When Do You Need What for a New Chameleon?

[Guitarman1]

My 16 year old son has just purchased a minute, new chameleon. He is anxious to purchase or construct a massive enclosure for it, insisting that although it is less than the size of my thumb, if it does not have a massive habitat within a month or two it is going to get depressed and die. My gut presumption is that this arises from typical teenage impatience, but I don't know anything about chameleons myself, other than their capacity to change color. I understand this particular chameleon is expected to grow to about 2 feet in length, snout to tip of tail, but spends most of its time with the tail curled up, so it looks about a foot long. I have no idea how fast one is expected to grow.

It is important because we have a number of distractions just now. Finances are tight, so I'd prefer building a cage to purchasing one (I am confident I can construct a very nice cage much less expensively than the cost of purchase). However, I am distracted by a current bathroom remodel that may take a few months to complete. I have no confidence in my son working on his own in my shop, and I do not currently have time to do it with him.

We have an unused metal wire rabbit hutch that is about 36 inches long x 24 inches tall x 18" deep. I could promptly cut a wooden floor to fit and put screen over the walls and top to keep the crickets in and protect the baby chameleon. Is this a reasonable approach to start, and if so, with the predicted rate of growth of a chameleon, how long do I have until it would be essential to build the DIY cage (I like a model I saw on this site that is 36" x 36" x 72" tall)? Ideally, I would see having the time to take this seriously in about 3 or 4 months, if that is reasonable. Thanks in advance for consideration and assistance.

Rob R

 

[camimom]

My 16 year old son has just purchased a minute, new chameleon. He is anxious to purchase or construct a massive enclosure for it, insisting that although it is less than the size of my thumb, if it does not have a massive habitat within a month or two it is going to get depressed and die. My gut presumption is that this arises from typical teenage impatience, but I don't know anything about chameleons myself, other than their capacity to change color. I understand this particular chameleon is expected to grow to about 2 feet in length, snout to tip of tail, but spends most of its time with the tail curled up, so it looks about a foot long. I have no idea how fast one is expected to grow.

It is important because we have a number of distractions just now. Finances are tight, so I'd prefer building a cage to purchasing one (I am confident I can construct a very nice cage much less expensively than the cost of purchase). However, I am distracted by a current bathroom remodel that may take a few months to complete. I have no confidence in my son working on his own in my shop, and I do not currently have time to do it with him.

We have an unused metal wire rabbit hutch that is about 36 inches long x 24 inches tall x 18" deep. I could promptly cut a wooden floor to fit and put screen over the walls and top to keep the crickets in and protect the baby chameleon. Is this a reasonable approach to start, and if so, with the predicted rate of growth of a chameleon, how long do I have until it would be essential to build the DIY cage (I like a model I saw on this site that is 36" x 36" x 72" tall)? Ideally, I would see having the time to take this seriously in about 3 or 4 months, if that is reasonable. Thanks in advance for consideration and assistance.

Rob R

Congrats and welcome!
What kind of chameleon did your son get?
Do you have uvb bulb and a basking bulb?
Can you take a pic and show us what cage he is in currently?
by the time the cham is about 6 months old, he will probably need his adult cage soon.

 

[fluxlizard]

To be full grown, (assuming you're talking about a Veiled or a Panther) it can be around 2 years.

yes, and no. A veiled can be pretty large by 4 months and a panther by 6- by pretty large I mean large enough to breed (not saying they should be bred at that age though). They continue to grow long after, but the first 4-10 months sees a pretty dramatic size increase. If it is a panther or veiled- (probably veiled) then 2' is sort of like saying humans grow to be the size of professional NBA players- it happens, but most are a lot shorter.

A huge enclosure probably isn't a good solution at this point if this lizard is only the size of your thumb. It makes feeding a bit more problematic.

Veiled and panther chameleon enclosures can be pretty simple to start off with until they have grown quite a bit- a lot of members of these forums grow babies out in plastic storage type containers. I use 22 and 38 gallon reptariums which are fairly inexpensive (less than $30).

But because of the rapid growth rate the lizard will do better in something larger within a few months time. When considering size of the permenant adult enclosure- think quality of life, room to roam.

 

[jessica]

Hello Rob and welcome to the forum! I have a few links that I really like and will help answer a lot of your questions

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ryan-jarosek/119-new-arrival-bringing-home-new-chameleon.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

If the chameleon is the size of your thumb a huge cage may be too big for him/her to navigate food. Do you know what species of chameleon your son bought?

 

[Zen Reptiles]

You can do things very cheaply. A lot of people spend a lot of money on their chameleons because they don't know how to do things themselves.

A DIY cage should cost very little ($50), and food can be collected in the wild or you can breed your own roaches, which there is plenty of info on if you search 'Dubia Roach' in this forum.

Your chameleon will require a larger cage once he is about 4-5 months of age.

At 4-5 months he will likely be 4-5x the size he is now, and will reach his adult size in about 10-12 months.

The most common mistakes made with new chameleon owners is TOO MUCH supplements, inadequate lighting, and too much humidity.

