Getting a Veiled Chameleon

[DnKslr]

I've been reading up on these guys for a while now and I found a place that sells the whole kit~n~kaboodle including a live Ficus tree. So I'll be getting a little green guy this week and although I've read many things about them and I'm pretty confident about having one, I have one question.
How many crickets can one eat and one time? The one I'm getting is about 3-4 months old. Do I just put in a few at a time until it stops eating them?

I also have a friend here in town that used to raise them so I can have some backup info but I don't know if I will be able to reach him before I get my chameleon. I had tons of questions answered but this one just popped into my head tonight.

 

[da_illest]

hey diane! i just got a veiled about a week or two ago and it's about the same age as yours if not a bit older.. anyways, you have to feed them around 10 crix a day! good thing i breed crix anyways, apart from that if you plan on keeping him in a big screened enclosure you can't let the crix run around or the cham will have a hard time finding the things... what's best is to get a short deli cup and put the dusted crix in there for the cham to walk up to and suck them up with it's tongue.. i had a couple problems with the see-thru deli cups and that was that the cham kept seeing them from underneath so it would sit there licking the deli cup for an hour! i say i white one or something that will make the crix visible then tie the cup to the plant or screen.. good luck with it!

i have to admit though, their really high maintenence compared to t's! but the enjoyment on watching it and stuff makes it worth your while.. i just got a huge screen cage and i'm gonna post pics of my setup for you too see k? the only thing is, my pops is going to sand it down (the wood parts) and varnish it with some varnish that's non toxic when dry... so it'll be when he's free to do so..

also i forgot, make sure the crix aren't longer then the cham's throat width to prevent choking...

later

 

[DnKslr]

Thanks alot! I know they're higher maintenance but then a I have an African Gray Parrot so I know all about high maintenance.
Plus when some of my T's get bigger, I might sell them so I don't get over run. I had 4 slings molt yesterday!
I heard about the deli cup idea too. I was told to cut off the crickets legs before putting them in there so they don't escape and so the legs don't cut the chameleons mouth. That's ok with me since I'll just use the legs to feed my slings.
So is you're little chameleon doing good now?

 

[da_illest]

well today i sprayed her enclosure and she didn't seem to move at all which kinda scared me but then she moved after, slow but moved.. hope she's ok! anyways, about the legs thing, i don't cut the legs off because deli cups are soooo smooth that the crickets can't climb it and until now i haven't seen one jump out.. i know because i sit there and watch the cham eat them.. good luck again! remember not to stress it by moving it too much.. i've moved mine quite a few times :8o

anyways keep me informed on how it's doing and any problems and i'll keep you posted on mine..

peace out

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

I wouldn't worry about him not moving to much. They tend to be pretty stationary, and unless they are severly frightened they don't move fast. Make sure the basking spot is about 90 F,
and that she always has acsess to cooler temps. Ambient temps should be fine in the 70's which is pretty much room temperature for most people.

I'm no expert but these are by far my favorite critters, and like I said, I had mine for over a year, and she died from stress related problems. I couldn't help it though, and every move I tried to minimize stress, but, I just couldn't. I moved from my parents house to a rented house, then 1 month later I moved to a two room apartment, and about two months after that I moved AGAIN. Poor girl just couldn't handle it, so I'm not getting another until I own my own home!

They do eat quite a bit though, and need to eat pretty much every day, although it won't hurt to skip a day every now and then.

If you can sucessfully keep chameleons then I'd say you could keep just about any delicate aboreal. They are certainly a challenge, but worth it!

Good luck to both of you and we need to see some pics!

 

[burnpile]

Originally posted by Diane S
whole kit~n~kaboodle including a live Ficus tree.

Some Ficus sp. are toxic to animals that eat vegetation, and a veiled cham is one of those animals. Personally, I use Hibiscus for all my chameleons.

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

Hmm, I thought the big debate was whether or not the sap caused eye infections if it came in contact. I knew that hibiscus was safe, and pothos as well, but I didn't think that some Ficus sp. were actually toxic. I'll have to read up on this.....


Edit- Melissa Kaplan's List of Edible plants-

ASTILBE (Astilbe spp.)2

BABY'S TEARS (Soleirolia soleirolii)2

CHINESE LANTERN (Abutilon hybridum): flowers

CARNATIONS (Dianthus) (PINKS): petals1

DAHLIA: flowerhead

DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale): leaves, flowerhead

DAY LILIES (Hemerocallis sp.): flowers

DRACAENA spp. cornplant

FICUS (Ficus benjamina): leaves

GERANIUM (Pelargonium sp.): flowers, leaves. Other names include: Carolina cranesbill; Geranium carolinianeum.

