Howdy readers! I’m Neptune the Chameleon’s mother and have spent years educating and mentoring hundreds of chameleon keepers throughout the globe in correct chameleon care. After seeing subpar kits and numerous keepers battle to know what provides to buy for his or her new chameleons, I teamed up with Pangea Reptile to provide you a package that can assist your chameleon stay their finest life! Let’s speak via what all the pieces within the package does. In the event you study by watching movies, you should definitely try this video:
The toughest elements about conserving a chameleon as a pet are figuring out what data to take heed to and getting them arrange accurately. I’m going to encourage you to strive to not deviate from the suggestions being made on this package. There is a number of misinformation and outdated merchandise on the market that aren’t secure or really useful to make use of for a chameleon which I discuss ceaselessly on my social platforms. You’ll be able to observe me @neptunethechameleon on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Fb.
The Kits
Enclosure
What enclosure does a chameleon want?
First up we now have the enclosure. The ZooMed XL Reptibreeze will work for both a male or feminine veiled, panther, or Jackson’s chameleon that’s 3 months outdated or older. This enclosure measurement will work for the whole lot of their life. Chameleons must be housed individually and by no means saved collectively. In the event you bought a chameleon egg or a hatchling, I’d counsel learn how to arrange an enclosure for a child chameleon.
As soon as the enclosure is assembled it would be best to present some type of option to elevate the enclosure at the least 2 toes off the bottom. Most keepers use a desk or nightstand, however I personally use storage shelf racks in order that I may also have a option to drain the surplus water. Extra on that later.
Lighting
What lights does a chameleon want?
Subsequent up let’s discuss lights. Now this may get very difficult and there’s a lot of various data on the market on the web, so I’ll attempt to maintain it easy. However allow us to first set up that there’s multiple option to maintain a chameleon.
Basking Lights & Temperatures
What I’m recommending is the only lighting mixture that has been confirmed to be very profitable with veiled, panther, and Jackson’s chameleons. Chameleons want a white warmth bulb (don’t ever use pink warmth bulbs) to assist regulate their temperatures since they’re ectothermic (chilly blooded). Warmth bulbs must be positioned on the skin of the enclosure and normally to at least one aspect/nook of the enclosure in direction of the again.
The perfect temperature ranges will range based mostly in your species and intercourse of chameleon, however the normal basking temperature for a feminine chameleon is 80°F and 85°F for a male chameleon. This may be measured by the thermometer offered within the package. The 50W Pangea Halogen bulb that comes with the package ought to be capable to provide the right temperatures. You might want a decrease or larger wattage bulb to attain the right temperatures as a result of the temperatures are depending on how distant your basking department is from the bulb, and the temperature within the room the chameleon is saved in. The warmth bulb must be on for 12 hours and fully off at evening which may be achieved with the timer that comes within the package! Nighttime temperatures will range per species, however all species profit from a temperature drop at evening. Veiled chameleons do finest with nighttime temps of 55°-65°F, panther chameleons must be 60°-70°F, and Jackson’s chameleons must be round 50°-65°F.
UVB Lighting
UVB bulbs get much more difficult than warmth bulbs. I’m recommending you utilize a T5 HO Arcadia 6% or the Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb, which is what the package comes with. This bulb is 100% essential and acts because the solar in your chameleon. With out the right UVB bulb, your chameleon is vulnerable to growing life threatening well being points like metabolic bone illness. If you don’t personal a photo voltaic meter then your UVB bulb will have to be changed each 6-12 months – simply because the UVB bulb activates, doesn’t imply it’s pushing aside sufficient UVB as a result of the bulbs get weaker and fewer efficient over time.
