Chameleon Care and Husbandry

VCA WEST LOS ANGELES ANIMAL HOSPITAL
AVIAN AND EXOTICS PET CARE LIBRARY
There are 150 species of chameleon and nearly half of those
are found in Madagascar. Body size varies from approximately
1.3 to 27 inches. Due to specialized pigment cells, some chameleon species can change color. This color change can reflect
courtship or territorial displays, defense (camouflage), or aid in
thermoregulation in some species. Their unique eye structure
enables them to focus on objects independently of each other,
as they can rotate their eyes independently of one another.
The most common chameleons kept as pets are the Veiled,
Panther, and Jackson’s Chameleons.
From top left, clockwise: Pygmy leaf chameleon; Meller's chameleon Giant
One-horned chameleon; Panther chameleon; Four-horned chameleon;
Panther chameleon; Mt. Meru Jackson’s chameleon
Chameleon Care and Husbandry
Housing/Enclosure
Ideal housing for adult chameleons includes plastic-coated, wire mesh walls (½” x ½” mesh) with wood or metal
framing. It is not recommended to house chameleons in glass aquariums because the ventilation is inadequate,
and solitary animals may become stressed if their reflections are visible in the glass.
The cage bottom should not contain any substrate, as feeding behaviors
of chameleons predisposes them to ingesting substrate with prey items.
This can lead to gastrointestinal impactions, which can result in death.
The floor of the enclosure can be lined with butcher’s paper, newspaper,
indoor/outdoor carpeting, or Astroturf if desired.
Several plants and climbing substrates (like natural branches) should be
provided in the enclosure. Chameleons are arboreal lizards, meaning
they spend much of their time in trees/plants.
Lighting/Heat/Humidity
Chameleons require a basking area and a non-basking area with a temperature
gradient between the two. Ideal temperatures for each region vary by species; the
ideal ranges for the three most common pet chameleon species are listed in the
table on the next page.
A example of color change in a
4-year-old Panther chameleon.
To achieve a temperature gradient, two temperature gauges should be placed in the
enclosure, one near the basking area and one in the non-basking area. The basking
area should include a broad-spectrum UV heating lamp (such as a mercury vapor
bulb) situated approximately 12” away from where the chameleon would bask. Keep
in mind that broad-spectrum UV lighting bulbs are only effective for 4-6 months. It
is very important to have a UV meter in place. The bulb will continue to give off light
and heat, but will not emit UV. Also make sure there is no glass or plastic between
the bulb and the chameleon, as these can prohibit the transmission of UV light.
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Chameleon Care and Husbandry
Lighting/Heat/Humidity (continued)
Ideal basking and non-basking temperatures for common species of pet chameleons are as follows:
Species
Basking Area
Temperature
Non-Basking Area
Temperature
Night time
Temperature
Veiled
90-95ºF
70-85ºF
60-65ºF
Panther
90-95ºF
75-90ºF
65-70ºF
Jackson’s
82-85ºF
70-80ºF
70-75ºF
Chameleons require humidity between 40-60%. A humidity gauge should be placed in the enclosure to ensure
the humidity is maintained. Open-air cages like the wire-mesh enclosures recommended for chameleons can be
challenging to keep humid, but frequent misting (or placement of an automatic misting system), live plants, and
placement of moistened sorghum mosses can help. Using an automatic/greenhouse misting system is also an
effective way to increase the humidity in the enclosure.
Diet/Water Requirements
Feeding and hydrating captive chameleons is a challenging
task, and they are prone to suffering from dietary
insufficiencies and chronic dehydration.
Chameleons are insectivores, and they eat a wide variety of
insects in the wild. Adult chameleons can be fed three to five
times weekly, whereas juveniles should be fed daily. You can
offer your chameleon crickets, mealworms, superworms,
waxworms, and periodically offer wild insects like
grasshoppers, butterflies, or fruit flies (never feed fireflies –
they are toxic). Crickets and other insects should be
purchased from a pet store or bait store, and should be ‘gut
loaded’ for maximized nutritional value (see separate
handout). Gut-loaded insects should be dusted with multivitamin powder (including calcium) once per week.
A juvenile Panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) captures
a cricket. Its unique tongue structure enables the
chameleon to hit prey at approximately 30 thousands of a
second — too fast for the human eye to follow.
In the wild, chameleons obtain water by drinking dewdrops or raindrops that
collect on leaves and other surfaces. The best way to mimic this and
encourage your chameleon to drink is to heavily mist the plants in the
enclosure multiple times per day. Alternatively, an automatic misting system
can be used. Chameleons don’t generally recognize standing water in
dishes as a source for drinking. You can try placing a bubbling system (like
an aquarium air stone) in a water dish, or providing constantly flowing water
as in a commercially available mini waterfall system.
Veterinary Care
Because chameleons are difficult to keep healthy, veterinary care is extremely
important for them. Yearly examinations and post-purchase examinations are
recommended to make sure they do not have preexisting conditions. Veterinary
care can help identify internal parasites, metabolic bone disease, infections or
reproductive problems.
It is normal for chameleons to shed regularly to replace outer skin layers,
especially during growth phases. Juveniles, such as the one in the photo (right),
will shed every few weeks because they are growing rapidly. Adults shed
approximately every 4 months to replace their outer skin layers. It can take weeks
for the whole process to complete. It is important to maintain proper humidity
levels in your chameleon’s enclosure to help ensure problem-free skin shedding.
Demonstrating independent
eye movement, a baby Veiled
chameleon sheds his skin.
If you have any questions or concerns about your pet lizard or would like to schedule an appointment for your
pet, please call VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital at 310-473-2951.