I rescued a baby chameleon that is said to be 6 weeks old however when we received the cham he (if its a he) appears to be very weak and peeling (im not sure if shed or what ) . I've owned a cham before and know more or less how they should act and he is very different from that. He doesn't seem to have a good grip on the twigs in his enclosure and he falls or loses grip very easily. This morning when i turned his light on he was laying on a leaf spread out which i never seen my cham before do. I thought he had passed away except he was still green. He doesn't eat and I've tried holding him over a bowl of flightless fruit flies but he does not keep his eyes open to see them. He really just lays around and isnt very active. I went to the store yesterday after i got him and got him a hybrid enclosure of decent size until he needs an upgrade for a taller and bigger one. The cage came with dome lights and the heating lamp and UVB lighting i set up some plants (alive and fake) for him and have a thermometer with a reading temp of. I did mist the cage this morning and last night for a few minutes. I also put coconut substrate on the floor just in case he falls i hope that it breaks his fall a little bit. I'm not really sure what to do as i never had a sick cham before but i know the exact parameters of the cage may not be exactly what they should be but i just got him yesterday and had to go to work today but I'm trying to get everything right because i would like to save him. I would like some ideas as to what i can do before i attempt a vet visit. Im not home rn but i can upload pictures later with his set up and with images of the cham.
Rescued 6 week old Cham not doing well HELP
- Thread starter destyyyy
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BleuSaphir
Chameleon Enthusiast
Please have pictures up when you can. 
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi and welcome. Pictures of the chameleon and your enclosure are needed. Probably the biggest thing needed right now (besides food and water) is correct uvb. Little one doesn’t need a basking bulb as too much heat can dehydrate him quickly. But uvb is essential! You need a T5 fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% bulb. I will caution against buying some of the less expensive brands as their uvb output has not been proven and my experience showed it greatly lacking.
Unfortunately, I do need to tell you that little chameleons are rather fragile. They have zero tolerance for husbandry errors as they have no resources to fall back upon. Also, it does happen at times that even with the very best of care they can fail and pass for reasons unknown to us. Because of this, usually a responsible breeder keeps their babies until they are at least 3 months old. Hopefully we can help you get this baby healthy.
Unfortunately, I do need to tell you that little chameleons are rather fragile. They have zero tolerance for husbandry errors as they have no resources to fall back upon. Also, it does happen at times that even with the very best of care they can fail and pass for reasons unknown to us. Because of this, usually a responsible breeder keeps their babies until they are at least 3 months old. Hopefully we can help you get this baby healthy.
Hello sorry for the late reply, so here’s the set up the only thing I’ve changed so far is the lighting. I got a long bar UVB light and I got a 75 watt heat bulb bc the 60 watt wasn’t warm enough and although I could move the perch up I was worried about him falling bc he seems to fall a lot from losing his grip. In the picture you can see he has some stuck shed perhaps. I also purchased some supplement that can be mixed with water and given via syringe for malnourished and dehydrated reptiles. Although I couldn’t get him to drink it I was able to get him to eat a cricket on his own (in a bowl). I also know this tank is not the correct one for him as far as it not being tall enough but I’m waiting till i get him a little stronger I don’t want to put him in a very tall cage and him fall which is why I also have the substrate. So in other words I will be upgrading his cage when he starts doing better
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MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
So tiny! Little baby should be eating his/her fill of pinhead crickets and fruit flies at that size/age. What many will do is place a small piece of banana or other sweet fruit in the enclosure to keep the fruit flies in one general area to make it easier for the babies to catch their food.
Welcome to the forum. This is a good place to learn about chameleons!
Don’t handle your chameleon unless absolutely necessary right now. It will only cause more stress. Some chameleons won’t eat or drink while you’re watching.
You said…”I also purchased some supplement that can be mixed with water and given via syringe for malnourished and dehydrated reptiles”…So, what is the name of the supplement?
You said…’ I also put coconut substrate on the floor just in case he falls i hope that it breaks his fall a little bit”…I would worry about your chameleon becoming impacted from this substrate.
You said…”He doesn't seem to have a good grip on the twigs in his enclosure and he falls or loses grip very easily”…you need more branches of various thicknesses and they some should be of a size the chameleon can easily get its foot around.
What is the basking temperature?
What specific UVB light do you use? I don’t think it’s the right one.
Don’t handle your chameleon unless absolutely necessary right now. It will only cause more stress. Some chameleons won’t eat or drink while you’re watching.
You said…”I also purchased some supplement that can be mixed with water and given via syringe for malnourished and dehydrated reptiles”…So, what is the name of the supplement?
You said…’ I also put coconut substrate on the floor just in case he falls i hope that it breaks his fall a little bit”…I would worry about your chameleon becoming impacted from this substrate.
You said…”He doesn't seem to have a good grip on the twigs in his enclosure and he falls or loses grip very easily”…you need more branches of various thicknesses and they some should be of a size the chameleon can easily get its foot around.
What is the basking temperature?
What specific UVB light do you use? I don’t think it’s the right one.
