New veiled chameleon owner want advice, tips and clear up confussions...

[graham cracker]

I puchased my first baby veiled chameleon 3 weeks ago, his name is Dino and he'll be 2 months old in a few days! The breeder help me set up the tank with lots of branches and fake plants and he gave me everything that I needed for the baby. For now I'm keeping him in a 10 gallon tank until the fall to switch over to something bigger. It's summer right now so he told me that I wont need any heating/UVA until September, so all I have right now is a Zilla 20 watt UVB light. The temperature in the tank is in the high 85s, and I lay paper towles on the bottom of the tank. I feed him 6-10 crickets a day (dusted with powder) and I mist the tank with hot water that turns warm twice a day. So I want to know if he requires any heating right now? He's eating fine, I tired to feed him meal worms to give him a bit of variety but he'll just look at them and walk away. I've only seen him drink twice... (the day I got him and once last week, the breeder said they can get hydration from the crickets they eat as well). He looks really boney most of the time, his ribs really show. When he's under the light he turns really dark is that normal? He's very active, likes to climb on the top of the cage a lot and he was just shedding last week and I don't think it's done yet... I posted some pictures of him, I don't know if he's dehydrated or if he's doing fine. I've been doing a lot of research online and they all tell me different things, please give me some personal advice and tips on anything els I should!

 

[Breeze]

Even though I dont own a cham yet, isnt it bad to have the Cham in a glass tank or something, You have to put the cham in a screened enclosure right? lol

 

[summoner12]

Welcome!

I puchased my first baby veiled chameleon 3 weeks ago, his name is Dino and he'll be 2 months old in a few days!

Congrats! welcome to the forum!

The breeder help me set up the tank with lots of branches and fake plants and he gave me everything that I needed for the baby.

I doesn't sound like he gave you the right things...

For now I'm keeping him in a 10 gallon tank until the fall to switch over to something bigger.

This can work.... if you keep the temps right. BUT, this is hard to do since the tank is so small. It seems like he might out grow it so keep an eye on his size. Glass tanks are not good for chams, especially since it is summer. It is harder to keep a glass tank cool in summer. You need to make a heat gradient in the enclosure, and 10 gallon fish tanks are pretty small for this. I would suggest getting a screen cage.

It's summer right now so he told me that I wont need any heating/UVA until September, so all I have right now is a Zilla 20 watt UVB light.

The R-Zilla products are a very bad idea. Turn the lamp off, asap. These lamps in particular are known to harm chameleons. Take a look at the UV Guide. You still should provide a basking spot. Even if it is a low wattage.

The temperature in the tank is in the high 85s, and I lay paper towles on the bottom of the tank.

This is a good idea to help with humidity, but the temp is a bit warm. How cool do you keep the room your chameleon is in? Like I said above, the need a heat gradient. So if you can get the temps to be mid 70's on one side and around 85-90 on the other end, it would be best for him so he can thermal regulate.

I feed him 6-10 crickets a day (dusted with powder) and I mist the tank with hot water that turns warm twice a day.

What kind of dusting powder? Check out Brad Ramsey's site for some good supplementing tips. You can also find a lot of info there on other topics for you cham.

So I want to know if he requires any heating right now?

See above.

He's eating fine, I tired to feed him meal worms to give him a bit of variety but he'll just look at them and walk away. I've only seen him drink twice... (the day I got him and once last week, the breeder said they can get hydration from the crickets they eat as well). He looks really boney most of the time, his ribs really show.

You are feeding him an OK amount of food. You could feed a bit more. As for meal worms, they are worthless food and its is prolly a good thing he doesn't like hem. Try getting some butter worms, silk worms, super worms (very easy to keep) and maybe even dubia roaches. As for drinking, be sure you mist for at least 5 minutes to give him a chance to clean his eyes and for the drinking instinct to kick in. The breeder is right about moisture from crickets, but that is only if you give the crickets a ot of water... and even then it won't be much for your cham. Horn worms and silk worms have a lot of moisture in them, so they will help hydrate.

When he's under the light he turns really dark is that normal?

This is normal to some degree. Chams get dark so they can obsorb more heat. If he is doing this under the UVB lamp he might thing hes going to get warm form it... but since this lamp is a POS and your going to get rid of it You shouldn't be too worried about. I am concerenced about the UVB lamp you have and the lack of a heat lamp. you need to fix those two issues.

He's very active, likes to climb on the top of the cage a lot and he was just shedding last week and I don't think it's done yet... I posted some pictures of him, I don't know if he's dehydrated or if he's doing fine. I've been doing a lot of research online and they all tell me different things, please give me some personal advice and tips on anything els I should!

It is good he is active. I will have to look at the pics again to see how I think he looks... but sounds to me like he is doing well from the reading. You are on the right track as long as you keep an open mind to suggestions... and if ya aren't sure, ask away.

Edit: He looks healthy. You might want to give him a bit more to climb on so he has some elevation and leaves to hide under or behind.

 

[graham cracker]

thanks for all the great tips summoner! So which brand of UVB should i switch to? And should I mist the chameleon as well? I tired misting him but he's not too happy about it... he tries to get away and hisses!

 

[Billy Quan]

he was just shedding last week and I don't think it's done yet

Do you have a way to measure the humidity? I have a juvenile veiled and once his skin starts to REALLY shed, he usually clears up in about 1-2 days. The humidity helps loosen the old skin. If your guy started last week and still has that much clinging to him (it looks like there is a good bit in the pics), the humidity might be too low. . .

 

[summoner12]

thanks for all the great tips summoner! So which brand of UVB should i switch to? And should I mist the chameleon as well? I tired misting him but he's not too happy about it... he tries to get away and hisses!

Put HOT water in the misting bottle and it will come out 'warm' and might not upset him as much.

As for UVB only buy linear tubes. The Zoo Med 5.0 Reptisun is the one you want. The are 15 dollars from LLL Reptile.com

 

[sandrachameleon]

Congrats on the new chameleon!

Lots of knowledgable people here, and good info (make use of the search function too)

Summoner12 has provided good advise.

Here's a link to Brad's site (which Sommoner12 mentioned) - it is full of good info: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Additionally, you may be interested in reading through these:
General:
http://www.adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://chamworld.blogspot.com/2008/02/veiled-chameleons-anatomy.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/
http://chamworld.blogspot.com/
http://www.chamaeleonidae.com
http://www.animalarkshelter.org/cin/
http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/chameleons.htm
http://www.chameleonsonline.com/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ryan-jarosek/119-new-arrival-bringing-home.html


Enclosure/Housing info:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/82-enclosures-housing.html

Lighting:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/68-lighting-links.html

Water:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/92-hydration-importance.html

prey choices:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

Feeding the insects / gutloading:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=101

Supplements:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html

 

[summoner12]

Here's a link to Brad's site (which Sommoner12 mentioned) - it is full of good info: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Oops, thanks Sandra! I forgot to link it lol.

 

[graham cracker]

so i put hot water in the bottle today so the water came out warm and i misted the tank... he still freaked out, and he kept looking at the water and it got into his eye and he freak out some more... Should I just avoid misting him and just mist the plants around him instead?

 

[gary1621]

Keep at the misting, he'll get used to it to a degree... Our Peanut seems to enjoy it now. They clean their eyes with the water too

 

[sandrachameleon]

Should I just avoid misting him and just mist the plants around him instead?

Yes. That is the preferred method.