Chameleon Care

Hello and congratulations on doing your research for your amazing panther chameleon! In this introduction I would like to let you know that this is not an “all inclusive guide” for everything you might encounter as a chameleon owner. I will do my best to give you information that has worked well for me. Each breeder is different and does things their own way using common practices and tricks of their own. While you may not fully agree with everything I say – or another breeder gives you different information- it is important to remember that care is not always a ‘one size fits all’. There are multiple ways to create a happy – healthy environment for your creature. It is my hope that you will use this information as a jumping off point – a place to get ideas – a place to learn and a place to inspire you to keep learning about how to care for your chameleon.
***please also note that this page and others on this site are under construction. So not every page is complete and many edits will be happening.***

What to do First….

First thing after deciding that you want to bring home your own living piece of art is to decide what type of enclosure your baby will live in. There are many options to choose from. There are mesh enclosures – hybrid enclosures – pvc enclosures – glass enclosures – or you could even build your own! To help you decide what type to get – take a look at your local weather. Is it humid? Dry? Cold? The more humidity you have – the more open your enclosure can be. Pick your enclosure carefully..it is a big investment so it’s best to get it right the first time. In the table below you can see some various points to consider.

You will also need to determine your size. A full grown male panther chameleon should be kept in a 2x2x4 or a 36x18x36. You can always go bigger too! My favorite size for a male panther is 4x2x4 !
You can start your chameleon off in an adult cage right off the bat or you can start it in a smaller enclosure and upgrade as it matures.

Mesh	Hybrid	Glass/ fully enclosed
Lots of airflow	Medium airflow	Chimney effect airflow. Small aquarium fan can be added as backup
Can be less expensive	can still be hard for some to keep humidity high at night	Slower evaporation- less misting needed
Hard to keep humidity in at night. Many people cover sides with plastic to try and help	Can be kept bioactive once sealed and if ledges are high enough	can easily be kept bioactive
Drainage tray – not usually deep enough to do full bioactive	medium weight. Can be flimsy depending on brand quality	heavy but sturdy
Light weight – can be flimsy		Keeps in heat – less heat lamp time needed
		Can costs more

Lights

Congrats! You have your enclosure picked out! Now it’s time to light it up!

EVERY chameleon kept indoors MUST have a linear UVB 5.0 (or equivalent) . I cannot stress this enough….This light is NOT OPTIONAL!!!!!!!! It gives your chameleon the proper UV to grow healthy bones – to digest their food – and to absorb nutrients more efficiently. Without it – your chameleon will most likely get MBD (metabolic bone disease) and suffer from lack of nutrients. I have seen sooooooo many images of chameleons suffering horribly when it could have been prevented with the use of UVB.
This light will need to be replaced about every 6-12mo. The light will still work but the UV output diminishes with use. Two of the best and most trusted UVB light brands are Reptisun and Arcadia.
A solar meter will help you determine when the bulb needs changing.

If you keep live plants in your enclosure – a nice grow light will be needed too.

Chameleons also need a heat bulb so that they can warm up their bodies and digest their food. You want to aim for a basking area between 85-95 degrees and ambient temps about 70-80*F. Choosing a 50w or 75w bulb is a good place to start. If it’s too hot you can lower the wattage or move your light further from the top.
You will want to keep the basking branch around 6-8in from the light so that they don’t get burnt. I also suggest getting yourself a heat gun reader. You can find them for between $20-80. It’s not a huge expense and will help keep your spot perfect.
Your enclosure will determine how long your heat needs to be on. Since glass and fully enclosed enclosures hold heat and humidity – you will not need them on as long. I have mine set for a few hours in the morning so that they can warm up. If the room temps are cold I will also turn them on in the mid afternoon. Chameleons enjoy an ambient temp in the mid 70’s so having them off and in a warm home is perfect. If you have a chilled home and an open enclosure you may need to keep your heat lamp on for them all day.

Further lighting information can be found at –
https://chameleonacademy.com/basics-uvb-for-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-cage-set-up-replicating-the-sun/

Misting & Humidity

One of the hardest things for new chameleon owners to get right is humidity. A panther chameleon needs daytime humidity to sit around 40-50% and night around 80-100%. For some of us that live in drier climates – it can be a real hassle to get our enclosures up to where it needs to be. Especially at night.

This is where your choice of set up comes in to play. If you choose a mesh enclosure and live in the dry climate – you will have a very hard time getting that humidity up. Many people will say…’just cover it in plastic every night.’ I don’t know about you – but I have a very busy life – and I don’t have the desire or the time to make sure I cover my enclosure every night and uncover it every morning for the next 8 – 10 years. I also would hate staring at an enclosure covered in plastic. Definitely not my aesthetic especially when you can get an enclosed enclosure for not much more. But to each their own.

