The veiled chameleon comes from some parts of Saudi Arabia and most parts of Yemen (hence it’s other common name). It would naturally be found in very hot areas, near streams. Some veiled chameleons can be found in desert areas, near streams with limited vegetation, while others are found in lush highland plateaus. While your chameleon is captive bred, it’s body is still adapted to these conditions and this is helpful in knowing how to provide a suitable enclosure.
The enclosure
Keepers should look to construct a tall structure with some sort of meshing, either fine aluminum or something to withstand the heat of bulbs. Or you may wish to use the more traditional wooden or glass vivariums, which are readily available. What ever you choose, make sure that your chameleon has plenty of space to move, up and down, and that there will be enough room to create a thermal gradient. As a general rule there should be at least 25”/64cm of height in the enclosure. Another important aspect is ventilation. As chameleons like humidity and heat, poor ventilation means that fungus and bacteria can grow rapidly, this nearly always results in your chameleon becoming ill. To avoid this, make sure there is at least one mesh door. If your entire enclosure is mesh this will be fine, some glass vivariums have mesh tops and ventilated doors, this may be adequate. If you use a traditional vivarium, with sliding doors, simply replace one of the doors for a thin frame with mesh, its best placed furthest away from the heat lamp, as air will circulate the best like this.
No matter what you use, you should never place a chameleon next to noisy areas, or high traffic areas, they will get stressed! You should also avoid putting them in direct sunlight, near radiators or doorways. All of these things can cause temperature irregularities, which will stress your chameleon. Above all you should only ever house one chameleon at a time. In the wild they would not be sociable creatures and it only serves to stress them when put in permanent close quarters!
You should also aim to provide some chunky and robust climbing structures, securing large branches is a good place to start. You can add live or plastic plants in sturdy, heavy pots, make sure none of the plants or plastics are toxic! Make sure your chameleon can access all areas of the enclosure so he can climb around and regulate his temperature. Placing lots of different branches, vines and plants helps your chameleon to feel safer and gives more scope for feeding and watering.
Heating, Lighting and Humidity.
The veiled chameleon, coming from very warm areas, needs a high temperature range, around 32-36 Celsius during the day at the hottest part of the vivarium, known as the basking area. The other end, usually lower down, should be around 22-26 Celsius at the very least, higher than this is okay as long as there is a gradient of heat for the chameleon to move in and out. The heat can be provided by a 40-60 watt basking bulb, usually fitted outside of the enclosure to stop your pet from burning itself. In mesh enclosures, or those with mesh tops this is easily done, but in am traditional style vivarium you will need to fit the bulb well out of reach of the chameleon. Most keepers advise you not to put a guard around the bulb as the chameleon may climb onto it and still burn itself, or even worse pull the guard off and injure itself. Its much better to keep it well out of reach.
Along with heat, comes UV rays. It is essential for your chameleon to get UV as this helps to synthesize vitamin D3, a much needed nutrient. This is best provided with a special reptile UV light. These are usually fitted onto the back or on top of the enclosure and powered by a ‘starter’. The light is angled down with use of a reflector. Make sure the light you are buying is meant for providing UVB and UVA to reptiles and that it has at least 5.0 UVB/UVA, tungsten (light bulbs) or fish tank lights are not adequate for this. However some companies, such as exoterra, sell ‘canopy tops’, which is an all in one enclosure for UVA/B lamps, a convenient way to site these otherwise unsightly bulbs.
Lastly you will need to provide humidity in the enclosure, although veiled chameleons come from hot areas they are naturally found where insects are abundant, this usually means in high humidity areas. Providing this for your chameleon is straightforward and can team up with your ‘watering’ method. Spraying the enclosure 4-6 times a day can help, although a dripper, a water container that drips a regulated supply of water, usually into a dish, real plant or collection tray, is usually a better method. Don’t let your chameleon get too wet, excess water is not a good idea and can lead to health problems. Some keepers use potted plants to help moisten the atmosphere, although chameleons will sometimes eat the plants so use non toxic varieties, such as umbrella plants, fiscus and hibiscus. Even better, use plastic plants, settled in pots filled with large vermiculite, that you can spray regularly.
Providing water.
The first thing people usually notice is that there are no water bowls in our chameleon enclosures. Some chameleons, especially young ones, can fall and drown into water, but the main reason that a static bowl of water is not provided is that the chameleons cannot see it! Chameleons can only see moving water, or water that is collecting on surfaces. This is why spraying them regularly is one of the best ways to give them water. They will happily lick droplets from the side of the enclosure, leaves and other décor in the vivarium. If you cannot spray them regularly, maybe because you are away for some of the day, provide a dripper. This is suspended bottle of water with a tube that regulates the flow of drips. It’s a great way to maintain humidity and provide a permanent source of water.
