New Jackson chameleon owner

[Chey1995]

Oh I almost forgot he costed $100.50just for him. The other that was there that day was a bit higher than him but under 200$.

 

[Chey1995]

I think one of the others was a rainbow Cham,he had horns too. He was the highest one and my second choice but he looked very dark brownish black in his enclosure so i didn’t get him.

 

[redhorse]

My concern is if it was wild caught (WC) which many are or their farm raised (FR) (in the wild but in a caged off area) or captive bred (CB). So, you will be dealing with its normal/natural life cycles and not pet trade cycles which can be stressful. That being said, I personally would do a Vet. wellness check and make sure internal is as health as external environment. Chameleons are so unique and make awesome pets.
Worst case scenario for a wellness check (if he is well) is ---- He is 100% good to go. JMO Yellow Crested are so pretty! Great choice.

 

[Shanar808]

Welcome to the fam! Great job looking into the best care for your little one. Definitely look into the CaskAbove.com and Chameleon Academy websites to learn from the best. You will want to add a once a month multivitamin (without d since you already have a calcium with d OR you can toss the calcium w/d if you get a multi w/d). Also your mist doesn’t need to be warm (lukewarm maybe but room temp is better). You will also want to look into Gutloading your crickets (https://www.chameleonforums.com/images/ccr/care-images/chameleon-gutload.jpg) Make sure there aren’t any loose crickets in the cage at night to help with sleep (along with complete lights out and great job btw with the temp drop). Hope this helps a bit

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

Ohh ok I though the 10.0 was stronger. I did google the recommended light set up and I will be buying one as soon as possible. I didn’t even know that other light set up was better than the regular dome lights. Is my current uvb bulb going to cause to much damage until I can purchase the recommended ones? I do keep both lights on during the day for 12 hours. I have also moved them up higher to prevent the tighter beam and to keep the cage cooler bc it had been getting to hot. I feel terrible for getting the wrong light set up for him. The pet store told me the dome lights would be fine that they used them but they also had him in a tiny cage with one little tree to climb on so I should have know to do better research.

A 10.0 is stronger then a 5.0, on a linear bulb though. Your compact bulb does nothing pretty much. A 10.0 linear can be dangerous if you dont know the correct measurements or you dont have a solar meter, like I said I'm not really sure what the measurements are but I know @Beman does if she doesnt and helping me out here lol

 

[Beman]

You really want to get the T5HO fixture with the 5.0 or 6% bulb basking branch would be a measured 8-9 inches below the top screen with the fixture sitting directly on top of the cage... And replace the coil compact UVB bulb as they do not put out enough UVB in the right levels for chameleons. Double check temps with the dome fixture as well. gaping is from being too hot.

Start reading these two links. https://chameleonacademy.com/the-jacksons-chameleon-trioceros-jacksonii/
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/


UVB Fixtures.... Buy this in the 24 inch and the 6% bulb strength. https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit.html
or this one in the 24inch and it comes with the 5.0 bulb. https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-terrarium-hood.html

 

[Chey1995]

Ok will the 24 inch fit my cage is 18 by 18?

 

[Beman]

Ok will the 24 inch fit my cage is 18 by 18?

Yeah it will overhang just a bit but if you ever upgrade the cage size to the 2x2x4 then you want the fixture that will fit it and this one will. I would not go with a shorter fixture. The bulbs are 2 inches shorter then the fixture length. So like the 14 inch one they have only provides 12 inches of UVB. Better to have more coverage then less then they choose their spot. Make sure your getting the distance to the basking branch below it correct though you need the right UVB level so 8-9 inches down with fixture on the top of the cage.

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

A 10.0 is stronger then a 5.0, on a linear bulb though. Your compact bulb does nothing pretty much. A 10.0 linear can be dangerous if you dont know the correct measurements or you dont have a solar meter, like I said I'm not really sure what the measurements are but I know @Beman does if she doesnt and helping me out here lol

I meant "if she doesnt MIND helping me" stupid auto correct

 

[Chey1995]

Ok thank you all I’ve taken a screenshot of the recommended light set up and I’ve already put in the order for the new light set to my husband Aside from my Uvb lighting mishap is there anything else I need to be doing differently will I’m waiting on the new lights? I’m open to any criticism that is constructive. Thank you all.

 

[Beman]

@JacksJill would you be able to go through the help form? I am not comfortable enough with my knowledge of this species to do anything other than UVB lighting.

