Veiled Cham changed completely overnight???

[kayleighn]

Hi I've got a female veiled Cham called Karma and I was wondering if it was possible for their like attitudes to change pretty much over night? She is usually lovely and will come out and climb everywhere and on you but today she came out okay but once she was out she hissed twice once at my phone and once when I sat down. She is 8 months old and I've had her about a month and a half. She eats locusts and morio worms on alternative days with a wax worm sometimes. She is eating fine and poking and weeping fine and had her last shed about 3 weeks ago. My dad filmed her yesterday eating and she hissed but that's the first time she's hissed since we got her. Does anyone know what could be up with her? Thanks!

 

[Katacara]

She may be gravid. Do you have a lay bin set up for her in the cage?

Also please fill out the :how to ask for help form. Here is a link: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ that way we can help better. Please be as detailed as possible, and pictures always help to!

 

[kayleighn]

She may be gravid. Do you have a lay bin set up for her in the cage?

Also please fill out the :how to ask for help form. Here is a link: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ that way we can help better. Please be as detailed as possible, and pictures always help to!

She last layed a clutch of 68 which was her first clutch just before we got her so just over a month ago. We do have a lay bin for her. Do you think it would be a good idea to put it in her viv?


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Female Vieled, 8 months, owned her just over a month
• Handling - every couple of days and only if she is willing
• Feeding - medium/large locusts and morio worms on alternate days. Usually 4/5 of them on a day. Sometimes a wax worm every couple of weeks. Locusts and morio worms are gut loaded on kale, orange and sometimes cabbage all washed. She has cut up washed kale in her viv to eat which she loves
• Supplements - calcium powder dusted on all her main foods 5 days a week/ Arcadia EarthPro - ca calcium powder 100g
• Watering - I spray her viv 1 a day sometimes 2 times if it's hot for around a minute and a half each time and make sure all the leaves and branches where she sits is covered also the top of her viv so it can drop down onto her. She has a running water fountain in the bottom of her viv which has its water changed regularly every couple of days.
• Fecal Description - normal colour and of white wee and blackish/brown poos
• History - Owned by a family before where she layed her first clutch of 68 eggs before we got her.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Wooden with glass sliding doors that I leave open about an inch an a half for extra ventilation. Has ventilation in the back as well. The dimensions are 3ft high 2ft deep and 2ft wide.
• Lighting - UVB - Arcadia forest 5% UVB lamp reptile tube 18 x 1 inch 15w BASKING - exo terra daylight basking spot lamp 75w. Lights go on at 10am and off at 9pm everyday
• Temperature - basking spot around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and middle of viv around 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit depending how far open I have the doors
• Humidity - Usually around 30-40% and when I spray goes up to 60-70%
• Plants - no live plants are used.
• Placement - located in my room with the top of the viv being 5ft off the ground
• Location - Southampton, England UK

I'll get a photo of her in a minute when I get a chance and I'll post my most recent photo now.

 

[kayleighn]

These were taken maximum three days ago.

 

[kayleighn]

 

[kayleighn]

 

[kayleighn]

 

[kayleighn]

I have just taken some of her now and her viv. I've also just sprayed her viv.

 

[kayleighn]

 

[Katacara]

She is a beautiful girl!!

She dosen't really look gravid in your photos, but I cant really tell. She may just be receptive right now and going through a PMS moment.

There are a few things I would change in your care.

Defiantly put her laying bin in her viv, that way you will not have to worry so much about watching for signs that she is gravid and ready to lay. If the signs are subtle and you miss them she could easily become egg bound if she has nowhere to lay.

You are SO lucky you can get hoppers!! We cant here in the US! I am not sure but "micro worms" sound like they may be what we call mealworms, if that is the case you should stop feeding those. They have no real nutritional value and can easily cause impaction. I would switch to superworms. I would also increase the variety of feeders offered. Try adding silkworms, hornworms, roaches if you can get her to eat them maybe orange head or red runners (most veileds don't go for the dibia roaches). It is great that she eats her veggies!! If you have not yet, you may want to offer more of a variety for thoes as well. It also seems like your gutloading may need a little tweaking. You can research gutloading or I can go over it with you later if you want.

Its great that you are dusting with calcium powder, but a suggest veiled supplementing is: Calcium with out D3 everyday, then calcium with D3 2X a Month and a multivitamin 2X a month. This is especially important for females because they need so much calcium for healthy egg production.

Get rid of the water fountain ASAP! All they are good for are building germs, and they are almost impossible to keep clean. Veilds rarely see standing water as a drinking source. They are more likely to poop in it than drink from it. She needs a lot more misting! If/when you can afford a mistking, they are the best! and worth every penny spent on one!!

