Potential Chameleon Parent!

[Jheuloh]

A potential Chameleon Parent has arrived to the forums! I seek judgment on the knowledge I've thus far acquired regarding chameleon care.

I'll skip the greetings, I don't feel like doing the writing.

Right now, I'm here to ask around and confirm whether or not the information I've gained is true or false. Fortunately, I do have some real life reptile experience to offer, after having cared for a bearded dragon and corn snake.

Here is what I have to offer for knowledge regarding chameleon care.

(Not everything regarding chameleon care is covered here, just the most immediate aspects of it.)

Enclosure: 3 feet length & width, and 4 feet for the height is the minimum for large 20 inch long chameleons like the veiled and panther chameleons, and larger is always better. Live plants are a necessity rather than a convenience, due to the arboreal lifestyle of chameleons and difficulties involved with humidifying such a large space. When there is no more room for live plants, artificial vines are to be used, as long as a nontoxic material is used. It behooves you to never buy substrate, primarily because the chameleons will only use it as a giant litter-box. The enclosures must never be glass terrariums/aquariums, and always a screen mesh enclosure, to prevent stagnation from developing and to ensure the chameleon doesn't fight its reflections. Along with daily maintenance, weekly cleanings are a needed, to combat the rot and stagnation involved with humid areas.

Food: (I have real-life experience with crickets and gut-loading, the other feeder animals are new to me, however.) Crickets, silkworms, roaches, and other invertebrates commonly found at pet-stores should be the 'staple' of the chameleon's diet, with any insects known to be pesticide and smog free being potential treats (Assuming you can catch one. ) Always ensure that the left-over insects are removed or given food, else they will consume the chameleon. Fireflies and certain other insects are to be avoided at all costs.

Hydration: Not to be confused with humidity management. The most recommended watering system is a 'drip' system, though daily spraying and misting are also potential watering systems.

Interaction and Handling: (I have more real-life experience to offer.) Although no chameleon conforms completely to species standards, the general recommendation is to avoid handling the lizard unless necessary. When lifting a chameleon, it is imperative that you lift it from below rather than above, to prevent hawk associations from developing, and to ease the stresses placed on the lizard's lungs. Gaining the chameleon's trust is done by convincing it you're not a threat, be it by offering it a favorite food from your hands, or placing your hands close enough to an open enclosure for it to climb onto.

Lightning: (I'm familiar with herpetology lights.) Perhaps the simplest of categories, a UVB/UVBA tubelight and a basking lamp are the two staple lights of the majority of reptile enclosures. Never to be used are the screw-in 'full spectrum' lights, which are lacking in UVB. The UVA/UVB light should extend across the enclosure from end to end, but the basking lamp should only be in one area of the enclosure, allowing the chameleon to micro-manage its temperature. The UVB/UVBA light must be replaced every sixth months, the time when most tubelights see their UVA/UVB output too weakened for further use.

Done

Did I miss anything useful? (Asides from veterinary care, gut-loading, and species specific requirements. I'm only asking about the most immediate concerns in this thread.) Is there any incorrect information?

 

[pssh]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Jheuloh]

Thanks.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."artificial vines are to be used"...there is always a possibility of a chameleon trying to eat/chew on artificial greenery and branches...so I don't use them as a rule.

You said..."never buy substrate, primarily because the chameleons will only use it as a giant litter-box"...IMHO its also an impaction risk for most of the substrates.

You said..."The enclosures must never be glass terrariums/aquariums, and always a screen mesh enclosure, to prevent stagnation from developing and to ensure the chameleon doesn't fight its reflections"...I have kept chameleons for over 25 years and the cages have been either glass with screen lids or glass with screen doors and lids. You do have to be careful not to let water lay stagnant in them though. My veiled females usually live to be over 6 years of age (for example)...so it can't be doing them much harm. Be aware that I live in a cool climate though and I wouldn't recommend them to be used in hot climates. Many people use and recommend screen cages though too.

You said..."The most recommended watering system is a 'drip' system, though daily spraying and misting are also potential watering systems"...mmisting/spraying are an important part of providing water for chameleons. I also use drippers...but not for very young chameleons who could aspirate the water and drown if the drips are too big or make "puddles".

Here are some good sites....
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://chameleonnews.com/
http://chameleonnews.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...als.com/vet/index.php?show=8.Gout.Basics.html

Good to see someone researching before buying!

