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Adult female veiled chameleon -- half the size of the male.

Origin.  If you want to catch your own, you’ll find veil chameleons in the region between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.  We get most of ours from an Iowa breeder. These adjust to captivity better than captured veiled chameleons.

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Smaller veil chameleon -- on the grow.

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Littler veil chameleon.  Not quite as big as a finger.  Doesn't look like he trusts us.

Nice Size.  Veil chameleons don’t grow to a dragon-size like iguanas  -- just 24 inches including their stretched out tails but not their tongues.  Males grow nearly twice the size of the females.  Both make friendly pets but can bite if they want to.  Actually, their sharp, grasping toenails pose more of a threat.

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Young panther chameleon just starting to develop his colors.

Nice Appearance.  Bright bands of yellow encircle a body color that varies depending upon mood from bright green to dark green to blue.  Some also sport gold, orange, and black colors.   Arguments with other chameleons will trigger these color changes.  You could probably tick veiled chameleons off with a mirror.  Be careful, you can stress them.

Nice Personality.  Not really bitey (like tegus and monitors), veiled chameleons can still give you an unexpected nip if they so desire.  Those reared from babies seem more sociable.

Temperature Needs.  Temp needs are not as critical for veiled chameleons as for the other chameleons.  You can keep them at 75 to 80^o during the day and cooler at night.  If your veil gets sluggish or stops eating, warm him up.  Don’t just guess at the temperature.  Measure it with a reliable thermometer.

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Perfect veil chameleon cages.

Housing.  Give them plenty of room and a variety of climbing sites.  They also need cover within which to seek hiding places.  They depend upon their coloration to “blend in” but still need hiding cover.  The mesh-sided Reptariums exactly meet the needs of veiled chameleons -- plenty of air circulation and lots of extra climbing surfaces on the walls and ceilings.

Lighting Needs.  Give them a full-spectrum fluorescent light.  Veiled chameleons need it mostly to absorb calcium into their bones. 

Vitamins.  Give them a vitamin A and D calcium supplement.  Very lightly dust the supplement onto their crickets.  A pinch of supplement in the crickets’ plastic bag will usually suffice. Way better to prevent vitamin deficiency in a veil chameleon than try to cure it.

Foods.  Crickets and mealworms fill most of their needs.  But vary their diet if possible.  You can’t expect them to survive on a single food.  Adults will eat pinky mice.  Most veiled chameleons will learn to eat from your fingers.  This means  you can offer a large variety of foods.  Veils will also eat plant leaves – especially the adults.  They use the leaves as a water source.

Water.  Fix veiled chameleons up with your standard chameleon “drip system,” or mist them at least twice a day.

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Large adult female veiled chameleon.  Not really cute in the face.

Breeding Step One.  At about a year old, your veiled chameleons are ready to rumble (about three times per year).  Keep your sexes separate except at breeding time.  Then put them in cages next to each other before putting them in the same cage.  When placed close enough to see her, the male will turn very bright (usually blue), start swaying back and forth, and ask her for her sign. 

Step Two.  Unwilling veiled chameleon females turn very dark and move to the other end of the bar.  Willing females turn bright green to express their interest.  Once he works his magic, separate them.  Some 25 to 30 days later, she’s ready to lay about 50 eggs.  Give her a five-gallon bucket half filled with damp sand.  Or a kitty litter pan with damp sand or vermiculite (unused, of course).  Or look into those coconut fiber pressed packs. 

Step Three.  Remove the eggs and incubate at 86 to 88^o for nearly half a year.  Feed the baby veiled chameleons wingless fruit flies and/or tiny crickets.  The babies grow amazingly fast.

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Little veiled chameleons don't trust big monsters that grab them.

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Some of the new guys in a batch hatched in Iowa, August, 2005.

Tips.  Handle your veiled chameleons as little as possible.  Keep them away from kids and other stressful situations.  Keep each in its own cage.  Provide a veggie clip holding Romaine lettuce leaves.  Experiment with bearded dragon pellets as a food source.  You never know.  LA.

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