Veiled Chameleon

The veiled chameleon is really an eye-catcher. Because of its robustness and its elegant movements, this chameleon is one of the most popular chameleon species among reptile enthusiasts. If you want to keep a chameleon in the terrarium, you should have a certain amount of experience, as it is not an animal for beginners.

Key Data on the Veiled Chameleon

The Veiled Chameleon is originally at home in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, including Yemen, from where its name was derived. In its natural environment, it inhabits various habitats.

Adult, male veiled chameleons grow to about 50 to 60 centimeters in size and females reach a size of about 40 centimeters. The animals are usually calm and balanced. A little patience pays off because veiled chameleons can become tame.

This chameleon appears in many color facets that make it a colorful animal. It pleases its keepers with numerous colors, for example, green, white, blue, orange, yellow, or black. Inexperienced chameleon keepers often think that the chameleon uses certain colors to camouflage itself.

But the color of his body shows how his mood is at the moment, for example, it signals joy, concern, or fear.

Temperatures in the Terrarium

During the day the veiled chameleon likes 28 °C and at night it should be at least 20 °C. The optimal terrarium offers the Veiled Chameleon a few sunspots that reach up to 35 °C during the day.

The chameleon also needs enough UV radiation, which can be achieved with appropriate terrarium lighting. The lighting time should be about 13 hours a day.

The colorful chameleon feels comfortable with a higher humidity of 70 percent. This level of humidity is achieved by regular spraying.

Veiled chameleons hibernate for two months. They also want these in their terrarium. Here, the optimal temperature during the day should be around 20 °C. At night it drops to around 16 °C.

The lighting time with UV light is now reduced to 10 hours. The chameleon needs little or no feeding during its hibernation. Too much food would make it restless and even harm it.

Setting up the Terrarium

Veiled chameleons need opportunities to climb and hide. Plants, branches, and stable structures made of stone are suitable for this. Sunspots are made of wood or flat stones.

A soil of sand and earth is ideal because this mixture maintains the necessary humidity. Planting bromeliads, birch figs, succulents, and ferns ensure a pleasant terrarium climate.

Nourishment

Most insects are eaten – food insects. These include crickets, grasshoppers, or house crickets. If the diet is to be balanced, the chameleons are also happy about salad, dandelion, or fruit.

Like many reptiles, the animals are affected by a lack of vitamin D and can develop rickets. Optimally, they get a vitamin supplement with their feed rations. Vitamins can also be added to the spray water.

It should be fed every other day and the uneaten food animals should be removed from the terrarium in the evening.

Fasting one or two days a week is important because veiled chameleons can easily become overweight and develop joint problems.

Pregnant females and females weakened by the laying of their eggs can occasionally tolerate a young mouse.

In nature, veiled chameleons get their water from dew and raindrops. A drinking trough with a drip device is ideal in the terrarium tank. If the chameleon is trusting, it will also drink using a pipette. Veiled chameleons usually get their water by spraying the plants and the inside of the terrarium.

Gender Differences

Female specimens are smaller than males. The two sexes differ in their overall appearance and helmet size. The male veiled chameleons can be recognized after about a week by a spur on the hind legs.

Breed

As soon as a female veiled chameleon signals her consent to mate, she turns dark green. That means it doesn’t feel pressured and then mating takes place. After a month, the female buries the chameleon eggs, usually about 40 eggs, in the ground.

This requires the ability to bury their entire body. It protects their eggs at an ideally constant temperature of 28 °C and increased humidity by almost 90 percent for around six months until the young hatch.

The young animals should be raised separately and separated as soon as possible, because after just a few weeks they start fighting each other for dominance.