We got a baby veiled chameleon 3 weeks ago. He seems to have been doing well. He is in an 18 x 18 X 24 habitat with UV bulb and heat lamp. Automatic mister. Humidity 80%, temp at basking 78. Fed baby crickets dusted in calcium every 3 days. Lot of artificial plants/vines and a living pathos. He has started to shed the past 2 days. Tonight he is sitting at the bottom of the habitat. I had read recently that this is a worrisome sign. We don’t have access to a reptile vet tonight but will try first thing tomorrow. Any input is greatly appreciated.
Sitting at the bottom:-(
- Thread starter Lucas F
- Start date
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi Lucas F. If you could answer the help form questions in as much detail possible, it will give a better idea of what may be going on with your chameleon.
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
--------------
Please Note:
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
What is the gender? And post pictures of everything.
Veiled, male, approximately 3 months old? Purchased from FLChams and arrived 3 weeks ago (listed as “baby”, wasn’t given exact age)
Very little handling, maybe a few minutes every couple of days.
Feeding crickets, 8 baby crickets daily, in the morning. Gut loading with Repashy Superload. Fluke res Cricut quencher for water source.
Fluker’s Repta Calcium dusting every 3 days.
Watering with Zoomed Reptirain mister on artificial plants. We see him move toward the misted water but he doesn’t move much if we are standing there, so I haven’t actually seen him drink other than the very first day
Fecal is white, medium consistancy? Not liquid, not solid, not recently changed. Never been testing for parasites
No recent change, but have only had him for 3 weeks. Noticed a few more crickets than usual in his cage today. Currently shedding for the first time since we got him
Glass cage, 18 x 18 X 24. Screen top. we live in MI and it gets chilly so thought glass might keep him warmer until he is a little bigger.
Not sure of brand of light, but have UVB and heat (Came with cage) Ordered Reptisun linear bulb but hood is on back order for the size we need. Both lights are on a timer, 12 hours on and 12 hours off
Floor is around 70 in the day, basking is around 80. Using thermometer in cage. Lowest overnight is 68.
Humidity is 80’s up to 90’s after mister. Maintaining with repti-rain mister
Plants, several layers of artificial plants and vines and one living pathos. In a pot, with small rocks covering dirt.
Cage is in son’s room, against a wall. NO nearby vents, minimal traffic. Ceiling fan hasn’t been on since arrival.
Cage is on a platform 2 feet tall.
We live in Michigan.
Current problem is chameleon (Ron) is sitting and occasionally wondering around the bottom of the habitat. He is generally perched up high and sleeping by now.
Very little handling, maybe a few minutes every couple of days.
Feeding crickets, 8 baby crickets daily, in the morning. Gut loading with Repashy Superload. Fluke res Cricut quencher for water source.
Fluker’s Repta Calcium dusting every 3 days.
Watering with Zoomed Reptirain mister on artificial plants. We see him move toward the misted water but he doesn’t move much if we are standing there, so I haven’t actually seen him drink other than the very first day
Fecal is white, medium consistancy? Not liquid, not solid, not recently changed. Never been testing for parasites
No recent change, but have only had him for 3 weeks. Noticed a few more crickets than usual in his cage today. Currently shedding for the first time since we got him
Glass cage, 18 x 18 X 24. Screen top. we live in MI and it gets chilly so thought glass might keep him warmer until he is a little bigger.
Not sure of brand of light, but have UVB and heat (Came with cage) Ordered Reptisun linear bulb but hood is on back order for the size we need. Both lights are on a timer, 12 hours on and 12 hours off
Floor is around 70 in the day, basking is around 80. Using thermometer in cage. Lowest overnight is 68.
Humidity is 80’s up to 90’s after mister. Maintaining with repti-rain mister
Plants, several layers of artificial plants and vines and one living pathos. In a pot, with small rocks covering dirt.
Cage is in son’s room, against a wall. NO nearby vents, minimal traffic. Ceiling fan hasn’t been on since arrival.
Cage is on a platform 2 feet tall.
We live in Michigan.
Current problem is chameleon (Ron) is sitting and occasionally wondering around the bottom of the habitat. He is generally perched up high and sleeping by now.
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
We need pics of lighting, supplementing, and the Cham itself from different angles. Welcome to the forums as well!