You might hear some keepers advocate utilizing a T5 Arcadia 12% or Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb particularly for veiled chameleons. This goes again to my earlier remark that there’s multiple option to maintain a chameleon. There was analysis that demonstrates {that a} veiled chameleon can efficiently stay and produce wholesome offspring beneath a 6% or 5.0 UVB. So, then we surprise as a chameleon group, is the 12% or 10.0 UVB an excessive amount of UVB? Are we overdoing it? We all know an excessive amount of UVB is dangerous to people (sunburns, most cancers, and many others.) however we’re nonetheless studying the long-term results of an excessive amount of UVB on chameleons. If you wish to study extra about this, try Chameleon Academy. This package is supposed for brand new keepers, so I do desire to err on the aspect of warning and advocate you utilize a bulb we all know for positive is secure. Your UVB bulb must be positioned on the skin on prime of the enclosure and does finest when positioned horizontally to run left to proper.
Plant Lighting
In the event you bought the Superior package, then additionally, you will obtain a plant LED gentle. I’ve seen a HUGE enchancment in plant progress since including one to my very own enclosures. They don’t seem to be essential, however you will discover it to be a lot simpler to maintain your vegetation alive within the enclosure for those who do resolve to get one. This must also be turned off at evening and run alongside your UVB bulb.
Your warmth and UVB bulb (and plant LED gentle) must be on for 12 hours and off at evening. Fortunately for you, the package comes with an outlet timer so that you can plug your lights into and customise after they activate and off. The particular occasions you decide can range simply be constant. My lights activate at 8am and off at 8pm.
Branches
What branches do I take advantage of?
The package doesn’t include any branches, which lets you customise it to your chameleon’s wants and private aesthetics. Most chameleon keepers domestically supply their branches. I personally use pure branches from outdoors and have had nice success utilizing birch wooden however there’s plenty of completely different varieties you should use. In the event you do resolve to make use of pure branches from outdoors make certain they’re washed and cleaned to keep away from bringing any international contaminants into your enclosure. Make certain the branches you decide usually are not too thick. Your chameleon’s foot ought to be capable to grip across the department. It’s all the time a good suggestion to offer quite a lot of sizes of branches to provide your chameleon plenty of choices. Keep away from utilizing bamboo as a result of it is extremely slick and may be troublesome in your chameleon to climb. Additionally keep away from branches from sap producing timber as a result of the sap could trigger irritation or bodily impairment, and pretend flexible and or mossy vines the place a wire could poke out of the vine.
How do I arrange the branches?
The branches you set inside the chameleon enclosure have a number of functions. The branches are used for touring across the enclosure, enabling correct thermoregulation, guaranteeing your chameleon is snug, holding up different décor and foliage, and in addition normal aesthetics. Use sticks and branches to your benefit to make an superior show but in addition to maintain your chameleon snug.
The primary goal of putting in branches in your enclosure is to offer your chameleon pathways and highways to securely journey via the enclosure. With out a correct department setup, it’s doubtless your chameleon will attempt to climb the display screen which might trigger them to fall and rip out their nails. Chameleons usually transfer side-to-side so I might attempt to place your branches horizontal with a couple of operating diagonally alongside the highest, center, and backside. The branches are how your chameleon will get round, so any empty house is unused house. Each enclosure shall be completely different however simply so you may have an concept, I ended up utilizing 25 branches in my enclosure.
A very powerful department in your enclosure is your basking department which is the one which shall be beneath the warmth bulb. It’s SUPER vital that that is the suitable distance offering the right temperatures so your chameleon is not going to burn themselves as a result of chameleons are unable to acknowledge if the temperature is simply too scorching and can by accident burn themselves inflicting irreversible harm. If in case you have a child chameleon, you will want to issue within the progress of your chameleon and modify the branches as wanted as a result of they are going to get nearer to the warmth bulb as they develop. I like to recommend basking department placement usually 4″-6” away from the basking bulb.
Mounting Branches
The ultimate goal of the branches is to behave as an anchor so that you can connect your vegetation. As soon as your branches are within the enclosure you may transfer on to attaching your potted stay vegetation.
Branches may be connected to the display screen enclosure through the use of fishing line, floral wire, zip ties, push pins, Dragon Ledges, and many others. There’s plenty of other ways you are able to do it, so you should definitely try my numerous tutorial movies for inspiration and step-by-step directions.
