New to chameleons got a panther & need help!!

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pantercham

New Member
Cage Type - Metal screen - 29" H x 14" W x 14" D

Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 UBV lamp and a exo terra 75w sun glow daylight spot basking light. Lights are on at 9 a.m and go off at 9 p.m

Temperature - During the day mostly in low to mid 80's At night it will go to mid to high 70's. have a exo terra electronic thermometer - hygrometer

Humidity - For the most part 40% - 50% and after misting 70% - 80% sometimes a lilttle higher. same meter for temp.

Plants - I use a mix of live and fake. photos and some fake stuff from exo terra only until the plants grows bigger.

Placement - my bedroom not many people come in here and I blocked off the vents and blocked bottem of door. Cant really tell if floor and top is same temp my temp gun hasnt come in.

Location - Downers grove IL.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Panther cham. was told he was 4 months and have had him about 4 days.

Handling - maybe once or twice a day.

Feeding - crickets mostly and have some blue bottle flys that haven't hatched yet. bought this cricket food that has like 15 fruits and feggies in there and some gel water. I feed him about 8-10 crickets a day

Supplements - I use a (green)calcium with no phosphprpus pr vit. d3 everyother day. A (pink) calcium with vit.d3 but no phosphorous twice a month. A (blue) herptivite with beta carotene once a month.

Watering - As of right now i use a spray bottle and cup with a pin hole in it. i spray about 5 times a day until a good amount of water is built up on the screen and leaves and drip inbetween mists. Yes he drinks the water off the leaves and balls of watter build up on the screen and he goes around and licks them. i ordered a mistking set up and making my own dripper. I use nothing but hickley springs purified water.

Fecal Description - I saw the first dropping a white one came out first a little spot of yellow and then black dropping. no to any tests yet.

History - No he is still a baby and havent had him long.

Current Problem - new to this type of pet and need help!!!! thanks
 
Questions!!!! Help

1 how much should the crickets be covered in the calcium that I dust them with?

2 just bought a mistking should i put the spray nozzle in the cage or outside the screen?

3 would it be a good idea to take him for a check up in a couple weeks just to make sure everything is going smooth.

4 Also would ( http://exo-terra.com/en/products/sun...ymium_spot.php ) OR ( http://exo- terra.com/en/products/sun_glo_halogen.php ) be better for a panther cham?

5 I'v read that you shouldn't put wood chips or bedding ect... at the bottem of the cage but never found anyone to put grass at the bottem. Now I mean putting in a peice of grass that I will grown with no fertilizers or anything would that be a good idea or with him going to the bathroom would I have to "clean the grass" when I did cage cleaning?

6 And lastly could anyone help me start out? I want to breed my own crickets only thing i have around by me is like a partsmart and i'v heard the crickets there tend to be bad.

I know it's a lot but if anyone can answer these questions for me it would be a big help!!! Thanks
 
The crickets you buy from anywhere should be gutloaded with collard or mustard greens, shredded yams at least 24 hrs before you feed them. Make sure they are not larger than the space between his eyes so he doesn't get impacted eating too large of an insect. Keep track of how much he eats and poops. The main thing is if you notice his eyes sinking in or no appetite, then something is wrong. It would be good to go ahead and measure him from his snout to his vent (bottom) and snout to tip of tail and keep up with his growth. When he is about to shed he will loose his appetite and start turning a charcoal color and within 24 hrs will shed his outer skin at one time. It's best not to distrub him until he is finished.
 
The spray nozzle for the mister should be inside the screen. The screen will divert the spray all over the place making a mess.

You don't need a "fancy" basking bulb. Any house light bulb will provide heat. The ReptiSun is best for UV and won't burn him.

If you don't have a good local source for adult crickets, you can get smaller ones and gutload them longer instead. Consider raising B. bubia roaches too.

The main reason we don't suggest substrates in the cage is because chams tend to pick it up in their tongues when shooting at prey. I don't know if grass will work as it may not get enough light to grow well. Some people use paper towels or newspaper. Easy to clean. I have used Cage Fresh paper pulp bedding in very very dry climates to stabilize humidity. But, again you'll need to spot clean it regularly.
 
I use the green outdoor carpet from Home Depot. It's the one that looks like grass and you just cut it to fit the bottom of cage. It rinses off real easy.
 
Breeding your own crickets can be a lot of trouble (I've never succeeded, in part because I need a much bigger setup than I have). If you're going to try, start with at least a 10 gallon container for them, with LOTS of cardboard tubes for them to spread out in. Roaches (dubias and lobsters) and silkworms are much easier to breed, and I actually find the roaches better behaved than the crickets.

