tokyogasmask
New Member
Hi!
I collected my long awaited first Chameleon yesterday, and things went down hill from the moment I got home.
I could really do with some advice before it's too late!
First off this may be long and full of typical beginner errors, but that's exactly what I am a beginner, so please stick with me.
Here is the situation.
I picked up a "young adult" Veiled Chameleon (female) yesterday from a reptile store about 8 hours drive away from me.
In the store it was being kept in what looks like a bird cage with a 2nd female.
They both seemed happy, and look healthy as I could see (i'm no expert) they were both a nice pale shade of green with some while lines on their body.
I picked the healthier one of the two from what I could see.
They have been fed on roaches and crickets and take from the shop keepers fingers (and mine).
The shop is a reptile store so it is very hot in there.
Their water supply for the few months they have been in the store has been from a small plastic box of water with an air pump hose going into it to make the water bubble.
So I now have the Chameleon packed in a small (25x25x25cm) cardboard box with newspaper inside.
I drove with the box on the passenger seat for 8 hours until I arrived home.
The enclosure I was sold with it is brand new reptile enclosure 60cm high, 60cm wide, and 45cm deep. It has a mesh top and mesh left and right sides.
Back is a glass panel, and front is sliding glass doors.
Inside is a Yukka plant, and various fake plants and a "Zoomed" bendy stick thing that I have zigzagged to make perches for her the main one being horizontal and about 4" from the top of the cage.
There is a heating pad that slides in a slot at the bottom of the tank, and A basking lamp that is on the outside of the cage pointing down on one side about 2-3" from the cage mesh. (so about 7" total distance from the main perch)
I also have a twin strip light with 2 Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulbs in also on top of the cage.
Here is my problem.
The Chameleon looks really bad since I got her home.
I got home 1am in the morning, so had to set up the tank the best I could in the little time I had.
The temperature in the room (and I assume the tank) dropped to about 18-20c
And this morning the thermometer that is placed in the yukka plant base about 6" off the floor still says 20c.
When I say she looks bad she is a lot darker green than she was in the store.
When you go anywhere near the enclosure she turns super dark and seems to almost suck her stomach in becoming really thin and her sken goes really wrinkly like a shriveled up fruit.
I am confused and don't know what to do, and I hope you guys can guide me!
Oh just to add, I am not using the drinking method they used in the store as I have no air pump at the moment.
I have been misting at intervals throughout today.
She is also still taking crickets from my fingers. She has so far had about 3 in the morning and 2 so far this afternoon.
Please help!
I collected my long awaited first Chameleon yesterday, and things went down hill from the moment I got home.
I could really do with some advice before it's too late!
First off this may be long and full of typical beginner errors, but that's exactly what I am a beginner, so please stick with me.
Here is the situation.
I picked up a "young adult" Veiled Chameleon (female) yesterday from a reptile store about 8 hours drive away from me.
In the store it was being kept in what looks like a bird cage with a 2nd female.
They both seemed happy, and look healthy as I could see (i'm no expert) they were both a nice pale shade of green with some while lines on their body.
I picked the healthier one of the two from what I could see.
They have been fed on roaches and crickets and take from the shop keepers fingers (and mine).
The shop is a reptile store so it is very hot in there.
Their water supply for the few months they have been in the store has been from a small plastic box of water with an air pump hose going into it to make the water bubble.
So I now have the Chameleon packed in a small (25x25x25cm) cardboard box with newspaper inside.
I drove with the box on the passenger seat for 8 hours until I arrived home.
The enclosure I was sold with it is brand new reptile enclosure 60cm high, 60cm wide, and 45cm deep. It has a mesh top and mesh left and right sides.
Back is a glass panel, and front is sliding glass doors.
Inside is a Yukka plant, and various fake plants and a "Zoomed" bendy stick thing that I have zigzagged to make perches for her the main one being horizontal and about 4" from the top of the cage.
There is a heating pad that slides in a slot at the bottom of the tank, and A basking lamp that is on the outside of the cage pointing down on one side about 2-3" from the cage mesh. (so about 7" total distance from the main perch)
I also have a twin strip light with 2 Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulbs in also on top of the cage.
Here is my problem.
The Chameleon looks really bad since I got her home.
I got home 1am in the morning, so had to set up the tank the best I could in the little time I had.
The temperature in the room (and I assume the tank) dropped to about 18-20c
And this morning the thermometer that is placed in the yukka plant base about 6" off the floor still says 20c.
When I say she looks bad she is a lot darker green than she was in the store.
When you go anywhere near the enclosure she turns super dark and seems to almost suck her stomach in becoming really thin and her sken goes really wrinkly like a shriveled up fruit.
I am confused and don't know what to do, and I hope you guys can guide me!
Oh just to add, I am not using the drinking method they used in the store as I have no air pump at the moment.
I have been misting at intervals throughout today.
She is also still taking crickets from my fingers. She has so far had about 3 in the morning and 2 so far this afternoon.
Please help!