You want the cage to air out completely and be dry between mistings (this should be roughly 3-5 times a day) - and then a good soaking of the leaves and mesh will form droplets for your cham to drink from.

Being so small, you have to be careful of getting water on his face....a few water droplets directly on the nose can cause lung infection and death. You want to spray the area around him, but not the chameleon directly.

 

[fluxlizard]

I said full grown. I didn't say "pretty large or large enough to breed".
Reply With Quote

That's why I said yes and no. I just wanted to make it clear that it would need a larger enclosure before it was 2 years old, but not immediately.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

2 years is a little too lenient don't you think? My 5 month old panther males are ready for their adult cages already....and veileds get bigger than panthers.

Karma...by your definition, it would make more sense to say 'They are full grown the day they die.'

I think 99% of cham keepers can agree that an estimate of being full grown by 2 years is wrong. They'll be 'mostly' full grown within 12 months, and then grow very little further over the course of their life.

To set a date, you want to have his adult cage done and ready by 6 months of age, 8 months at the latest I would say.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

2 years is a little too lenient don't you think? My 5 month old panther males are ready for their adult cages already....and veileds get bigger than panthers.

Karma...by your definition, it would make more sense to say 'They are full grown the day they die.'

I think 99% of cham keepers can agree that an estimate of being full grown by 2 years is wrong. They'll be 'mostly' full grown within 12 months, and then grow very little further over the course of their life.

To set a date, you want to have his adult cage done and ready by 6 months of age, 8 months at the latest I would say.

Again, I DID NOT say he wouldn't be big enough for a large cage at 6-8 months. I said they are at around the size they'll mostly be at 2 yrs.

 

[sdheli420]

Again, I DID NOT say he wouldn't be big enough for a large cage at 6-8 months. I said they are at around the size they'll mostly be at 2 yrs.

i understood what you said karma , and full grown the day they die..that made me lol.. i guess that would be true for completley anything..

 

[hinoco1225]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

That is a great blog to get you started. I'm sure others with post more links with more comprehensive information about supplements, gutload, etc.

It is true that chameleons are an exotic animal that require very specific care, but like others have said, there is a lot you can do to save money yet still care for one properly.

 

[thephotoprincess]

Welcome. Whatever size the chameleon will be, it's small now so you can get by with a much smaller cage. Making your own cage is certainly a possibility - I have made a couple with varying degrees of success (not too handy

I've seen some pretty ridiculously high prices quoted, if you check the site sponsors, craigslist, as well as check out some of the DIY cage and free range plans and ideas you can definitely do things inexpensively.

Believe me - I have 13 chameleons, they are pretty spoiled and I can always find something to buy for them but even so, "thousands" of dollars is a bit high - even including vet costs.

 

[thephotoprincess]

I said thousands because what if something you don't expect to happen happens and you need plenty of vet visits or medicine? It's difficult to start with a chameleon tight on money. It leaves little room for improvement of the care in the future if something happens.

It's tough to live life when money is tight and the unexpected usually happens!! Sometimes we have to make tough choices and sometimes we can find a way to get what we want.

I'm a parent, to me it sounds like this dad has plenty to think about and would have probably preferred not to have a chameleon in his life at this time ... but, he found the forums and is doing the best he can and his son is probably super excited. I want to encourage him and his son that there are ways and sources to do things inexpensively and even better than store-bought so that they can experience the joy of owning a chameleon and give it a good life.

Hopefully all the good people here will get him doing the important things in the best way and maybe we can help them avoid some needless vet bills!

 

[Canny Chams]

OK, im so glad you posted this because this was practically the EXACT situation i was with my first chameleon. I was in my teens, i wanted a cham, i was broke, my parents wornt tight on money just cheap (lol). I built a cage with chicken wire and wooden frame that was 24X24X48. It costed 50 to make but within a year it was falling apart and i had to get a new one, I made 2 realizations, may 10 bucks more for window screen, and the life of your cage will increase 50 as apose to brittle chicken wire, but buying a brand name cage is better over the long term as they will last 2-3 times as long for only 100 bucks. DIY cages makes good cages. I find that depending on my cham, some i have to put in adult cages at 4 monthes, some at 7 monthes, id say if you dont know how to judge it, put him in at 5 monthes. For knowlegde i just did alot of research, since your low on cash, dont worry about a misting system, just spray alot of times per day, and make a dripping cup. when you can afford, buy a misting system, even cheap crappy ones like the habber mist are better than nothing. as for food, some of these people have to cut the crap, if you buy them by large ammounts, you clould pay as little as 5 bucks a week to buy, feed, and gutload your cham. for regular feeding just use fresh veggies with a proper cal/phos ratio. Sandra chameleons has made a gutload that is on her blog that seems to generally be much like my own, and it is very cheap to make. as for lighting, kijiji and craiglist are great places to find FIXTURES, dont buy bulbs expecially UV bulbs there. For heat, just use a household 100 watt or 75 watt light bulb and make a basking spot that is 90 degrees. for UV you will have to make the 12 bucks to get a zoomed UV 5.0 tube. Be cost efficient, and this chameleon will be a peice of cake. if you have any more questions, message me

 

[Dak446]

Excellent advice in this thread

 

[watermelonman]

Introducing dale the 3 week old veiled

Hey everybody, im Dan the notorious newbie
Thanks everyone for their concerns and advice.
I spent about a month researching veiled captive care prior to ordering a baby male from the breeders and Reptmart. Though the choice was made rather hastily my intention is to learn everything i can and provide my cham with a stress free healthy life.

