veiled only wants to explore if cage is open

[Isabella-D]

so i got a young veiled chameleon about five days ago and i've been watching her a lot so that i get to know her traits. i have left her cage open for a little bit today to see what she would do mainly cause i watched a video saying i should in later stages of having her, but she wont move out of one spot unless i open the cage. every time i open the cage but don't stick my hand in she comes to the door. i know she likes to see things outside her cage because when i first held her at the place i got her (And when i took her out of her bring home box) she climbed on my head and looked everywhere. i had to have another person help get her down because i had somewhere to be and she wanted to stay. She has also been kinda dark since i changed one of her sticks out yesterday afternoon cause it was too small for her cage, i'm not sure if its just cause she's curious about her new home or if she's upset about something, her stripes are currently a dark dull green and the rest of her is lighter. i want to take her out and let her crawl around on me so she gets out a little bit, like she seems to want to, but she is afraid of me still. If anyone has any insight as to why she wont move from that one spot unless i open her cage, or as to why she is still darker than usual please share your thoughts! also if you have any tips on how to get her to be less scared of that would be appreciated.

 

[iMi]

They seem to love to explore outside of the enclosure. Ours certainly enjoys his free range time. Sounds like yours is showing signs of stress. Does she have plenty of places to hide? It's best to leave them inside for the first few days. Let her acclimate to her surrounding. Chameleons are not the adventurous type. They need to settle in and feel comfortable. It can literally take days for them to adjust to a new setup or new cage. Taming is even more time consuming and may never yield the results you want. They are definitely interesting animals.

The bottom line is patience, patience and some more patience. Give her time and space. She'll slowly come around. It's partially what makes keeping them so rewarding. For reference, our male Vailed will eat from hand and crawl on top of your hand now. It started with the first few weeks of him running into hiding at the first sight of any human (aka, predator, to them). Week after week we build some trust...

 

[Isabella-D]

They seem to love to explore outside of the enclosure. Ours certainly enjoys his free range time. Sounds like yours is showing signs of stress. Does she have plenty of places to hide? It's best to leave them inside for the first few days. Let her acclimate to her surrounding. Chameleons are not the adventurous type. They need to settle in and feel comfortable. It can literally take days for them to adjust to a new setup or new cage. Taming is even more time consuming and may never yield the results you want. They are definitely interesting animals.

The bottom line is patience, patience and some more patience. Give her time and space. She'll slowly come around. It's partially what makes keeping them so rewarding. For reference, our male Vailed will eat from hand and crawl on top of your hand now. It started with the first few weeks of him running into hiding at the first sight of any human (aka, predator, to them). Week after week we build some trust...

she does have some leaves to hide in and a bunch of sticks, but she mostly stays close to her lights. thanks for the advice!

 

[Beman]

Hi there and welcome. If you would like us to review your husbandry as well you can fill out this form with as much detail as possible and please include pictures of the cage lighting down.
Sometimes the pet stores will give the wrong advice and it is really good to catch it early on. Do you know for sure that it is a female? If so you will want to read up on lay bins as they lay eggs without being mated just like chickens do.

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 Info:

• 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?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[Thehippie]

how hot is it inside her cage? she could also be cold, darker colors absorb more heat, I would make sure it is at least a good 60 to 80 in your house before taking her out. she could just be trying to warm up. where in the cage is she???

 

[Isabella-D]

how hot is it inside her cage? she could also be cold, darker colors absorb more heat, I would make sure it is at least a good 60 to 80 in your house before taking her out. she could just be trying to warm up. where in the cage is she???

i have been checking her temps pretty frequently. she is in her basking spot and its around 85, the rest or her cage is between 65-85ish

 

[Thehippie]

i have been checking her temps pretty frequently. she is in her basking spot and its around 85, the rest or her cage is between 65-85ish

definitely don't see anything wrong with that, could you fill out the form maybe theres something bothering her inside there. I have a theory though that she may just be scared of you and a cage is where she is frequently probed by hands so she doesn't like it in there... make sense??? I hope it does but reading it seems a little confusing lol.