 

[Beman]

@Mendez would you be able to assist the OP with their help form on their Jackson?

 

[Mendez]

@Mendez would you be able to assist the OP with their help form on their Jackson?

I'll take the time to review it later this afternoon. Currently studying for three midterms and finishing up part of a project. But yeah, I saw this thread a couple of days ago and have been meaning to go over it. I'll have it done by tonight. Thanks for notifying me.

 

[Mendez]

MY CHAMELEON: He is a Yellow crested Jackson chameleon he was estimated to be six to seven months old at the pet store. I’ve had him for almost a month now but not quite.

I’d say by the looks of it, he is probably closer to a year old. He is now an adult and should be fed as such--primarily you don’t want to overfeed as obesity can be an issue. You can probably feed him three-ish food items every other day (though it depends on the size of the feeders). You mainly want to get familiar with the signs of obesity and also what a starved chameleon looks to avoid these conditions and to maintain a healthy balance.

HANDLING: I try to give him as much of his space and privacy as possible,unless I’m cleaning the cage or taking him outside on my person to get some sunlight.

Perfect! It seems like you have a firm understanding that chameleons are shy creatures. I’m sure he enjoys the natural sunlight!

FEEDING: I feed him crickets only right now. I was offering him 6 to 8 every other day and a few days ago I offered him a treat of about ten crickets. But now he will only eat two or three a day but they are bigger crickets bc I got the wrong ones at the pet store. I went to every day bc I’m just not sure which method to use? I git load every couple days with apples and potatoes and they also eat the calcium food from the pet store.

Six to Eight crickets (depending on size) is probably too much and could lead to obesity; if he has slowed down to 2-3 crickets every other day, then I would maintain this schedule. Like I said earlier, you want to get familiar with what a healthy chameleon looks like. It’s hard to say definitively how much to feed him because food item size varies as well as the activity and metabolism of your specific chameleon. A chameleon that is more active will use up more energy. 3 properly sized food items every other day is good. You can adjust the number depending on size.

LIGHTING: I use a fluckers 75 watt basking bulb for heat. I also use a 12.0 watt halogen uva/uvb bulb. Both of these lights stay on for twelve hours daily unless it’s to hot and I turn off the basking bulb only. All lights are turned off at bedtime.

As said before, you need to change your lighting to (ideally) an Arcadia 6% T5 HO linear bulb. You can also use Zoomed, but you’ll find that arcadia lighting has been more standardized in the hobby and is easier to find help online from others. This light needs to be linear (long) and not a bulb so he can expose his whole body to UVB while also having a good gradient. The bulb that you have is super easy to miss and will lead to metabolic bone disease--essentially warped and bendy bones--not good. If you go the arcadia 6% route, you want the basking branch to be about 8-9 inches away from the bulb. Replace the linear bulb about once a year as the bulb loses effectiveness over time.
Additionally, for lighting, your cage looks kind of dark. If you can, look into getting a grow light for plants which will really brighten up your cage and also boost plant growth. Make sure to get one the resembles daylight. You don't want anything that is purple or a harsh blue.

TEMPURATURE: it keeps the basking spot at 80-85 and the ambient temp on my cool side is 73 to 75. Bottom of the cage is reading at 73 degrees right now. I do try to provide the best night time temp drop I can with a fan and ice packs,along with a fogger. It’s drops to around the lower to upper fifties and at times it has been at 60. With summer coming near iam trying out different portables air conditioners. I know I shouldn’t have gotten a Jackson without being able to drop the night time temp properly but the pet store didn’t tell me this info and I didn’t read it anywhere before while researching. (Still My fault though) I’m not sure of the accuracy of my temp gum so I’m going to try to purchase something better though I do not think it’s to far off. The higher temps are if the house temp goes about the set 73 degrees. Like what happened last night when I had to turn the basking bulb off and he went to sleep bc the cage was darker. That is what prompted me to making a post.

The basking spot is fine-ish but may potentially be getting too hot. I’d primarily aim to keep it around 80-82 degrees, especially if the basking branch is 85, then the back of your cham may be hitting close to 90F. I do understand that you have temperature swings, so maybe you can try lowering the basking branch a little lower or raising your basking bulb up a little higher. Then you can aim for the 78-83 degree range which will be much safer for you cham. Once you get your portable AC unit, and if you decide to run it during the day, the temp swings at the basking branch should stabilize and not swing as much (just something to be aware of). An ambient temp of 73F near the bottom is good for the day. The ambient should be anywhere from 68-75 degrees. If you can consistently get the cage into the lower sixties, upper fifties at night, then you are doing a great job!
And it’s not really your fault. Pet stores all across the country are either ill-informed, just looking for a sale, or both. I think you are quite the cham keeper already! You recognized that the bigger the cage size the better. I’m glad you decided to come on this forum and ask for ways to improve--that’s where all the marbles are.