However you provide water, make sure it is always fresh, if using tap water make sure you let it stand for a little bit to get rid of the chlorine however it is generally better to use mineral water as it contains less chemicals. You should also slightly warm the water, especially if you spray it, as the water cools quite quickly when sprayed and can be quite a shock to your poor chameleon! Boiled and slightly cooled water is a great way to do this, but make 100 percent sure to test that the water is not too hot or cold by spraying your arm at a reasonable distance.
Feeding
The diet is the most important part for a chameleon as it helps keep it in tip top condition. Chameleons eat live insects, so before buying a chameleon make sure you don’t mind feeding live creepy crawlies. Some chameleons will eat a very small amount of vegetables too. You also need to provide calcium and vitamin powder, usually this is dusted onto insects. The reason you need this is that the amount of light you provide with a UV bulb is not adequate compared to the sun. So to help your chameleon get all the nutrients he needs, a dusting formula is needed. Usually calcium supplement s used but there are specialized veiled chameleon formulas that are probably more suitable.
The main types of bugs you will be feeding will be Waxworms, Mealworms, crickets and occasionally locusts. Young chameleons will like to eat very small brown crickets and occasionally small mealworms, although you should be careful not to provide too many of these as they can be hard to digest. Young chameleons will enjoy fruitflies as aan added nutritious part of their meal. Older and adult chameleons will eat larger brown crickets, don't use black crickets as they have larger jaws and if uneaten can harm the chameleon. Large mealworms, known as super worms or morios are best as there is more flesh to shell and are more digestible. Locusts can also be given in place of crickets. Waxworms can be provided as a treat to all ages, although some chameleons get addicted to them and refuse to take other types of food. This is bad because waxworms are high in fat. Try to offer waxworms only once a week, so this doesn’t happen, they keep for a long time especially if kept cool so a tub will last a while before they turn into moths, which can also be fed to your chameleon!
All insects should be coated in vitamin supplement; you can put them in a bag or tub and gently shake them to do this. You should also give the livefood carrot, spring greens and other leafy vegetables when in their tubs as they will eat them and pass the nutrients on, a technique known as gut loading. When feeding them to your pet chameleon you can use a high sided jar or tub. Sturdy tubs that they cannot crawl out of are great placed on the floor as well as being tied evenly to branches in the enclosure. This makes a great way of stimulating your chameleon and giving your pet a bit of fun during feeding. Some chameleons will also take food from your hand, although you need to tame them and be very patient to get them to do this.
Lastly, some vegetables can be added, your chameleon may or may not eat them. If they don’t its still good to put some in the larger feeding tubs with the insects as stated before, this way they will gut load themselves while in the tub. You can provide spring greens and these can also be dusted in the same way the insects are. Remember to remove any uneaten vegetables so they don't rot and remove insects at night so they don’t harm your chameleon while he sleeps.
You should aim to feed young chameleons as much as they will take, this is usually around 8-20 small insects daily but as they grow older you should restrict it to 6-15 medium or large insects as they will gorge themselves otherwise, leading to health problems later.
Taming your chameleon
Chameleons are not social creatures. In the wild they camouflage themselves and this becomes their main line of defense, so when they are unable to do this they not only become really stressed, but may hiss, rear up and attempt to bite. However sometimes you will need to move your chameleon, maybe to go to the vets, or so you can do a clean of the enclosure. Therefore you may wish to attempt to tame your new pet!
The best way of doing this is to try and purchase a young chameleon, they will be more used to you than an older chameleon, who will be very set in his or her ways. You can start to offer food from the hand, try offering something super tempting, like a waxworm. Hold it very still, on the flat of your hand and try not to make any sudden movements that could scare your pet. Also try not to be scared of your chameleon when it shoots out is tongue, it won’t hurt! When it is regularly accepting waxworms from you try other foods, such as morio or mealworms, this way it will come to trust you. Eventually, when it takes a variety of foods, try putting your arm near you chameleon, it might decide to climb on your hand or arm, but don’t force it! Some chameleons will never like to be picked up, others may even enjoy coming out for a little while, each one is unique so don’t forget to take that into account.
Males and females.
You can tell males and females apart by looking at the back feet. The male veiled chameleon will always have a pad at the back, known as a spur. A female will not. Think carefully about if you want a male or female. Each chameleon is different so temperament is rarely an issue with deciding the sex of your new pet.