As a temporary home i'm making the best of a large size 24" by 36" exo terra explorarium. As he is currently from snout to vent about 2 inches i think he's set on space for a few months (correct me if im mistaken). In the base of the enclosure is a common plant water catcher about the circumference of his home. I have a currently flowered Zebra along with a Dracaena which I've already seen him nibble on (as well as some of the soil aha, ill try river rocks). The center piece is a spiraling vine marketed for birds real cheap around $3 which i boiled and baked and set leading to the basking spot. I also have a fake Pothos hanging nearest the UV and spot bulb, this seems to be his favorite spot over the vine perhaps because it provides better coverage from the huge creature staring at him or because it is an area of even lighting between the two sources. I took a trip to the dollar tree down the street and purchased several 4 ft. strands of "foliage garlands", what a steal! (thanks for the tip fellow blogger ) I secured the strands along the uppermost part of the cage allowing the cham to travel all around. For bulbs i am currently using a 14 watt 5.0 repti glo compact bulb and a 50 watt day white spot bulb. Both bulbs are in exo terra glow light lamps secured to wood balasts which are clamped to my coffee table. I tried my best to arrange the lamps in the most effective way but i am not sure if my basking temp and ambient temp are up to par, i still need to purchase an accurate digital therm. I'd like to think he's warm because he doesn't always stay right under the spot light and travels constantly. While in my care (since yesterday morning) he's eaten about a dozen crickets and drink the drops i manually drip. He seems to drink more from drops accumulated and dripping from the plastic mesh than on the plants. As im new to cham care im trying to provide a good level of moisture with out to much humidity, i use a combination of a few mists and then a few sprays. I was happy to see him sample a small leaf off the Zebra plant and am hoping he'll respond to leafy greens in the future. I'm feeding my crickets on flukers orange cubes, calcium fortified cricket drink, apples, and greens. I dust them with calcium with d3 and a reptivitamin. I'm aware of the possibility of overdosing so ill keep note on regulating how often i dust. Now are for my concerns (though im thankful of all suggestion) is the health of the chameleon purchased. Admittedly i knew the potential risks of a mail order but i was and remain hopeful, however two relatively concerning matters are 1. As you'll see in the attached picture he has a white spot below his right eye near his nostril and 2. more concerning is his walk and movements (really hoping its not MBD) though he does remain extremely active going up and down plants and the enclosure walls often hanging from his hands and feet and hasn't fallen or lost grip he seems to rock back and forth at a pretty constant rate each time he moves and at some points his hands appear to tremble. He also moves his arm forward and back each time he goes to reach for a new leaf to cling to. For all i know this is relatively normal as I've heard they often try to resemble a leaf blowing in the wind to avoid predators. Anyways im remaining hopeful, i look forward to building a quality full size enclosure allowing my cham to flourish for a number of years, thanks again for your time and help.

Dan the watermelonman

 

[watermelonman]

Here's some pictures of dale, his white spot, and his enclosure.

 

[thephotoprincess]

He is a cutie! Could that white spot be some skin that didn't come off properly from a prior shed?

The cage size is fine for a little guy. You will have people you that you must not use the compact UV bulb. There was, once upon a time, problems with some of them. Those problems have been fixed and it was not with the brand you are using. I use those same bulbs as you in a few of my set ups and have NO PROBLEMS.

Also, dust daily with calcium with no D3. Check out threads regarding the Repashy all in one supplement. If seems to be a good option for many, myself included.

Welcome and best of luck!

 

[watermelonman]

Thanks! Any thoughts on the swaying back and forth? Also my spot bulb box says up to 6" away 82-85 degrees is produced. I've read 90- is needed so time for a new bulb?

 

[tdotcham]

Karma... Everytime I read a post you make i shake my head.

You've been provided with good info here. As for the basking spot id say to make it in the mid to low 80"s rather than 90 as you said he's a baby. Sounds like you're doing well aside from the supplements. So many people have different opinions on here, so I'd suggest getting the repashy calcium plus as theyve designed it to be used daily. It contains a balance of calcium, vitamins, and D3 that is suitable for every day dusting.

The forum will be a good resource for you, read with an open mind as alot of members have very different approaches and some people are very opinionated

 

[Solid Snake]

On the "behavior", chameleons often do reach, pull back, reach, pull back, repeatedly before actually taking a step. If you would like to make shure his behavior is "normal" why not try to look up some baby cham videos on youtube. Watch several, then if you still have reserves, let us know Have fun! Good luck!