So yesterday I was able to get him to eat one cricket but that’s it. He keeps his eyes closed so it makes it harder for him to hunt or eat. What I do is I place him in a small bowl with two baby crickets and yesterday he caught one but today I have had no luck getting him to eat. I have to move him a little bit for him to open his eyes but they’re not open long enough to see his food resulting in him not eating. Today he is a little darker with black spots so I’m assuming (from my experience with my last one & I could be wrong) that he’s stressed or mad. Idk what to do I just don’t want him to die
Hi so the supplement is Flukers repta boost the red box that is high amp boost + appetite supplement. I was recommended this by another exotic animal owner who has many reptiles of their own.
As for the substrate I can most definitely move it out however he falls often and he does have various thickness. He has two pothos plants at the bottom that I’ve weaved the longer vines through out the terrarium, he has two
Separate Terro jungle vines through out the terrarium as well and also a fake plant that is thin enough for his hands to wrap around. The problem is when he’s walking he has his eye closed and doesn’t hold on tight enough. And I’ve witnessed him fall from just moving through the terrarium.
The only time he is handled is when I’m feeding him or trying to give him the supplement and for these pictures I uploaded of course as I needed a close up. Other than that he is left completely alone.
The UBV I’m using is the correct one it’s the one I was told to get in the first replied comment to this thread the Repti Sun 5.0 T5 uvb lamp.
ChamelaChameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I had a falling cham. I used plastic netting, zip tied, to branches to create a fall free environment. It's serves as a catch net. He can only fall 3 or 4 inches.
I’ll be trying this!! Thank you!
Do you have the linear T5HO UVB fixture or is it a screw in bulb? I am seeing two screw in bulbs which is why I am asking. If this is the case then this is the biggest part of why the baby is declining so rapidly. The screw in bulbs do not put out the correct UVB for chams. You need a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 bulb and then you need to place this on the top and measure 8-9 inches down that is where the closest branches should be.
Additionally, Babies this young really should not have heat added... If your ambient temps are running 70 even then it is plenty warm for a baby this young. otherwise if you add heat and it is too much then they can dehydrate.
I have been offline dealing with a family situation but will tag a few keepers that can assist you in case you have questions about UVB or temp. @MissSkittles @Sonny13 @SteveH
Additionally, Babies this young really should not have heat added... If your ambient temps are running 70 even then it is plenty warm for a baby this young. otherwise if you add heat and it is too much then they can dehydrate.
I have been offline dealing with a family situation but will tag a few keepers that can assist you in case you have questions about UVB or temp. @MissSkittles @Sonny13 @SteveH
SteveH
Chameleon Enthusiast
You have been getting some great advice from @MissSkittles and @Beman, the first thing I would do is turn off your basking light and double check your day and night temps and and humidity readings and compare with the appropriate care guide. How did you happen to get one so young ?
The breeder was giving them away and I wasn’t aware of the age until after but even at that he had many baby chams in a small pop up cage that looked unhealthy. Me and my bf took him just bc we know we have the money time and space to properly care for one and would like to save him. Now it’s just a matter of making sure everything is correct you know ?
No that picture is the first picture I had from when we first set it up which in fact did have the wrong uvb light. Which is also why I said I have the updated uvb light bc I wasn’t home and didn’t have a picture of the light bar across the top but I do have that one. I also turned my heat lamp off and have been monitoring the temps through out the day. My day temps are at about 75-78 but I’m most worried about my night temps as they fall to about 67 and I wasn’t sure if that was good for him
SteveH
Chameleon Enthusiast
Most species require a night time in temps into the mid 60s or lower. Are you fogging at night for the higher humidity levels needed at night ?
I’m not, which fogger would you recommend buying (price is not an issue so feel free to send the best one in ur opinion)
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
hello and warmest welcomes to you! I’ve used 4 different foggers and my favorite on by far is actually one you build yourself. The instructions video can be found below:
IF you are like me and do not have a handy bone in your body then the other one I have liked is this one here:
https://www.amazon.com/REPTI-ZOO-Hu...3504010&sprefix=reptile+fogge,aps,493&sr=8-21
Its not as good and doesn't put out as much fog as the homemade one so if you can build your own that would be my personal vote.
IF you are like me and do not have a handy bone in your body then the other one I have liked is this one here:
https://www.amazon.com/REPTI-ZOO-Hu...3504010&sprefix=reptile+fogge,aps,493&sr=8-21
Its not as good and doesn't put out as much fog as the homemade one so if you can build your own that would be my personal vote.
ChamelaChameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
If you are a DIY'er, the @crosscutts fogger is amazingly the best and its easy to make. I've been a Cham owner for a bit over 2 years. I've purchased 3 foggers. 2 stopped working and I dropped one and it broke into pieces. I made the crosscutts fogger and I'm more than pleased. I have now incorporated my mist hose into the fogger water tank. So I have 1 water source for 2 purposes. The pic above is actually the diy fogger at work. Veiled Chams don't require a ton of fog. I mist twice daily and fog 2 times a week. FYI - I used a wood burner to make holes for the diy fogger.
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have the same set up with my Fogfather fogger and my mist system. Its so nice to just have one bucket for my mister and fogging.
