New member

[Twells92]

Hello, I am new here but have been reading for the past couple weeks. I recently have taken over a younger female(I think) veiled from someone who bought it from a pet store and sis not realize the care they take. I am a first time owner but have kept reptiles for the past 10 years and breed some. I am asking for advice to help give her a better home and possibly set up a room down the line for multiple. This is her tank as of now, I have a mist King on the way. She was real playful before I first got her but suspect that's from horrible housing conditions previously. She now seems happy buy protective of her new home. It's a reptibreeze large. I am building a custom one for her in my spare time. Something significantly bigger.

 

[Twells92]

These pictures were from 2 weeks ago when I tried putting a live plant in there. Not successful because I scared her and backed off. She has grown since this and stays a light green unless hunting she turns more of a yellow with almost a rid line in her casque. Been leaving her alone for aside from feedings. Boy can she eat. Didn't expect it to cost as much as my toddler per day.

 

[Chels&Pops]

shes super cute. Mine ate like a beast when I first got him as well. they tend to eat quite a bit when they are in their first year to help with their growth.

 

[Daesie11]

She is so little!
You're already ahead of the game with your enclosure. The large is a 24x24x48, no? You're going to want to put that live plant in there. Even if you scare her with it at first, she will be better for it in the end. She needs the extra cover that it will provide.
A few pointers real quick:
First get rid of the substrate at the bottom, it provides no benefits and can only cause you problems.
You're going to need to fix your lighting, more to follow on that.
In general your enclosure needs more plant cover.
I cant go in depth right now so I'll tag a few who will hopefully have a minute to help. In the meantime, will you please fill out this form on great detail so those who follow up can give you the best advice possible?

Welcome to the forums, you're in good hands now!!

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.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

@Beman @JoXie411 @Brodybreaux25

 

[JoXie411]

Hey hello and welcome. I’ll start by putting these to links. One for veiled care, the second for laying bins. Please fill out the help forum so we can help you more

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/

 

[Twells92]

Appreciate the help!! I will read everything and fill out the form. I knew I had to be missing out on alot just from the little research I did before I said yes in adopting. Figured my first best move was to ask here.

 

[Twells92]

Hey hello and welcome. I’ll start by putting these to links. One for veiled care, the second for laying bins. Please fill out the help forum so we can help you more

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/

First thing I did when I got her was make her eat a big juicy hornworm. I was afraid she was dehydrated. She eats 20+ med crickets daily(free range) and about 5-10 mealworms. Will definitely cut these out.

 

[JoXie411]

First thing I did when I got her was make her eat a big juicy hornworm. I was afraid she was dehydrated. She eats 20+ med crickets daily(free range) and about 5-10 mealworms. Will definitely cut these out.

I would take out mealworms and switch to superworms. Mealworms have hard exoskeletons and hard to digest, they also aren’t very nutritious.

 

[Twells92]

I would take out mealworms and switch to superworms. Mealworms have hard exoskeletons and hard to digest, they also aren’t very nutritious.

I have an abundance of mealworms due to my pairs of leopard geckos. Good to know, I just figured break up the diet. Thanks a ton!

 

[Twells92]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled female(I believe), few months have had about 3 weeks.


Handling - I dont since I have had her. it loved being handled prior to me getting it. I suspect it was just trying to get away from it's enclosure. Now she seems protective if I go in and am not feeding.

Feeding - ~20+ med gutloaded free roaming crickets everyday. 1-2 hornworms in tank at all times. Was feeding mealworms daily but will decease

Supplements - calc/d3 mix 2-3x week

Watering - misting 2-4x a day depending. (Will drink if droplets land on head) Big dripper. Mist King on the way...

Fecal Description - 70/30 black:white. moist

History - someone I sold leopard geckos too had purchased it before doing any research. Had it in a fish tank for a couple weeks before contacting me.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - reptibreeze large. I think 18x18x36 screen

Lighting - uvb / basking

Temperature - 70-80sh with a high 80s basking if I turn on but dont really use unless colder days. Overnight is in the low 60s. Digital thermo.

