Frequently asked questions
Here we have tried to cover most of the recurring questions that are commonly asked by our members. Our newer members will find the information below useful and will also help others who may not have time to wait for a response
Please note that the Q and A’s do not apply to all species of Chameleon and for the most part are applicable to Yemen (Veiled) and Panther Chameleons although some will apply across the wide variety of species if you have a specific question(s) relating to your personal situation or individual Chameleon then we do advise to post your question(s) on the group or contact a member of our admin team for further help/advise.
Q. Can I house my chameleons together?
A. For the vast majority of species the answer is NO. Up to around 12 weeks or so most are fine in their baby colonies but after that they will need to be kept/raised separately. Chameleons are solitary creatures and really do better alone. Even the sight of another Chameleon will cause them unnecessary stress which will affect their health in the long term.
Q. What is the best substrate to use in an enclosure?
A. Unless your set up is Bio-Active then substrate is not recommended, Chameleons can easily ingest lose substrate and cause health issues from impaction of the debris in their digestive systems
Q. What is best to use for an enclosure, wood, glass or mesh?
A. Wood, Glass and mesh can all be used successful but they all need to have good/adequate ventilation. Air circulation throughout the vivarium is critical to a Chameleons health as they can suffer from URI's (upper respiratory infections) if kept in an enclosure that doesn't benefit from circulated/fresh air.
Q. What size enclosure for an adult Chameleon?
A. Size of enclosure will depend on the species and age of the Chameleon. Larger species such as Veiled and Panthers will need to moved into an XL enclosure of at least 2ft X 2ft X 4ft tall when they are around 20 weeks old. Their enclosure should be well planted/filled and have lots of shady areas and climbing options so your Chameleon feels safe and can access all areas easily.
Q. How do I keep my Chameleon warm at night?
A. Most Chameleons actually benefit from a drop in temperatures during the night, there is no requirement for any artificial heating to be provided unless the ambient temperatures of the room in which their enclosure is kept drops below 10c/50f or in a situation where the room is cold enough to see your own breath. These temp drops at night apply to both veiled and panther chameleons, for more info regarding a different species please post on the group or PM an Admin
Q. Can basking bulbs be placed on mesh?
A. As long as the basking light is in a holder and the mesh being used is appropriate for vivaria then there is no issue. If you are using non standard mesh over your enclosure then you should be careful as some types of mesh can either melt or react to the heat given out by the lamp. To be safe we always recommend using appropriate materials that are heat resistant and /or supplied by reputable suppliers.
Q. How do I administer supplements and calcium?
A. Unless there is a need to provide additional supplements for medical reasons then the standard approach is to dust your feeders just before offering them to your Chameleon. Dusting your feeders is easily done by putting a small amount of supplement powder inside either a bag or tub and then add the feeders and lightly shake the bag/tub so the supplement stick to them. Only use a small amount of powder to dust the feeders lightly, they should not be heavily coated as you will risk over supplementing and cause health issues in the long term. Remember less is more
Q. What are the basking temps and ambient temps. Including both panther and Yemen also humidity for both?
A. 18-23c ambient for panthers with 32/33c basking (30/31c for females) lower for youngsters 3-4 peaks of humidity around 85/90 dripping off to 50ish between misting’s. Yemen’s 32/34c basking 21-24c ambient 2 humidity spikes rest of time as low as possible, aim for 40s
Q. Can I put my UVB strip light down the side of my enclosure and if not why not?
A. All lighting should be above the Chameleon, lighting from the side especially strong UVB can cause serious eye problems in particular Photo Kerato Conjunctivitis. Chameleons have turreted eyes that are designed to shade from incident light from above. In addition to this when lights are used down the side of the enclosure the correct and desirable photo gradient cannot be achieved.
Q. Unhealthy urate compared to healthy urate and causes?
A. White urates are considered healthy and hydrated. Orange/yellow dehydrated. Orange crystals can be caused by certain supplements
Q. Why is my chameleon sitting with his mouth open?
A. Chameleons will often 'yawn' especially when they are shedding their old skin. However, if your Chameleon is gaping/sitting there with their mouth wide open then this would indicate that the basking/ambient temperatures are too high, and they are trying to cool down. Lower the temps slightly or ensure there is enough circulated air within their enclosure. If the gaping persists then there could be an underlying health issue that needs to be addressed.
