Care Info
Caging
Veiled and Panther Chameleons are best to keep in screen cage that designed for reptile. Adult chameleons’ cage should be at least 18”x18”x36”. There should be plenty of foliage for chameleons to hide, and branches for them to perch on. The branches should vary in altitude; provide a spot near the top of the cage for chameleon to bask under the heating bulb, and set up lower branches for them to rest on when it is too hot. Chameleons should be house individually when they are over 5-month old.
Lighting
Chameleons need two kinds of light source: basking bulb and UVB bulb. For basking bulb,a normal household halogen bulb between 60W to 100W is good to go. For UVB bulb, a UVB bulb designed specific for reptiles is needed. There are many different kinds of reptile UVB bulb, the fluorescent tube light bulb is recommended. UVB bulb must be replace every 6 months, as the UV strength decreases over time. All the light fixtures should be place outside and on top of the cage. The lights should be on for 10 to 12 hours everyday, a basic lamp timer should be sufficient. At night time, there should be complete darkness for chameleon to rest properly.
Food and Water:
Chameleons only eat live prey (insects).
Here are some common live insect feeders: crickets, dubia roaches, superworms, meal worms, silk worms.
Feeding amount:
3-6 months old: 10-12 small crickets daily
6-12 months old: 10-12 medium crickets every other day
Adults over 12 months old: 7-10 medium-large crickets every other day
Most chameleons would not recognize stand water as water source, so a water dish will not work. Misting the cage with standard plant mister 2 or 3 times daily. They will drink the water droplets form on the plant and branches.
Supplementation:
Supplementation for chameleon is a controversial topic, because over-supplement will do more harm than good. The safe route most chameleon keepers do is using plain calcium supplement every day, and use multi-vitamin(with D3) every 2 weeks. Just dust the feeder insects with supplement powder very lightly when supplementing.
Female Egg Laying:
Most female Chameleons will lay eggs even without mating with a male. When a female is ready to lay eggs, prepare a flower pot that is at least one foot deep. Fill the pot with organic potting soil(no chemical fertilizer/pesticide). Females will show sign that they have eggs; their body will look plump, their appetite decreased or stopped eating, and walking around at the bottom of the cage. They will digging deep, and lay their eggs. Then cover up the tunnel they dug after finished laying eggs.
Great resource for chameleon caring:
http://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/