The bigger issue is that a female will become ‘gravid’ or full of eggs up to three times a year. If not catered for properly the female can sometimes become egg bound, a major threat to her life. When the female is gravid the abdomen will swell a little and the colours will intensify. She may come down to the bottom of the enclosure more often, during this time you should provide a tub of moist sand, bird sand or reptile sand is the safest. She can then deposit her eggs in this tub. Even if the female does not mate, she will do this and if a tub is not provided the risk of being egg bound is much more. If you don’t feel you want to cope with this as a first time chameleon owner you should make sure you get a male chameleon.
No matter what you use, you should never place a chameleon next to noisy areas, or high traffic areas, they will get stressed! You should also avoid putting them in direct sunlight, near radiators or doorways. All of these things can cause temperature irregularities, which will stress your chameleon. Above all you should only ever house one chameleon at a time. In the wild they would not be sociable creatures and it only serves to stress them when put in permanent close quarters!
You should also aim to provide some chunky and robust climbing structures, securing large branches is a good place to start. You can add live or plastic plants in sturdy, heavy pots, make sure none of the plants or plastics are toxic! Make sure your chameleon can access all areas of the enclosure so he can climb around and regulate his temperature. Placing lots of different branches, vines and plants helps your chameleon to feel safer and gives more scope for feeding and watering.
Heating, Lighting and Humidity.
The veiled chameleon, coming from very warm areas, needs a high temperature range, around 32-36 Celsius during the day at the hottest part of the vivarium, known as the basking area. The other end, usually lower down, should be around 22-26 Celsius at the very least, higher than this is okay as long as there is a gradient of heat for the chameleon to move in and out. The heat can be provided by a 40-60 watt basking bulb, usually fitted outside of the enclosure to stop your pet from burning itself. In mesh enclosures, or those with mesh tops this is easily done, but in am traditional style vivarium you will need to fit the bulb well out of reach of the chameleon. Most keepers advise you not to put a guard around the bulb as the chameleon may climb onto it and still burn itself, or even worse pull the guard off and injure itself. Its much better to keep it well out of reach.
Along with heat, comes UV rays. It is essential for your chameleon to get UV as this helps to synthesize vitamin D3, a much needed nutrient. This is best provided with a special reptile UV light. These are usually fitted onto the back or on top of the enclosure and powered by a ‘starter’. The light is angled down with use of a reflector. Make sure the light you are buying is meant for providing UVB and UVA to reptiles and that it has at least 5.0 UVB/UVA, tungsten (light bulbs) or fish tank lights are not adequate for this. However some companies, such as exoterra, sell ‘canopy tops’, which is an all in one enclosure for UVA/B lamps, a convenient way to site these otherwise unsightly bulbs.
Lastly you will need to provide humidity in the enclosure, although veiled chameleons come from hot areas they are naturally found where insects are abundant, this usually means in high humidity areas. Providing this for your chameleon is straightforward and can team up with your ‘watering’ method. Spraying the enclosure 4-6 times a day can help, although a dripper, a water container that drips a regulated supply of water, usually into a dish, real plant or collection tray, is usually a better method. Don’t let your chameleon get too wet, excess water is not a good idea and can lead to health problems. Some keepers use potted plants to help moisten the atmosphere, although chameleons will sometimes eat the plants so use non toxic varieties, such as umbrella plants, fiscus and hibiscus. Even better, use plastic plants, settled in pots filled with large vermiculite, that you can spray regularly.
Providing water.
The first thing people usually notice is that there are no water bowls in our chameleon enclosures. Some chameleons, especially young ones, can fall and drown into water, but the main reason that a static bowl of water is not provided is that the chameleons cannot see it! Chameleons can only see moving water, or water that is collecting on surfaces. This is why spraying them regularly is one of the best ways to give them water. They will happily lick droplets from the side of the enclosure, leaves and other décor in the vivarium. If you cannot spray them regularly, maybe because you are away for some of the day, provide a dripper. This is suspended bottle of water with a tube that regulates the flow of drips. It’s a great way to maintain humidity and provide a permanent source of water.
However you provide water, make sure it is always fresh, if using tap water make sure you let it stand for a little bit to get rid of the chlorine however it is generally better to use mineral water as it contains less chemicals. You should also slightly warm the water, especially if you spray it, as the water cools quite quickly when sprayed and can be quite a shock to your poor chameleon! Boiled and slightly cooled water is a great way to do this, but make 100 percent sure to test that the water is not too hot or cold by spraying your arm at a reasonable distance.