Once or twice a day seems a little frequent for handling that young and new a chameleon. Give him a little time to settle in; when you do handle him, it can help to give him food or something else so he associates you with good things and doesn't think of you as something big enough to eat him.
 
Welcome to the forum, lots of knowledgeable people here to help you. Just a couple of ideas for you

Try to give him time to really get settled prior to holding him. I know you said you hold him now but it is better for him if you don't as the stress of being held too often could kill him.

Crickets are noise makers, they smell & escape. Before you try to raise them consider the other easier food items you can raise, dubia roaches are easy, so are superworms - they just take a while.

If you are looking at a new cage try LLL Reptile, one of our sponsors, they have the best prices out their. They also ship crickets and other food items.

If you go the the classified's above you will find lots of feedes for sale.

Best of luck.
 
One other thing about roaches...they won't chew on your cham at night or cannibalize each other. Crickets loose in a cham cage without food have been known to chew on your herp.
 
I'm assuming that you are Derrick (from the description and your location). I am glad that you took my advice and got on the forum. However, I could have answered your questions on the phone - you have my number. I returned your call but you did not call me back.

In any event, the male blue bar ambilobe panther you purchased is 5 months old. I am glad to hear that you got a Mistking and that you are building a stand for the little guy's cage and for drainage. He will thank you for it! Without reading the entire thread (I skipped some of it), as I told you when you purchased him, if you follow the care sheet and advice I gave you and also the care info that Jann gave you (here on the forum), you shouldn't have many problems. I realize that first time owners are always apprehensive if what they are doing is correct - believe me, we have all been there!! :) Again, feel free to call me anytime - I always return phone calls from people who purchase my chams/geckos (but not necessarily other people...:p) or the people on the forum are a great resource, too. I personally know some of them and know that there is a lot of experience here.
 
Okay - I actually went back and read the entire thread and responses and I have a couple of pointers for you:

1. I suggest a little more airflow in/to your room. If you keep your door closed, vents blocked and under the door blocked all the time, it might get a little too stifling in there.

2. I'm surprised those flies didn't hatch yet. All of the rest of the blue bottle flies and house flies I had left hatched between 2 days ago and yesterday. If you want some different ones, call me and I can replace them. I have LOTS of them that are hatched right now and they love them!

3. As Hallenhe said, less handling would be better, especially now that he is in a new environment.

4. The cricket food you purchased from me does not have fruits and veggies in it. It is all dry ingredients and I indicated to you to supplement with other greens and fruits/veggies.

5. As has already been stated, a vet check up never hurts. I gave you my vet's name and number and will gladly take this cham under his wing. If you do schedule an appointment, however, make sure you get a fresh(er) sample of his poo so that Dr. Gray can run a fecal for him. You can always collect a fresh sample a day before the appointment and put it in a zip-lock baggie and bring it with you. If you wait until the day of the appointment, the little guy may not give you the sample you need.

6. This little guy is ready for cup feeding and most all of my little ones take to this pretty easily. This will alleviate any problems with collecting any uneaten crickets at night.

Just call me with any questions. :D I have some recent pictures of this guy that I could post, but it wouldn't be fair if they are not coming from you! :p
 
draetish said:
I use the green outdoor carpet from Home Depot. It's the one that looks like grass and you just cut it to fit the bottom of cage. It rinses off real easy.
Click to expand...

It is a lot more cleaner to put nothing down at the bottom of the cage. Use chlorix wipes or just paper towels and wipe up all the dead crickets and poop when needed. Having a carpet will offer a breeding ground for cooties that will thrive there with the moisture and the heat.

I put a paper towels down and then it is a lot easier and faster to clean up, but then I have the problem of the menu items hiding under there. :mad:
 
Yes this is derek

Yeah we have been playing phone tag. I went ahead and called the vet you gave me and he said once he poopes call him and well set up a appointment. After I got everything set up saturday after you left I let him go to sleep and woke him up at 8:30 on sunday. when he woke up I waited like 15 - 20 mins and put 5 crickets on the screen in front of him and by the time I got the next one in my hand he ate that one. I did this at about 1 a.m or 2 and also at 6 p.m. and also sprayed and made a cheap dripper to maintain humidity until mine comes in. Then I put him to sleep at 9 p.m. The next day I turned on the lights at 9 a.m and he was on top of the cage while I was putting in more plants and he pooped. I feed him like I did on sunday but with the green calcium you gave me and he hasn't pooped yet and he got a little brownish gray in his tail and underside. I see him drinking and he eats good. But once he poops or if he doesn't by today i'm going to bring him into the vet.


