RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES:

1. Cage size should be at least 4′ long x 3′ wide x 4′ high.
2. Large dome and 100 watt bulb for heat.
3. Under tank heater – placed under same side of tank as basking light.
4. Temperature/humidity gauge – do not stick to side of tank.
5. At least one dry hide house.
6. Coconut fiber substrate, moistened.

A veiled chameleon can live in many different types of habitat. They are native to Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia, but populations have become established in Florida and Hawaii. They are arboreal and prefer to live in trees, bushes, or shrubs.

simple flat newspaper
The best substrate for chameleons is simple flat newspaper (cheap, recyclable, easily disposed). If a particulate or natural substrate is used avoid the following: beddings with small particles (sand, kitty litter, etc.), cedar, gravel, corn cob bedding, and beddings that would hold excess moisture.

Chameleons need a cage that is taller than it is wide so they can climb vertically. The most common mistake people make is getting a cage that is too small. Generally screen cages are used because they have good ventilation, are readily available, and are less expensive than glass cages of the same size.

Chameleons can eat:

• Crickets.
• Worms including: silkworms, calcium worms, earth worms, buffalo worms, morios, butter worms, meal worms, wax worms, bamboo worms and pachnoda grubs.
• Cockroaches.
• Locusts.
• Indian stick insects.

Give your chameleon a bath or shower as needed. Usually not sooner than once a week. This helps hydrate and circulate your chameleon internally. The steam and humidity also helps his respiratory system.

Chameleons don’t drink and won’t drink from a water bowl or dish. They would usually get dehydrated or even die before they would and this is simply because they do not recognize a dish or a bowl as a source of water. When it rains, water trickles and drips down on the leaves and branches of the trees.

Sufficient hydration is necessary to for a reptile’s habitat. It is not only vital for them for shedding, but also essential for them to grow incubate eggs and stay healthy. This is specially so for chameleons which require high humidity to thrive. And this is where a humidifier comes in handy!

Within its natural range, it inhabits arid and semi-arid areas, such as Karoo shrubland, sandy desert and gravel plains, even foraging in intertidal zones. It is terrestrial, and is usually seen walking along the ground, although young are often found climbing.

As we explained in an earlier entry, the Namaqua chameleon ( Chamaeleo namaquensis ), which inhabits deserts in south-western Africa, presents an almost black colour during the early morning hours, in order to absorb the maximum heat, while during the hottest hours it shows a whitish coloration, in order to reflect the maximum solar radiation.

Chamaeleo Namaquensis or the Namaqua desert chameleon is a special type of chameleon able to live in the inhospitable desert regions of Namibia, South Africa and Angola. It is the only species of chameleon able to live in such a habitat. ( Mercury) Unlike most chameleons, it is a terrestrial type meaning it spends much of its time on the ground.

In turn, Namaqua chameleons are preyed upon by jackals, hawks, and eagles. Similar to other chameleon species, in areas near human habitation, it falls victim to introduced predators such as domestic cats and dogs also foxes .