New to chameleons

J

jkrussellbutz

New Member
Two days ago I had my 20 gallon terrarium set up with heat pad, light, rock wall, live plants and ready to buy two green anoles. A relative told me he wanted to re-home his chameleon. I went to look. He was in a 10 gallon aquarium with a dead ivy plant, several dead crickets and 4 live ones (bait crickets), a dry water container, and the tank was sitting directly under the heat duct because they had no light for him. I was told he was a little less than a year old.
He was laying on his side, looked dehydrated, and seemed lifeless. I was told he had just finished shedding. but he doesn't eat and seemed really dry. I took him out of pity, I thought he would die. I am wondering if his behavior is normal for a freshly shed chameleon. I think he is a Veiled.
I would appreciate any info, even corrections because I am new to this and want to learn.
I took him home, offered water with a syringe tip. He accepted several drops, up to about a cc. then refused. I held him, and warmed him in an electric blanket I had bunched into a little pocket for him until he got some color and started to move. I placed him in the tank and started seeking info. Oh, and I went to a pet shop and bought the UHB light, calcium powder, cricket gut load food, and 12 little crickets. I have seen him drinking from his water bowl. I read he liked to climb and it was too cold to go out and seek a small branch so I made a trellis like thing and he climbed right up on it and slept all night there.
My questions are:
Am I on track for his care?
Is his behavior normal?
Does he need any other vitamin besides the calcium and crickets?
Will he liven up or do I need to see a vet?
 
Most on here recommend a multivitamin biweekly, calcium without D3 daily and calcium with D3 biweekling. Where he didn't have a light you should give him some extra D3 maybe.. He should have a 5.0 UBA light and a basking light. Also are you misting the cage? That the only way a chameleon will drink. They don't reconize standing water. They need to climb so put together what you can for him. Thank you so much for saving this little guy and not just leaving him. There are many people with amazing advice on this forum! You picked the right spot to ask questions:) it may be helpful if you add a photo of his terrarium and of himself. Chameleons do take a lot of care but it's duable:)
 
Katrinaa said:
Most on here recommend a multivitamin biweekly, calcium without D3 daily and calcium with D3 biweekling. Where he didn't have a light you should give him some extra D3 maybe.. He should have a 5.0 UBA light and a basking light. Also are you misting the cage? That the only way a chameleon will drink. They don't reconize standing water. They need to climb so put together what you can for him. Thank you so much for saving this little guy and not just leaving him. There are many people with amazing advice on this forum! You picked the right spot to ask questions:) it may be helpful if you add a photo of his terrarium and of himself. Chameleons do take a lot of care but it's duable:)
Click to expand...
If he was kept under a heating duct (very dry area) with dry cage he is probably very dehydrated. Mist the cage as frequently as you can. If he doesn't start to show any signs of recooperating (trying to eat/climbing/brighter colors) I'd take him to the vet asap. The best thing to do right now is to hydrate him and get your terrarium properly set up for your bed guy. Humidity should be around 60 then peaking to 80 after a misting and your basking spot should be around 88. Hope this helps some.
 
Welcome! If he is not drinking enough a shower may be in order. Every veiled I have had has been very shy about drinking in front of me. Take a plant or perch, put it in the shower. Have the shower head spray water on the wall so a bit of mist falls on the perch. Put your guy there for up to 30 mins.
 
new to chameleon

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I will be stopping at the pet shop on the way home from work Monday afternoon for some more necessities. I am misting the cage, I have seen him drink from the water dish, so I know he gets water. Are there vitamins that can be added to the water? I haven't seen him eat, but he pooped today, so apparently he is a shy eater. Right now he is hanging upside down from the trellis I made for him, with his back and rear end in the water dish below. It is not his usual drinking dish, just extra water I added trying to get the humidity up.
Mijah139, as soon as I post this I will click your link and study up on him. I know they are not for beginners but I just couldn't leave him in that condition. Maybe he will improve and grow. I thought he would be more active, he seems like a sloth right now...lol
 

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1) Teach him to drink from the water dish. Instant hydration! Some will argue against and say it's a bad thing, but he has already learned that it is a water source, so he will most likely learn that as his primary way to get water.
2) He has SLIGHT MBD so get him some calcium glubonate (usually just liquid calcium at the store) and feed him 1-2 drops daily for around a month AS WELL AS d3 calcium twice a month and regular calcium dust every day. After a month quit using the liquid. He will get better.
3) He looks pretty weak and malnourished. It could be that he was just abused OR is sick. Be sure to feed him crickets, super worms, maybe even silk worms (for calcium boost), and whatever other feeders (like dubias) you can get ahold of. They love a varied diet. He will get plump nice and fast.
4) Get a screen cage for him, around 18x18x30 inches. Put a live ficus in it, and attach some branches into it using fishing line or thumb tacks.
5) Buy a little dripper or big dripper and have it going all day so he can get rehydrated. Also have the water cup suspending on a high branch (he already knows that it is water, and it is high so he cannot poop in it). I would also get a hand mister like a squirt bottle and gently (with warm water) mist the leaves of the tree for 2-3 minutes every day. He might lap up water from the leaves and the humidity helps them thrive.
6) You'll want a basking spot of around 90-95 (usually achieved with 60 watt house bulb) and you'll need a UVB 5.0 or 10.0 TUBE. You need UVB because that is how they absorb the calcium into their body.

