Oscars Thread

[adam]

Well I've created this thread to document the life of Oscar. I'd like to just make one thread to post questions along with useful facts and information I've gathered from reading other threads on this forum. I also plan on posting pics along with updates of his husbandry and health. Specific plans as of right now are to finish up my DIY mister setup, create a free range area in my room so he can explore, and continue taming him by hand feeding and introducing my hand to climb on as he gets more tolerant. I appreciate comments, but actually would prefer criticism, yes, PREFER CRITICISM. I want to hear advice on improving my setup so Oscar can enjoy life as much as possible.....

I plan on updating these first couple posts instead of cluttering the thread on different pages, so check back often....

Oscar is a 6(ish, as of 2/4/10) month old Veiled cham that I've been raising for two months. He arrived on my doorstep on Dec 2, 2009 from Flchams.

I filled out the information guide to start it off....
Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Male Veiled Chameleon
* Handling - maybe once a week. hes a grouch
* Feeding - staple is crickets, along with occasional supers and waxs(would like a bigger variety)
* Supplements - calcium everyday, w/ d3 once a week, herptivite twice monthly
* Watering - hand misting for now along with the dripper going at least once a day
* Fecal Description - normal looking, white urate with yellow tip
* History - hes awesome


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - screen. 20x20x42 roughly
* Lighting - 12 hrs of 5.0 24" uvb, 24" plant tube, 70 watt bulb for basking
* Temperature - basking reaches mid to high 80s and night time dips into the 60s, measuring with acu-rite walmart gauge
* Humidity - 30% dry, 70s after misted. try to mist at least 3 times a day.
* Plants - umbrella and pothos
* Placement - in corner of my room, top of cage is eye level
* Location - Akron Ohio

Heres a couple pics:

When i first got him:

A few in the past month or so:

 

[adam]

cage and free range setup

here is his current cage setup:

and here is his window next to the cage i plan on turning into a free range area for him to explore as he pleases....

ive been researching a lot on free ranging and plan on setting up a 24" uvb above the window along with a heat lamp. I dont want to just transfer him into a free range and stress him out, so i figured the best thing would be to remove his cage door and let him explore as he pleases.....


still debating on a hanging pothos, or a ficus. im gonna connect whatever plant i decide on to the branches in his cage with some vines or that black garden hosing.....

another concern is humidity in the free range area. im still working on a way to use an auto misting setup without getting everything in the area soaked......

after I completely setup this free range area, im going to contemplate removing his basking lamp in the cage to see if he will stay outside of it all day.

any input on this would be greatly appreciated......

 

[SpinyFranky]

he is still pretty small for a free range. I would be worried that if he were to fall from it he could get injured, or if he fell and walked away that he would get lost.

With my smaller chameleons, they do "blend" in with the carpets and I have to be extra cautious when I let them walk around so I do not misplace them ever.

I would preferably ( just me here ) wait until your chameleon is fully grown, only about 4-5 more months anyways, to start free ranging. That way a fall will not really be able to hurt him and if he did climb down he would be pretty easy to spot.

Over all a nice cage setup, though beware wax worms. They are high in fat, and little in beneficial nutrition. There are stories of chameleons getting addicted to wax worms and refusing other foods - everything thats bad for us and them obviously tastes delicious.

A better and tasty food would be silk worms or dubia, though silk worms apparently are delicious to chameleons, while also being very nutritious.

Best of luck,
S.F

 

[laurie]

I have to be extra cautious when I let them walk around so I do not misplace them ever.

I would preferably ( just me here ) wait until your chameleon is fully grown, only about 4-5 more months anyways, to start free ranging. and if he did climb down he would be pretty easy to spot.

Best of luck,
S.F

lol, easy to spot??? you have never meet Pickle, my adult male veiled. He is allowed out to free range after the 9 minutes misting at 8 AM & goes back to his cage prior to the 5:30 misting, that means he only misses 1 nine minute misting. He is all over the room. I have found him on top the curtains, on top the frame work that holds the lights & drippers, only 8" from the ceiling, on the floor under the shelves, on top of several cages, trying to get in the water reservoir for the misters (not possible ), in the trees provided for him, etc. It has taken up to 20 minutes to locate him in a room only about 16 by 17. That boy knows how to hide. He also opens his mouth about a foot, hisses, and carries on each time I pick him up to go back in his cage, but never tried to bite - all show & no action. I love that silly boy!!!

 

[Carlton]

here is his current cage setup:

and here is his window next to the cage i plan on turning into a free range area for him to explore as he pleases....

ive been researching a lot on free ranging and plan on setting up a 24" uvb above the window along with a heat lamp. I dont want to just transfer him into a free range and stress him out, so i figured the best thing would be to remove his cage door and let him explore as he pleases.....


still debating on a hanging pothos, or a ficus. im gonna connect whatever plant i decide on to the branches in his cage with some vines or that black garden hosing.....

another concern is humidity in the free range area. im still working on a way to use an auto misting setup without getting everything in the area soaked......

after I completely setup this free range area, im going to contemplate removing his basking lamp in the cage to see if he will stay outside of it all day.

any input on this would be greatly appreciated......

I think you are going about this the right way. Chams "learn" safe climbing routes around their territories and have sophisticated spatial memories of them. As he learns his free range he may wander the room until he realizes that everything he wants (heat, light, food, cover, a view) is provided there. He will probably wander a lot less after that, but there is always the odd impulse or attempt to find a mate, so make sure the rest of the room is safe for him. Males probably wander more than females. As for humidity outside the cage, if you provide a clump of live plants somewhere that he will be attracted to and spends time in you could position an ultrasonic room humidifier over them. You could run it in cycles with a multiple setting lamp timer. The mist from these doesn't really soak surfaces too badly and will raise the humidity in that spot.

 

[adam]

yeah i have a humidifier going almost constantly at the foot of his cage. ill probably position it under the window after i set up his free range