My personal choice of enclosures are ExoTerra glass 36x18x36 and Dubia 2x2x4 or 4x2x4. They are both fully enclosed and are perfect to do bioactive enclosures. ( Dubia enclosures must be siliconed to make bottoms water tight). There are also many other hybrid or fully enclosed options out there that could also work.

I know – this is the point where some of you start screaming at this page and rolling your eyes. Some of you might be thinking I am insane and that “chameleons need air flow” or “ you are killing your chameleon”!!!!! I have heard it all. I am here to tell you that chameleons can live and thrive in these enclosures. And because these are my choice of enclosures I will be talking about how to use one successfully.

Ok – back to humidity. Automatic misters are your friend!!! You could hand mist your chameleon twice a day….but why? Automatic misters are not super expensive and they will make your life so much easier. You could go the route of a high end Mistking or a more affordable Moistenland. I have used both and they both have their pros and cons.

Now – if you have chosen to create a bioactive enclosure- I have great news for you….your substrate and plants will help to hold humidity!!! And if you went with an enclosed enclosure….that holds humidity too!!! You will have to play around with how long and often you need to mist your enclosure. For me – I mist in the morning before lights turn on for 1-2min and again at night after the lights are off for 1-2min. Sometimes if we are really dry – I will hand mist in the middle of the night. This works for me – because of my setup – yours may look a little different. The aim is to get your humidity high at night and then allow it to gradually lower during the day.

Fogging…. A lot of people are for it and a lot of people are against it. This is something you will need to decide. Yes – fog is natural for them and a great way to get them hydrated. Yes – chameleons can live, be well hydrated and be healthy with misting only. I personally have not delved into the fogging world. I am on the fence and have not decided if the benefits out weigh the risks of over hydration – stagnant fog – and possible bacteria build up within the system. If you would like more info on fogging here is good place to start…. https://chameleonacademy.com/fogging-for-chameleons/#:~:text=Foggers%20do%20get%20whatever%20they,cleanliness%20and%203)%20blasting%20fog.

Feeding and Supplements

Chameleons LOOOOOVE their bugs! My choice of staple bugs are gut loaded crickets and Dubia roaches. Gut loading is where you feed your feeder insects with quality fruits – veggies – and feed. The idea is that the insects will carry all the vitamins and minerals straight to the reptile!

Variety to their diet is important too. They will enjoy TREATS such as hornworms, silkworms, wax worms, and BSFL.

Each time you feed your chameleon it will need to be dusted. I personally use Rapashy Calcium Plus to dust all my feeders. This supplement has been used for many years with great success. It also takes away the common ’dusting schedule’ and switching between multiple supplements that many people use.

How much/often to feed?
This will depend on your chameleons age and size. The smaller they are – the more they eat. Here is a quick reference….

Hatchlings – Daily – around 10-20 crickets (fruit flies when very young)

5-12mo – Every other day – 10-15 crickets and 5-10 to hunt until their next feeding

Adult male – 3x week – 3-8 crickets

Adult Female – 3x week – 10-15 crickets plus 5-10 to hunt. Females need more food for egg production.

Bare Bottom or Bio Active ?

In the chameleon community- there is much debate on how best to keep your enclosures. Personally I think there is a place for both.

I use bare bottom or paper toweled bottom enclosures for my reptiles in quarantine – in temporary enclosures – or for those who have medical issues. They allow you to easily monitor poop and sanitize. You will need to make sure you clean up constantly because moisture and poop do not make the best of smells. 😝

For me – bioactive is the way to go. I LOOOOOVE IT!!! There can be challenges when you begin – but once you get the hang of it – a gorgeous bioactive enclosure is the best! To build a bioactive enclosure you will need to work in layers.

The first layer is your drainage layer. You can use Leca balls, fish tank filter foam, hydro balls or even rocks. This layer is important for if you overspray, humidity, and water for your plants.

After this layer you will want a barrier. There are screens at reptile shops or you can use a fine window screen that is found at any hardware store. If you have several builds to do – this would be the way to go.

Layer three is your soil. You can purchase terrarium soil or you can mix your own. I like to mix my terrarium soil with equal parts organic topsoil and sand. Inside this soil you will want a good clean up crew! You will need springtails to take care of any fungi, mold, decaying matter, and bacteria. Isopods to clean up poop, sheds, and decaying matter. I like to also add red worms. They not only take care of decaying matter – they also aerate the soil and leave castings in the soil that fertilize the plants!