Veiled chameleon

Profile

Length

25–45 cm including the tail; males clearly larger, big males up to about 60 cm

Weight

young females at 6–7 months often under 100 g; males grow larger and heavier

Life span

males 5–8 years, some over 10; females shorter, often around 5 years

Activity

active by day, lives on branches and in shrubs

Sources [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Climate and light

Day

25–28 °C (77–82 °F)

Night

16–20 °C (61–68 °F)

Basking spot

32–35 °C (90–95 °F)

Humidity

50–70%

Light

12 hours of light with UVB, a UV index of about 2.5–3 at the basking spot. A screen between lamp and animal blocks 30–50% of the UVB. Replace the lamp about every six months. Austria requires 12–14 hours and daily UV exposure.

Fairly dry by day, humid at night and after misting: a US veterinary clinic gives 40–50% by day and 80–100% at night. Plenty of fresh air is important; about two hours after misting, the enclosure should be dry again. Chameleons burn themselves easily at the basking spot because they don't always move away. Austria requires 22–32 °C (72–90 °F) during the day, up to 35 °C (95 °F) in one spot, 20–22 °C (68–72 °F) at night and 50–70% humidity.

Sources [1] [5] [2] [6] [7]

Enclosure

For an adult, at least 100 × 80 × 120 cm (L × W × H). This meets the Austrian rule of 0.8 m² and 1 m height and is above a US veterinary clinic's minimum of 60 × 60 × 120 cm, which recommends 91 × 76 × 122 cm for large males. In Germany and Switzerland the size depends on snout-vent length, see below. A screen enclosure or one with large mesh panels is better than an all-glass tank.

Substrate

Vets advise a bare floor with drainage or artificial turf, because chameleons swallow loose substrate and it goes moldy. Females still need a container of diggable, slightly damp soil for laying eggs, or they risk egg binding.

Setup

A network of mostly horizontal branches and vines, dense plants such as pothos, schefflera or ficus, with a bright basking spot at the top. A dripper during the day and misting in the morning and evening, because chameleons don't drink from bowls. Cover glass sides from the outside so the animals can't see each other. A thermometer and a hygrometer.

Sources [5] [2] [8] [1] [9] [7]

Minimum sizes

• GermanyGuideline

  Length 4 × snout-vent length, width 2.5 ×, height 4 × for one animal, 20% more floor area for a pair. Cover the side walls so there is no visual contact with the neighboring enclosure.

  Source [6]

• AustriaLaw

  1–2 animals up to 10 cm: 0.1 m² floor area, 0.5 m high · 10–20 cm: 0.4 m², 0.6 m · 20–35 cm: 0.6 m², 0.8 m · adults: 0.8 m², 1.0 m. Add 0.05 / 0.1 / 0.2 / 0.4 m² for each additional animal. No more than one adult male per enclosure.

  Source [7]

• SwitzerlandLaw

  For one animal: floor area 5 × 3 snout-vent lengths, height 5 snout-vent lengths. Add 2 × 2 snout-vent lengths for each additional animal. Depending on the species, the ordinance requires for example two mesh walls and a clear drop in temperature at night.

  Source [10]

Feeding

• Juvenileup to 12 monthsdaily

  House crickets, Field crickets · small crickets, as many as the animal eats

• Adultfrom about 1 yearevery 2–3 days

  House crickets, Field crickets, Roaches, Locusts · a few large insects per meal

Prey size

no bigger than the width of the head

Sources [2] [5]

Juveniles eat daily, as much as they take. Veiled chameleons are fully grown at 9–12 months, after that a few insects every other day; the Thieme sheet advises restrained feeding every 2–3 days. Too much food makes them fat and makes egg binding more likely in females. Young females often form eggs at 6–7 months already. Feed a varied diet; the Thieme sheet advises against mealworms and other larvae. Many animals also eat plants such as dandelion. Gut-load feeders with vegetables for 1–2 days and dust them with phosphorus-free calcium. In a study by the Vetsuisse Faculty, only calcium together with vitamin A protected juveniles from bone disease. Remove uneaten insects.

