Weird bumps
- Thread starter Chipotle
- Start date
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh yes! It’s believed that those are calcium deposits! They are usually caused by supplement issues. Getting supplements and vitamins correct helps them go away overtime.
Here’s my girl when I first rescued her vs a few months ago.
Have you filled out a husbandry form yet?
If not you can copy and paste what I’ve put below and we can help you give your chameleon the best life and fix any issues that may arise!
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.
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Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
I have not.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi and welcome! 
I’d like to see some more pics of him - from the side so all of him can be seen...to gauge his general condition (he does look a bit thin). The bumps could possibly be calcium deposits from improper supplementation and care, which Petco is well known for. He looks quite young and the little ones have no tolerance for even the smallest error in care. Doing a husbandry review would be a good idea. At the very least I’d like to see some pics of your entire enclosure including floor and lights.
I’d like to see some more pics of him - from the side so all of him can be seen...to gauge his general condition (he does look a bit thin). The bumps could possibly be calcium deposits from improper supplementation and care, which Petco is well known for. He looks quite young and the little ones have no tolerance for even the smallest error in care. Doing a husbandry review would be a good idea. At the very least I’d like to see some pics of your entire enclosure including floor and lights.
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Alright, I updated my post above with the questions we usually ask new keepers
.Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - He is a veiled male chameleon. I was not informed of his age at PetCo, but I am under the impression he is rather young. I have only had him for 4 days.
- Handling - I have not handled him much yet. Only about twice to feed him. I only handle him when he crawls on my hand when he wants to.
- Feeding -I am feeding him crickets. The ones I have fed him so far are gut fed and ordered from Josh’s Frogs. He usually eats 4-7 in the morning and the same at night. I usually feed him at 7:30 am and 6:00 pm
- Supplements - So far, I have dusted his crickets in the morning with calcium every day. I am using Repti Calcium. I have Reptivite for his vitamins. I have used it every morning also, but only on one or two crickets.
- Watering - I have a dripper set up and an automatic mister. The mister is scheduled to mist his cage every hour for 30 seconds at night and every hour for 15 seconds during the day. I have seen him drinking multiple times.
- Fecal Description - It is dark brown with white urates. It's a little moist, but not runny. To my knowledge he has not recently been tested for parasites.
- History - I got him from PetCo not long ago. I’m not sure if they were caring for him correctly. I am trying to do everything in my power to care for him properly and have spent a lot of time recently researching to make sure I am caring for him correctly.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - It is a glass cage that is 2x2x4. I have a larger screen cage I am thinking about moving him into as he grows.
- Lighting - I am using an Aqua Culture 75-watt ceramic heat emitter for his basking lamp and a repti sun 10.0 UVB. I do 12 hours on 12 hours off lighting.
- Temperature - His cage floor is around 75 Fahrenheit, and his basking spot is around 85 Fahrenheit. His overnight temp is around 65 Fahrenheit. I measure them with multiple wall thermometers in his cage.
- Humidity - His humidity levels are around 50% to 60% during the day and 80% at night. I use an automatic mister and a spray bottle when humidity needs adjusted. I use an Exo Terra hygrometer to measure.
- Plants - Currently I do not have live plants in his habitat, but I am planning to buy some over the weekend.
- Placement - His cage is located on top of my dresser about 4 or 5 feet off the floor. It is near my fan, but not directly under. To my knowledge his cage has decent airflow.
- Location - Northeast United States.
Hi and welcome!
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His enclosure is temporary. I am planning on getting live plants very soon and giving him more areas to hide and climb.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you! He is a cutie! I love translucents! 
I need to ask for more pics of his back feet…the heels. I just want to confirm that he has protruding nubs (tarsal spurs). Give me a bit of time and I’ll go thru your husbandry.
I need to ask for more pics of his back feet…the heels. I just want to confirm that he has protruding nubs (tarsal spurs). Give me a bit of time and I’ll go thru your husbandry.Thank you! He is a cutie! I love translucents!
Attachments
Do these help? Thank you for your time. I really just want him to be happy and healthy.Thank you! He is a cutie! I love translucents!
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Those do help. From what I can see, you have a beautiful little girl.
Oh okay. I’m sorry the PetCo employee told me she was male.Those do help. From what I can see, you have a beautiful little girl.
