Top Mistakes Made

[Matthew43s]

In the opionion of all the Chameleon enthusiasts/Intermediate/Beginners this site has to offer, what do ya’ll think are the top mistakes made for people just starting off the hobby? Wether it be lighting, handling, feeding, which in your opinion causes the most damage? Is it a combination of a few things?Just curious as to what ya’ll think. Let’s hear it!

 

[jannb]

Lights and supplements have to be number one IMO.

Buying from the wrong breeder or pet store and watering follows closely behind.

 

[GreenChameleons]

Proper enclosure set up
Doing there own research prior to getting a chameleon on the specific breed

How many much quantity of water as in how many times to mist
Feeder care how to gut load them
Handling to much (in excess)
Lightning Red infared light at night seems to be a common mistake on here
Humidity levels
Cleaning the feces out
Over doing the lighting
Over supplementing to a degree with d3 calcium
Poor temperature ranges that varies throughout the enclosure
Enough foliage to hide, drink, and climb on not enough results in climbing on the screen

 

[NickTide]

Not getting insect colonies started way in advance.

 

[kinyonga]

Lack of understanding of the importance of proper supplementing, feeding/gutloading to prevent MBD and care of females to prevent them from producing large clutches, becoming eggbound or suffering from follicular stasis.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Not doing enough research before buying the chameleon and not implementing what they learn and then getting all upset and offended when people try to help! Stay humble and kind and ready to learn and apply feedback you received after you go and do research on the feedback you get!

There is a steep learning curve, people are going to tell you that there is a better way to do it if they dare to help!

All the keepers that have been in the hobby for a long time will tell you that they keep learning and that we have made a lot of progress through the years! Back in the day chameleon keepers for instance had to make/mix their own vitamins! They had to grind up oister shell and cuttlefish bone to use for the caicium dusting of bugs! People who get in to the hoby now have it soo easy compared to back then!

 

[Matthew43s]

Not doing enough research before buying the chameleon and not implementing what they learn and then getting all upset and offended when people try to help! Stay humble and kind and ready to learn and apply feedback you received after you go and do research on the feedback you get!

There is a steep learning curve, people are going to tell you that there is a better way to do it if they dare to help!

All the keepers that have been in the hobby for a long time will tell you that they keep learning and that we have made a lot of progress through the years! Back in the day chameleon keepers for instance had to make/mix their own vitamins! They had to grind up oister shell and cuttlefish bone to use for the caicium dusting of bugs! People who get in to the hoby now have it soo easy compared to back then!

I can understand that for sure, people always believe they know best, but we’re all just learning here. Thats the good thing about a forum for sure, I know it’s helped me a lot. Do people usually get pissed off at others on here for trying to help though? I haven’t seen that yet! They’re turds if they do

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Not doing enough research before buying the chameleon and not implementing what they learn and then getting all upset and offended when people try to help! Stay humble and kind and ready to learn and apply feedback you received after you go and do research on the feedback you get!

There is a steep learning curve, people are going to tell you that there is a better way to do it if they dare to help!

All the keepers that have been in the hobby for a long time will tell you that they keep learning and that we have made a lot of progress through the years! Back in the day chameleon keepers for instance had to make/mix their own vitamins! They had to grind up oister shell and cuttlefish bone to use for the caicium dusting of bugs! People who get in to the hoby now have it soo easy compared to back then!

I agree with all of the posts, but I think that one big problem is a person going to a reptile show "just to look", and immediately see a $10 veiled chameleon that someone is trying to sell quick, knows nothing about the husbandry, and only wants the chameleon because they think it is "super cool".

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Compare to some other forums/cites this is a very friendly forum! We have incredible moderators here and very sincere caring members with a lot of experience who are more patient than the gods! Lol

 

[KellyCotton]

Lack of understanding of the importance of proper supplementing, feeding/gutloading to prevent MBD and care of females to prevent them from producing large clutches, becoming eggbound or suffering from follicular stasis.

You seem to be quite knowledgeable! I’m wondering if you could help me?