Sources [8] [2] [5] [1] [4] [11] [12]

Shedding

Stuck shed on the toes and around the eyes is a reason to see a vet. Alternating drier air by day and humid air at night supports a clean shed.

Sources [2] [5]

Brumation

No true brumation needed, not even for breeding. The Thieme sheet still recommends cooler values in winter, 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) by day and 12–14 °C (54–57 °F) at night. Austria requires 2–3 hours less light in winter and a temperature 4–6 °C (7–11 °F) lower. No source gives a duration.

Sources [13] [1] [7]

Breeding

Sexual maturity

very early; young females often form eggs at 6–7 months, fully grown at 9–12 months

Clutch

usually 30–50 eggs, up to about 90; several clutches a year, eggs even without a male

Incubation

200 days at 26–28 °C (79–82 °F)

After laying, the eggs first rest for weeks (diapause, 50 to over 80 days). Warmth shortens this rest, but very high temperatures do harm. At 27 °C (81 °F), the young hatch after about 200 days. Mating and egg laying are 3–6 weeks apart. If a female keeps forming large follicles without a male, it can become dangerous: ask your vet about pairing or spaying, hormone implants don't help.

Sources [1] [13] [4] [14] [15] [16]

Protection status and registration

As of October 31, 2026

• EU

  CITES Appendix II and Annex B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation, like all Chamaeleo species. Anyone selling animals must be able to prove they were acquired legally.

  Sources [17] [18]

• Germany

  Specially protected and subject to registration: report keeping, and every addition and departure, to the responsible authority in writing without delay. Marking is not required. You must be able to show proof of origin (receipt or captive-breeding certificate) on request.

  Sources [19] [20]

• Austria

  Report keeping reptiles to the authority within two weeks. Since July 1, 2026, you need a training course (at least 4 × 60 minutes) before your first reptile. A UV lamp, a thermometer and a hygrometer are required, and the animals are given water with a pipette.

  Sources [21] [7]

• Switzerland

  Private keeping needs a permit from the cantonal authority, as for all chameleons, and proof of expertise. An expert opinion on the enclosure isn't needed for the veiled chameleon, but it is for other chameleons. You must be able to document origin and legal acquisition.

  Sources [10] [22]

This is not legal advice. Rules change, so check with the responsible authority if in doubt.

Health

No substitute for a vet. If your animal seems sick, refuses food for an unusually long time or loses weight, see a vet with experience in reptiles.

• Metabolic bone disease (MBD)

  Signs soft jaw, bent or broken legs, tremors, trouble holding on; common in juveniles

  What to do Check calcium, vitamin A and UVB right away and see a vet.

• Egg binding and follicular stasis

  Signs swollen belly, straining; young females seem weak and thin

  What to do See a vet right away. If she doesn't lay within 1–2 weeks, surgery is often needed.

• Dehydration

  Signs sunken eyes, lethargic, poor appetite

  What to do Check misting and dripper and see a vet. Over time the kidneys suffer.

• Vitamin A deficiency

  Signs hard swelling at the front of the eye turret or a fully swollen eye

  What to do See a vet, check the vitamin A supply.

• Gout

  Signs swollen, painful joints, later weakness and weight loss

  What to do See a vet. Use only phosphorus-free calcium.

• Mouth rot

  Signs sores in the mouth, discharge, drooling

  What to do See a vet.