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
That’s ok! No need to be sorry, it happens allllll the time
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Nothing to be sorry about. Some Petco employees do try their best, but there’s so much they don’t know about the animals they sell. Ok. My cocoa break is over and I’ll be getting into your review. I do talk a lot and have a lot to tell you, so will break it into two parts.
Im learning quickly to not trust PetCo.
Okay, thank you!Nothing to be sorry about. Some Petco employees do try their best, but there’s so much they don’t know about the animals they sell. Ok. My cocoa break is over and I’ll be getting into your review. I do talk a lot and have a lot to tell you, so will break it into two parts.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
- Your Chameleon - He is a veiled male chameleon. I was not informed of his age at PetCo, but I am under the impression he is rather young. I have only had him for 4 days. So, looks like a sweet little girl. I’m not the greatest at figuring out age, but my guess is around 4 months or so.
- Handling - I have not handled him much yet. Only about twice to feed him. I only handle him when he crawls on my hand when he wants to. You’ll want to hold off on handling and let her settle in to her new home a bit. Then it’s best to start working on building trust. This is a great blog to learn. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/
- Feeding -I am feeding him crickets. The ones I have fed him so far are gut fed and ordered from Josh’s Frogs. Crickets are a good staple, but adding more variety is best. Josh’s Frog’s and other on line vendors sell variety packs, which are great if you have only one or two insect eaters. Just as important as the types of insects you feed is what you feed your insects. I’m sure the majority of us have started with the orange cubes or similar and those aren’t good for more than hydration. You want to feed your bugs a healthy diet of fresh produce and you can supplement it with some quality commercial mixes. I’ve added some graphics below to help guide you. He usually eats 4-7 in the morning and the same at night. I usually feed him at 7:30 am and 6:00 pm For her age, the total amount is reasonable and good. However, it would be better to feed just once in the morning. That gives time to bask and properly digest her food.
- Supplements - So far, I have dusted his crickets in the morning with calcium every day. I am using Repti Calcium. I have Reptivite for his vitamins. I have used it every morning also, but only on one or two crickets. While it’s important to have everything as right as possible (especially with a girl), supplements are one of the things that is essential to have perfect. Make sure your calcium is phosphorus free and does not contain D3. You want to lightly dust every feeding with this. Does your ReptiVite contain D3? See pic below to find where it says. If it does, that is awesome! That is a combination multivitamin and D3 that you want to use for just one feeding every other week. If it does not contain D3, you have two options - get a Reptivite with D3 (or even better is Repashy calcium plus LoD) or get a calcium with D3. If you need and choose to get a calcium with D3, you will use that for one feeding every other week and alternate with the ReptiVite without D3. For example, day 1 & 14 use calcium with D3, days 7 & 28 use Reptivite without D3. Let me know if you have questions about this.
- Watering - I have a dripper set up and an automatic mister. The mister is scheduled to mist his cage every hour for 30 seconds at night and every hour for 15 seconds during the day. I have seen him drinking multiple times. You want to mist for a good two minutes about twice daily - right before lights go on and off. At mid day, you can give a one minute misting or run a dripper for about 15-20 minutes. You want the enclosure to dry out and keep day time humidity down...especially since you have her in a glass enclosure. Many chams are secretive drinkers, so go by the color of urate to determine hydration. White or with a bit of yellow or light orange on one end is ok. All dark yellow or orange is not.
- Fecal Description - It is dark brown with white urates. It's a little moist, but not runny. To my knowledge he has not recently been tested for parasites. Pet stores don’t generally test for parasites. Because of the source they get their animals from and potential bad hygiene and habits of store employees, your little one really should have a fecal check. Most/all vets require a visit with the animal - they have to respect the laws they operate under.
- History - I got him from PetCo not long ago. I’m not sure if they were caring for him correctly. I am trying to do everything in my power to care for him properly and have spent a lot of time recently researching to make sure I am caring for him correctly. It’s super hard to know what is right and what isn’t with chameleon care. Many sites are incorrect, out dated or both. We follow the husbandry standards of https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ and I strongly encourage you to check out the site, go thru the husbandry program and they do have YouTube videos too. So does https://www.neptunethechameleon.com/
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
- Cage Type - It is a glass cage that is 2x2x4. I am going to sound mean for a bit here, but I don’t want to and that isn’t in my heart. But…the tank that you have is maybe I’m guessing about 18x18x18. The standard minimum enclosure that you will be needing is a 2x2x4’ or equivalent. Usually those are going to be all screen or hybrid, depending on where you buy from. For new keepers, I prefer to suggest all screen. One can enclosure the back or sides as needed with shrink to fit window insulation, shower curtain, coroplast, vinyl or whatever. It is more versatile until you get your husbandry parameters met. have a larger screen cage I am thinking about moving him into as he grows.
