New to here:)

[Kiwi06]

Hi! i recently am a new chameleon owner & i was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for changing anything im doing. i know im not doing everything perfect & im slowly trying to make changes to make sure she is healthy but also that she is healthy i am very open to recommendations & views!
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Kiwi is a Veiled Chameleon who is (apparently) 3 months old. (yes i am one who bought her from petco & i now know not to purchase from a store & from a breeder instead )
• Handling - only handled her once while setting up her enclosure, currently getting her used to me. she came out on a stick for me about twice but i didnt want to stress her so i just showed her my hand for a few minutes & put her back in her home. she actually ate of ouf a cup for me for the first time within the past 3 days so i make sure i give her an extra fat wax or superworm so she knows its ok to eat out of my hand (& shell get a special treat )
• Feeding - i feed her about 8-12 3 week old crickets everyday (sometimes more if shes looking for them) 1 waxworm every other day, & 1-2 superworms a day (depending if shes still hungry) ( im also still trying to find the perfect amount for her, some days she eats more than others) shell get about 4 crickets at around 11-12 & another 3-4 around 3. the one super worm is given in between the first two feedings & then occasionally one more after the second if i notice her looking around for more food( & if shes nice to me?) she also has some shredded carrots & lettuce in the bottom of her bowl for when she eats the worms so she can eat some greens too( wont eat them unless theres a worm on top?) she also gets hornworms but im currently put of those and in the process of getting more. she gets those the same way as the waxworms, about one every other day. She loves all of these insects but she didnt like silkworms for some reason. tried to feed her multiple on separate occasions. the first one took her a while to want to eat it but after that, she just lets them die in her bowl, she actually eats around them. Crickets are fed romaine lettuce, carrots, & other collard greens. same for the superworms. the crickets are also fed with flukers farm calcium fortified cricket quencher.
• Supplements - every feeding her insects are dusted with Zoomed Repti Calcium(without d3) & every other feeding with Zoomed Reptivite. I am looking for the best vitamin to give her with d3 since she doesnt need it until about next week since she got it at the store before i bought her.
• Watering - so heres a tricky one, i have a fogger that blows on her plants to create droplets & it helps with the humidity since my area isnt that humid of an area. i also have a dripper for her that is constantly cleaned & refilled along with the fogger. i havent noticed her drinking water but her eyes dont seem shriveled & her urates are a pretty bright white color. the second day i got her i noticed they were a little orange so i looked it up & sure enough that meant not enough water so i syringe fed her some water & she (surprisingly) drank some of it. after that everything seemed to be normal.
• Fecal Description - usually normal poops, dark brown with a white urate. the other (4/8) it was a little wetter than normal but urate is still white & it was right under her fogger so not sure if thats why. she has not been tested with me, only had her for two weeks.
• History - she was housed with a male previously but when i bought her, she was by herself in the enclosure. after calling the pet store i got her from, they told me she was 3 months & that they usually separate the males from the females when they sexually mature. not sure how accurate that was but he seemed confident when he said it. (she seems to have a pretty big belly but its not lumpy as if she has eggs in her but im not sure) i noticed she likes to slap the substrate with her tongue for some reason? ive decided to take the substrate out since i dont want impaction.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - She is currently in the reptibreeze screen terrarium, 16”x16”x30”. im currently in the process of finding her a new one thats bigger & taller with a better drain system
• Lighting - currently using the reptisun 5.0 uvb bulb, 13 watts( i heard very mixed things about this light but the bar light wont fit on her enclosure) im trying to find a good uvb bulb, if anyone could please leave recommendations. she also has a reptisun basking light which is 75 watts. i have the 12 hours schedule going so i have the lights go on at 10:30 & go off at 10:30 for now ( currently looking into a natural sun mimicking dimmer to help make it feel more natural)
• Temperature -the top of her enclosure ( by the lights) is 82-85 F normally. the bottom of the cage is usually 71-74 F but at night drops to about 67-68 F. i have a stick on thermometer that is on the top & a probe thermometer at the bottom.
• Humidity - humidity levels range between 45%-70%. it is usually 45 before i mist her in the morning & then it spikes up to about 60 % after that i turn the fogger on & it stays between 60% & 70% for a few hours. i also have a humidity gage in her terrarium.
• Plants - unfortunately im not using live plants right now but once i upgrade her enclosure im hoping to get some live ones. as of right now she has fake plants but she has vegetables in her cage & some greens on her vines incase she feels like munching.
• Placement - shes in my room by a window but with no cold drafts, no vents. the top of the terrarium reaches about a little more than 5 feet off the ground
• Location - northern NJ, USA

Current Problem - no current issues, more so posting to see if anyone has any recommendations for anything that i am doing or especially a good uvb bulb for her in the meantime? im also looking for some good plants for her (fake for right now but live in the future) if anyone has a recommendation where to get them? i have found only a few in my area that are a good size for her, all the other ones seem to be to flimsy & not the best for her. thank you all so much! im so glad to have found a forum that has helped me so much already

 

[Beman]

I just gotta say that I loveeeeee the amount of detail you added. Give me a bit to go through everything.

