Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my first time breeding/hatching Chams. I've done Kingsnakes and Milksnakes for years but these weird things are truly amazing.

It only took 9.5 months to incubate/hatch!!!

I know there is a high mortality rate for these guys when they are a young. Any advice on keeping these guys alive is appreciated!

They are housed in a 30 gallon (a tall 20 gallon) reptile aquarium. The aquarium has many fake vines for the Chams to climb on and the floor is covered in a bathroom carpet mat that I cut to fit the cage exactly. I have an automatic misting system that comes on twice a day. I am collecting the excess water from the misting system head with a bowl that has a mesh covering it so no baby Cham can fall in a drown. The lighting is with UVA/B fluorescent bulbs on a timer. I've been feeding them pin-head crickets and fruit flies.

Am I missing anything? Also, how can you tell if the Chams are eating/thriving?

Thanks,
RG

Congratulations! It takes a lot of patience to wait for them to hatch!

I treat mine somewhat like I do the adults except I keep their basking temperature in the mid 80's at the hottest. Their small bodies tend to dehydrate and heat and cool more quickly than the adults to.

I use no substrate (including carpet) in any arboreal chameleon's cages.

I dust the insects at most feedings lightly with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phos. in the feeder insects.

I dust lightly twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin A rather than a preformed source. Beta carotene will not build up in their systems like preformed will. However there is controversy about whether all chameleons can convert beta carotene to vitamin A so some people give their chameleons a little preformed once in a while. Excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD...so don't overdo it.

Since my chameleons don't get direct sunlight as a rule, I dust lightly twice a month with a phos.-free cal./D3 powder. D3 can also build up in the system, so don't overdo it.

I gutload/feed my insects a nutritious diet.

I have raised/kept/hatched veileds for over 10 years now....and any of the babies I have kept and grown have done very well for me. Most of my females live to be 6 or more and the males live even longer as a rule.

Be careful when watering them that they don't/can't aspirate the water.

Good luck with them!

-RG