Crops
What vegetation do I take advantage of within the enclosure?
The vegetation inside the enclosure give your chameleon further issues to climb on in addition to locations to cover. In case you are on the lookout for concepts on what vegetation to make use of in your chameleon’s enclosure, try my plant playlist for tons of concepts and inspiration. A few of my favourite vegetation to make use of embrace pothos, begonias, philodendrons, dracaenas, and monsteras however there are many different vegetation you should use!
Here’s a hyperlink to the Neptune the Chameleon Plant Playlist
You will need to ensure you are utilizing stay vegetation which might be secure in your chameleon since some chameleons, particularly veiled chameleons, will eat the stay vegetation which is why faux vegetation usually are not really useful for many chameleons. Keep away from utilizing faux vegetation, ropes, or hammocks, and actually something in addition to pure branches and stay vegetation as a result of they’ve been identified to trigger preventable points with chameleons.
When constructing your enclosure, I might counsel beginning on the prime and dealing your means down when including in your vegetation. Use smaller vegetation that do properly in warmth, excessive gentle, and with plenty of water in direction of the highest after which use greater, extra sturdy vegetation that do properly in low gentle for the underside of the enclosure. Bear in mind any empty house, is unused house. A very good rule of thumb is to you need to be capable to sit throughout the room and have a tough time recognizing your chameleon. They want lot of plant protection to have the ability to disguise and really feel safe. I ended up utilizing 8 smaller vegetation connected to the higher branches and three massive potted vegetation on the backside.
What do you set on the backside of the enclosure?
I’d advocate both making the underside of your enclosure absolutely bioactive (drainage layer, bioactive soil, isopods, stay vegetation, and many others.) or placing giant potted stay vegetation. In the event you’re a brand new keeper, the potted stay vegetation are the simpler possibility, and you may all the time make your enclosure bioactive sooner or later. The massive potted vegetation assist catch the water out of your mister and provides your chameleon issues to climb on. There isn’t any want to make use of further substrates like bark, reptile carpet, and many others. Paper towels can be utilized if that shall be useful for cleansing up, however they’re not normally wanted.
Hydration
How does a chameleon drink?
Let me begin off by saying there are a number of hydration strategies in the case of chameleons. I’m going to share what has labored for me and what I like to recommend to new chameleon keepers I mentor. I hope when you study extra about chameleon care that you simply really feel empowered to customise your hydration schedule based mostly in your atmosphere and particular chameleon. Chameleons are interested in motion with their meals but in addition with their water. Chameleons are shy drinkers so strive to not freak out for those who don’t see your chameleon drink.
Finest Practices
The final advice within the chameleon passion proper now could be to mist 2-4 minutes within the morning earlier than lights activate and 2-4 minutes at evening after lights flip off. Keep away from spraying your chameleon immediately. You’ll be very tempted to mist them throughout the day to ensure they’re getting sufficient water – strive not to do that. As a substitute, monitor your chameleon’s poop to ensure they’re staying hydrated. In the event you mist throughout the day, you’re making a scorching and humid atmosphere which isn’t splendid for a chameleon. Permit your enclosure to dry out all through the day. Keep away from utilizing water options like a waterfall which may be exhausting to maintain clear and sanitary in your chameleon.
Misters
We use a mister to assist preserve the suitable humidity ranges and supply shifting water for our chameleons to drink. You’ll be able to manually mist your enclosure with the spray bottle that comes within the Primary Package, or you may customise the automated MistKing misting system that comes within the Superior Package to mist on a set schedule. The MistKing is a GREAT buy in an effort to automate your enclosure to have the ability to go on trip and have peace of thoughts that your chameleon is hydrated. To not point out your hand will thanks for not having to face there for two minutes and mist.
I might counsel putting your MistKing nozzle in one of many entrance corners in order that it may level in direction of the middle of the enclosure. You’ll be able to modify the angle of the nozzle so that it’ll keep away from misting your partitions. You even have the choice so as to add a cool wanting background to the again of your enclosure which may additionally assist mitigate the quantity of water that hits your partitions.
