New owner of Jackson Chameleon.

[astroprojector]

Hello everyone.

I am new to the forum. Just like many new forum members in the past day or so, I went to the Pomona Reptile show and purchased a Jackson Chameleon. Here is the info:

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Mash metal screen, 18x18x36. I covered the back of the cage with plastic to keep the humidity in and mostly not to get water on the wall. I just finished remodeling the house. There is plenty of ventilation as all other sides completely open.

* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? 18" ReptiSun 10.0 UVB light, for heat I use regular 65W flood light.
*Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I don’t have a digital thermometer yet. I know that the room temperature during the day is 75 degrees and at night it drops to 68 degrees.
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Currently I mist by hand. The auto mister I bough did not work. I do not have the mister so I spray the warm water for about 2 mins every couple hours. Currently I am looking to buy the Mist King, but it is on backorder.

* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a large schefflora. I had to trim it a little bit.
* 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 cage located in my kid room. Currently it is on the floor. There are no vents near by.

* Location - Where are you geographically located? Los Angeles, CA 91344


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species = Jackson Chameleon, sex= Male, and age of your chameleon = about 4 to 5 month.
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Not at all I just bought him and he is in the cage acclimating.
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Have pin head crickets in cage right now but going to go get other varieties at pet store soon... recommendations welcome What amount? there are about 15 in the cage right now... I dusted some with Calcium and others with minerals powder. What is the schedule? Dont have a schedule yet... what is a good schedule How are you gut-loading your feeders? I use orange cubes by flukers.

* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Calcium with vitamin D3, Calcium w/o vitamin D3 and Mineral powder.

* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Currently none. I am hopping to get the mist king pretty soon. How often and how long to you mist? I saw it drinking this morning. I was spraying the cage and him with warm water and he started drinking right away.
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Not tested and has not used the bathroom yet.

* History – I got the chameleon at the Pomona reptile show on Saturday the 9th. I bought from FL Chams. The sales guy told me that the chameleon was wild caught in Hawaii. They had several of them in the cage and they were selling them very quickly.

* Current Problem – Currently no issues yet. I am learning thing about him as he learns things about his new surroundings.

I know, I have read that Jackson Chameleons are not the starter chameleons. Please no need to post. However I have some questions:

Below are the pics:

Pics 2 - 4 are him in the bright green color, but as soon as I spray him with warm water his colors turn dark green, pic 5. Is this normal?

Once I brought him home and placed him in to the cage he acclimated little bit and ate two crickets. The crickets were dusted with calcium powder that has vitamin D3. The next day as I started spraying him in the morning he started drinking. He drank for a long time. Most of the time he sits in one spot. He might move and place his had on the branch. Once I saw him laying on the branch on his side. He started to move when I got close to the cage. So for now he has about 16 medium crickets in the cage, all of them in the further upper right corner and I try to spray him about 5 time per day with warm water.

How am I doing so far?

 

[kinyonga]

Minerals and vitamins are different....just thought it was worth explaining since so many people seem to use the two as if they were interchangeable...

"Vitamins are chemical compounds and minerals are chemical elements."
http://rssblog.healthfulchoice.com/index.php/16/vitamins-and-minerals/

"Vitamins control the chemical reactions within the body to convert food into energy and living tissue. They help the body use the energy nutrients, maintain normal body tissue, act as a regulator, and are only needed in small amounts. Minerals are needed for several body functions including building strong bones, transmitting nerve signals, maintaining a normal heart beat, and are used to produce necessary hormones."
http://42explore.com/vitamin.htm

http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/...fference-Between-Vitamins-and-Minerals-/68178

 

[jojackson]

Congratulations on your new purchase Astroprojector. Thankyou for filling out all the information you did, its a great attitude and helpful. Looks like you have started out right and done research, bravo.
Im sure your going to have a healthy and long lived Jackson (lucky you, Jacksons are incredible)
Welcome to the forum and welcome to chameleon keeping (if that applys)

 

[Julirs]

A few suggestions-if you want to keep those nice wood floors nice-get something under the cage. As much as you will need to mist will certainly cause water to leak on to the floor. That size Jacksons should be eating at least 3/4" crickets-pin heads are way too small. You need a digital thermometer pronto. Jacksons like it a bit cooler and that wattage a lamp is too much to create a basking spot of 80-85. I think your cage looks great. As far as supplementing, you need to get on a schedule. Dust very lightly with calcium 5X weekly with no D3, 2 x monthly with a calcium with D3, and 1x monthly with a multivitamin/mineral supplement. Lightly. Also-gutload your crickets well.

 

[ijmccollum]

Congrats are definately in order! What a handsome guy -- the horns are ever handsome.

As for going dark -- be sure not to mist him directly.

 

[astroprojector]

Thanks for the replies.

I will get a 3 shelf wire rack today at home depot to raise the cage of the floor.
What digital thermometer would you recommend? Does HD sells one? Should I change the heat bulb to 40W?

Thanks.

 

[pssh]

I use one that was 12 bucks from HD and it measures humidity as well. It seems to work just fine. I use a 40 watt bulb to make it about 83-85 at 6 inches away.

 

[astroprojector]

Thanks, I will check it out today.

My biggest concern is humidity during the day while I am working. I was out of luck getting the automatic mister over the weekend. The HABBA mister that I bought at the show is defective and I was not able to get the replacement. The local reptile store also sold out and mist king is backordered. Today and tomorrow I have some one at home to spray the cage however from Wednesday on except the weekends and until I get a mister no one will be available to mist the cage from morning to about 4pm. I'd rather get the king mist and not Habba and them king mist. So, it looks like I will not be able to mist the cage during the day at least till the end of the month and possibly beg of February.