That is about it. When he grows up you will need a 2'x2'x4' cage.

I hope he makes it. Looks like good enough condition just very dehydrated.

You did a good thing.

Do NOT:
1) have substrate in his new cage
2) have a BIG water bowl, they will drown in it or poop in it
3) leave plant soil uncovered (especially when they have any mineral deficiency, as they will eat the dirt and become impacted)
4) pick him up from the back
 
Get rid of the heat pad as well. Chams don't need one and it is more of a hazard to them.
 
SaintJimmy and Deevo,
Thanks for the information, I am making my shopping list for tomorrow. We do not have central heat in our house yet, and a screen cage at this point, well I just couldn't keep him warm. I haven't got the nighttime heat light yet so I have had to leave a heat light on all night. Last night he slept hanging onto the trellis upside down with his back in the clay water bowl under that light. If I do not use the substrate, what do I cover the soil with? Since I got him on short notice, I wasn't prepared. Most of the pet shops here have personnel almost as uninformed as I am. I do think he is eating because he pooped...in the clay water bowl, of course. I washed it immediately. Is the clay saucer ok, or is it too porous so that bacteria would grow? I am misting already and pouring some water on the rocks to hold moisture. I am still having a problem with the moisture, but working on it.
 

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I know you were just thrust into this situation and are trying to help, but the conditions you are providing with that aquarium are not optimal. Fish tanks do not provide adequate ventilation. Please remove the bark chips. He could choke to death on those. Please get some plants in what ever habitat you are going to provide so your chameleon can climb and have place to hide for cover.. Plants with sturdy branches for his feet to grip Do you know how long these people had him? I say him, as it looks as if he has a tarsal spur on his back heel which would indicate a male. His limbs do not look horrible for not having uvb light. He does look small, if indeed he is a year old. Do not keep a heat light on all night unless your temps are going to fall below 50 degrees. They need a temperature change. I would not keep the water dish. He has pooped in it already, and you cannot be there every minute to change the water out. You can give him water through a syringe for now and mist the cage down. Be careful what you put in the cage, as Veilds are plant eaters. Also, when they project their tongues to eat, you have to think of what is in the surrounding area that they could injest that would be harmful. Things like the bark you have in there. Chameleons like to be high. The cage should be tall and set up vertically, not horizontally like a fish tank provides. Good luck. I know you are trying to do the best you can with what you have.
 
fluxlizard said:
My advice-
forget everything you think you know about lizards, read this caresheet and try to follow it as closely as possible, asking any questions here on the forums that come up.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
Click to expand...

THIS...

The tank really is not the best.

A lot of lizard owners (even experienced ones) think that chameleons can live just like any other lizard but it is not true.

And humidity is easy, by the way. Just spray bottle the cage for a minute like every couple hours.

DO NOT LEAVE THE LIGHT ON AT NIGHT OR GET A HEAT LAMP--completely unnecessary!!!
 
A lot of lizard owners (even experienced ones) think that chameleons can live just like any other lizard but it is not true.
Click to expand...

Actually it is sort of true. Its just that many popular lizards can tolerate improper care for much longer and sort of straggle along while their owners think they are thriving because they are eating and drinking and so forth. But the basics are the same.
 
Getting a little room heater like this is fairly cheap and it will bring the temp of your room up. I use this exact one myself in the winter, its made by Garrison.
0435951_1


The heat pad is just going to burn your chameleon eventually. Also chams don't have the same reactions as say a monitor would towards heat. They won't jerk back from the pain. This is also why your heat lamp should be elevated from the top of the screen in case your cham climbs there and burns himself that way. Chameleons are very delicate.
 
Listen to what all these people are saying. Your chameleon will probably die if he is kept in these terrible conditions.
 
I agree, please read the care sheets and make the necessary changes. He may still need a vet visit. I've never seen a Cham sleep like that. Kath
 
update

the chameleon did well for about a week. I used the advice all of you gave and I thank you for it. Unfortunately for him, I just could not save him. He quit eating Saturday night and died Sunday. I wish I could have saved him, I would have re-homed him if I wasn't going to be able to care for him properly. But at least I tried, and the people here are great. Thanks for all your advice and help.
 
You did your best in a bad situation. Don't let it sour you on chameleons, but before you embark on another one do some reading and research before going shopping for any equipment. I would hold off on any reptile until heating in your home is resolved (not sure where you live), if you heat lamps were to burn out and you did not have heat in a cold climate you could lose your pet.

Know what you need so you are prepared ahead of time and thats for any reptile not just a chameleon.

You did a good thing trying to save that chameleon but it sounds like he was just too far gone for you to save without being an experienced keeper.
 
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