Drippers
One thing not included within the package is a dripper. You should buy these individually and even make your individual! The dripper is a small container you fill with water to place above the enclosure to drip water onto your chameleon’s vegetation to offer further ingesting alternatives. It’s not a essential merchandise to have however can come in useful.
Foggers
In the event you bought the Superior Package, you then even have a fogger! Foggers are used to assist improve the nighttime humidity stage for a chameleon. The fogger might help simulate fog rolling in at evening which is what they’d expertise within the wild. After which they’ll breathe within the moist air and keep hydrated that means.
Humidity Ranges
Beneath are the present humidity ranges really useful for the generally saved species. These are normal tips and are topic to vary because the passion is studying extra about chameleon care. These numbers are measured through a hygrometer (which comes within the package!) and are managed by a mess of things together with the pure humidity of the place you reside, what number of stay vegetation are within the enclosure, how usually you’re misting, how lengthy you’re misting, if you’re utilizing a fogger, and many others. Keep in mind that you are aiming in your humidity to be larger throughout the evening and must be 70% or larger.
Daytime relative humidity
Veiled chameleon: 40-50%
Panther chameleon: 50-60%
Jackson’s chameleon: 30-50%
Nighttime relative humidity
All species: 70-100%
Study extra about chameleon hydration, humidity, and many others.
How do you cope with all of the water?
Between the misters, foggers, and drippers, there’s a number of water that comes with a chameleon enclosure. There are many other ways you may handle the water, however I’ll share what I do. I drill a couple of small holes within the backside of the PVC ground and put my enclosure on prime of a storage shelf and a bucket beneath. The water will pool in direction of the middle and be caught within the bucket beneath. The remainder of the water must be caught by the massive potted stay vegetation on the backside of the enclosure.
Feeding
What does a chameleon eat?
Chameleons are insectivores and may solely be feed stay bugs which were gut-loaded and supplemented. When planning out your chameleon’s food plan it’s worthwhile to ensure you embrace plenty of selection, in addition to ensuring you’re feeding them nutritious bugs. Some wholesome bugs you may feed frequently embrace crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, locusts, pink runner roaches, black soldier flies, blue bottle flies, hawkmoths, silk moths, wax moths, and many others. Some bugs which might be nice to feed to your chameleon as an occasional deal with could be: superworms, hornworms, wax worms and mealworms. It would be best to keep away from feeding your chameleon issues like butterworms, earth worms, spiders, fruits & veggies, freeze dried bugs, and bugs from outdoors.
Regulary:
Crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, locusts, pink runner roaches, black soldier flies, blue bottle flies, hawkmoths, silk moths, and wax moths.
Occasionaly:
Superworms, hornworms, wax worms and mealworms.
Keep away from:
Butterworms, earth worms, spiders, fruits & veggies, freeze dried bugs, and bugs from outdoors.
Intestine-loading
It’s vital that every one your feeders are gut-loaded earlier than feeding them to your chameleon Intestine-loading is the method of feeding your stay bugs wholesome fruits and veggies earlier than feeding the bugs to your chameleons to make sure they’ve the right micronutrients. With out gut-loading, you’re mainly feeding your chameleon an empty bug shell. It is vital you utilize the right gadgets to gut-load with since not all fruits and veggies are created equal.
Study extra about gut-loading:
How do I feed a chameleon?
Feeding tongs are a terrific software to pick-up the stay bugs that you will want to feed to your chameleon. In case you are snug grabbing the bugs along with your naked arms, go for it! That provides me the heeby jeebies so I take advantage of the tongs to select up the assorted stay bugs and needed to ensure the package included some. The tongs usually are not usually used to feed your chameleon immediately as a result of you may by accident harm your chameleon’s tongue whereas utilizing them. The chameleon’s tongue can get caught to the tongs and will end in amputation. The most secure technique to feed your chameleon is by cup feeding the place you set the bugs in a cup or feeder run.