Humidity - 40-70

Plants - not yet. Have pothos and Petra croton if can use

Placement - upstairs bedroom, low traffic. Fan window fan 5 ft away. Cage is on ground atm.

Location - NE Ohio


Current Problem - Need a vet. Anything anyone can point out.

Thanks for the links! Of course it is my luck that I get a female now after reading everything, I'm glad I came here. Going to be looking for a male later on

 

[Beman]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. Cute lil girl you have there. I am going to go through your caresheet and put my feedback in red bold so it is easy to find. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled female(I believe), few months have had about 3 weeks.The only way to know for sure is going to be if there are tarsal spurs on the back of the hind feet. I will post a pic for comparison. these indicate male. I can't tell from the pics.


Handling - I dont since I have had her. it loved being handled prior to me getting it. I suspect it was just trying to get away from it's enclosure. Now she seems protective if I go in and am not feeding. Sounds spot on!

Feeding - ~20+ med gutloaded free roaming crickets everyday. 1-2 hornworms in tank at all times. Was feeding mealworms daily but will decease. She should start curbing her feeding on her own by the time she hits 5 months. You will need to start working her down in feeders and on to an every other day feeding once she hits 9 months. Food intake and heat directly impacts clutch size. So we do a slightly lower heat for females and reduce there feeding amounts. Just something to be aware of as she ages. Mealworms are low on the nutritional scale. Superworms are better but should only make up no more then 20% of their diet. These are pretty addictive to them and they will turn down other feeders waiting for them.

Supplements - calc/d3 mix 2-3x week What supplements are you using? Can you take a pic? Calcium with D3 should only be given 2 times a month. A multivitamin 2 times a month. THese get rotated week to week then you will need a calcium without D3 to use at all other feedings. OR you can get Repashy calcium plus LoD and use only this supplement at every feeding.

Watering - misting 2-4x a day depending. (Will drink if droplets land on head) Big dripper. Mist King on the way... Wonderful. I am going to give you a link on naturalistic hydration.

Fecal Description - 70/30 black:white. moist

History - someone I sold leopard geckos too had purchased it before doing any research. Had it in a fish tank for a couple weeks before contacting me.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - reptibreeze large. I think 18x18x36 screen. You said you were building another one. Keep in mind you will want a permanent lay bin for her in this new cage. approx 8 inches deep and 12x12. They do lay infertile eggs.

Lighting - uvb / basking This will need to be changed asap. You want to get her a T5HO linear fixture with a 5.0 bulb if your doing a single bulb or dual bulb fixture. If you do a quad T5HO you will need a 5.0 if there are individual reflectors for each bulb. If there is one reflector that they all share you need a 10.0 bulb. This fixture needs to run the width of the cage and be centered on the cage. Then you will put the basking level at 7-8 inches below. This will be the perfect UVB level at basking with a gradient moving down the cage.

Temperature - 70-80sh with a high 80s basking if I turn on but dont really use unless colder days. Overnight is in the low 60s. Digital thermo. Temp guns are awesome and cheap to get exact temps. You want her about 83 degrees at basking level with basking being 7-8 inches below the UVB and heat. I am including a great bracket you can screw into the cage to create an angle to your heat lamp so that it angles right below the uvb fixture. You want her to have heat and UVB while basking. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007D1BUJY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Humidity - 40-70 Little high for daytime. Your looking for 30-40% during the day. And up to 100% at night. Listen to the podcast on hydration.

Plants - not yet. Have pothos and Petra croton if can use wonderful. You may need to put river rock on top of the soil of the plants to make sure she does not eat it.

Placement - upstairs bedroom, low traffic. Fan window fan 5 ft away. Cage is on ground atm. She will feel safer the higher she is. I am sure you know this and are planning on this for her permanent cage.

Location - NE Ohio


Current Problem - Need a vet. Anything anyone can point out. Where specifically do you live? I can tag someone that may know of a vet in your area.