SUPPLEMENTS: he gets dusted with calcium twice a week and dusted with D3 once a month.

What brands are you using? Typically, D3 is given twice a month, but also depends on brand. Be careful not to overdo it with the D3 as well. I’d recommend plain calcium at least three times a week. But you can do more. They cannot overdose on plain calcium (w/o D3) without overdosing or getting edema. You also need a multivitamin if it isn’t included in the calcium with D3--which is also why the brand matters.

WATERING: I use a hand mister twice daily. Warm water. I must about two to three minutes first thing in the morning to stimulate drinking and then the same thing again midway through the day. I also mist his drinking plants every couple hours. I don’t see him drink often so that’s concerning.

Mist with room temp/slightly COOL water! Warm water to us tends to be too hot for them. Could be the reason you don’t see him drink. It is important to note that many of us never see our chameleons drink. They are shy creatures, and when given a choice, they will do everything when not being watched. Once you leave, he may be drinking water off the leaves. This is what makes the fecal important. You can tell a lot about the health of a chameleon by looking at just the poop alone.
Is there any way you could get a cool-mist humidifier to run at night? They really like a nice humid night. Also, I’d at least mist a third time right when the lights go out. You can wrap the sides of the cage with a shower curtain to help keep in the humidity if it’s an issue--I’ll talk about more in the humidity section.

FECAL DESCRIPTION: his poop is always black with white unrated. So I’m assuming he is staying hydrated even though I can’t always catch him drinking.

That’s correct. The whites of the poops are the urates. Keep an eye on this. You want them to stay white.

 

[Mendez]

HUMIDITY: My humidity does stay over 50 most of the time and I keep it up during the day by hand misting twice a day and then when I lost his drinking leaves. I have two hygrometers in different elevations of his cage the analog says almost fifty and the digital says sixty nine. Also I just now put the analog in so it may have not gotten an accurate reading yet.

Misting during the day can work fine. The majority of chameleon keepers have adopted a more naturalistic way of keeping a humidity schedule. The naturalistic method involves keeping the humidity high at night when the temps are cool and then letting the cage dry out during the day.
If you want to adopt this method, you can wrap the sides of your tank (not the front) and also get a cool-mist humidifier to run at night. You can spray the cage once in the morning when the lights turn on, once before the lights go out, and once right before you go to sleep (optional depending on humidity levels). This is what I would recommend for you.
I used to mist during the middle of the day but don’t anymore. You may be increasing the risk of respiratory infection; however, if you have good airflow, the risks are lowered.
If you decide the naturalistic route, you want the humidity to get up as high as possible anywhere from 80-100%. If you are misting during the day, I wouldn’t risk getting a humidity level of 100% since that could potentially be causing respiratory infections.
If using a naturalistic method: 30-50% humidity during the day and 75-100% at night.
If you plan on continuing the method you are using, make sure the cage dries out completely in between mistings.
I recommend a naturalistic hydration schedule.

LIVE PLANTS: yes iam using a vine that I purchased from Walmart,a tres and an Orchid. I cannot remember exact names of the tree and vine but I did a lot of researching to make sure they were safe plants.

Jacksons are not known for munching on plants. So you don’t really need to worry about if the plant is toxic. Just make sure it doesn’t have thorns or sap. The primary goal is to give the chameleon plenty of options to hide and avoid being seen. Many chameleons become more confident when given the option to hide in the bush. You want lots of plants and lots of branches to those hiding spots.

CAGE: his cage is in my closet to provide him his privacy. It is not around any drafts or air vents or anything like that. Though I do run a fan at night not pointed at his cage for temp drops.

That’s fine, but make sure that the air doesn’t get stagnant in the closet. As long as the closet doors are open-ish and not closed, then airflow should be okay. You don’t want mold to grow in your closet.

LOCATION: I am located in the United States,Kentucky is out state.

Very cool, I’m from California. Two very different states, yet we still have the same interests. That’s what I love about this forum! You get to meet people that you would never meet otherwise.

MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS: I just want to give a good drum down of my husbandry and care to experienced keepers couch as yourselves to see what I can do better or if my care is sufficient for my Cham’s health. What am I doing wrong and what can I do better. I will attach all of the necessary pictures below. Thank you so much for responding!

My main recommendation would be for you to get a cool-mist humidifier to run at night.
I didn’t mention before, which I’ll mention now, that the cage recommendation for an adult male is 2 ft wide x 2ft deep x 4ft tall.
Also, make sure to mention the brand of your supplements.
Grow light.
I'm not sure how much money you want to spend, but a mistking system can help boost the humidity at night with mistings without having to lift a finger.

I'm super busy at the moment, but feel free to ask more questions. I'll try my best to respond within a reasonable time frame. You seem to be on the right track, nice job! And congrats on your new pet!

 

[Mendez]

https://chameleonacademy.com/the-jacksons-chameleon-trioceros-jacksonii/

If you have any questions, check out this website. Info is very accurate.

 

[Chey1995]

Wow. Thank you for all the info this was very very helpful! Also thank you for helping with his as as this was my main problem with his feedings bc I just was t sure what to feed without knowing a closer estimate of his age. The pet store said six to seven months and I measured him but he was about 8 inches from head to tail. (Minus his horns) I will switch to feeding every other day. He is eating smaller crickets bc I was afraid of choking him with the bigger ones that was accidentally purchased before I got the half inchers. As far as humidity I am keeping it between 30 to 40 percent during the day bc I read Jackson’s like lower day humidity and higher night humidity. Night humidity is usually always up to at least 75 percent and and temps are at least 65-68. I run a fogger and a pc portable misting ac at night pointed away from his cage. I also run small fans in my closet with the door open during the day. The one that is always running is up top. So it isn’t pointing at the cage. I have also moved the lights up and switched the heat bulb into its own dome to try and let the double dome reflect some more uvb until I order the linear fixture today. The temp in the basking area is almost 80 degrees right now with 75 halway to 69 at the bottom. I use the repticalcium without D3 twice a week but will using every feeding if that’s ok,and the reptivite with d3 I was told to use once a month but will be using twice now. I could look into getting a humidifier bc I was using one before. I think I will just do the morning and night mist. I was misting once in the morning and once midway through the day and once at night. My cage is 18x28x36 the pet store sent me home with a cracker box and said it would be fine but I knew that was not fine he was also so unhappy being on display on my dresser in that little tiny cage but I’m definitely open to a bigger one. We are also planning a very big outdoor inclosure provided that he cage do well outside. I hope I answered all of your questions and advice. I know my reply is a bit scatterbrained. I also want to apologize for taking so long to respond to all of this great advice. I had been logging onto the forum but it wasn’t showing any notifications. Thank you very much I also have a concern that I just noticed while checking cage temps as I have been writing this. I found a fresh poop with part of the utate sticking to the above branch it looked fine to me. But I also noticed what I thought was vomit next the the poop but it looks like it has a irate inside of the puddle. It’s thick like clear watery slime? This has me very upset and concerned i will attach the pictures.

 

[Mendez]

Wow. Thank you for all the info this was very very helpful! Also thank you for helping with his as as this was my main problem with his feedings bc I just was t sure what to feed without knowing a closer estimate of his age.

You are totally welcome! Make sure to let us know if you encounter any problems, questions, or concerns in the future!

The pet store said six to seven months and I measured him but he was about 8 inches from head to tail. (Minus his horns)

Once they hit a certain size, it is almost impossible to determine age unless you got him from a breeder, but even then, breeders can fudge the records (often when selling a cham that is too young to be sold).

As far as humidity I am keeping it between 30 to 40 percent during the day bc I read Jackson’s like lower day humidity and higher night humidity. Night humidity is usually always up to at least 75 percent and and temps are at least 65-68. I run a fogger and a pc portable misting ac at night pointed away from his cage. I also run small fans in my closet with the door open during the day. The one that is always running is up top. So it isn’t pointing at the cage.

Your humidity is perfect! Nice job. Yes, they appreciate the lower humidity during the days which is also beneficial to their shedding process. If you can, the night time temperature really should be below 65F. While no one has an exact answer, it is believed that the lower temps slows down the digestive tract and allows for a restful night sleep. 65F should be considered a max night temp. An occasional temp of 68 at night won't cause any noticeable or lasting damage, but I have always aimed at getting the temps as low as I can go.