I have a 5.5 month old female panther... and there seem to be conflicting opinions about how often to dust the crickets with the calcium and multi vitamin powder. Currently, I am doing one day of calcium, one of multi vit, then a day of nothing (and then repeat).
Also Is there an optimal way or product to gut load the crickets?

Thanks!!

 

[kinyonga]

I don't know everything by any means but I have kept chameleons for 30 years or so.

I recommend that you dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to help make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects.
I recommend using a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder lightly twice a month so ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and cause health issues but D3 produced by exposure to the UVB light won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will.
I recommend that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed vitamin A won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will so it's safe...but that leaves it up to you to decide if/when the chameleon needs some prEformed.

I gutload/feed crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts with greens, veggies and a BIT of fruit such as dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, zucchini, squash, collards, carrots, berries, melon, apples, pears, etc.

 

[KellyCotton]

I don't know everything by any means but I have kept chameleons for 30 years or so.

I recommend that you dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to help make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects.
I recommend using a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder lightly twice a month so ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and cause health issues but D3 produced by exposure to the UVB light won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will.
I recommend that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed vitamin A won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will so it's safe...but that leaves it up to you to decide if/when the chameleon needs some prEformed.

I gutload/feed crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts with greens, veggies and a BIT of fruit such as dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, zucchini, squash, collards, carrots, berries, melon, apples, pears, etc.

Awesome thank you!!

 

[Mawtyplant]

Here my top 10

1-UVB Lightening (old, wrong, too close or too far UVB source.. 6 month later boom.. MBD)

2-Water : Stupid waterfall.. or dish.. this is useless and lead to dehydratation or disease (bacterial disease caused by the cultire inside the water source)

3-Temperature (What temperature needed (1-what is the chameleon speacies.. veiled not equal too jackson)? He need heat source to digest food, activate metabolism and immunitary system) soo.. 6-8 month later boom MBD (what?! mbd again?! yeah.. if he can't digest the food how he gonna absorb the nutriment? ) he also need colder spot without uvb (too much UVB like.. not enough uvb

4-Burn : i have made this mistake.. i lost one of my chameleon because i was sure he can not reach the lamp.. that was a mistake.. he reach it and burn the tail from A to Z.. he died 4 month after.. alway put your heat lamp in a safe place and but heat source for tropicalspeacies and please test it before (is the source are too far?! too close? with infrared gun (about 14$.. no big deal to safe your chameleon life)

5-Over/under suplementing : too much = toxicity no enough =.. not enough both lead to severe and long terme dammage

6-Handling the chameleon ("but he love me!" well.. yes/no.. he dont love you he tolerate you.. major of the time if he REALLY want to go out the enclosure its because outside better than inside.. if the enclosure is wrong he will try to escape the enclosure and if you open the cage he will grap the opportunity.. Handling too much your chameleon is stressfull, wrong enclosure is also stressfull and it can shut down the immunitary system (also.. if you manipulate your chameleon without washing your hands.. boom.. respiratory infection (but why?! : juste because human can carry bacteria and the chameleon donc have defense (unlike human) againts this bacteria (its like inverse model of salmonela )

7-Housing chameleon together : "he need à girlfriend" well.. come on.. he dont need a social life in a small enclosure.. figure yourself 24/24 7/7 with the same person.. and with the same guy who always just too have sex or raping you major part of the time.. lead to stress or fighting

8-Superworms = #1 feeder : this is a mistake because ratio between calcium/phosphorus are not amazing.. and, variety = best #1 feeder

9-Glass enclosure : this is not critical.. and can be ok with experienced owner but still a mistake with beginer. major reason : there is no air flow, can lead to bacteria. Second reason : can lead too stress because glass act like a mirror (also.. classical exo-terra 18x18x24 are just too small.. btw small enclosure also not good!

10- To be stubborn.. when someting wrong.. put your ego in a small box.. this is useless ask, found a solution, read and accept if you have make any mistake! (hey.. i think in the 10 mistake here.. i make about 5 of them in the past no reason to be stupid and not fixing the problem before its too late!)