Thanks for the links! Of course it is my luck that I get a female now after reading everything, I'm glad I came here. Going to be looking for a male later on


Here is extra info. I apologize if I repeat what my fellow members have already given. Let us know what questions you have. @JoXie411 knows females much more then I do though lol. As far as the cage. Substrate needs to go. It will just grow bacteria and there is an impaction risk should she eat it. Getting the UVB lighting and supplements corrected are the two most important things to start with.

Podcast. And all of his are wonderful. https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/

Caresheet for Veiled. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

Laybin info if you do have a lil girl. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/


Pics of tarsal spurs on a 7 month old male Veiled.



Food and gutloading for feeders.

 

[Twells92]

Thanks @Beman I am going to go up to scales&tales and get the T5 /bulb and correct suppliments.
I threw her on an old nightstand to get her higher off the ground this morning, and it does seem like she is handling my presence a little better.
Located in Cuyahoga county. (Parma)
If there's something else you see that I need please let me know, I will buy it today.

 

[Beman]

Thanks @Beman I am going to go up to scales&tales and get the T5 /bulb and correct suppliments.
I threw her on an old nightstand to get her higher off the ground this morning, and it does seem like she is handling my presence a little better.
Located in Cuyahoga county. (Parma)
If there's something else you see that I need please let me know, I will buy it today.

Ok pick up Repashy calcium plus LOD. Very important it is the LOD version. This will be the only supplement you use for her. It will have everything she needs without an overdose worry. If your using an analog hydrometer get a digital one. Just don't spray it directly and it will give you a more accurate reading for humidity. Another good plant is a dwarf umbrella it will give you height in the cage and more for her to hide in and feel safe.
Make sure they don't try to sell you a T8 fixture. You want the T5HO for her. Um that is all I see as an immediate concern. You are going to want to look at drain pan ideas before you get your mistking.. This will end up being a do it yourself unless you order one off dragonstrand.com. Theirs are wonderful by the way. Also I would put clear plastic window film on the right side panel and the back to help control the overspray from misting.

 

[JoXie411]

So for laying bin this is what I did for my female. I put her cage on to of a storage bin and filled it 6” of 50/50 sand and potting soil, make sure the soil is moist enough to hold a tunnel. Once my female got to sexually maturity I cut back her feeding to every 3 days to control egg production.

 

[Twells92]

@Beman I will also buy a stand or the fixture if they have it in stock. These are what she's been under..

 

[Beman]

@Beman I will also buy a stand or the fixture if they have it in stock. These are what she's been under..

Yeah the basking bulb is fine. But the compact light is useless for chameleons. This video really explains it better then I can because you can visually see it. But look for the T5HO fixture with the 5.0 linear uvb bulb. You may want to buy the size that you would use on the next cage if it is not that much larger. It can hang off the sides of this cage without issue. But that will at least save you from buying another fixture.

 

[Beman]

@jannb do you know of a reptile vet in NE Ohio Located in Cuyahoga county (Parma). Cuyahoga/Lorain/Medina or surrounding counties but the OP is willing to travel.

 

[Twells92]

Cuyahoga/Lorain/Medina or surrounding counties would be perfect but I can travel

 

[carbyville]

I am also in NE Ohio — Lyndhurst.

I take my chams to Dr. Pappas at West Geauga Veterinary Hospital. Google is saying it’s about a 30 minute drive, though I thought it may have been more than that since it’s about 30 minutes for me from Lyndhurst. But maybe not!

 

[jannb]

A friend of mine with many chameleons used this vet for many years, so he has allot of chameleon experience.

Dr. Dahlhausen in Milford Ohio... 513-576-1990
http://www.vetratingz.com/ratings/1231/Veterinary+Clinic+Robert+Dahlhausen,+DVM.html

Here’s a list of reptile vets in OH but I’m not sure which, if any have chameleon experience.
https://thereptilereport.com/ohio-reptile-veterinary-directory/