 

[Beman]

Ok so see feedback in red bold Let us know what questions you have. And welcome to the forum.

• Your Chameleon - Kiwi is a Veiled Chameleon who is (apparently) 3 months old. (yes i am one who bought her from petco & i now know not to purchase from a store & from a breeder instead ) Ehhh My boy is a petco baby and is doing great. Not always how it works out but not always a disaster either.
• Handling - only handled her once while setting up her enclosure, currently getting her used to me. she came out on a stick for me about twice but i didnt want to stress her so i just showed her my hand for a few minutes & put her back in her home. she actually ate of ouf a cup for me for the first time within the past 3 days so i make sure i give her an extra fat wax or superworm so she knows its ok to eat out of my hand (& shell get a special treat☺ ) Good... https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/
• Feeding - i feed her about 8-12 3 week old crickets everyday (sometimes more if shes looking for them) 1 waxworm every other day, & 1-2 superworms a day (depending if shes still hungry) ( im also still trying to find the perfect amount for her, some days she eats more than others) shell get about 4 crickets at around 11-12 & another 3-4 around 3. the one super worm is given in between the first two feedings & then occasionally one more after the second if i notice her looking around for more food( & if shes nice to me?) she also has some shredded carrots & lettuce in the bottom of her bowl for when she eats the worms so she can eat some greens too( wont eat them unless theres a worm on top?) she also gets hornworms but im currently put of those and in the process of getting more. she gets those the same way as the waxworms, about one every other day. She loves all of these insects but she didnt like silkworms for some reason. tried to feed her multiple on separate occasions. the first one took her a while to want to eat it but after that, she just lets them die in her bowl, she actually eats around them. Crickets are fed romaine lettuce, carrots, & other collard greens. same for the superworms. the crickets are also fed with flukers farm calcium fortified cricket quencher. Ok breaking this apart... Make sure she is eating 10-12 crickets at least a day. Important to feed in the morning so she has all day to bask and digest. I would just give them all to her in the morning. Do away with the carrots and lettuce in her bowl.... If you want to give her something to munch on clip some dandelion leaves in the cage. Gutload should be expanded or switched to a commercial brand like repashy bug burger. I will post an image for feeders and gutload. But at this age she is going to go for crickets above all. Careful with the wax worms and the superworms. these should only be treats.
• Supplements - every feeding her insects are dusted with Zoomed Repti Calcium(without d3) & every other feeding with Zoomed Reptivite. I am looking for the best vitamin to give her with d3 since she doesnt need it until about next week since she got it at the store before i bought her. Ok does the reptivite have D3 in it? If your not sure take a pic of the front. Reptivite is a multivitamin and should only be given 2 times a month. You would rotate this with a calcium with D3 (unless the reptivite has D3 in it.) Without D3 at all other feedings.
• Watering - so heres a tricky one, i have a fogger that blows on her plants to create droplets & it helps with the humidity since my area isnt that humid of an area. i also have a dripper for her that is constantly cleaned & refilled along with the fogger. i havent noticed her drinking water but her eyes dont seem shriveled & her urates are a pretty bright white color. the second day i got her i noticed they were a little orange so i looked it up & sure enough that meant not enough water so i syringe fed her some water & she (surprisingly) drank some of it. after that everything seemed to be normal. You want to invest in a mist king and right now you need a spray bottle. Misting down the plants for at least a minute 3 times a day. Are you using a fogger during the day? If so it should only be used at night or she is high risk for a respiratory infection. Hot moist air is not good for them.
• Fecal Description - usually normal poops, dark brown with a white urate. the other (4/8) it was a little wetter than normal but urate is still white & it was right under her fogger so not sure if thats why. she has not been tested with me, only had her for two weeks. You will want to get a fecal done to ensure that she does not have parasites.
• History - she was housed with a male previously but when i bought her, she was by herself in the enclosure. after calling the pet store i got her from, they told me she was 3 months & that they usually separate the males from the females when they sexually mature. not sure how accurate that was but he seemed confident when he said it. (she seems to have a pretty big belly but its not lumpy as if she has eggs in her but im not sure) i noticed she likes to slap the substrate with her tongue for some reason? ive decided to take the substrate out since i dont want impaction. No worries about her having eggs at this point she is too young. And she would have been too young to have fertile eggs when she does lay. But you want to start reading about egg laying and lay bins. Good taking out the substrate Veileds will go after anything.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - She is currently in the reptibreeze screen terrarium, 16”x16”x30”. im currently in the process of finding her a new one thats bigger & taller with a better drain system You should check out these... They are the best and worth every penny. https://dragonstrand.com/
• Lighting - currently using the reptisun 5.0 uvb bulb, 13 watts( i heard very mixed things about this light but the bar light wont fit on her enclosure) im trying to find a good uvb bulb, if anyone could please leave recommendations. she also has a reptisun basking light which is 75 watts. i have the 12 hours schedule going so i have the lights go on at 10:30 & go off at 10:30 for now ( currently looking into a natural sun mimicking dimmer to help make it feel more natural) Ok so if this is the compact bulb that screws in then no it will not work for her. You will need a T5 HO fixture and a 5.0 UVB bulb. Buy the 24 inch since you will be upgrading her enclosure anyways. It will not matter if it overhangs for now.
• Temperature -the top of her enclosure ( by the lights) is 82-85 F normally. the bottom of the cage is usually 71-74 F but at night drops to about 67-68 F. i have a stick on thermometer that is on the top & a probe thermometer at the bottom. Perfect.
• Humidity - humidity levels range between 45%-70%. it is usually 45 before i mist her in the morning & then it spikes up to about 60 % after that i turn the fogger on & it stays between 60% & 70% for a few hours. i also have a humidity gage in her terrarium. No fogger during the day. You really want levels that are 30-40% during the day (spikes after misting cage is normal) then run the fogger at night when all lights are off. Put it on a timer for convenience.
• Plants - unfortunately im not using live plants right now but once i upgrade her enclosure im hoping to get some live ones. as of right now she has fake plants but she has vegetables in her cage & some greens on her vines incase she feels like munching. take a look at this link https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ You can get plants at any local nursery. Just make sure you cover the top of the soil with 1 inch or larger rock to keep her out of it.
• Placement - shes in my room by a window but with no cold drafts, no vents. the top of the terrarium reaches about a little more than 5 feet off the ground
• Location - northern NJ, USA

