When it comes to reptiles, chameleons are the most adorable and fascinating with their wonky eyes, grabby hands, and cool way to move around, making you fall in love with them instantly. Veiled chameleons are cooler as they have a cool casque over their heads.
Chameleons may be super cool pets that you would love to show off, but they have specific care needs that you must follow to thrive. In this article, we have listed a few ways that you can use to care for your pet veiled chameleon effectively.
Table of Contents
1. How Many Per Enclosure
Veiled chameleons are not particularly social. This is why you must keep only one chameleon in the enclosure. If there is more than one chameleon in the tank, there might be fighting, leading to sickness, injuries, or even death for either one or both. Breeders may keep them together to breed, but you must keep only one chameleon in an enclosure as a pet. There is no chance of them feeling lonely as they really do prefer to be alone.
2. How Should You Handle Them
Chameleons have a range of temperaments. Chameleons tend to be more docile towards humans and aggressive with other chameleons, but this does not guarantee that your pet chameleon will like you. Some of them just don’t want to be held and will run away if you reach for them, then some enjoy being held and will reach out for you when you go near their cage. And others will not care either way.
You must remember that chameleons do not like being overhandled, so if you are holding the chameleon, do it for a short time. If you are looking for a friendly pet reptile who can handle a lot and you can regularly take out, then there are better reptiles for you than chameleons.
3. Food
Although veiled chameleons are omnivores, their diet should mainly consist of insects. When feeding young chameleons, select crickets that are not larger than the size between their eyes. Any bigger, and the chameleon might choke on it. You need to feed them one to two times a day, letting them eat as much as they want to. Their appetite will decrease after They are fully grown, you can start feeding them every other day. To give your veiled chameleon premium quality feeder insects, contact Top Flight Dubia Roaches. They ship worldwide and have been raising and selling nutritious dubia roaches since 2009.
Occasionally, you can offer your chameleon different veggies and fruits as well. This way, your chameleon will get the essential vitamins they need. You can offer these to the young chameleons who are more interested in insects so they can get used to it.
4. How Should The Heating And Lighting Be Of The Enclosure
If you want to keep your veiled chameleon healthy, happy, and thriving, you must focus on the lighting and heating. Your veiled chameleon’s cage must have two different light bulbs. They will need a UVB bulb and a heat source that needs to be on for about 12 hours of the day. You can buy a timer that automatically turns the lights on and off in the chameleon’s enclosure.
You should avoid things like heat rocks, tape, and ceramic heat emitters when you are choosing a heat source. This is because your chameleon will not be able to recognize these as heat sources. You can place a basking bulb or a standard heating bulb at the top of the enclosure, creating a perfect basking place for your chameleon while also producing light.
You need to make sure that the basking spot doesn’t get too hot, keeping it between 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The rest of the cage should have an ambient temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It is permissible for the temperature to drop at night, but you must ensure that it doesn’t drip to below mid-’40s.
You should use a proper thermometer and a rheostat that can connect to your heating device. A rheostat can adjust and control the heating lamp so that the temperature is always perfect for your chameleon. A temperature gun is an effective way to ensure the correct temperature for your chameleon’s tank. A thermostat can be used to turn off the bulb if things get too hot for the chameleon.
A heat rock must be avoided as it can’t be regulated easily and can severely burn or injure the chameleon. Instead, use rock decorations that don’t heat up. Place the heating bulbs outside the tank, so the chameleon doesn’t get burned or injured by climbing on it.
5. Water And Humidity
You should keep the humidity of your veiled chameleon cage around 40-50% whenever possible. You should use a hygrometer to track the humidity, making it easy to make any changes required by monitoring the cage. You can mist the cage twice a day to keep the humidity up. A misting machine can also be effective in such cases. Your budget will ultimately decide which type you should get. You can also use live plants to keep up your chameleon’s humidity.
Chameleons don’t drink from a bowl or still water. They are likelier to lick the water from the leaves inside their enclosure. They will be able to lick the water off the leaves as you mist the chameleon’s cage.
You can satisfy your chameleon by giving them a drip system like this to have an adequate drinking water supply.
6. The Chameleon’s Ability To Change Color
Chameleons can change their color and adjust them as required. Factors such as the environment, mood, and whether or not they are gravid are factors that are responsible for the chameleons’ ability to become paler or brighter and also change the intensity of their markings. Their change in color can make you aware of their mood and also helps them t regulate their temperature.
Summing Up
Although caring for a pet chameleon is not the same as caring for a cat or a dog, we hope that after reading this article, you know what you need to do to care for your new veiled chameleon properly. Hence, you should now be more confident in bringing home your new pet.
So, have a great time with your new pet, and be sure to let us know in the comments if you have any other tips and tricks to share with us for caring for pet-veiled chameleons.