The temp in the basking area is almost 80 degrees right now with 75 halway to 69 at the bottom.

Nice, this will provide your little triceratops a good heat gradient. Perfect parameters!

I use the repticalcium without D3 twice a week but will using every feeding if that’s ok,and the reptivite with d3 I was told to use once a month but will be using twice now.

Awesome, so the brands you are using are good! Yes, up the reptivite with D3 to twice a month; the plain calcium should be used up to every feeding, but there is no need to dust insects with a good calcium to phosphorous ratio. Insects that need to be dusted due to higher phos to calcium: crickets, dubia roaches, superworms, mealworms. Insects that don't need to be dusted: black soldier fly larvae, hornworms, silkworms, etc. A varied diet is recommended, but if you are only feeding crickets right now, then yep, use the calcium at every feeding.

I could look into getting a humidifier bc I was using one before. I think I will just do the morning and night mist. I was misting once in the morning and once midway through the day and once at night.

If you are getting the proper nighttime humidity levels without a humidifier, then there is no need to get one. The humidifier helps increase humidity if it is low. If the humidity levels for the day are between 30-50% and the night is between 75-100%, then there is no need for change or additional mistings or a humidifier.

My cage is 18x28x36 the pet store sent me home with a cracker box and said it would be fine but I knew that was not fine he was also so unhappy being on display on my dresser in that little tiny cage but I’m definitely open to a bigger one. We are also planning a very big outdoor inclosure provided that he cage do well outside.

An 18 deep x 36 wide x 36 tall or 24 x 24 x 48 are the minimum cage sizes for an adult. it seems like your cage is almost there, you could try modifying the cage to be a little bigger. I bet your cham appreciates you not keeping him in a cracker box The outdoor enclosure sounds amazing!

I hope I answered all of your questions and advice. I know my reply is a bit scatterbrained. I also want to apologize for taking so long to respond to all of this great advice. I had been logging onto the forum but it wasn’t showing any notifications. Thank you very much

Yes, you have answered all of my questions! No worries on the late reply, I've been super busy this week. You are very welcome for this advice, I am happy that I could help you and your new pet!

I also have a concern that I just noticed while checking cage temps as I have been writing this. I found a fresh poop with part of the utate sticking to the above branch it looked fine to me. But I also noticed what I thought was vomit next the the poop but it looks like it has a irate inside of the puddle. It’s thick like clear watery slime? This has me very upset and concerned i will attach the pictures.

Definitely attach the picture, but I think it's nothing to worry about. I once had my cham poop or something that had a clear pocket of water. I assumed it was poop at the time. It was dangling on a branch and before I could remove it, my cham walked over to it and took a big bite out of it. While I'm not sure what it was, my cham is doing perfectly fine after two years since the incident. If he appears to be healthy (eyes not sunk in, etc) then I would not worry.

 

[Chey1995]

This is what the runny stuff looked like when I cleaned it up.

 

[Chey1995]

Dang it I thought I was go to go on the cage for now bc I was thinking he was younger. Guess that mean my husband is going to have to get to work on redoing the cage just a bit bigger. I will also be saving the info on which feeders need to be dusted and which do not need to be bc I had no clue about that. Which what I love about this forum and all of its knowledgeable users such as you all. I do give my crickets calcium supplements but I read somewhere that chameleons do not really take in enough calcium this way? I’m not sure but I do that too just in case it helps. I also purchased him some giant mealworms and I may try waxworms next. I will be dusting the feeders that need to be dusted everyday now if that can’t hurt bc the calcium powder isn’t that much. Can I just mix in the D3 with the calcium? I’ve only dusted with that once bc I thought I was only supposed to do it once and I don’t remember if it stuck as good by itself. I’ll just go ahead and order the light that was linked up above tonight and try to get that here as soon as I can. While I’m waiting I can take him out for some sun light for a little bit during the day granted it’s warm enough. Also I want to ask,you mentioned my cage looked a little dark. I do agree with this and I was under the impression that chams liked a lot of light. So I went out and got a 75 watt led light bc I read where someone said you could heat with those so that what I got it for (and extra lighting) but it’s seems to not be putting out any heat. I just stuck it in the back with my double deep dome where my uvb compact bulb is for more light. Is this ok to do bc he seems to be a bit more active with a little more light? I will keep and eye on the temps but it doesn’t seem to be moving them up any.