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Chapter
2:
Environment
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- Use artificial vines
and flowers found at any craft store. I would stay away from artificial
berries, beads that simulate water droplets or anything else that
may look like "food". It is a good practice to offer your
chameleon REAL plants to improve the air quality in its habitat and
to simulate its natural environment as much as possible (See list
of plants to use and those to avoid). When using real plants, beware
of the tiny, white bits mixed into the potting soil (perlite) that
look like Styrofoam. Hatchlings are drawn to these thinking they are
tasty bugs and will eat them. Don't wait for it to happen, place large
stones over the plant's exposed soil before introducing it to your
chameleon! ONLY use real plants in the enclosure if you circulate
them (i.e. use artificial plants one month, real the next ). Water
can become stagnant and breed bacteria, so I would recommend exposing
your pet to a real tree near a window instead!
- You don't have to buy
branches from pet stores. Harvest your own, preferably in the winter
when they are bare and easier to clean. Use sand paper to smooth out
any splinters or sharp regions, remove bark and make sure it's clean
(make sure they are not too smooth or your chameleon will have difficulty
gripping on). If the branches are small enough to fit, bake in your
oven for about 2 hours @ 250 or wash them in detergent and scrub with
a wire pad. Run hot water over it to soften the bark. Soak the branches
in diluted bleach mixture but make certain you rinse and soak them
in clean water to get any bleach residue off! A bird ladder makes
a great accessory too! Found in the parrot/bird section of your local
pet store, they come in a variety of sizes and are inexpensive!
- Beware of any plant you
purchase that has been treated with insecticides! Don't let you little
guy run around on a pesticide treated lawn!
- A nice thing to put in
your chameleon's aquarium is a "veggie-clip" (found in the
reptile section of any pet store). It is a suction cup with a plastic
clip attached. You adhere it to the cool end of the aquarium wall
and you can fasten a large leaf (romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce etc.)
to it! This way you little one can nibble on fresh veggies if he desires!
- Remember, what you may
consider as "esthetic" your chameleon views as functional.
Make certain vines and sticks are strongly affixed. You can use a
glue gun to affix artificial foliage to aquarium walls. The glue peels
off easily, and this makes it possible to build bridges and fun things
to climbs for your chameleon! Never use a glue gun while your chameleon
in the enclosure. Always wait at least 15 minutes to ensure glue is
dry and any fumes have dissipated. Make sure any stings of glue that
have dripped are cleaned up, as your chameleon or insects could ingest
them. Using a glue gun is a great way of making your chameleons environment
stimulating and secure, IF you remember to clean out any extra glue
and use it VERY sparingly, and wipe away any fine glue webs that are
left behind. Keep it simple. If you create elaborate habitats, you
will be less enthusiastic about dissembling it to clean it every week.
- Substrate. There are several
options on the market, but only 3 are safe: Calcium sands, astro turf
and nothing at all. I do not recommend towels, newsprint etc. as insects
will crawl and hide under it. Wood chips are good for increasing humidity,
however, many incidences have been reported of chameleons ingesting
them when hunting, leading to fatal results. It won't hurt to have
"nothing" as substrate, chameleons are arboreal (they dwell
primarily in the treetops) and its not often you will see them walking
on the ground. In the winter, you may want to use something to add
more insulation.
- Remember not to place
branches or sticks to close to the basking lights. The basking light
should be not less than 1 foot away from your chameleon. The first
sign of a thermal burn is a light green patch on the skin, gradually
turning black, usually on the casque (cone on head) as it's the closest
area to the light. You may also see a small blister. If this appears,
alter your light immediately and take your chameleon to a vet! If
allowed, your chameleon will sit directly under a light, and unfortunately,
does not seem to "learn" if they have been burnt already.
BEWARE thermal burns and Calcium deficiency are the top 2 causes of
death for chameleons.
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