Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
Get It Today
Learn how to care for cool climate Chameleons, recommended diet & habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to care for warm climate Chameleons, recommended diet & habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to take care of your Crested Gecko, tank size, diet & habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on December 22nd, 2025
Learn how to care for Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink, recommended diet & aquarium setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to take care of Water Dragons, recommended diet and habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Thanks for your question about Smaug, and thanks for the photo as well! I think that you have a good start to your set up, and that we can tweak a few items. First, your lighting situation appears adequate - I see a UVB light (please change this bulb every 4-6 months), a basking light, and a ceramic heat bulb. I would ensure that your temperatures are appropriate for this species, and that you are monitoring them using digital thermometers (I think that you see both a digital and analog thermometers currently) at the level of Smaug. Analog thermometers are inaccurate, so I don't recommend using them (also, they are high up on the sides of the enclosure, so they wouldn't be giving an accurate temperature read for Smaug). For the cage furniture that you have, I like that you have places for Smaug to climb and hide. However, I would recommend having a hide on both the warm side of the enclosure and the cool side so that Smaug has choices. Same for the climbing structures. I may have missed a food and water dish in the enclosure - I would recommend that both of these be shallow, and be large enough for Smaug's entire body to fit within them. I cannot tell what type of shavings that you have on the bottom of the enclosure, but the only wood shavings that I recommend are aspen shavings. If they are pine, these can be irritating to the respiratory system. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Survey the area around the cage for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises, strong vibrations, strong drafts or high traffic. Reduce or eliminate any if found. Confirm proper temperature. If it is too hot up high, he will move to cooler temps. Be sure to gut load prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Dust with a calcium supplement as well as a multivitamin regularly. If the behavior persists, consider an exam with your vet or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat illness or injury. You can review chameleon care a the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Panther-Chameleon/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
It is too small to be used for much beyond transport, quarantine or temporary housing (i.e. during cleaning of main enclosure). The plastic construction does not allow for light or heat sources which most reptiles or exotic pets require.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Thanks for reaching out about the chameleon and including pictures. The first photo with the swayed back is very suspect of MBD/calcium deficiency. Diet and husbandry need to be review and correct, and a veterinary visit should be scheduled ASAP. Typically concerns are poor calcium in the diet, lac of UV light, poor temperature, etc. This is an emergency. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
The addition of an under-tank heater can change the temperature of an enclosure significantly. To determine what the temperatures are within Ladon's enclosure, I would recommend utilizing digital thermometers. These should be located on both the warm and cool end of the enclosure, and should be located at Ladon's level (not higher or lower than him). With that information, you can tell if the temperatures are now too hot or not. I would also recommend that you have hides present on both the cool end and on the warm end - this will provide Ladon with choices within his enclosure as well. With the water bowl, this may also be related to his enclosure temperature. I would recommend monitoring for any changes once you have determined if the temperatures are appropriate for his species. You can refer to a care sheet if needed to gather temperature information. I hope that answers your question, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025