CARE OF CHAMELEONS
Life-span:
Males 5-10 years
Females 2-5 years
Housing:
Chameleons require an enclosure made from strong plastic or wire mesh, at least 3 foot wide and
deep and 4 foot high. The bigger the better. Aquariums are not suitable since they trap too much
moisture, particularly at the bottom, they do not allow enough movement of air and the reflection
of the chameleon in the glass can be very distressing to them.
Furniture:
A good supply of climbing frames are necessary and need to be made from non-toxic material such
as plastic. They must be strong enough to prevent bits breaking off since chameleons will sometimes
ingest foreign objects and die as a result. Natural plants are a good idea. A list of useful plants and a
second list of toxic plants can be found on www.chameleonsonline.com.
Floor covering:
Beware of small particles such as sand, grit, etc since cha will eat them and their intestinal tract
becomes blocked up. Also be careful not to allow mould to grow on any of the substrate since many
moulds are very toxic to cha. Plain newspaper or bark chips are a good idea.
Temperature:
Heat should be provided by positioning several normal light bulbs at various points in the cage.
Make sure the cha cannot come into contact with the bulbs and burn themselves.
It is important to have a max / min thermometer to record the extremes of temperature over 24
hours. During the day, keep the temperature at 80-90 degrees (27-32 degrees Celsius) and allow it to
drop to 70 degrees (20-21 degrees Celsius) at night. Temperatures should never go out of the range
of 60-90 degrees (16-33 degrees Celsius)
Ultraviolet Light:
Cha need both UVA and UVB light (At least 5% UVB). Glass and plastic stop all UV light so it cannot
be separated from the cha. The best source is a UV tube, but take note that many of them are only
effective for 3-6 months, even if the still look violet to our eyes. The manufacturers will usually be
able to tell you how long they last.
Feeding:
Insects such as crickets, locusts, wax worms and meal worms are suitable. Never feed an insect
larger than the width of the chameleon’s mouth and never give biting or stinging insects or any that
could have been exposed to toxins.
Insects purchased from pet shops are often just empty skeletons and have little food value. It is
essential to feed them up and ‘gut-load’ them by providing insect food such as potatoes, carrots,
cabbage, fish flakes, kitten food, potato flakes and bee pollen. Baby chick crumbs with a slice of a
vegetable to provide moisture can be used. Commercial ‘Bug Grub’ is also a good idea.
Do not overfeed meal worms or wax worms since they contain a lot of fat.
The insects should also be fed a vitamin/mineral ix such as Nutrobal and before giving them to the
chameleon, dust them with the powder as well. Cha will eat up to 15-20 crickets / locusts per day in
the very active season (Spring) whereas their appetites drop considerably in winter.
Drinking:
Cha will not drink from a bowl. They need a daily misting, either with a fine spray bottle or a patnet
mister. Fresh water (preferably rain water) at 70-90 degrees (20-30 Celsius) must be used. It is a
good idea to add a water conditioner to get rid of the chlorine, chloramines and ammonia, adjust the
pH, provide electrolytes and help support the slime layer on the skin.
Less effective ways of providing water are by putting a plant in the shower to get wet and then
putting it back into the cha enclosure, using a humidifier, or providing a rodent drinking bottle.
Breeding:
It is very important to provide a place for female cha to lay their eggs or they become ‘egg-bound’
and die as a result. A deep bucket of fresh potting compost mixed with equal amounts of coarse
builders sand is ideal. Allow the cha to dig around and rearrange the nursery to her liking. Unless
kept with a male, the eggs will be infertile and can be removed and discarded at a later stage.
Interaction:
Most cha will tame very rapidly and become good pets. Always allow them to climb onto your hand
by sliding it under them, rather than picking them up, which can be uncomfortable for them. Reward
them with food and they will get used to coming to you. Some species never tame but will tolerate
your presence.