New owner! Basic ?????'s

[Barthalmew]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon 2 mos old I've had 5 days
Handling - 3 of the 5 days ive had him ive handled him, hes only turned color the times ive mentioned below, he comes to me when i offer him my hand in his cage and seems to just explore while im holding him, and ill let him walk around off of my body with no problems, or color changes.
Feeding - small cricket i keep them in a cricket cage with this flukers brand orange cube complete cricket diet, hes only eaten once since ive had him, the pet store only fed them once every 3 days im offering everyday but hes only eaten once.
Supplements - i dust them with multi vitamin and calcium with d3 ,flukers brand
Watering - i have the shallowest dish, no possible way he can drowned, i mist the entire cage and all the live plant, which are all thats in the cage, 3 times a day when i work 4 when im not working. i have a dripper but i find it to be just a puddle making device and have choosen to mist as often as i can, his humidity never drops below 50%
Fecal Description - dark bit and white bit stick to leave only seen 2 since ive had him, but im not rummaging through his cage too invasivly (<dont thing thats a work) at this point thought it'd be good to give him some peace for a little bit, i cleaned up what i saw though
History - no hx other than metioned

Cage Info:
Cage Type -all glass, mesh top 10 gal. yes aquarium style, for now i understand he need the open mesh, but id rather have him in something smaller while hes so tiny, i completely intend on moving to a large open style as soon as he gets some body to him.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - two thermometer upper right and lower left, during the day basking at 84 steady, lower thermometer at about 72. apparently digital is better and that will be my next trip to the pet shop
Humidity - humidity measured with one of those hygrometer things, always 50% or higher, maintains itself well with live plants and my misting
Plants - live pothos plant about 2 ft long or so, jade plant, and one other i cant remember the name and a schefflera arboricola growing in the house for his next cage. and i changed soil and cleaned plants to avoid dangerous fertilizers and what nots.
Placement - this cage is in my bed room lower level of a two cages stand, low traffic it is a bedroom. no vents near him.
Location - chicago, il

Current Problem - no problems so far, just had a few things to clear up, listed below.




Just a few basics, I've gotten conflicting info. on during my many hours of research.

1. I read in that the UVA/UVB light should only be on 4 hours, I think that was only for baby's though. In conjunction with that question how old is adult, as a general rule?

2. my baby turns slightly to moderate brown from his normal bright green at certain times, like once when i took him outside he turned poop brown and as soon as we went back inside green again. another time i had him on my right hand and switched him to my left so i could do something, and he started to speckled just a little dark. i didn't want to upset him so i offered him the right hand again and he went right to his last spot same finger and all and instantly back to bright green. It seems like his mood is sensitive or is it not as drastic as it seems?

3. The pet store had him on a schedule of feeding once every 3 days. I would rather change him to everyday, is this a good idea? if so is it best just to offer everyday until he figures it out?

4. how old until i can put him in his permanent adult cage? Is it necessary to have a mist machine with his adult cage? i can keep his humidity high on his 10 gal. but i know that'll change.?.?.

5. how often will he shed as growing, if cared for well?

thanks for any advice!

 

[Chameleon Loco]

Who gave you care info on your cham

All your info is wrong. I cant tell by the picture but your cham looks like a baby veiled, his lights should be on 12hrs a day and he should be fed every day. Also chameleons should not be handled that often it stress them alot. Unless it is a pygmy chameleons chameleons should not be keep in 10 gallon cages they should be kept in screen cages or glass terrianiums

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

1. UVB light should be on about 12 hours, like a full day of sunlight. It is extremely important to their metabolism and growth! Don't forget the bulb should be changed every 6 months at least, even if it is still shining.

2. They get stressed very easily. Going outside may have been scary, or he may have turned darker to try to absorb more sunlight and warmth. Even bright colors can mean he's stressed. Chams should be handled minimally or at least for very short periods at a time, especially as babies. They can be sensitive with moods and stress.

3. I'd feed a baby at least every day! I feed my adults every other day. Remember to feed only good gutloaded food and limit mealworms. Search for "gutload" if you have questions about what to feed your feeders.

4. You should wait until he's big enough to be able to find food easily in a big cage. You don't have to have a mist machine but that will require hand mistings several times a day. His adult cage should not be an aquarium type cage! They need good ventilation and the high majority of US keepers use screen cages. Glass cages easily lead to bacteria buildup, stagnant air, and a sick cham unless they have good ventilation.

Hope that helps and that others will chime in with more advice! Good luck with your little one

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

You will find a TON of conflicting info online - wherever you got your initial info doesn't seem like a good source. Try searching these forums for more info to your questions, I've yet to find anywhere with better info collected in one place about everything you'd need to know.

 

[Lovereps]

It's not unusual

Pet shops all too often give bad/wrong info on caring for chams.
Welcome to the forums!
Glad you found them.
1) The UV bulb should be on for the same amount of time as the basking light--typically 12 hours each day. There should be total darkness for your cham at night.
2) Chams change color for different reasons.
A cham will usually change to a different color when it is basking in sunlight.
They are solitary creatures in the wild and they don't like to be held or handled--stress is the reason for color change when they're handled.
Stress shortens chams lifespans and makes them more likely to get sick.
I have a chameleon who changes into her stress colors just because she spots me looking at her!
3)How often to feed depends on the age of the cham. A baby should be fed daily. Adults can be fed every other day.
4) Humidity (and temperatures) depend on what type of cham you have.
You mention a "10 gallon". Is that a fish tank?
Anyway, congrats on finding the right place to ask questions and, for immediate answers, you can use the search feature, since many questions have been asked and answered over the years.

