VEILED not eating

[ryan]

hi, i have a 10 month old male veiled who has been great up until now..he has recently stopped eating...sayin that he is still eating greens and waxworms but wont touch locusts or crickets.. he is still drinking too..
i jus cleaned out his whole tank as i could see little worm type creatures crawling about under the substrate at the glass front.. almost like really small caterpillars only with a hard shell type back...
He hasnt lost any weight as such yet and his eyes havent sunk either but im concerned incase he deteriorates quickly...my sisters 10 month old chameleon eats like a horse.. cant get enuff
thanks for any ideas or suggestions u can give...

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Is he pooping?
What type of substrate is in the enclosure?
Consuming substrate and creating a blockage is a very real danger with these animals. This is why it is generally recommended that none be used.
It is also possible at this age that he is bored.
Try silkworms for awhile. Good nutritional value and if he's eating waxworms he should take them.
If he's not pooping there may be reason for concern....try giving him extended mistings/ showers to stimulate defecation. If it goes on for too long he'll need to go to the vet.
You mention glass....how is the ventilation in the enclosure? These animals need extremely good airflow.

-Brad

 

[ryan]

im using repti bark as substrate... its an all glass terrarium with a mesh lid...tho i have just ordered a 36" wide by 48" high by 18.5" deep enclosure....
i mist him 2-3 times a day.. he is pooping but not as big as usual but i put that down to not eating....i just ordered him butterworms to see if he eats them..

 

[Brad Ramsey]

It's good that he's pooping!
I would remove all substrate and continue trying different feeders....they do go through periods like this.
Is the new enclosure screen?

-Brad

 

[ryan]

no its a wooden enclosure with glass front doors tho im cutting the top and screening it with mesh for more ventilation...
I think i may over feed him.. theres always food in his tank.. ive never starved him for a day or two so he's hungry for food...

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Ryan,

I would consider cutting an opening in one of the sides or back as well.
Hard to get cross ventilation with only the top screened.
Pull his food for a couple of days and see if that changes his appetite.
At 10 months he won't eat as much as he was as a baby. I have a male veiled about the same age and he only eats 2 or 3 items every day or two now. Maintains great weight and is active and healthy.

-Brad

 

[ryan]

Thanks Brad... maybe im worrying too early...his weight is good and he is active and isnt long after shedding his skin...Will see what i can do with the tank when it arrives...what about keeping temperature in the tank if i screen a side and top it will losse alot of heat..i'm from N.Ireland..its cold here lol tho the house is always quite warm..

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Ryan,

I believe the best environments we can create are ones with temperature gradients that allow the animal to thermoregulate (choose the temp it want to be in).
To that end I have a screen enclosure that is approx. 4 feet tall with a basking lamp in a top corner and a 24 inch UVB bulb across the top.
The temp at the bottom of this enclosure is about room temperature (68 degrees) and 12 inches under the basking light at the top it is between 86 and 90 degrees.
In between these two extremes it's generally somewhere in the 70's.
My cham is able to comfortably be in any of these areas and depending on whether he wants to warm up or cool down he moves about the enclosure.
Habitats that are too enclosed and do not provide adequate ventilation also tend to be the same temperature all over, so the animal is stuck in a thick (generally too warm) stagnant environment.
These creatures live in very airy environments (up in the trees) where breezes blow and there is sun and shade available all the time.
Additionally, too stagnant of an enclosure promotes mold, mildew and other bacterial growth .....takes too long to dry out between mistings and retains odors from all the aforementioned.
By the way, ideal night time temps for a veiled (when lights are out) are in the mid 60's.

-Brad

 

[ryan]

yeah that all makes sense Brad..My chameleon can move from branch to branch varying his temp. + he likes out alot too, in the garden if its a nice dry day or round the house i have a few 6ft vines for him to climb along.. I have been considering a mesh enclosure for him from ebay for the garden when its nice outside...tho visibility isnt the best, tho thats a little selfish on my part as a keeper..Lately he always wants out..He always comes straight over to me but hates my dad..hisses and puffs up at him, has even bit my dad twice but is completely calm with me.. hopefully he will enjoy his new home when it arrives...tho im thinking i will need a more powerful heat source.. at the min im using a 100w powersun UV and heat bulb.. think i will need the 160w..
Thanks again for replying and ur useful and helpful info..