New to Veiled

[Alielaur]

I just got a veiled about a week ago, and so far he seems pretty awesome. I was sceptical to get one at first, hearing how unfriendly they can be, but I am happy to have him. I had jackson's growing up, and even as kids we were able to handle them daily- so I hoped I could have a similar experience with a new chameleon. He is only three months old currently and I'm wondering what are other signs of stress than coloration change? He will flash a dirty brown/grey color when he seems mad, but other than that he seems pretty chill. He's even warmed up to my cat (tried to climb on him, rather than turn away). He eats like crazy, drinks whenever I spray the cage down, and looks healthy otherwise. It seems he comes out of the vines toward the front of the cage to greet me in the morning, and if I don't handle him all day, he hangs exposed on a vine near the door staring at me. When I'm holding him, he likes to be on my shoulders or head, but seems perfectly content just on my hand or arm. His color is beautiful when he is just 'chilling'. Its like a pastel-y green, and you can make out faint blue outlines of spots between his always aparent yellow lines.
Ok so any tips on reading his body language other than colors?

 

[Alielaur]

Crickets gutload

Also, gut loading crickets... I've read carrots, and greens.. But how about apples and bananas? I've been feeding all of the above plus offering of a vitamin/calcium enhanced bug gut load food. The uglies seem to prefer that and apples to all of the food I offer, though none of it is being wasted.

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. My veileds have always been friendly. I would be very careful with the cat. I've seen quite a few threads here where the cat attacks the chameleon. If they become extremely stressed that can turn very dark....almost black. You need to use a large variety of gut load and a large varied of feeders. I have a blog for you below for how I have been successful raising my veileds. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721

 

[Alielaur]

Welcome to the forums. My veileds have always been friendly. I would be very careful with the cat. I've seen quite a few threads here where the cat attacks the chameleon. If they become extremely stressed that can turn very dark....almost black. You need to use a large variety of gut load and a large varied of feeders. I have a blog for you below for how I have been successful raising my veileds. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721

Thanks! I am trying waxworms, no luck so far. And I've tried giving him banana, I may try shredded carrots- but so far all he wants is crickets. I assume thats all the pet store I got him from had given him.
I watch the cat closely, but he is well behaved and is used to small critters (my husband used to put our tree frogs on the poor cat, and he would do nothing) as well as children/babies. He has been sleeping next to him every night, maybe because the cage is warm or he just really likes the little guy!
I'm glad to hear your veileds are friendly! I hope mine stays so in adulthood.

 

[Denverbug]

Are you trying to feed these things to your Cham? Some will eat greens and carrots and such but most won't. At least mine won't. You need to feed theses things to your crickets so they can deliver to your cham

 

[Alielaur]

Are you trying to feed these things to your Cham? Some will eat greens and carrots and such but most won't. At least mine won't. You need to feed theses things to your crickets so they can deliver to your cham

I've tried bananas on him and I've heard carrots (or sweet potato or squash) can be feed too, so I was going to try that. But I don't have confidence he will take to it.
But yes, the crickets are getting a steady supply of carrot, banana, apple, and bug gut load 'plus'.

 

[carol5208]

Hi there and welcome to the forums!! We have a member on here named Sandrachameleon and she is our gutloading expert. Check out her page and blogs for some ideas on gutloading. Also, as Jannb said, please be very careful with your cat and chameleon. It would just take one swipe of its paw or a bite to kill your little one. And just because your cat seems ok with it, it might not be ok with your chameleon. Also, you stated the cats likes to sleep next to the cage. Be aware, that that may be totatlly scaring your chameleon. Mine all hate my dog. Not all have the same personality, and some do get along well with other animals but you have to observe and use proper judgement. We have had many chameleons on here killed by cats. They have even gotten into the cages and got ahold of them..

 

[Alielaur]

Hi there and welcome to the forums!! We have a member on here named Sandrachameleon and she is our gutloading expert. Check out her page and blogs for some ideas on gutloading. Also, as Jannb said, please be very careful with your cat and chameleon. It would just take one swipe of its paw or a bite to kill your little one. And just because your cat seems ok with it, it might not be ok with your chameleon. Also, you stated the cats likes to sleep next to the cage. Be aware, that that may be totatlly scaring your chameleon. Mine all hate my dog. Not all have the same personality, and some do get along well with other animals but you have to observe and use proper judgement. We have had many chameleons on here killed by cats. They have even gotten into the cages and got ahold of them..

The cats sleeping next to him could be scaring him? At first he seemed a bit anxious but now he doesn't even give them a second glance when they walk by. Though I originally posted other displays of stress/fear than coloration, I haven't gotten a response yet- but as far as his colors go he does not indicate stress when they are around (or when he is out of his cage and they greet him). His colors primarily indicate stress when new people are around, my toddler touches too quickly, or when I put him back in his cage after clearly being comfortable on me. Tail coiling? I think I saw somewhere that may hint at stress? I havent seen him coil his tail other than when he is basking.

 

[brownie64]

signs of stress, and anger

The cats sleeping next to him could be scaring him? At first he seemed a bit anxious but now he doesn't even give them a second glance when they walk by. Though I originally posted other displays of stress/fear than coloration, I haven't gotten a response yet- but as far as his colors go he does not indicate stress when they are around (or when he is out of his cage and they greet him). His colors primarily indicate stress when new people are around, my toddler touches too quickly, or when I put him back in his cage after clearly being comfortable on me. Tail coiling? I think I saw somewhere that may hint at stress? I havent seen him coil his tail other than when he is basking.

Other displays of stress or fear are, mouth open, hissing, puffing up to the point he is almost flat, flinching, but I don't know about the tail thing mine would do that when they slept. When he is angry his coloration will get real vivid. And I know that the other person said that all there veiled's were friendly in my 16+ years I wasn't that lucky. I had 7 males and 4 females less than half were friendly, and one was down right nasty he was male. If he displays these signs be very careful. They are mostly bark, and will lunge at you and not bite, but there are the one's that will light you up. They aren't nearly as docile as Jacksons. Unless you find the occasional one that is which it sounds like maybe you have. When he gets older he may become more territorial about his enclosure, so let him be in charge, walk on you and everything should be ok. But if you go in over top of him to pick him up he thinks you're that predator ready to eat him. And I also think the cat might stress him out. Mine never liked other animals around, but like it was previously said just like humans each has its own personality.