 

[Isabella-D]

Hi there and welcome. If you would like us to review your husbandry as well you can fill out this form with as much detail as possible and please include pictures of the cage lighting down.
Sometimes the pet stores will give the wrong advice and it is really good to catch it early on. Do you know for sure that it is a female? If so you will want to read up on lay bins as they lay eggs without being mated just like chickens do.

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 Info:

• 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?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

my chameleon: veiled chameleon, female, maybe three months? im not sure how old she is. i have had her for five days.
handling: i haven't had her long enough for her to be used to me enough to handle her
feeding: i put 12 crickets in her cage per day and she usually eats them all. she has also had a few superworms. i feed my crickets with a cricket calcium and gutload block.
suplements: Repti Calcium (the kind with blue writing) i have only dusted crickets once so far.
watering: i mist the cage three times a day for 2 min. i have not seen her drink.
fecal description: poop i cleaned out was soft and didn't match the description for dehydration. her pee was solid and white. i haven't had her tested for parasites.
history: i don't know anything other than where i bought her ( at The Jungle Exotic Pets )


cage type: its a open air black aluminium screen cage. the size is 41 x 41 x 76cm
lighting: i have the tropical UBV & lighting kit from zoo med. i turn the lights on at 8:00 am and turn them off at 8:00 pm
temperature: bottom to to is around 60-90. lowest overnight temp is around 55. i measure with a digital thermometer
humidity: i am unsure of how to maintain a humidity level however she does always have some water on the leaves in her cage.
plants: i have plastic vines with leaves and a few real sticks for her to perch on.
placement: the bottom of her cage is set about 4.8 feet up ( so my dog cant eat her) on my dresser ( its in a secure place). her cage is not near any vents and is located in my room so there isn't much traffic except for me going in and out and i do my homework in my room so she sees me a lot (homeschooled)
location: Mississippi ( already a pretty hot and humid place lol

current problem: chameleon will hardly move unless there is food in her cage or if the door is open and is also a darker color than usual

 

[Isabella-D]

definitely don't see anything wrong with that, could you fill out the form maybe theres something bothering her inside there. I have a theory though that she may just be scared of you and a cage is where she is frequently probed by hands so she doesn't like it in there... make sense??? I hope it does but reading it seems a little confusing lol.

totally not confusing i under stand what you mean. thanks!

 

[Beman]

Hi hun can you take a few pics of the cage lights down? This will help us. Also is your lighting a double dome with two screw in bulbs one for heat and one for uvb?

 

[Beman]

Ok so here is a link that will help you with more info https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/ Since you said it is a female you will want to start reading up on lay bins.. This is a wonderful blog. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/
I will attach additional info pics for you as well.

The repti calcium you have should say without D3 if it does say this you will dust her feeders with it lightly everyday. You will want to get a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin to use 1 time every other week. So each is given 2 times a month.

As long as your temps are not lower then 50 degrees in the house you will be good. But if they go lower you will need to get a ceramic heat bulb. These do not have light. She need 12 hours darkness as well as the 12 hours of light.

How are you checking your temperatures?

You will want to gutload with some better options. either do a varied mixture each week of the veg and fruit on the guload list or you can buy cricket crack or repashy bug burger for your feeders.

It sounds like you have a double dome fixture for both heat and uvb. The heat is fine as long as it is not a red bulb. The uvb coil bulb is worthless so you will need to get her a T5 HO fixture this is a long linear fixture and get a 5.0 UVB bulb for it.

 

[Thehippie]

I thought temps weren't supposed to drop below 60 degrees

be ready for a cage upgrade she should have a 61 cm by 61 cm bd 122 cm cage eventually

also could you post pictures of her too?

 

[Beman]

I thought temps weren't supposed to drop below 60 degrees

be ready for a cage upgrade she should have a 61 cm by 61 cm bd 122 cm cage eventually

also could you post pictures of her too?

Not below 50 according to the care sheet. 55 is cooler then I would expect for a house which was why I was wondering about how temps were being checked...