JoXie411
Chameleon Enthusiast
I can’t type much soooooo cliff notes.
your not feeding enough for that age. Your gutload needs work. Your supplement schedule needs a change And you me humidity is to high. I’m sorry if I’m being short and come off rude I just broke my arm or I would have a more in-depth reply. @kinyonga @Kristen Wilkins can y’all help ppl
your not feeding enough for that age. Your gutload needs work. Your supplement schedule needs a change And you me humidity is to high. I’m sorry if I’m being short and come off rude I just broke my arm or I would have a more in-depth reply. @kinyonga @Kristen Wilkins can y’all help ppl
Kristen Wilkins
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello and welcome . I agree with Jox you need to be feeding a bit more you also can try other feeders , silks , roaches , Bsf are all good if you have access . Cricket crack , or bug burger are ok over the counter . if you have greens ( collard , dandelion , endive are a few , red pepper , pumpkin , squash ) all great to add to your gut load . Your boy may be simply exploring/hunting . His lights are not adequate the sooner you can get the new ones the better . Is he hanging for any amount of time on the bottom ?? Laying sitting , closing eyes down there ??
Veiled, male, approximately 3 months old? Purchased from FLChams and arrived 3 weeks ago (listed as “baby”, wasn’t given exact age)
Very little handling, maybe a few minutes every couple of days.
Feeding crickets, 8 baby crickets daily, in the morning. Gut loading with Repashy Superload. Fluke res Cricut quencher for water source.
Fluker’s Repta Calcium dusting every 3 days. at that age I'd feed him as much as he I'll eat in a couple of minutes at each feeding....as long as you're sure it's a male...and leave a couple of crickets in the cage for it to snack on. The crickets have a poor ratio of phos to calcium so I dust at every feeding (but 4 times a month) lightly with RepCal phos free calcium powder to help make up for this. I dust on two (of the 4 remaining feedings lightly with repcal/D3 powder ...a phos free calcium/D3 powder ...to ensure the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it and letting it produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB provided. D3 in supplements will build up and lead to health issues but D3 from exposure to the UVB won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will. I dust the remaining 2 times a month with Herptivite. It contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A which won't build up in the chameleons system like prEformed sources (retinol, retinyl, palmitate) will. This leaves it up to you to decide if/when your chameleon needs some preformed vitamin A.
you can feed your chameleon other appropriately sized insects too...BSF, small roaches, silkworms, etc.
I feed/ gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc with a wide assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, etc and veggies such as carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc and a small amount of fruit such as apples, pears, melon, berries.
Watering with Zoomed Reptirain mister on artificial plants. We see him move toward the misted water but he doesn’t move much if we are standing there, so I haven’t actually seen him drink other than the very first day You will want to use real nontoxic well washed (both sides of the leaves) plants eventually because veiled often munch on plants.
Fecal is white, medium consistancy? Not liquid, not solid, not recently changed. Never been testing for parasites
No recent change, but have only had him for 3 weeks. Noticed a few more crickets than usual in his cage today. Currently shedding for the first time since we got him
Glass cage, 18 x 18 X 24. Screen top. we live in MI and it gets chilly so thought glass might keep him warmer until he is a little bigger.
Not sure of brand of light, but have UVB and heat (Came with cage) Ordered Reptisun linear bulb but hood is on back order for the size we need. Both lights are on a timer, 12 hours on and 12 hours off
Floor is around 70 in the day, basking is around 80. Using thermometer in cage. Lowest overnight is 68.
Humidity is 80’s up to 90’s after mister. Maintaining with repti-rain mister
Plants, several layers of artificial plants and vines and one living pathos. In a pot, with small rocks covering dirt.
Cage is in son’s room, against a wall. NO nearby vents, minimal traffic. Ceiling fan hasn’t been on since arrival.
Cage is on a platform 2 feet tall.
We live in Michigan.
Current problem is chameleon (Ron) is sitting and occasionally wondering around the bottom of the habitat. He is generally perched up high and sleeping by now.
If he's just wandering around the bottom of the cage sometimes and going back up again it's likely he's just exploring. If he's sitting there and sleeping there a lot then tell us about it again.
Can you please post some photos of him though.
Welcome to the forum BTW!
Very little handling, maybe a few minutes every couple of days.
Feeding crickets, 8 baby crickets daily, in the morning. Gut loading with Repashy Superload. Fluke res Cricut quencher for water source.