 

[Kiwi06]

thanks for answering so quick! i completely forgot to add but i do have a spray bottle that i spray her plants with 2-3 times a day to make sure theres water on her leaves to drink. i have the fogger pointed at the leaves so it also creates a dew but i definitely will be fixing the times i have it on. ive read all different thins about the humidity so thank you for that information!! i noticed she doesnt drink from the dripper though so is there a better system for her that i can get to make sure shes drinking while the fogger is off? ive been looking for a good hep vet in my area & im planning on getting a fecal done ASAP. im actually going to school to become a veterinary technician so i love learning about different animals & their behaviors. ive read that they usually dont yawn or open their mouth unless theyre in defensive or too hot but i have noticed that she does the occasional “yawn” but then closes her mouth, is that normal? ive also seen her move her body almost like a snake but staying in one place but i was thinking she was most likely trying to digest? thank you so much for your help! ?

 

[Gingero]

Yawning is normal

 

[Beman]

thanks for answering so quick! i completely forgot to add but i do have a spray bottle that i spray her plants with 2-3 times a day to make sure theres water on her leaves to drink. i have the fogger pointed at the leaves so it also creates a dew but i definitely will be fixing the times i have it on. ive read all different thins about the humidity so thank you for that information!! i noticed she doesnt drink from the dripper though so is there a better system for her that i can get to make sure shes drinking while the fogger is off? ive been looking for a good hep vet in my area & im planning on getting a fecal done ASAP. im actually going to school to become a veterinary technician so i love learning about different animals & their behaviors. ive read that they usually dont yawn or open their mouth unless theyre in defensive or too hot but i have noticed that she does the occasional “yawn” but then closes her mouth, is that normal? ive also seen her move her body almost like a snake but staying in one place but i was thinking she was most likely trying to digest? thank you so much for your help! ?

You're welcome! So as far as hydration take a listen to this and all his episodes are amazing. This is Bill Strand and he has the Chameleon Academy website I gave you the link for along with owning Dragon strand enclosures. https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/
I use a mistking misting system. So much easier then hand spraying and it produces a much finer mist. They also tend to drink more and clean their eyes if your not standing there with the spray bottle lol.

As already posted by @Gingero yawning is normal. Can you post your youtube link as well for videos @Gingero. These are a great video resource as well.
My boy will stretch and yawn and flex his body every morning as he starts to warm up. You will see them flex quite a bit more when they start their sheds.

 

[Gingero]

Sure thing. Here's the link to my chameleon YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3n4S2GRkOGfk2U8-xhaw6Q?view_as=subscriber Lots of goodies on there

 

[Kiwi06]

thank you! ill definitely check it out!!! you guys are the best!!!!