GRAPE (not ornamental grape ivys Cissus sp.): leaves, fruit

HENS AND CHICKS (Echeveria spp.)2

HENS AND CHICKENS (Sempervivum tectorum)2

IMPATIENS (Impatiens sp.)2

JOHNNY-JUMP-UP (V. tricolor sp.): flowers

HIBISCUS, tropical (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; Chinese hibiscus; shoebackplant): flowers, leaves. Blue Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii): flowers

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea): leaves, flowers3

KUDZU (Pueraria phaseoloides, P. thunbergiana, Fanko Puero): edible by humans, goats and cows; uncertain at this time of potentially harmful phytocompounds which may prohibit or limit intake. If fed, do so sparingly and observe effects

MAPLE (Acer sp.): leaves have been eaten with no apparent consequencea

MESQUITE (Prosopis glandulosa torreyana (P. chilensis): leaves

MULBERRY (Morus alba): leaves

NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum majus): flowers, leaves

PANSIES (V. tricolor hortensis (V. wittrockiana)): flowers; (Chlorophytum comosum): leaves2

PEA, GREEN BEAN (not sweetpea): leaves, pods

PETUNIA (Petunia hybrida)2

PHLOX (Phlox paniculata)2

PINKS (Dianthus): petals1

POTHOS (Epipremnum pothos aureus (Epipremnum aureum): leaves*

ROSE (Rosa sp.): petals

SPIDER PLANT (Tradescantia cussonia specata): leaves (sap may be an skin irritant)

SPLIT-LEAF PHILODENDRON (Monstera): leaves - known safe for prehensile-tailed skinks*

SQUASH / ZUCCHINI (Cucurbita sp.): flowers

VIOLETS (Viola spp, not African violets Saintpaulia ionantha) (PARMA VIOLET V. alba; VIOLA, TUFTED PANSY V. cornuta; AUSTRALIAN VIOLET V. hederacea; SWEET VIOLET V. odorata; CONFEDERATE VIOLET V. preceana (V. sororia); JOHNNY JUMP UP V. tricolor; PANSY V. tricolor hortensis (V. wittrockiana): flowers, leaves - known safe for tortoises

WANDERING JEW (Zebrina spp; Tradescantia zebrina): leaves (sap may be an skin irritant)

YUCCA (SPANISH BAYONET Y. Aloigolia; DATIL YUCCA Y. baccata; JOSHUA TREE Y. brevifolia; SOAPTREE YUCCA Y. elata; SPANISH DAGGER, SMALL SOAPWEED Y. glauca; SOFT TIP YUCCA Y. gloriosa; TORREY TUCCA Y. torreyi; OUR LORD'S CANDLE Y. whipplei; Y. elephantipes (Y. gigantea); Y. tilamentosa; Y. flaccida; Y. harrimania; Y. recurvifolia (Y. pendula);Y. schidigera (Y. mohavensis); Y. schottii (Y. macrocarpa)): flowers




* ... high in oxalic acid - pothos may be offered to iguanas only in moderation

Sources:

a ... Anecdotal as reported by reptile keepers.

1... Campin, Jack. Plant Relationships (for food allergy and intolerance identification)

2... University of California (Davis) Safe and Toxic Plants - An excellent site to look up plants you don't find on any of my Edible or Harmful/Toxic lists!

3... Plants for a Future

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I'm not knocking your knowledge or experience at all, but this is the first I've heard of it. Did you have a bad experience with ficus with your chameleons?

 

[DnKslr]

Wow! Thanks for posting all those edible plants!
I use to have a list of edible, safe plants for my birds but it got lost when we moved.
The Ficus tree is included in the Chameleon package so I'm sure they wouldn't send a toxic species since they raise chameleons. I'll keep an eye out for any problems though.

 

[burnpile]

The study at UC davis listed in the sources section of your post, as well as others have shown the sap may not only cause eye infections, but also skin legions, rashes and overall irritation to reptiles.

On a more personal note the sap from Ficus rubera is sticky enough to trap young chameleonoids to the leaves and branches of the tree. And crickets fed a diet of F. rubera or F. natalensis die in short order, likely due to mouthparts becoming 'glued' together.