Q. What wattage bulb do I need?
A. 65w to 100w purpose made basking bulbs from a reputable manufacturer are the most common and widely used although any incandescent or halogen white bulb can be used. These bulbs give of a high amount of heat and are relatively cheap compared to ones supplied by reptile companies. The most important thing to remember is that in all situations a quality thermostat should be used on a dimmer setting so that the correct basking temps are achieved and maintained. LED's and compact fluorescent lights do not emit heat so should never be used as a basking light. Also an important note is that you should only ever use white bulbs, no coloured lights at all at any time.
Q. Why is my chameleon not eating?
A. Chameleons will often go through periods of not eating especially as they get older and is quite normal. Many people are tempted to offer feeders that are considered treats (wax worms) in an attempt to get their Chameleon to eat, this can often lead to your animal refusing other staple feeders because they become (in the loosest term) addicted to the treats and tastes of wax worms. The best approach (unless there are obvious signs of health issues) is to provide a variety of staple feeders such as Dubia roaches, Locusts/hoppers, crickets.......offer them daily in a feeder cup or similar so you can monitor the amount they take. If they still refuse after a period of 7 to 10 days or more then there may be an underlying health issue that needs addressing
Q. Where can I get my reptile faecal tested?
A. There are many reputable veterinary practices that will carry out faecal parasitology testing from a basic examinations of your Chameleons stool samples to a more in depth laboratory test. In the UK there is a lab (Pinmoore Animal Laboratory Services Limited) that will provide you with a collection tube for fecal matter that is gathered over a three-day period. You can contact them at sales@palsvetlab.co.uk the testing they cover are: Feacal screening - This is a Direct and Salt flotation examination for all parasites excluding
Cryptosporidia and some Protozoa. Full parasitology - This is Direct, Salt and Concentrate examination for Helminth ova, Protozoa,
Protozoal cysts including Giardia, Cryptosporidia and Amoeba. Reptile faecesl 1- This is an Aerobic culture for all bacterial and fungal infections including Salmonella and Campylobacter. Reptile faeces 2 - This is an Aerobic culture as described above but also includes a Full Parasitology screen. and finally Cryptosporidia - This is a target detection of oocysts. We recommend that owners have their Chameleons faeces tested every year as part of your general care regime and as required if you suspect any health issues that could be caused by parasites.
Q. Why do I need my reptile faecal tested?
A. Many underlying health issues are not always apparent from a visual inspection of your animals, outwardly your Chameleon has developed and evolved over a millennia to show no signs of poor health and in fact will hide as best they can any sign of weakness/illness because they want to appear strong and healthy to ward off potential attacks from predators. This being the case it is often too late to intervene when their health deteriorates to a point of near death and many owners are astonished by 'how fast' their Chameleon went down hill and died shortly afterwards. Faecal testing as mentioned before will highlight any underlying parasitic infestations long before they become life threatening and if carried out on a regular basis by a reputable veterinary practice or laboratory will ensure any issues are dealt with swiftly
Q. Can I use a fogger with my Yemen or panther chameleon?
A. No, they are not necessary and using them will eventually lead to respiratory issues
Q. what Lay bin size / substrate to use?
A. In order for a female to lay her eggs, an appropriate sized laybin should be available within their enclosure at all times. The laybin should be large and deep (around 12" deep) and be filled with a safe mixture of play sand/soil/coco husk. The mixture should be compact and kept moist enough to hold a tunnel that won't collapse. A good way to check if the mixture is suitable is to make a thin tunnel down to the bottom and or make a 'sand castle', if the tunnel or sand castle collapses then add some more moisture until the mixture is suitable. When the time comes for the female to lay she will go down to the laybin and begin digging, she may dig a few 'test tunnels' before settling for one she is happy with, it is critical at this time to give her all the privacy she needs in order to feel safe enough to lay, put a blanket or sheet around her enclosure. Do not disturb her when she begins to dig, any interruptions will cause her to stop the egg laying process and she could easily become egg bound and without immediate veterinary intervention will die. The egg laying process could take up to 72hrs from start to finish and they will often stay in their laybin/tunnel throughout this time. Again, do not disturb her, you may be concerned that she has not eaten/drank or had any heat or UVB during this period but leaving her alone is natures way so don't be tempted to intervene. Once she has finished laying she will return to her basking spot, covered in dirt and look pretty thin and dull.....she will now need an extra boost of vitamins/calcium and will likely be very hungry so feed her as much as she wants and give her a good long misting as she will also be very thirsty and need extra hydration
Q. How do I tell if my Yemen Chameleon is male or female?
A. Yemen/Veiled Chameleons can be sexed immediately from birth by looking at their rear feet. Male Yemen Chameleons have a small tarsal spur on the back of their rear feet that distinguish them from females. As they grow the males tarsal spur will become more prominent. Male Yemen's are also more constantly colorful than the female and have striking and vibrant stripes as they mature, they also have larger more prominent casques than females.
