Senegal Chameleon (Snape) Pt. 2

[acdcchic03]

I was told to post this so that I may find out what I did wrong with Snape and or it might help others as well. Rip Snape.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Senegal, Male, Age :a few months old, I had him for almost 2 months.
  
• Handling - I was working on getting him used to me, but he would get stressed when I would hold him so I stopped a week after I got him.
  
• Feeding - Small crickets since he was just a little guy. At least 5 in his cage. In the morning around 9. I was feeding the crickets carrots and potato before I got zilla guy load for crickets.
• Supplements - I was using plain repti Calcium with no d3 to start off with. Had no had the chance to go further.
  
• Watering - I had a little dripper in the cage dripping on the leaves. I saw him drink once when I checked on him in the night. ( It was a wonderful experience) And I mist his cage at least 5 times a day.
  
• Fecal Description - I was told his poop was a bad color. It went from looking like bird poop to a clear amber color. ( I was told he got dehydrated which I could not understand because I saw him drink)
  
• History - Nothing that I can think Of.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage Screen What are the dimensions? It was a zilla cage the medium size
• Lighting - I used the Dual lighting that came in the cage kit. I left them on but check the temp often never seemed to hot or cold.
  
• Temperature - The cage stayed between 72 and 84. i dont know bottom and basking the temp gauge was in the middle of the cage.
  
• Humidity - 60 to 75%
  
• Plants - was looking for a live plant but Never got to it
• Placement - Cage was on a table. In the computer room for the winter because it stays warm in there never to warm but just enough for him to be happy. ( or so I thought)
  
• Location - Pennsylvania

I am sad that Snape Died he was so little and counted on me to take care of him. I always do research to learn what I need to know. I am not sure what happen but when I am confident I will get a new friend.

 

[Peachypink]

I just wanted to clarify your lighting....when you said you left them on, what does that mean? You left them on day and night?

 

[jajeanpierre]

I was told to post this so that I may find out what I did wrong with Snape and or it might help others as well. Rip Snape.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Senegal, Male, Age :a few months old, I had him for almost 2 months.
  
• Handling - I was working on getting him used to me, but he would get stressed when I would hold him so I stopped a week after I got him.
  
• Feeding - Small crickets since he was just a little guy. At least 5 in his cage. In the morning around 9. I was feeding the crickets carrots and potato before I got zilla guy load for crickets.
• Supplements - I was using plain repti Calcium with no d3 to start off with. Had no had the chance to go further.
  
• Watering - I had a little dripper in the cage dripping on the leaves. I saw him drink once when I checked on him in the night. ( It was a wonderful experience) And I mist his cage at least 5 times a day.
  
• Fecal Description - I was told his poop was a bad color. It went from looking like bird poop to a clear amber color. ( I was told he got dehydrated which I could not understand because I saw him drink)
  
• History - Nothing that I can think Of.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage Screen What are the dimensions? It was a zilla cage the medium size
• Lighting - I used the Dual lighting that came in the cage kit. I left them on but check the temp often never seemed to hot or cold.
  
• Temperature - The cage stayed between 72 and 84. i dont know bottom and basking the temp gauge was in the middle of the cage.
  
• Humidity - 60 to 75%
  
• Plants - was looking for a live plant but Never got to it
• Placement - Cage was on a table. In the computer room for the winter because it stays warm in there never to warm but just enough for him to be happy. ( or so I thought)
  
• Location - Pennsylvania

I am sad that Snape Died he was so little and counted on me to take care of him. I always do research to learn what I need to know. I am not sure what happen but when I am confident I will get a new friend.

I'm very sorry you lost your little chameleon. Was this your first chameleon?

It is my understanding that pretty much all Senegals are imported wild caughts. Wild caughts can be very very challenging to keep alive, even for experienced keepers. The import process is very hard on them--brutal in fact. They are often kept for long periods of time in very poor conditions and without enough water. Because they are under so much stress--over crowding, not enough food or water, inappropriate housing, etc., their immune system tends to shut down so diseases and parasites that were kept in check by their previously robust immune system (in the wild) multiply and often overwhelm them. The few that survive to the point of shipping--and I think a lot more die than make it into the shipping box--are usually in pretty rough shape. They spend many days in transit when they are already compromised and dehydrated.

It's heart breaking what they go through.

Trying to keep an animal like that alive is not easy. It just isn't something a beginner is likely to do a good job at.

You'll never know why he died without a necropsy and even then the vet might not know what killed him. He might have died from kidney failure because he was severely dehydrated long before you got him. He might have had a parasite load that killed him. There are many reasons he might have died that had nothing to do with your care. Wild caughts are often really tricky.

I hope your next chameleon is a nice, healthy captive bred animal form a good breeder who will give you lots of support. In the mean time, read all you can on this web site. and really learn what the species you want needs.

Again, sorry for your loss.

 

[MissLissa]

jajeanpierre, I don't think that could have been said better by anyone. That was poetry.

I'm so sorry that this was your first experience with chameleon keeping, acdcchic03. I hope you continue to read and learn, and if and when you feel ready, look into a hearty, healthy captive bred chameleon who will eat you out of house and home and steal all your houseplants for themselves.

 

[acdcchic03]

I'm very sorry you lost your little chameleon. Was this your first chameleon?

It is my understanding that pretty much all Senegals are imported wild caughts. Wild caughts can be very very challenging to keep alive, even for experienced keepers. The import process is very hard on them--brutal in fact. They are often kept for long periods of time in very poor conditions and without enough water. Because they are under so much stress--over crowding, not enough food or water, inappropriate housing, etc., their immune system tends to shut down so diseases and parasites that were kept in check by their previously robust immune system (in the wild) multiply and often overwhelm them. The few that survive to the point of shipping--and I think a lot more die than make it into the shipping box--are usually in pretty rough shape. They spend many days in transit when they are already compromised and dehydrated.

It's heart breaking what they go through.

Trying to keep an animal like that alive is not easy. It just isn't something a beginner is likely to do a good job at.

You'll never know why he died without a necropsy and even then the vet might not know what killed him. He might have died from kidney failure because he was severely dehydrated long before you got him. He might have had a parasite load that killed him. There are many reasons he might have died that had nothing to do with your care. Wild caughts are often really tricky.

I hope your next chameleon is a nice, healthy captive bred animal form a good breeder who will give you lots of support. In the mean time, read all you can on this web site. and really learn what the species you want needs.

Again, sorry for your loss.

Thank you so much!!!

 

[acdcchic03]

jajeanpierre, I don't think that could have been said better by anyone. That was poetry.

I'm so sorry that this was your first experience with chameleon keeping, acdcchic03. I hope you continue to read and learn, and if and when you feel ready, look into a hearty, healthy captive bred chameleon who will eat you out of house and home and steal all your houseplants for themselves.

Thank you. I am really excited to get another chameleon. I am going to go with a more common bread and make sure I do everything right.