 

[Thehippie]

Not below 50 according to the care sheet. 55 is cooler then I would expect for a house which was why I was wondering about how temps were being checked...

ohhhhhh I usually keep it at 60 jic lol I agree about that, 55 is definitely low for a house

 

[Beman]

ohhhhhh I usually keep it at 60 jic lol I agree about that, 55 is definitely low for a house

LOL girl I am freezing if its colder then 67 at night. Beman's cage drops to about 65 though.

 

[Isabella-D]

Hi hun can you take a few pics of the cage lights down? This will help us. Also is your lighting a double dome with two screw in bulbs one for heat and one for uvb?

Hi! Yes I have the double dome with two screw in bulbs. I'll get some pics up soon

 

[Isabella-D]

my chameleon: veiled chameleon, female, maybe three months? im not sure how old she is. i have had her for five days.
handling: i haven't had her long enough for her to be used to me enough to handle her
feeding: i put 12 crickets in her cage per day and she usually eats them all. she has also had a few superworms. i feed my crickets with a cricket calcium and gutload block.
suplements: Repti Calcium (the kind with blue writing) i have only dusted crickets once so far.
watering: i mist the cage three times a day for 2 min. i have not seen her drink.
fecal description: poop i cleaned out was soft and didn't match the description for dehydration. her pee was solid and white. i haven't had her tested for parasites.
history: i don't know anything other than where i bought her ( at The Jungle Exotic Pets )


cage type: its a open air black aluminium screen cage. the size is 41 x 41 x 76cm
lighting: i have the tropical UBV & lighting kit from zoo med. i turn the lights on at 8:00 am and turn them off at 8:00 pm
temperature: bottom to to is around 60-90. lowest overnight temp is around 55. i measure with a digital thermometer
humidity: i am unsure of how to maintain a humidity level however she does always have some water on the leaves in her cage.
plants: i have plastic vines with leaves and a few real sticks for her to perch on.
placement: the bottom of her cage is set about 4.8 feet up ( so my dog cant eat her) on my dresser ( its in a secure place). her cage is not near any vents and is located in my room so there isn't much traffic except for me going in and out and i do my homework in my room so she sees me a lot (homeschooled)
location: Mississippi ( already a pretty hot and humid place lol

current problem: chameleon will hardly move unless there is food in her cage or if the door is open and is also a darker color than usual

so i got a young veiled chameleon about five days ago and i've been watching her a lot so that i get to know her traits. i have left her cage open for a little bit today to see what she would do mainly cause i watched a video saying i should in later stages of having her, but she wont move out of one spot unless i open the cage. every time i open the cage but don't stick my hand in she comes to the door. i know she likes to see things outside her cage because when i first held her at the place i got her (And when i took her out of her bring home box) she climbed on my head and looked everywhere. i had to have another person help get her down because i had somewhere to be and she wanted to stay. She has also been kinda dark since i changed one of her sticks out yesterday afternoon cause it was too small for her cage, i'm not sure if its just cause she's curious about her new home or if she's upset about something, her stripes are currently a dark dull green and the rest of her is lighter. i want to take her out and let her crawl around on me so she gets out a little bit, like she seems to want to, but she is afraid of me still. If anyone has any insight as to why she wont move from that one spot unless i open her cage, or as to why she is still darker than usual please share your thoughts! also if you have any tips on how to get her to be less scared of that would be appreciated.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Hi! Yes I have the double dome with two screw in bulbs. I'll get some pics up soon

I'm guessing you bought the chameleon kit? You need to upgrade his UVB lighting to a 24" T5HO linear UVB. These are made by ZooMed or Arcadia.

 

[Isabella-D]

I'm guessing you bought the chameleon kit? You need to upgrade his UVB lighting to a 24" T5HO linear UVB. These are made by ZooMed or Arcadia.

thanks! will do

 

[Beman]

Yep so as Camo said lighting needs to be upgraded asap. I would look through the old threads on enclosures and this will give you a better idea of how "full" they like their cage. They like to have places to hide so they do not feel so exposed. lots of horizontal vines help and live plants are great. It will take her a little bit to settle in as well.