Q. How do I know my female Yemen is gravid?
A. Colourful bright blues and yellows in the female of the species indicates that she is in her 'receptive' stage and will generally accept a males advances, provided he is a suitable match of course. Very dark browns and striking yellows in the female is a clear sign for males to back off as she has already been mated and no longer interested. Another confirmation that these species should not co-habitate is the fact that they do not want any other interaction other than necessary to breed. The female Yemen has adapted herself to store a males sperm and re-fertilise her own eggs over and over again without the need of any further help from the male. Thus confirming again that they are solitary creatures
Q. What does T8 and T5 mean and what do the percentages on the UVB lights mean? And what’s the difference between desert and forest lamps?
A. Fluorescent lamps, or fluorescent linear tubes as they are also known, are categorized according to their wattage, shape and diameter. The "T" indicates the bulb is tubular shaped, while the "5" denotes that it is five eighths of an inch in diameter. The other common lamps are the larger T8 (eight eighths inch = 1") and the older T12 (twelve eights inch = 1½" tubes). T5 lamps are the latest technology in the line of fluorescent lighting and are commonly called 'HO' or 'High Output' because the light they emit penetrates further down than the T8 so is an ideal addition to good husbandry methods adopted by Chameleon enthusiasts. The UVB percentages we see on our lamps like 6% 10% 12% etc are shown as the percentage of the total light emitted that is beneficial UVB. So if you have a T8 10% UVB lamp there will be less 'light' emitted than a T5. The light emitted will still have 10% UVB out of the total output but when you want to get as much of the beneficial UVB in your enclosure then the best option would be a T5 lamp (far more emitted light, deeper into your enclosure) and when 12% of that total light is beneficial UVB then for species such as Yemen Chameleons you can'r do much better. People often get confused between desert and forest lamps that are marketed, desert, tropical, forest all don't mean anything, you need to consider your species of chameleons needs/requirements and buy an appropriate UVB lamp to suit their needs in a captive environment. Far better to have the best output of lamp and provide your chameleons with an adequately planted and large enough enclosure to get as near to their natural habitat as possible. Remember Chameleons from Yemen are exposed to some of the highest UVB radation on the planet....they live in the canopies of tress and bask enough to get all that vitamin D that nature provides.......wild recreation is the goal here. If you require more specific information regarding UVB requirements for your situation then please feel free to PM one of our admin team who will be happy to help
Q. Do Chameleons like being handled/cuddled
A. In a word....No, they tolerate us at best they don't need or want our attentions in that way, they 'allow' us to handle them but usually because they want to get out to a higher place or to get some natural sunlight. They can become accustomed to us that's true and once they recognise us as a means of escape, a source of food or something else they want they will tolerate us handling them. Wrapping them in a blanket and sitting them on our laps whilst we watch TV is not good for your chameleon, the reason they don't move is because they have given up the fight and submitted to you as a predator.......all the while this is going on they will feel stressed from the insecurity of what might come next....allow them to come to you, climb on you, handle them daily for short periods on 'their' terms, do not, unless absolutely necessary forcibly remove your chameleon from their enclosure against their will! This is a last resort when you absolutely have to get them emergency medical attention.
Q. Can I feed my Chameleon fruit and vegetables?
A. Chameleons are primarily insectivores, and most will generally ignore vegetative matter although Yemen Chameleons will take a bite out of a leaf or two occasionally. In the main though it is much more beneficial to provide fresh vegetables for your feeder insects to eat prior to giving them to your chameleon, that way they will get the nutritional benefits they need by remaining insectivorous. Most fruits are high in dietary glucose and those sugars are unhealthy to chameleons who will struggle process them. When a chameleon frequently eats vegetation, it is usually because they are lacking in some nutritional needs or because they are dehydrated and need to take on some extra fluids from the plant. Ensure you provide adequate water sources for your Chameleon to hydrate and make sure your supplements and regime is good and finally provide a variety of feeder insects to satisfy their needs.