Veiled Chameleon

[samatwwe]

Hi, I dont know too much about lizards because I'm more of a snake guy but I stumbled apon some veiled chameleons for a cheap price. They are very neat looking and I am starting to research them. I was thinking about a fire skink but these are much nicer looking! Does anybody have any experience with them or advice?
Or how about a blue tongue skink?
Thanks so much in advance.
Sam

 

[Kloster]

I dont keep V.Chams but what I do know about them is that their enclosure has some very specific requirements.
I.E. Needs to be vertical with vines and foilage so that it feels secure, needs a water dripper because they dont drink from bowls, high humidity, specific temps, cant allow them to see their reflection, etc.

I dont keep one cause thats too much for me although they are very awesome to look at.

BTS on the other hand are much more hardy id say. They require a basking spot(with proper temps), some substrate so that they can burrow and their water bowl and thats that.

Before you buy either though, make sure that their enclosures have the proper temperatures and everything is set up properly to keep the relocation stress of the animal to a minimum.

 

[spiderfield]

I used to breed C. calyptratus in college, and to echo Kloster's comments, their husbandry requirements are pretty specific, although not as tight as C. melleri or C. parsonii, for example. But they are pretty hardy. I had kept all of mine outdoors in all-screened enclosures. Proper ventilation is important for all chameleons. In addition, I kept them in a sunny location to allow for proper basking and vitamin D3 absorption, which is important in bone development. Lots of climbing branches should be supplied, and a shaded area should be created as well to allow for them to thermoregulate. And like Kloster stated, lots of foliage for the animal's sense of security. Hydration was provided by misting every other day (I had never observed them drinking from standing water, but rather from dew off of leaves or off their lips. They are found in Yemen, in case you want to research their native habitat. They're a beautiful species of chameleon, in my opinion, especially the males!

Hope that helps!

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Here is the husbandry information I have put together regarding the species in question:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

 

[samatwwe]

Here is the husbandry information I have put together regarding the species in question:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

Thank you! and thank you everyone else. The Chameleon is BEAUTIFUL! Its very bright yellows greens and blues and even some red and a lot of orange. I cant wait to get it!

 

[Tecnition4life]

If you are looking for them as pets then don't get a female, because there is a good possibility she could get egg bound. And i also know that they are really cool.lol

 

[samatwwe]

If you are looking for them as pets then don't get a female, because there is a good possibility she could get egg bound. And i also know that they are really cool.lol

LOL, alright!

 

[Mack&Cass]

We have a 7 year old female who is starting to slow down because she is ancient, but she's still doing well for her age. We keep a water dish in her enclosure and we are seeing her go down for a drink all the time. We also mist her a couple times a day. She has some weird growth on her eye that's caused her to be pretty much blind in that eye and so misting really helps it from crusting over. She still has a great appetite and is crazy mean, so she can't be doing too bad.

 

[pouchedrat]

As others have said, chameleon species are VERY specific in needs and aren't beginner reptiles at all. ALTHOUGH veileds could be considered "beginner chameleons", because they're fairly hardy compared to other species.

I agree with getting a male instead of a female. You can tell male babies from female babies by their back feet. The male will have a "spur" on it's back feet and the female won't. The spur is really just a fleshy point where the sets of toes connect at the center of the foot. Females can get eggbound.

When I had my boy years back, he lived in a 100 gallon reptarium (I definitely recommend an all screen or mostly screen enclosure) with a ficus tree and pothos growing everywhere. They'll consume plant matter as well as insects, and greens like mustards and collards are good for them (my boy ate his pothos a lot as well).

They're also freaking PIGS and will eat truckloads of inverts. At least mine would. I'd shake up the crickets or silkworms in dust and use a clothespin to hook the cup into the enclosure upright, and he would eat directly from the cup. That way there were no loose crickets running around that could start chewing up his back during the night.

Oh and my boy was a mean cuss. they aren't really a pet to handle at all, the stress is bad for them, and they get pretty nasty. It was always sort of funny watching him get pissed off at you and wave back and forth, sideways at you puffed completely up, hissing the entire time. That'd be a regular experience every time I'd try opening the cage door to put in food or take stuff out.

He also never would touch a dish, he would only drink dripping water. Stationary water didn't attract his attention at all.

That's.. all probably on that site that was just linked, so you can just ignore my useless ramblings. Just some experiences from a former veiled owner, I loved that mean butt a lot..