Any suggestions?

Second question is regarding the feeding schedule:

"As far as supplementing, you need to get on a schedule. Dust very lightly with calcium 5X weekly with no D3, 2 x monthly with a calcium with D3, and 1x monthly with a multivitamin/mineral supplement. Lightly. Also-gutload your crickets well."

I counted yesterday about 15 crickets in the cage. All of them in one spot. Some are dusted with calcium D3, some are with a multivitamin/mineral supplement and others not dusted at all. How do keep the schedule if the crickets are in the cage? I assumed that it is OK to keep them in the cage and let the chameleon eat when he wants to.

 

[Julirs]

If you can mist the cage and plant really well in the morning, you will be fine to just mist again when you get home.

You should not just be dumping 15 crickets into the cage at once. You store the crickets in their own "house" so to speak-gutloading them with fresh fruits and veggies, then take out what you want to feed, swirl them in the proper dust for the day, and dump those in the cage.

 

[astroprojector]

OK, but then at the end of the day if anything is left I need to take out left over crickets and put in the same cricket home?

Next day I take the crickets again and dust them again. Some already be dusted from the day before. I dust them again?

 

[Julirs]

Yep-take them out. They can chew on your cham. The dust will fall off-so yes-re-dust.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Hi welcome!!! I have a jacksons also. I've had him since he was approx 3-4 months and it's been a little over a year now and he's doing great!! He is very spoiled. They are amazing chams and I know you will enjoy yours as much as I do mine.
Natalie

 

[astroprojector]

Thank Natalie's.

Can you give me any tips?

 

[JaxyGirl]

Thank Natalie's.

Can you give me any tips?

Hi, I'm no expert yet but can tell u what I do with my guy. After I got him and put him in his cage I actually blocked off the most viewed side with a piece of removable card board for about 3 weeks unless feeding and watering etc and once he started getting acclimated I'd remove the card board for a few hours at a time untill he remained a calm green to light green. Green is happy dark or mottled is stressed. Especially since yours is wild caught I would really give him time to get used to you. Right now I'm sure he's scared and thinks your trying to eat him every time you open the cage. I only use a 8 oz spray bottle. I don't have an automatic mister. My guy hates to be misted. So I actually use the stream setting and squeeze the trigger lightly so it immitates water drops and not mist. I squirt "all" 8 oz of water directly on the jacksons and his surroundings ( mostly on the Cham) mine will drink directly from the bottle. I don't squirt directly into his mouth but at the side of his lips. This usually takes about 5 - 10 min in one sitting. Even if he's not drinking I squirt his body from nose to tail until all the water has been squirted out. I do this once a day either morning or eve. I do mine in the morning. Then in the afternoon I spray him down a gain usually no as long unless he seems really thirsty. So pretty much I water twice a day. I've read that jacksons are "very prone" to dehydration. That's when they become very succeptible to Infection then they stop eating and it's down hill from there. In my opinion just a few one minute mists a day is not enough. I think good watering is one of the most important things I've been doing this routine since I got him and he has grown to be a stunning green and blue large well adjusted male with magnificient horns. Any way this is has worked for me. He is no longer kept in a cage and free ranges in my living room.

 

[Olimpia]

I agree with long "showers." I've set up a pesticide-type sprayer from Lowe's to mist into the cage without me having to open anything, which keeps him calmer. I pour about 3 liters of warm water and just let it run for the duration of the water, which is like 15 minutes or so. I just pump it and let it spray on it's own, which has been really convenient (you try holding 3 liters of water for 15 minutes in one hand lol). And then I'll do another, slightly shorter, misting later in the afternoon. But I try to give the afternoon shower enough time to dry up so the cage isn't wet during the night.

He's very handsome! Congratulations!

 

[ijmccollum]

I don't squirt my girl at all -- stresses her out. Everything around her gets showered till it drips and I use a plastic cup with a hole in bottom for continued drips. I have disposable pipettes that I use to water her directly -- open mouth. I have had her for about a year now and she appears to be doing great. Loves to free roam and will literally jump onto my hands when she wants out. At other times she roams her viv, looking for crickets, and basking. But I don't keep the same kind of habitat as you. What is critical is to get them to trust you, and deserve that trust. I don't think there is a standard protocol for that.

 

[ponders]

There is a great Jackson's article in the new Reptiles magazine.
You should check it out.

 

[hallenhe]

My first cham was a Jackson's; as you've gathered, it can be done. Mine had a low-tech drip system that drips through the day, coupled with morning misting. Live plants help maintain humidity, and putting a dripper so it drips into a plant helps catch the water and maintain drinkable droplets on the leaves. I gave my Jackson's 3-5 large crickets a day (when he was adult; ~5+ inches snout-to-vent), and put uneaten crickets back at the end of the day both to protect the cham and allow the crix to rest and feed; I also put a little cricket food in with crix and cham.
Congrats on your Jackson's! - They're a lot of fun.

 

[Monties1982]

My first cham was also a Jackson's (pictured in my avatar) and as far as drinking, he drank from a small animal water bottle like you would use for something like a hamster. I think I read it in a book or something, so I thought I'd give it a try and he took right to it. Pretty much every morning when I turned on his lights, he would wake up and head right to it to get a drink.

 

[ijmccollum]

My first cham was also a Jackson's (pictured in my avatar) and as far as drinking, he drank from a small animal water bottle like you would use for something like a hamster. I think I read it in a book or something, so I thought I'd give it a try and he took right to it. Pretty much every morning when I turned on his lights, he would wake up and head right to it to get a drink.

Wow! That just blew me away -- would like to hear more.