Fluker’s Repta Calcium dusting every 3 days. at that age I'd feed him as much as he I'll eat in a couple of minutes at each feeding....as long as you're sure it's a male...and leave a couple of crickets in the cage for it to snack on. The crickets have a poor ratio of phos to calcium so I dust at every feeding (but 4 times a month) lightly with RepCal phos free calcium powder to help make up for this. I dust on two (of the 4 remaining feedings lightly with repcal/D3 powder ...a phos free calcium/D3 powder ...to ensure the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it and letting it produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB provided. D3 in supplements will build up and lead to health issues but D3 from exposure to the UVB won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will. I dust the remaining 2 times a month with Herptivite. It contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A which won't build up in the chameleons system like prEformed sources (retinol, retinyl, palmitate) will. This leaves it up to you to decide if/when your chameleon needs some preformed vitamin A.
you can feed your chameleon other appropriately sized insects too...BSF, small roaches, silkworms, etc.
I feed/ gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc with a wide assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, etc and veggies such as carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc and a small amount of fruit such as apples, pears, melon, berries.
Watering with Zoomed Reptirain mister on artificial plants. We see him move toward the misted water but he doesn’t move much if we are standing there, so I haven’t actually seen him drink other than the very first day You will want to use real nontoxic well washed (both sides of the leaves) plants eventually because veiled often munch on plants.
Fecal is white, medium consistancy? Not liquid, not solid, not recently changed. Never been testing for parasites
No recent change, but have only had him for 3 weeks. Noticed a few more crickets than usual in his cage today. Currently shedding for the first time since we got him
Glass cage, 18 x 18 X 24. Screen top. we live in MI and it gets chilly so thought glass might keep him warmer until he is a little bigger.
Not sure of brand of light, but have UVB and heat (Came with cage) Ordered Reptisun linear bulb but hood is on back order for the size we need. Both lights are on a timer, 12 hours on and 12 hours off
Floor is around 70 in the day, basking is around 80. Using thermometer in cage. Lowest overnight is 68.
Humidity is 80’s up to 90’s after mister. Maintaining with repti-rain mister
Plants, several layers of artificial plants and vines and one living pathos. In a pot, with small rocks covering dirt.
Cage is in son’s room, against a wall. NO nearby vents, minimal traffic. Ceiling fan hasn’t been on since arrival.
Cage is on a platform 2 feet tall.
We live in Michigan.
Current problem is chameleon (Ron) is sitting and occasionally wondering around the bottom of the habitat. He is generally perched up high and sleeping by now.
If he's just wandering around the bottom of the cage sometimes and going back up again it's likely he's just exploring. If he's sitting there and sleeping there a lot then tell us about it again.
Can you please post some photos of him though.
Welcome to the forum BTW!
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
Cover the gravel with large river rocks, they look small enough for a Cham to get into
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
With a proper dusting every feeder, like repashy Calcium Plus LoD, the lighting is irrelevant. Even if its a CFL curly bulb, there is enough D3 in the powder for good bones. Most of the setup looks pretty good.
As others have stated, the only issues is the powder and under feeding.
WIth babies its a race to get enough food in them to keep up with the massive growth. Its why we worry about hunger strikes at a young age, but not much when they are adults. The little guy is doubling in weight every 4-6 weeks.
As others have stated, the only issues is the powder and under feeding.
WIth babies its a race to get enough food in them to keep up with the massive growth. Its why we worry about hunger strikes at a young age, but not much when they are adults. The little guy is doubling in weight every 4-6 weeks.
Kristen Wilkins
Chameleon Enthusiast
@Lucas F I use the repashy low . Made the switch about three years ago I suppose now . I started my babies after a month with the repashy low . You can do as @kinyonga said , she has many many year of experience , we all go to her when we have issues . If you decides to do an all in one keep all your other on hand in case you go back . The other thing I will say is write your expiration date on your lid . Lately I have seen many using expired supplements , they had no idea .
Kristen Wilkins
Chameleon Enthusiast
Same as well right about 3 month I go to 2 times a day , till a year for males .
Graves923
Chameleon Enthusiast
Any updates @Lucas F ? Following the advice Kinyonga listed in her post will help you get back on to he right path. You did not mention how look and frequent your mister is spraying during the day. With a glass cage your airflow is limited and the humidity throughout the day being high can cause respiratory infections. If you cham is holding its head with its snout upward or making popping noises while breathing, he might have a RI and will need a vet ASAP.
Post some photos of the cham if you can along with an update. Hoping your little guy is ok
Post some photos of the cham if you can along with an update. Hoping your little guy is ok