Also for the crickets give them like an apple or lettice or something before feeding. The flys hatched theres tons thanks cool he snatched one out of the air when it was flying around.

He also has a lot of spit on the inside of his mouth when he opens his mouth is that norm?
 
pantercham said:
Yes this is derek

Yeah we have been playing phone tag. I went ahead and called the vet you gave me and he said once he poopes call him and well set up a appointment. After I got everything set up saturday after you left I let him go to sleep and woke him up at 8:30 on sunday. when he woke up I waited like 15 - 20 mins and put 5 crickets on the screen in front of him and by the time I got the next one in my hand he ate that one. I did this at about 1 a.m or 2 and also at 6 p.m. and also sprayed and made a cheap dripper to maintain humidity until mine comes in. Then I put him to sleep at 9 p.m. The next day I turned on the lights at 9 a.m and he was on top of the cage while I was putting in more plants and he pooped. I feed him like I did on sunday but with the green calcium you gave me and he hasn't pooped yet and he got a little brownish gray in his tail and underside. I see him drinking and he eats good. But once he poops or if he doesn't by today i'm going to bring him into the vet.


Also for the crickets give them like an apple or lettice or something before feeding. The flys hatched theres tons thanks cool he snatched one out of the air when it was flying around.

He also has a lot of spit on the inside of his mouth when he opens his mouth is that norm?
Click to expand...

Did you feed him at 1 and 2 am or 1 or 2pm?

I think its good that he has eaten in his new environment, most take a few days or a week or 2 to settle in. :)
 
Give the crickets kale and collard greens and mustad greens. Fruits like apples and pears are also good. However, I vote you breed dubias. They're easier and way less smelly.
 
pantercham said:
Yes this is derek

Yeah we have been playing phone tag. I went ahead and called the vet you gave me and he said once he poopes call him and well set up a appointment. After I got everything set up saturday after you left I let him go to sleep and woke him up at 8:30 on sunday. when he woke up I waited like 15 - 20 mins and put 5 crickets on the screen in front of him and by the time I got the next one in my hand he ate that one. I did this at about 1 a.m or 2 and also at 6 p.m. and also sprayed and made a cheap dripper to maintain humidity until mine comes in. Then I put him to sleep at 9 p.m. The next day I turned on the lights at 9 a.m and he was on top of the cage while I was putting in more plants and he pooped. I feed him like I did on sunday but with the green calcium you gave me and he hasn't pooped yet and he got a little brownish gray in his tail and underside. I see him drinking and he eats good. But once he poops or if he doesn't by today i'm going to bring him into the vet.


Also for the crickets give them like an apple or lettice or something before feeding. The flys hatched theres tons thanks cool he snatched one out of the air when it was flying around.

He also has a lot of spit on the inside of his mouth when he opens his mouth is that norm?
Click to expand...

This little guy was, by far, the best eater of the clutch so I wasn't worried about him figuring that part out :D but the bigger cage he moved into might be a little overwhelming at first, which may account for some of the color change. There are a few things that can cause him to get a little "gray" but he would generally do that on occasion over the last couple of months anyway, so based on your description, I don't think it should be cause for alarm just yet. Like one responder said (pardon, I don't remember who it was), the eyes will generally tell you if he's dehydrated, etc.

I highly suggest giving the crickets greens and fruits (such as citrus fruits and melon) for a good chunk of time before feeding them. I generally make sure the crix have been feeding for at least 24 hours before hand (although my crix bins always have either my own food or Cricket Crack and greens/fruit for them to munch on).

It is normal for them to have a little bit of spit in their mouths, but if it is discolored or he is drooling, then I would get him in to see Dr. Gray.

Yeah, watching them go after the flies is the bom. Most of my chams see me coming with the container and their eyes light up and they run to the door because they know what's coming. I swear I saw one of their tales start wagging like a dog..... :D
 
I just got back from dr. Gray and he said what a healthy looking cham I have. he is 20 ounces and dr. gray said you raise health chams and i shouldn't have anything to worrie about. But to be on the safe side I had a fecal test done for parasites and came back clean so that makes me feel better. For the gut loading ok, too much info in one night and I think I got it now but would I have to feed the flys.

Again thanks a ton you have been a great help with everything from plants to food to lighting. I truely couldn't of done it without someone like you guiding me.

And ask for the color change I think it was him hungry because i gave him a few crickets and it went away so that would be my guess.
 
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