Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm a new owner of a Jackson's chameleon. Have had him approx. three weeks. I'm constantly worried about him--reading as much info about him as possible--trying to do things properly. He's not eating as well as he did when I first got him--sometimes it seems as if his tongue doesn't come out all the way or comes out crooked. My biggest concern today is he is shedding alot and looks kind of skinny and wrinkled. Is this a normal behavior--HELP!!! Thanks

http://www.geocities.com/chamjacksonii/
Try this site. good info on jacksons.please list what your cham is in. lighting, temp, humidity, how much you mist.dripper and what he is eating and how much. i kinda went throught the same thing. my jackson shed and his appetite was not what it is usually. he is done now so he is back. also list supplements the tongue might be diue to dehydration or lack of vitamins. please list the aboveit will help myself and others in helping you. good luck matt

Thanks Matt for replying to my question--I figured my chameleon would be dead this AM because he looked so questionable last PM
but he was awake and alive and had chamged positions. He also drank some H2O which made me feel better. He has now climbed up on his basking limb and has been looking around a bit but mostly sleeping and still not interested in eating. Anyway, in answer to some of your questions:

--he's in a glass aquarium with a mesh lid(I planned to keep him
in this for a while until he got a bit bigger and then move
him to amesh cage--if I can keep him alive)
--he has a 75 watt basking light--unfortunately the guy at the pet store didn't know about their need for both uva and uvb rays so I need to get the uvb light also(my 8 year old son bought this chameleon--$100--with his birhtday money--of course I'm the one doing all the work AND worry--it's OK though because the cham is really awesome)
--temp is between 70 and 84 degrees--I turn his light off at night
--humidity I try to keep between 50% and 75%
--I'm misting the plants/cage 2-3 times a day
--I made a drip system with a disposable cup/small hole in bottom lets a drip every 1-2 seconds/I do this twice a day-the problem with this is how much water i have to soak up afterward.
--he's eating 4-6 small crickets twice a day/i tried to add waxworms-I think that's what they were-they had to be kept in the fridge-they were supposed to come "alive" at room temp. after putting them in the cage-most of them were dead and Oliver wasn't interested in them-they barely moved and he NEVER ate a single one--not to mention they GROSS ME OUT!!! I'm a 37 year old woman for heaven's sake--I know he needs more variety but I dread the thought of adding worms or even worse, roaches!!!! BLEECK!
--I dust the crickets with REP-CAL and have Flukers water cubes and Flukers gut-loading food in the cricket container.

I hope this extra info helps anyone who's willing to give me advice. I'll take all the advice and experience offered!! Thanks so much for the help!!! Shelley

hello, first off i would get him out of the aquarium. he will become very stressed. the reflection on the glass. you can buy a reptarium for now at the pet store. i would recommend an aluminum sreen cage.mist at least 3 times a day an ambient temp of 75-77 and a basking spot of 82-88 is good.the wax worms are only good for a snack. so always use cricket or yes ROACHES!!!!!! they are a good staple food. it is very IMPORTANT that you get him out of that aquarium. all sorts of problems will stem from that. please keep us posted. i am not an expert but i have kept a couple of jackson succesfully. good luck matt

on another note, iwas just reading your post it is also important to buy a uv bulb. a repti-sun 5.0. live plants work well also pothos, ficus and umbrella plants. you mentioned an 8 yr old. if he is like my sons he will to handle him all the time. handling should be at the absolute minimum. chams require some effortfor more then your typical 8 yr old can handle. you will definately have to take this little guy under your wing and provide the proper care. take care matt ps i would stop dealing with pet store. i have not found one they give the right info.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!!! I will do some shopping this weekend and see if I can get him the proper home/light/food(ugh!!!). Take care and yes, I'll keep you posted on my success(or lack thereof). Thanks again, Shelley

I have the same problem with soaking up water, simple solution is to place a large bowl around where the water lands and just empty that out. Also, I'd strongly suggest getting live plants if you don't have any in there already. You mentioned that you had him in an aquarium? I'd suggest you get something more approapriately dessigned for housing chameleons, look for something taller, rather than wider, as well try to have at LEAST 1 side made of mesh, or a mesh door, but the more mesh the better, as it allows for better airflow throughout the enclosure which also helps prevent too much bacteria from growing in the warm/damp conditions of the enclosure.

Thanks for the suggestions! I need ALL the help I can get. I do have fake plants in his cage but no live ones. I definitely plan to look into a different type of housing for him. Thanks again--Shelley