Feeder run: An object arrange in an enclosure that accommodates feeder bugs and permits them to stroll on a path (usually vertical) to attract the eye of a reptile.
Some folks select to have the bugs run unfastened within the enclosure. I don’t advocate tossing bugs within the enclosure since you will be unable to make sure they’re gut-loaded and supplemented in the event that they aren’t eaten immediately. Moreover, it may be difficult to maintain observe of how a lot your chameleon has eaten. Make certain the bugs are shifting round within the cup to be a focus for your chameleon. Remember that it may typically take a chameleon 2 weeks earlier than they really feel snug sufficient inside their new enclosure to begin consuming.
What dietary supplements does a chameleon want?
I briefly talked about ensuring the bugs are supplemented. Let’s dive into {that a} bit extra. Supplementation is the method of including powdered nutritional vitamins to the stay bugs earlier than feeding the bugs to your chameleon. These dietary supplements are essential if you’re going to maintain your chameleon indoors since they aren’t capable of get entry to pure solar and the advantages that include it. (Placing your chameleon by a window is not going to suffice since home home windows are constructed to cancel out UVB). Moreover, the dietary supplements assist stability out the improper calcium to phosphorus ratio that’s current within the bugs we feed to captive chameleons similar to crickets, dubia roaches, and many others. With out the right dietary supplements your chameleon is in danger for growing well being points similar to swollen eyes, metabolic bone illness, and many others. Each kits include PangeaCal with out D3 and a multivitamin with D3. The dietary supplements you utilize, and the way usually you utilize them shall be dependent in your species. Please watch the video beneath to study correct complement schedules:
How a lot does a chameleon eat?
How a lot your chameleon eats is dependent upon the age of your chameleon. A rising child chameleon will eat lots an increasing number of usually than an grownup chameleon who isn’t rising as a lot. Chameleons 3 months to 8-ish months must be fed as soon as within the morning round 10-15 bugs. Attempt to not stress an excessive amount of on the amount of bugs since that can range on the scale of bugs you feed and your chameleon’s feeding preferences and habits. In case your chameleon is persistently consuming and pooping, then you’re doing an excellent job. In the event that they cease consuming all collectively, then it’s worthwhile to examine additional and see why that may be occurring. As soon as your chameleon is round 8-9 months outdated (give or take) then you can begin reducing again on their meals to each different day till they attain maturity at 12 months outdated. Then they are going to eat 3-4 bugs each 2-3 days. That could be a tough guideline. It is best to actually study the indicators of an underweight, obese, and wholesome weight chameleon that will help you be capable to modify their food plan and amount of bugs as wanted.
Extra Information
What if I’ve a feminine chameleon?
One thing that isn’t included within the package is a laying bin. If in case you have a feminine veiled or panther chameleon, you will want to offer her with a laying bin, so she has a spot to put her eggs. They’ll lay infertile eggs even when they’ve by no means been with or have seen a male chameleon. Jackson’s chameleons give stay delivery, so that they don’t want a bin.
Watch to study extra about egg laying and learn how to arrange a laying bin:
In conclusion
I hope this helps get you began in your chameleon conserving journey! They are surely such a pleasure to observe and handle. Keep in mind that the 2 most troublesome issues in the case of chameleon conserving is getting them arrange accurately and figuring out what care data to take heed to. Fortunate for you, you may have these nice Kits obtainable to you and this weblog together with my a whole bunch of free movies on YouTube. Good luck along with your chameleon!
Superior Chameleon Package by Neptune the Chameleon
24” Pangea Reptile T5 HO Fixture
Zoo Med Deep Dome Lamp Fixture
Vivarium Electronics LED Gentle
Pangea Thermometer & Hygrometer
Pangea Rubber Coated Feeding Tongs
Primary Chameleon Package by Neptune the Chameleon
24” Pangea Reptile T5 HO Fixture
Pangea Thermometer & Hygrometer
Pangea Rubber Coated Feeding Tongs
