# male veiled chameleon digging? please help!!



## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

I have a 6 month old Male veiled cham and he seems to be displaying all the symptoms of a female wanting to lay eggs! He is drinking alot but not eating i think, he keeps digging! i took out his chippings and replaced with paper towels but he proceeded to shred the paper and make nests? found him sleeping on the floor of his cage one morning but he hasnt done it since, hes not dehydrated i think as been making sure he gets plenty water and seen him drinking it. I dust his crickets and locusts with calcium powder and his temps are good, researched the temps first so i know its not that. He has gone very dark in colour too.

He has the two small bumps on his feet so defo male.

Pacing the bottom of his tank and scratching glass to get out.

Anyone any ideas? Im really worried as he obviously shouldnt be hanging around the bottom of his cage! thanks


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## Bexzini (Oct 21, 2010)

karmerbabe said:


> I have a 6 month old Male veiled cham and he seems to be displaying all the symptoms of a female wanting to lay eggs! He is drinking alot but not eating i think, he keeps digging! i took out his chippings and replaced with paper towels but he proceeded to shred the paper and make nests? found him sleeping on the floor of his cage one morning but he hasnt done it since, hes not dehydrated i think as been making sure he gets plenty water and seen him drinking it. I dust his crickets and locusts with calcium powder and his temps are good, researched the temps first so i know its not that. He has gone very dark in colour too.
> 
> He has the two small bumps on his feet so defo male.
> 
> ...


What are the temperatures and what UV are you using? Whats he like when you go near him??


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

his temps are 90 under basking lamp, between 80-85 ambient, he is fine when i go near him, he doesnt usually hiss or anything he even started drinking from the sprayer when i was misting his cage. He has a 100 watt exo terra bulb in his heat lamp which is meant to be full spectrum and a 60 watt ring heater which doesnt shine light for night time.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

are you sure he's male?

I know thats probably a stupid question but does he have the spur on the back of his foot 

Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet

if it turns out to be female you need to get a DEEP bucket in the terrarium as she'll dig all down and under as small dig box wont cut it and they might not lay.


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

karmerbabe said:


> his temps are 90 under basking lamp, between 80-85 ambient, he is fine when i go near him, he doesnt usually hiss or anything he even started drinking from the sprayer when i was misting his cage. He has a 100 watt exo terra bulb in his heat lamp which is meant to be full spectrum and a 60 watt ring heater which doesnt shine light for night time.


what bulb is that? Is it a 'sunglow'? if so i do not think its a source of Uvb but is only Uva which is not enough for chameleons,


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

omg yes i think it is sunglow bulb! i feel so stupid, the set up i bought him in came like this but i replaced the heat lamp bulb and bought the ceramic heater as it wasnt nearly as hot enough! but i have no UV tube!! am i right in thinking these are like the long fish tube lights? same type of thing? No wonder he not well! will he be ok if i buy one straight away? i thought it was in with his lamp!

Is this the cause of him not eating and acting strangely?

He is defo male as someone asked as i thought poss a mix up, but ive checked out pics etc and he defo got the torsals on his hind feet.

thank you so much for all your help, i greatly appreciate it x


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

karmerbabe said:


> omg yes i think it is sunglow bulb! i feel so stupid, the set up i bought him in came like this but i replaced the heat lamp bulb and bought the ceramic heater as it wasnt nearly as hot enough! but i have no UV tube!! am i right in thinking these are like the long fish tube lights? same type of thing? No wonder he not well! will he be ok if i buy one straight away? i thought it was in with his lamp!
> 
> Is this the cause of him not eating and acting strangely?
> 
> ...


I think if its the bulb i think it is. Then it only gives off a small amount UVA for plants and general well being and NOT UVB that they need,
Is it one of these? I would check that first.

Exo Terra Sun Glo Neodymium Daylight Lamp | Net Pet Shop

If so I would get linear Reptisun UVB or something asap.


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

yeah thats his bulb!! omg omg!! i replaced it just after xmas and hes had no uv since i put that in!! Do i need to get one of those long tube type uv's or can i get a bulb that will do it? so i can put it in his basking lamp thing? i will get one asap tomoz

Will he be ok? or is it too late?

i feel so guilty!

thanks for the help x


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

ahh these uvb lights dont omit heat do they? so i cant take his basking lamp out and get an all in one, ill have to get the long tube type and mount it on side of his viv? thanks x


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

What set up have you got?

I use a long tube .5 or 10 reptisun UVB for their UVB like this,

ReptiSun® 5.0 UVB Fluorescent

And also a normal bulb in a dome for the heat, I use this for all my chams and most others do too,


I am not to sure, what it would have done to him, as its been a few months without it? You would want to get one asap to be honest,


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

well his cage is custom made viv, wooden with glass front door, 8ft tall (probs 4-5ft actually in height for him to climb) by say 4ft long/wide as its built into a stand, i took his chippings out after advice he could swallow them and now have paper towels down, he got loads of branches and foiliage etc, he has a basking lamp in corner, hangs from top with that sun glow bulb we discussed and he has an ceramic heater which hangs down the middle of his cage to heat overall, i made a dropper system for his water from a rabbit bottle which is hung in corner behind plants and drips onto his plants. Plenty air vents in back.

Anything else ive missed?

Im going to get him a bulb tomorrow straight away! i only hope its not to late!

There is some spotlights built into the top of his viv but i rarely put them on as not very bright and his lamp is bright enough anyways.

Thank you so much for the help x


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

karmerbabe said:


> well his cage is custom made viv, wooden with glass front door, 8ft tall (probs 4-5ft actually in height for him to climb) by say 4ft long/wide as its built into a stand, i took his chippings out after advice he could swallow them and now have paper towels down, he got loads of branches and foiliage etc, he has a basking lamp in corner, hangs from top with that sun glow bulb we discussed and he has an ceramic heater which hangs down the middle of his cage to heat overall, i made a dropper system for his water from a rabbit bottle which is hung in corner behind plants and drips onto his plants. Plenty air vents in back.
> 
> Anything else ive missed?
> 
> ...


If it was me with that tall of a setup set up I would defiantly get a REPTISUN linear tube they are good tubes and recommended by lots, and make sure he has vines and branches underneath the tube so he can make use of it,good luck.


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

thanks so much, im working tomoz but ive explained to my husband what to get and he is going to get a uvb tube tomorrow.

Do they like to sit close to the tube? is that why the vines need to go right up to it?

Hope its not to late for little George.

Many thanks


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

karmerbabe said:


> thanks so much, im working tomoz but ive explained to my husband what to get and he is going to get a uvb tube tomorrow.
> 
> Do they like to sit close to the tube? is that why the vines need to go right up to it?
> 
> ...


I have reptibreeze setups, so the tubes sit outside on the top mesh, I have vines+branches at around 6/8 inches down and at various levels. so they can get the UVb from it.

As you have at least a 5foot high setup you will need him to be able to get to near it as the Uvb will not be effective right down to the bottom from that height,


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## karmerbabe (Nov 18, 2010)

ill afix it lower down, maybe half way so its next to his vines.

thanks again


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