New Owner!!! Please Help!!!

[Carlton]

I personaly would cut back on the crickets. You say 5 at all times?

Actually, at this age chams are growing fast and it is fairly hard to overfeed them unless you have a female). But, if there are any crix left late in the day return them to their own bin to re-gutload themselves. It's easier for a young cham to digest more smaller crix than few large ones. Smaller prey has more surface area to hold supplements and the chitin is less dense.

 

[exoticham]

Pictures...

Ok... here are the pictures I had promised!

P.S.
Thanks for the info on the ficus and pothos Jason! I will stop by there ASAP.

 

[Elizadolots]

Oh, isn't he cute! I've never had a baby.

Keep up the good care while paying attention to the advice the experts offer (trying to filter out the many contradictions in the way that is best for your chameleon). I think you are a great chameleon owner. I repeat that I wish I had done as good a job as you have when I first got one.

 

[exoticham]

Thank you Elizadolots! I am sure you are an exceptional cham owner as well! I wouldn't know as much as I do now without all of the support everyone has given me, and to think last week I couldn't tell you a single thing about chameleons! Thanks for everything guys!

 

[Elizadolots]

Well, I'm definitely getting better....

Just remember, every chameleon is an individual and while people here and other places can give you generic recommendations, you will come to know your animal and you are the one in the best position to decide what is best now that you have the "basics". Yours might want to be warmer or cooler. Yours might love to be handled. Yours might not object to your other pets. Don't let the "clear statements of truth" that sometimes appear bother you too much...read them for what they are: typing on the internet from someone you don't know. If someone gives you advice you feel is questionable, ask around and see how others feel.

 

[exoticham]

You are exactly right! Ed's personality is really starting to show. I spend hours just watching his behavior and monitoring what he does on a daily bases. While I am not doing everything by the book, I try to implement key things the best I can. Today for instance he was extremely active unlike the past couple of days. The problem I had with one eye being shut has stopped as well. He continues to suprise me every day, and I enjoy the hell out of it!

 

[AReptile]

I'm surprised yours didn't turn brown at all in any of your pictures of you handling him. looks like he has a good personality at least!

 

[serenitystarlite]

Looks like you definitely need more plants and vines for him! This is what my veiled's baby cage looked like:

and this was my baby panther's cage before the umbrella plants died:

Now my veiled is in a big cage and my panther has 2 dragon trees instead. I don't have any pics of panther's new plants yet.

 

[exoticham]

Today he was brown almost all day, I think he was just too cold so I moved his light closer, he turned green within the minute. I plan on getting more plants as soon as I get paid.

 

[exoticham]

What exactly do darker colors mean on a veiled, like brown and such?

 

[Chase]

What exactly do darker colors mean on a veiled, like brown and such?

Stress usually.

 

[exoticham]

does it ever mean they are too cold? maybe something else?

 

[Chase]

does it ever mean they are too cold? maybe something else?

In my experience, my Veileds have only ever been brown because I was stressing them (cleaning cage,feeding). But only when they were small.

 

[exoticham]

ok, thanks... I came home from work and he was brown, and it worried me cause I didn't want anything to happen to him. Thanks for the info though.

 

[Carlton]

If he was brown on one side and sitting near the heat he might have been trying to warm up. An overally brown color could be stress and/or too cool. But you can easily check that with a temp change as you noticed. If you aren't sure, it is safer to be a bit on the cool side.

 

[draetish]

does it ever mean they are too cold? maybe something else?

My veiled was the same way and I moved his basking spot closer and got his basking temp to 92. I used a temp gun to measure his heat and he was alot greener. The dark color could mean that he can't get warm enough and making themselves darker helps them absorb more heat. Also, veileds are drab in winter time.

 

[exoticham]

Ok, good to know it isn't anything serious!

 

[Elizadolots]

I don't have veiled. My Fischer's doesn't do a lot in the way of color changing...his range is 'muddy grey/browns to muddy grey/brown/greens". My Rudis does change color a lot when she basks....She will turn almost completely black. If she picks a place where she is not completely in the "sun" then only the part that is directly in light turns black...I believe that is her maximizing her ability to absorb the "sun's" rays.

 

[exoticham]

black? any pics?

 

[Julirs]

Today he was brown almost all day, I think he was just too cold so I moved his light closer, he turned green within the minute. I plan on getting more plants as soon as I get paid.

Brown could be cold or stressed. I guess that whole quit handling thing and let him settle did not get heard?