Her viv is beautiful! you may want to consider upgrading her now to her "big girl" viv though. Veilds as you know like to eat plants, so you should have the majority of plants in her viv live, and safe for her to eat. This will also help with keeping the humidity up.

I know I just loaded you with a lot of information and it is a lot to take in (and I may have missed something) so if something doesn't make sense or you have questions about anything please post! We are happy to help, that's what we are here for! and a huge WELCOME to the forum!!!

 

[kayleighn]

 

[kayleighn]

Those are some photos of her at the moment. Thank you so much for your reply. Morio worms are the same as super worms! Sorry I completely forgot that they have two names! I don't think we can get silkworms here and I don't think many places sell hornworms either. I'll do some research for it. What would you say would be best for gutloading? I'm planning on getting her a bigger viv but I'm not sure what size and type to get due to the weather being quite cold here a lot. What plants would you say would be good for her viv and won't hurt her? Also what would you put in their lay bin. I've read so many different things I don't know what to do! She's like my baby and both my parents and brother love her to bits. It took ages to convince my parents to let me get her! Thank you so much for your quick replies!

 

[Katacara]

Nice pictures, thanks! No worries about the superworm thing, I have lived all over the US and I lived in Dubai for about 3 years, so I know how it goes, I still use words that no one here understands lol!

I am going to look up some links for you, so I may be away for a while, but I'm working on it. I am also going to call on some people with WAY more knowledge than I have about females (I have a male).

@Andee @Kristen Wilkins @jannb @kinyonga What are your opinions? I'm not sure what is available on her side of the pond.

 

[Katacara]

Here are some links you will find very helpful! Some are links to resource lists. If you have any questions just let us know

CHAM LINKS

Chameleon Care
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/

Safe Plants
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/safe-plant-list-by-captive-creations.627/

Gutloading blog list
https://www.chameleonforums.com/search/957257/?q=gutloading&t=ubs_blog_entry&o=relevance

Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet Part 1
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.395/

Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet Part 2
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-care-sheet-part-2.396/

 

[kayleighn]

Thank you so much for the help!! I'm still so new at all of this I just want to to the best I can with her!

 

[Andee]

Oh my god you live in England so so lukcy for insects. She is receptive, showing blue and orange spots. For gutloading, look for mustard green, you should have parsnips there, sweet potato, fruits, turnips, give your animals the greens and the roots/veggies and the fruits you can do as well just no greens from fruit.

As far as good feeders, you should easily be able to find stick insects there, might want to check them out. You should be able to find all sorts or roaches if you can convince those you live with. Crickets of course are possible but most people hate them and only put up with them because of their reptiles. You should be able to get silkworms, I know 100% you can get hornworms. Black soldier fly larvae should be available? not sure though. You should easily be able to get mantids and butterflies of species we can only dream of here. Maybe some smaller types of beetle grubs? I am jealous of you?

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. You have a very lovely little lady. In the past I have had girls become grumpy before laying eggs. I've also had girls lay eggs that didn't even look like they were going to lay. It's always best to provide them with a laying bin after they reach 4 to five months old. Here's a couple links below that you might find helpful.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video.77225/

 

[kayleighn]

Oh my god you live in England so so lukcy for insects. She is receptive, showing blue and orange spots. For gutloading, look for mustard green, you should have parsnips there, sweet potato, fruits, turnips, give your animals the greens and the roots/veggies and the fruits you can do as well just no greens from fruit.

As far as good feeders, you should easily be able to find stick insects there, might want to check them out. You should be able to find all sorts or roaches if you can convince those you live with. Crickets of course are possible but most people hate them and only put up with them because of their reptiles. You should be able to get silkworms, I know 100% you can get hornworms. Black soldier fly larvae should be available? not sure though. You should easily be able to get mantids and butterflies of species we can only dream of here. Maybe some smaller types of beetle grubs? I am jealous of you?

Thank you!! England is great apart from the weather! It means I can't take her outside as much as she'd like. I'll do some more research tomorrow as my parents are forcing my phone away so cannot do that now but I will do at some point tomorrow. Thank you for all this amazing information it's very appreciated!

 

[Katacara]

No problem, that's what we are here for!! Oh and btw, I am super jealous of all your bugs to!!!

 

[kayleighn]

No problem, that's what we are here for!! Oh and btw, I am super jealous of all your bugs to!!!

I can't stand crickets but Karma refused to eat them so we gave up on them. She loves her hoppers but I have so much trouble with them and humidity. They absolutely hate me But she loves them so I gotta keep practicing with them. Any that escape I have to chase across the room before my mum finds out as she hates them Her superworms live for ages I haven't had any die so that's all good there. And wax worms she is obsessed with so we don't give her many otherwise she refuses to eat anything else. She's well worth everything she comes with though when she isn't hissing at us