Feeding
The diet is the most important part for a chameleon as it helps keep it in tip top condition. Chameleons eat live insects, so before buying a chameleon make sure you don’t mind feeding live creepy crawlies. Some chameleons will eat a very small amount of vegetables too. You also need to provide calcium and vitamin powder, usually this is dusted onto insects. The reason you need this is that the amount of light you provide with a UV bulb is not adequate compared to the sun. So to help your chameleon get all the nutrients he needs, a dusting formula is needed. Usually calcium supplement s used but there are specialized veiled chameleon formulas that are probably more suitable.
The main types of bugs you will be feeding will be Waxworms, Mealworms, crickets and occasionally locusts. Young chameleons will like to eat very small brown crickets and occasionally small mealworms, although you should be careful not to provide too many of these as they can be hard to digest. Young chameleons will enjoy fruitflies as aan added nutritious part of their meal. Older and adult chameleons will eat larger brown crickets, don't use black crickets as they have larger jaws and if uneaten can harm the chameleon. Large mealworms, known as super worms or morios are best as there is more flesh to shell and are more digestible. Locusts can also be given in place of crickets. Waxworms can be provided as a treat to all ages, although some chameleons get addicted to them and refuse to take other types of food. This is bad because waxworms are high in fat. Try to offer waxworms only once a week, so this doesn’t happen, they keep for a long time especially if kept cool so a tub will last a while before they turn into moths, which can also be fed to your chameleon!
All insects should be coated in vitamin supplement; you can put them in a bag or tub and gently shake them to do this. You should also give the livefood carrot, spring greens and other leafy vegetables when in their tubs as they will eat them and pass the nutrients on, a technique known as gut loading. When feeding them to your pet chameleon you can use a high sided jar or tub. Sturdy tubs that they cannot crawl out of are great placed on the floor as well as being tied evenly to branches in the enclosure. This makes a great way of stimulating your chameleon and giving your pet a bit of fun during feeding. Some chameleons will also take food from your hand, although you need to tame them and be very patient to get them to do this.
Lastly, some vegetables can be added, your chameleon may or may not eat them. If they don’t its still good to put some in the larger feeding tubs with the insects as stated before, this way they will gut load themselves while in the tub. You can provide spring greens and these can also be dusted in the same way the insects are. Remember to remove any uneaten vegetables so they don't rot and remove insects at night so they don’t harm your chameleon while he sleeps.
You should aim to feed young chameleons as much as they will take, this is usually around 8-20 small insects daily but as they grow older you should restrict it to 6-15 medium or large insects as they will gorge themselves otherwise, leading to health problems later.
Taming your chameleon
Chameleons are not social creatures. In the wild they camouflage themselves and this becomes their main line of defense, so when they are unable to do this they not only become really stressed, but may hiss, rear up and attempt to bite. However sometimes you will need to move your chameleon, maybe to go to the vets, or so you can do a clean of the enclosure. Therefore you may wish to attempt to tame your new pet!
The best way of doing this is to try and purchase a young chameleon, they will be more used to you than an older chameleon, who will be very set in his or her ways. You can start to offer food from the hand, try offering something super tempting, like a waxworm. Hold it very still, on the flat of your hand and try not to make any sudden movements that could scare your pet. Also try not to be scared of your chameleon when it shoots out is tongue, it won’t hurt! When it is regularly accepting waxworms from you try other foods, such as morio or mealworms, this way it will come to trust you. Eventually, when it takes a variety of foods, try putting your arm near you chameleon, it might decide to climb on your hand or arm, but don’t force it! Some chameleons will never like to be picked up, others may even enjoy coming out for a little while, each one is unique so don’t forget to take that into account.
Males and females.
You can tell males and females apart by looking at the back feet. The male veiled chameleon will always have a pad at the back, known as a spur. A female will not. Think carefully about if you want a male or female. Each chameleon is different so temperament is rarely an issue with deciding the sex of your new pet.
The bigger issue is that a female will become ‘gravid’ or full of eggs up to three times a year. If not catered for properly the female can sometimes become egg bound, a major threat to her life. When the female is gravid the abdomen will swell a little and the colours will intensify. She may come down to the bottom of the enclosure more often, during this time you should provide a tub of moist sand, bird sand or reptile sand is the safest. She can then deposit her eggs in this tub. Even if the female does not mate, she will do this and if a tub is not provided the risk of being egg bound is much more. If you don’t feel you want to cope with this as a first time chameleon owner you should make sure you get a male chameleon.
