A few quick questions

[hendrix]

I have just started to read veiled chameleons caresheets and have a few questions that none of them cover,…. I know that they are easy to stress but would music bother them? Would It be better for them to be in a room that is silent all the time?…

oh yeah, this is really basic and you would think that every care sheet for them would tell you but how long do they live? all 5 I have read haven’t said!!!…

and last, how much do they cost? Im to lazy to track down somewhere selling them online (uk price would be best)



Thanks for your time…

[Trace]

Hello Hendrix!

Chameleons can't hear all that well, in fact, can barely hear at all, so loud music will not bother these guys. A large portion of their brain is used for the sense of sight and thus have lost the ability to hear, smell and taste.

As for lifespan, it tends to vary for the different species, but for the popular chams like the Veiled's and the Panther's, the males average about 5 years and the females about 3 years.

Price wise (I'm too lazy to convert it to UK monies) but Panther's in Canada are about $200.00 and Veiled's between $75.00 and $150.00.

Good luck!

Trace

[hendrix]

thanks for your help trace! :)

[Trace]

No problemo! Fire your questions at me anytime! I'm just happy to see the chameleon forum so active! WWWWEEEEEEEEEEE

Trace

[hendrix]

:) ok i got one, if Veiled chameleons hate seeing other chameleon how to you breed them?... do you just put them in the same cage for how ever long it takes and separate them?

this may be a stupid question but i read that chameleons change color because of there mood and not to match the stuff around it, so do all Veiled chameleons change the same color when happy and feeling safe/not stressed

just wondering:

[Trace]

Male Veiled's DO NOT tolerate each other. I currently have 5 males and they can not even be within sight of each other (believe me they can see quite a distance) or they start displaying and chirping at each other and just generally get annoyed.

Now a male seeing a female is another story! The males will mate at any time, but it is up to the female whether or not she lets him try. Usually the female will display light blue spots on a green background when she is ready to mate. When this happens, introduce her to the males cage and hopefully nature will take it's course. Leave her there for a few days until copulation is stopped completely. She will display yellow spots on a black background when she has lost interest in the male. She should be removed immediately and placed back into her own enclosure.

Multiple females can be housed together, for the most part they will just ignore each other.

Hope this helps!

Trace

[Trace]

Ack! You edited your post! :P

Yep, they change colour according to mood. Generally all Veiled's will have the same "happy" colours. Not all my Veiled's are identical, but you get the idea.

Trace

[hendrix]

yeah had to add something to my post :)

im getting confused about lighting and heating! Correct me if im wrong…. I should have a full spectrum light on 12 hours a day and a heat lamp on (90f) at day (70f) for night, this heat lamp should be red bulb right? Because reptiles cant see red light (well I know bearded dragons cant)

[Trace]

I use regular household 60watt light bulbs for heat. Nothing fancy here. I've never used those "red" ones, as I think they are a waste of money. My heat lamps get turned off in the evening and I use nothing for heat overnight as chameleons can tolerate the temperature drop. (My house isn't freezing cold!)

My UV light is turned off and on at the same times as the regular light bulbs.

My photoperiod varies throughout the year. I turn on their lights when the sun comes up and off when it goes down.

Cheers!

Trace

[hendrix]

really? a 60watt gives out that much heat...


thanks again for your help :D

[Trace]

So no more questions there Hendrix? I can get some sleep now? LOL!!!!!

Cheers! :D

Trace

[hendrix]

lmao yeah, all out for now... but im sure there will be more

[Xetox]

I use a little different set up for lighting, I do use the red light 24 hours a day just for a basking spot but my females house is 6' high, and then yes I use two 75w bulbs that are on timers they are set with about the same as the rise and fall of the sun.

Now I have about the same setup as Trace for my Males, but I try to keep the females as happy as possible....they are the egg layers in the family ;)

[hendrix]

i think im going to go with one red bulb for heat on a thermostat (im always paranoid about the heat because this house is so cold in winter at night) and leave it on 24/7... and just turn off the UV light at night when i turn down the thermostat and turn it on in the morning when turning the thermostat up....

hmm someone should make a thermostat that can turn itself down at a serten time and back up at another :)

btw, uv lights are those long strobe kind?

[katev17]

Yup, they are!

I'm sure there's a digital thermostat somewhere that can do that! If not, it's a great idea ;)

Kate

[Trace]

What I use for UV depends on the size of my cage.... for the larger enclosures I use Powersuns (combo heat and UV in one bulb) and for the smaller cages I have 2 light fixtures on the top. One fixture with the 60watt light bulb and one ballast with a Iguana 5.0 flourescent tube.

Hope this helps!

Trace

[Xetox]

There are, right now I dont feel like going through my bookmarks to find it, but I know I have one saved!

I will look later and post it.

[hendrix]

damn, i was gonna patent it ;)

[Jaylyn]

Just to add Trace - don't let your female ever see until after a year to delay egg formation. If the male can see the female any old time - he may become obsessed and refuse to eat.

I don't use any supplemental heat either. Chams need to cool down at night for health reasons. A drop into the low 60's (F) is just fine.

Jaylyn