General Chameleon Care

Enclosure

      Chameleons do best in open air concept habitats, such as aluminum screened enclosures. It is important to stay away from stale, stagnant air which occurs in most glass enclosures. Your cage size should depend on the size of your chameleon. If too small for it's home it may have difficulties hunting and catching it's prey. If too big for it's home it may become less active and develop other problems.

       Enclosures should be equipped with a live, fake, or the combination of both plants. Live plants help hold humidity up in open air enclosures. Plants should be washed with warm soapy water to rinse any pesticides and dirt from the leaves. The plant should also be re potted to avoid the chameleon from ingesting perlite, vermiculite, or fertilizers. Some chameleons friendly plants are pothos, umbrella and ficus benjimina. Certain plants are toxic to chameleons, so be sure to research before selecting a live plant.

      A perch/basking spot is also needed, not only for heat but for proper UV absorption as well. Be sure that you cage has proper drainage. Standing pools of water create a breeding ground for bacteria. 

Lighting

       The most common light used with Panther, Veiled, Jackson, and Carpet Chameleons is the reptisun 5.0 UVB linear tubes. Avoid the use of compact fluorescent UV bulbs. These have been linked to eye problems in a wide range of reptiles.

      When using 5.0 UVB tubes be sure that you chameleon is able to get within 6"-10" of the light. These tubes are only effective up to 12". Also be sure that there is no plastic or glass between the light and your chameleon. The proper amount of UVB cannot penetrate through these materials. UV lights should remain on for 12 hours a day and all lights are to be off at night. UV lights will need to be replaced every 6 months to ensure that the bulb is emitting the proper amount of UVB for your chameleon.

       As for heat lamps, when your chameleon is a young juvenile a smaller basking bulb such as a 25-30 watt bulb should be sufficient. Young chameleons are prone perishing in captivity due to overheating. As a young adult to full grown chameleon, a 40-75 watt basking bulb would be ideal. Proper temperature at the basking site can be achieved by raising or lowering your heat source or by changing the wattage of the bulb.

Temperature

      Panther and Veiled chameleons can tolerate temperatures down to the low 60's at night and up to the high 90's under their basking spot during the day. With an ambient temperature of about 75-80 degrees during the day and about 65-70 degrees at night.

     Jackson chameleons need a daytime temperature gradient of about 68-78 degrees with a basking spot of about 85 degrees max. Jacksons need a drop at night down to about 50-60 degrees. Some jacksons have even been found with ice particles on them so an even further drop at night is not uncommon.

Hydration/Humidity 

     Chameleons do best in humidity levels from 50%-90% depending on species. 50%-60% is safe for most. Live plants in the enclosure should help with a humidity boost. If the ideal humidity rage is not reached a simple humidifier in the room will work well. Chameleons do not understand the concept of standing water. Water can be delivered via a hand held spray bottle or dripper. Avoid the use of waterfalls as they are a huge breeding ground for bacteria and are impossible to clean thouroughly. Foggers should be avoided as well. For those who do not have the time for mistings every few hours, a misting system can be purchased at a reasonable price. A good site to purchase a reliable misting system is www.mistking.com. Mistings should last a minimum of three minutes each and should be done at least 3 times daily.

Nutrition

      Chameleons main diet should consist of crickets, roaches and superworms. Feeders such as Hormworms, Silkworms, Butterworms, Waxworms, Pheonixworms, and even mantids should be offered as treats. Offer your chameleon as much variety as possible to prevent hunger strikes.

     Supplementation is one of the most important aspects when it comes to your chameleons health. All crickets, roaches and superworms should be gut loaded a few hours before feeding. This gives the feeders time to eat and ensures that all the nutritional content from the vegetables goes directly into your chameleon. Feeders can be gutloaded with romaine lettuce, carrots, potatoes and oranges. A variety of all these works best. Try using organically grown fruits and vegetables, or be sure that all vegetables are washed well. This ensures that there are no pesticide remnants left on the food.

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