 

[Lovereps]

I should have added this

If you fill in answers to the "How to ask for help" form, if there is anything really wrong with the way you were told to setup your chameleon's home, then someone should spot it and let you know, before any problems develop.
The form: https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Pictures of the cage are also very helpful.
We all love to see pictures of chameleons, too!

 

[laurie]

Hello and welcome, I copied your information so you could have it and my suggestions all at the same place. here goes & please ask if I am not clear. Also I haven't read all the other responses so i am sorry if I repeat what has already been said.

Try not to hold him any more than you absolutely have to. He needs time to get adjusted to his new home. The turning dark means he is getting stressed which isn't good for him.

You are doing the right thing to offer food every day. At that age I offer food a couple of times a day. I would not dust with calcium with d3, I would use plain calcium, and dust very, very lightly once each day.

The misting is good, I like 3 or 4 times a day. i would also use a dripper. i know it is messy but it does offer an excellent drinking chance for you chameleon. Get something like a cool whip container, tape a piece of mesh or fabric over the top with a deeper spot in the middle so the water will sink into the bowl. You tape the cover on so the chameleon can't get in the bowl

The fecal with the dark part then a bit of white is just what you want. The white part tells you he is hydrated well.

Now the cage. These little guys are fine in a open tub at 2 months, he is also fine in the aquarium for now. I would put the plants in so he can't get ANY WHERE near the edge or top. You will be amazed at how far these little guys can reach. Just one small plant and a few small sticks are what I would use.

He needs uvb on a 12 hour on 12 hour off schedule. A tube 5.0 repti sun is the light I use and I think it is the best. I would not have a temp as high as 80's, he is a baby and I would only go to about 78 as a glass tank can get overheated and you might not know it.

I think that is most of the basic's but feel free to PM me with any questions or other help you need.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon 2 mos old I've had 5 days
Handling - 3 of the 5 days ive had him ive handled him, hes only turned color the times ive mentioned below, he comes to me when i offer him my hand in his cage and seems to just explore while im holding him, and ill let him walk around off of my body with no problems, or color changes.
Feeding - small cricket i keep them in a cricket cage with this flukers brand orange cube complete cricket diet, hes only eaten once since ive had him, the pet store only fed them once every 3 days im offering everyday but hes only eaten once.
Supplements - i dust them with multi vitamin and calcium with d3 ,flukers brand
Watering - i have the shallowest dish, no possible way he can drowned, i mist the entire cage and all the live plant, which are all thats in the cage, 3 times a day when i work 4 when im not working. i have a dripper but i find it to be just a puddle making device and have choosen to mist as often as i can, his humidity never drops below 50%
Fecal Description - dark bit and white bit stick to leave only seen 2 since ive had him, but im not rummaging through his cage too invasivly (<dont thing thats a work) at this point thought it'd be good to give him some peace for a little bit, i cleaned up what i saw though
History - no hx other than metioned

Cage Info:
Cage Type -all glass, mesh top 10 gal. yes aquarium style, for now i understand he need the open mesh, but id rather have him in something smaller while hes so tiny, i completely intend on moving to a large open style as soon as he gets some body to him.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - two thermometer upper right and lower left, during the day basking at 84 steady, lower thermometer at about 72. apparently digital is better and that will be my next trip to the pet shop
Humidity - humidity measured with one of those hygrometer things, always 50% or higher, maintains itself well with live plants and my misting
Plants - live pothos plant about 2 ft long or so, jade plant, and one other i cant remember the name and a schefflera arboricola growing in the house for his next cage. and i changed soil and cleaned plants to avoid dangerous fertilizers and what nots.
Placement - this cage is in my bed room lower level of a two cages stand, low traffic it is a bedroom. no vents near him.
Location - chicago, il

Current Problem - no problems so far, just had a few things to clear up, listed below.




Just a few basics, I've gotten conflicting info. on during my many hours of research.

1. I read in that the UVA/UVB light should only be on 4 hours, I think that was only for baby's though. In conjunction with that question how old is adult, as a general rule?

2. my baby turns slightly to moderate brown from his normal bright green at certain times, like once when i took him outside he turned poop brown and as soon as we went back inside green again. another time i had him on my right hand and switched him to my left so i could do something, and he started to speckled just a little dark. i didn't want to upset him so i offered him the right hand again and he went right to his last spot same finger and all and instantly back to bright green. It seems like his mood is sensitive or is it not as drastic as it seems?

3. The pet store had him on a schedule of feeding once every 3 days. I would rather change him to everyday, is this a good idea? if so is it best just to offer everyday until he figures it out?

4. how old until i can put him in his permanent adult cage? Is it necessary to have a mist machine with his adult cage? i can keep his humidity high on his 10 gal. but i know that'll change.?.?.

5. how often will he shed as growing, if cared for well?

thanks for any advice!