- Lighting - I am using an Aqua Culture 75-watt ceramic heat emitter for his basking lamp and a repti sun 10.0 UVB. I do 12 hours on 12 hours off lighting. I’m not mean…I swear it!
But neither of these is suitable. You need a linear T5 uvb which is long enough to span the width of your enclosure and (depending on brand) either a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb. I really like https://www.lightyourreptiles.com/arcadia-pro-t5-fixture-6-bulb-22-5-sale-now-only-69-99/ I just very recently tried a less expensive option and it was disappointing. Having correct uvb is the other essential item to get perfect. The screw in bulbs just don’t have any range to them beyond a few inches. With the uvb I linked above, you will then need to have your basking branch 8-9” below it for the ideal uvb levels. Heat emitters are ok, but chameleons gravitate towards light to bask so it’s better to have a light producing basking bulb. You can use an old fashioned incandescent bulb (if you can find them) or reptile specific bulbs which tend to cost more. I use these. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0XCOLY?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details or https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PPJBQHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The 12 hour schedule is perfect. - Temperature - His cage floor is around 75 Fahrenheit, and his basking spot is around 85 Fahrenheit. 85 is a bit too warm. For a young chameleon and a girl, you don’t want to go over 80. His overnight temp is around 65 Fahrenheit. I measure them with multiple wall thermometers in his cage. I don’t see any, so don’t know what type. The analog ones (with a dial) are notoriously inaccurate. Best to use digital with a probe end. Night temp drop is excellent!
- Humidity - His humidity levels are around 50% to 60% too high during the day and 80% at night. I use an automatic mister and a spray bottle when humidity needs adjusted. I use an Exo Terra hygrometer to measure. During the day you want your humidity between 30-50%. High humidity + heat increases risks for respiratory infection. Poor air flow greatly increases this risk. Since your night temps are below 68, you can increase humidity all the way. That simulates the natural hydration gotten in the wild thru fog.
- Plants - Currently I do not have live plants in his habitat, but I am planning to buy some over the weekend. I have just one word for you - pothos! This will be your new bff.
Get 2-3 of them and you can split them up into 4-5 plants. I like having a tall center plant, like a weeping fig tree or schefflera and then put my pothos and tradescantia zebrina around it. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ You will need to clean the leaves. I make A bucket of soapy water with Dawn dish soap to clean my leaves. I also remove the original soil and replace with organic potting mix. Veileds will eat at their plants, so it’s extra important that they be safe/veiled tested and clean and that there’s no fake plants in their enclosure. It only takes one bite of a fake leaf to cause a potentially fatal bowel obstruction. I hang my fake plants on the outside of my enclosures to give my chams a little extra privacy from me. - Placement - His cage is located on top of my dresser about 4 or 5 feet off the floor. Yes! Height means safety to our arboreal friends. It is near my fan, but not directly under. To my knowledge his cage has decent airflow.
- Location - Northeast United States.
You want to add lots of branches and vines - chameleon roads. Empty space is wasted. I like natural branches. Avoid ones with strong odors or sap, like pine and eucalyptus. Oak is perfect. Get your bucket of soapy water and give the branches a little scrub and a thorough rinse before using. No need to bake or remove bark. I even leave lichen on mine.
To hang branches, vines and even plants, there are lots of ways. I love these https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ but recently didn’t have any available when I needed and used scrap garden trellis. That is working great. I attach to the frame with thin wire. I also add a couple of small screws per each frame side to secure the wire to. Pics below.
Lastly, did you know that your little girl will grow fast and eventually lay eggs? She’s still got a few months, but it’s never to early to prepare. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-laying-101.2488/
Do ask any questions that you may have. Since you are needing so many different things, you may want to consider getting Neptune the chameleon’s kit. It’s a great price. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon
Set up using Dragon Ledges
