one veiled, now lets just say I have several more chams, nine to be exact. And so many more look like ones I NEED!! Welcome again, and ask questions away, we have some very knowledgeable people here who are willing to help the rest of us.

 

[crablady]

Wow-great job-sounds like you have been doing some research!

Thanks, It was almost two years ago, my son and I came home with a hermit crab in a small plastic KK and what we thought was all we needed to know from the petstore. It didn't take us long to realize we had a lot to learn. Since then I've made it a priority to get all my info off the net. Knowing I wanted a cham some day I had done some reading on them. I had not planned to get one at the expo that day but decided to go for it. After a lengthy talk with the breeder, I had the basics covered before I left there. As I said i belong to a couple of general reptile forums and bob at http://thelizardcorral.proboards67.com/index.cgi and Dan at http://inny.ipbfree.com/index.php? are a wealth of information. And if they don't know the answer to a question they go looking for it. (just incase any one needs help with other reptile)

started with one veiled, now lets just say I have several more chams, nine to be exact

Wow laurie, where do you keep them all. I'm going to have to settle with one for now. I have one tank reserved for a rankins dragon, and then I'm afraid, between the four kids and 3 cats, that the house if full!

Many thanks again for the warm welcome. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all!