 

[nick barta]

Enclosure: Glass is used for cham enclosures extensively in Europe. We Americans tend to favor full screen enclosures, but glass/acrylic has and can be used, as long as you have ventilation on 2 or more sides. Substrate is not only a litter box, but also can be eaten by the cham and cause impaction (the bowles are clogged by the material).

Food:Smog is not a concern... Crickets have been known to bite chams, other commercial feeders, not a problem.

Lighting: Linear florescent bulbs can last more than 6 months, the way to tell if they are not putting out the required UVB is to use a meter.

You have a good grasp of husbandry already...keep learning!

 

[jojackson]

For the most part Your info is pretty much Spot on! Follow that and your off to a good start. Still expect to make minor adjustments for whatever species/sex you intend to buy.
Welcome to chameleons !

 

[Jheuloh]

-Snip-

Thank you all for the confirmations!

As for species & gender: I'm hoping for a male panther chameleon, any land-race/locale will work.

 

[jojackson]

So, the drip-system could affectionately be referred to as the big kid (big Chameleon?) drinks?

Well yes, but its important you should realise its never too early to install one. The sooner your lizard is familiar with the dripper the better. You will need to observe daily your lizards state of hydrate, and its behaviours and asses its need for a better water source than just misting.
Your chameleon may or may not make this apparent with behaviour, but signes to look for are chewing leaves but not actually eating them. Young chams sometime do this when attempting to gain more water from leaves than is avail. This would be a good time to instll a dripper.
Ofcourse it may not do this, so regular observation of droppings can assess its hydration
also. If its urate is yellowing (early) or orangy (more advanced) it might need more water than its gets from misting, even if its eyes are not sunken.

Gutloading your feeder insects with moisture holding aswell as nutritional content veg.fruit will also backup its hydration levels.

Cheers

 

[Jheuloh]

So a dripper is something the chameleon should be raised with, rather than introduced do, and misting is a relatively inefficient way of hydrating a larger, more mature chameleon? (Based on what you say, it's one of those 'possible, but painful' choices.)

Next little question; how would one gut-load feeder insects in a fashion that boosts their hydration levels? (Or is fruit and vegetable gut-loading by default guaranteed to improve the hydration levels of the feeder insects?)

Based on what you and other friends say, it sounds like I'm off to a good start, even if there is the little stuff to iron out.

 

[kinyonga]

As I said...I also use drippers...but not for very young chameleons who could aspirate the water and drown if the drips are too big or make "puddles". Once a chameleon is a couple of months old a dripper should be fine.

I use an assortment of greens and veggies to gutload and provide hydration for crickets and superworms. I don't usually use any fruits for any insects.

 

[jojackson]

So a dripper is something the chameleon should be raised with, rather than introduced do, and misting is a relatively inefficient way of hydrating a larger, more mature chameleon? (Based on what you say, it's one of those 'possible, but painful' choices.)

Its a matter of prefrence but If you want to stay behind the eight ball, My prefrence would be to raise it with a dripper. I didnt initially, but soon realised that spraying/misting was no longer enough.

Next little question; how would one gut-load feeder insects in a fashion that boosts their hydration levels? (Or is fruit and vegetable gut-loading by default guaranteed to improve the hydration levels of the feeder insects?)

You can select the following days amount of insects and pre feed/gutload them with especially moist and nutriious fruits and veg, allow them to eat overnight, then dust and feed off in the morning.
See pics below, But you are right, I feed my insects main colony with reasonally moist and nutritious fruit n veg everyday anyway.

Based on what you and other friends say, it sounds like I'm off to a good start, even if there is the little stuff to iron out.

Theres always small stuff to iron out and thats the fun of herp keeping!

 

[Jheuloh]

I use an assortment of greens and veggies to gutload and provide hydration for crickets and superworms. I don't usually use any fruits for any insects.

When I cared for a bearded dragon and raised feeder crickets, I gave them whatever vegetables/fruits I was feeding my dragon, and some other stuff vegetables/fruits which were in the fridge. (Probably also being fed to my beardie.)

I avoid oranges though. I once gave some to my dragon's feeder crickets, then 95% of em' went belly up. I think the citrus killed em'.

Edit: Those feeder crickets have a living space prettier than what I used to have available for my feeders. The feeder crickets I used to raise lived life just like yours do, but the living space wasn't as pretty though. I made the mistake of dusting them in their living space.

Well, thank you for the assistance everyone, the help is well appreciated.