Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sorry for so many questions but i just want to do everything right and have these little guys be okay. I have been doing a lot of research and found it is going to take 2-3 weeks for my new Rudis Chameleons to settle in. I have them in the same enclosure. So, maybe all the stress and anxiety I have about having everything right is just that; everything is right and they just need to be left alone to settle in. My question is, WILL they settle in together, or is it best to put them each in their own setup? they are having territory issues, but as far as i know both are eating and both seem alright. will they work these territory issues out in 2-3 weeks as well? or should i just separate them?

Better to seperate them unless you have a HUGE cage, I mean HUGE. One will always TRY to dominate... get the best of everything so to speak, and thats where the problem is, competition to eat, to get a better spot for basking. That means constantly living in a STRESSFUL mode.

I tried this twice, with werneri, once becuase the pair just seemed to be very docile with one another, and I had a large cage. The second time did not work, the female was very stressful around the male and gaped to the point of almost falling off her branch. That was it ,... I saw the stress and understood how terrible it must be to live each day that way.

Can you imagine a bully in your home that will not allow you to eat until he leaves, or sit unless he's away, sounds FUNNY to us, but it's kind of how it is and can not be a very calm/ peacful existance or healthy for any creature.

I just jumped in to say Hi , welcome to the forum , best wishes with your new chameleons. If you have any questions you sure have been speaking with one of the very best in my opinion , Carlton. There are alot of people here who have much experience, and I'm sure witht their help you will do fine.

Enjoy the forum !
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PHEve / Eve

Blush Thanks for the vote of confidence!

I don't know who said it might take 2-3 weeks for them to "settle in", but that isn't a given standard event. So much depends on how they were cared for before you got them. For their sake I hope the seller didn't have them long. To tell you they could co-exist in a glass tank was inhumane and completely wrong. But, you are asking all the right questions and they are lucky to have someone who does their own research. I'm afraid you are faced with separation for the long term. The only time you'll want to put them together is for breeding...and that will be some time off after they are established, eating, maintaining their weight, etc. No guarrantee they will breed, but the first thing to do is get them both established and healthy. By then you will know their color patterns and moods. Many folks with a pair of chams put 2 similar screen cages side by side on a table or shelf with a visual barrier between them. You can use one longer UV fluorescent for both sides that way, spray all at once, use a humidifier aimed at both when it's needed (when the house is dry due to AC or heat in winter). Makes it a bit easier. You'll need more than one basking spot unless you use a light placed right at the divider that lights a spot in both sides. I don't know the UV bulb brand you mentioned. There are quite a few "UVB" bulbs out there but most are not very effective. Some have been independently tested and their output isn't great. I do know that the one that consistently tests out best is the ReptiSun 5.0. It's been around for years and many of us use them. UV fluorescents don't last forever. The bulb may light, but after about 6 months of daily 12 hour use the UV radiation drops off a lot. Time to replace them. I use double hoods and get more life out of an "old" bulb by pairing it with a new one.

Welp, we got the new cage today, getting it set up tonight. I hope all is well once I separate them, cause the female is not lookin' good in the cage with the male. I can tell she just wants out and I think she will be not too far gone (it has only been 4 days since I have owned them and had them housed together) and I am pretty sure once she is has her own home all to herself she will be quite happy.

The vendor I bought them from had like 15 different (full sized) chams in one tub if you would like some perspective on their past care. When I fed them for the first time it was amazing how fast they ate all of the crickets, as if they hadn't been fed in weeks. They did not look unhealthy though, at the time, which is the weird thing. Anywho, They will be well taken care of from here on out and hopefully they flourish.

Thanks alot for the help and for the warm welcome, I am sure i'll have some questions sooner or later!

Thanks-

Dan