Sources [12] [5] [2] [8]

Sources

1. Heimtier-Info JemenchamäleonGeorg Thieme Verlag (vet.thieme.de) · 2020 · retrieved October 31, 2026Patient information sheet from a veterinary publisher.
2. Veiled Chameleon Care SheetPetMD (Maria Zayas, DVM) · August 14, 2023 · retrieved October 31, 2026
3. Chamaeleo calyptratusAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan · 2000 · retrieved October 31, 2026Natural history profile written by a student. Only used for the length of males.
4. Effect of GnRH agonist (deslorelin) on reproductive activity in captive female veiled chameleonsCermakova, E. et al., Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Veterinární Medicína 68(7) · 2023 · retrieved October 31, 2026
5. Chameleon Care GuideLong Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic, USA · retrieved October 31, 2026A veterinary clinic's care sheet on the veiled chameleon.
6. Gutachten über Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von ReptilienofficialBundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (now BMLEH), Sachverständigengruppe tierschutzgerechte Haltung von Terrarientieren · January 10, 1997 · retrieved October 20, 2026Spells out § 2 of the German Animal Welfare Act. Not a law, but the standard veterinary offices in Germany go by.
7. 2. Tierhaltungsverordnung, § 5, § 8 und Anlage 3 (Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilien)officialRepublic of Austria, BGBl. II Nr. 486/2004, last amended by BGBl. II Nr. 144/2026 · Version of October 20, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
8. Care and Housing for ChameleonsVCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM) · December 13, 2023 · retrieved October 31, 2026For chameleons in general.
9. Management and Husbandry of ReptilesMerck Veterinary Manual (S. J. Divers, J. R. Comolli) · July 2026 · retrieved October 31, 2026Veterinary reference work, for reptiles in general.
10. Tierschutzverordnung (TSchV, SR 455.1), Art. 89 und Anhang 2 (Vorbemerkungen, Tabelle 5 Reptilien)officialSwiss Confederation · As of February 1, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
11. Nutritional metabolic bone disease in juvenile veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and its preventionHoby, S. et al., Vetsuisse Faculty, Journal of Nutrition 140(11) · 2010 · retrieved October 31, 2026
12. Chameleon DiseasesVCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM) · December 20, 2023 · retrieved October 31, 2026
13. Captive Care, Raising, and Breeding of the Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)Diaz, R. E. et al., Cold Spring Harbor Protocols · 2015 · retrieved October 31, 2026Husbandry protocol of a research lab.
14. Effects of temperature and moisture on embryonic diapause of the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)Andrews, R. M., Donoghue, S., Journal of Experimental Zoology 301A · 2004 · retrieved October 31, 2026
15. Effects of incubation temperature on growth and performance of the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)Andrews, R. M., Journal of Experimental Zoology 309A · 2008 · retrieved October 31, 2026
16. Biophysical processes of morphogenesis in lizard lungsHill, K. et al., Developmental Dynamics · 2026 · retrieved October 31, 2026Gives the incubation time at 27 °C.
17. Verordnung (EU) 2026/1383 zur Änderung der Anhänge der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 338/97 (CITES-Vertragsstaatenkonferenz 2025)officialEuropean Commission · June 22, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
18. Verordnung (EG) Nr. 338/97 über den Schutz von Exemplaren wildlebender Tier- und Pflanzenarten durch Überwachung des HandelsofficialEuropean Union · retrieved October 20, 2026
19. Bundesartenschutzverordnung (BArtSchV), § 7, §§ 12–13 und Anlagen 5 und 6officialFederal Republic of Germany · Last amended January 21, 2013 · retrieved October 20, 2026
20. Bundesnaturschutzgesetz (BNatSchG), § 46 NachweispflichtofficialFederal Republic of Germany · retrieved October 20, 2026
21. Tierschutzgesetz (TSchG), § 13 und § 25officialRepublic of Austria · Version of October 20, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
22. Bundesgesetz über den Verkehr mit Tieren und Pflanzen geschützter Arten (BGCITES, SR 453), Art. 10officialSwiss Confederation · As of September 1, 2023 · retrieved October 21, 2026

Values without a source are common experience from keeping and breeding. Every animal is different, so watch yours and adjust its care. As of October 31, 2026.