When a sexually mature male chameleon defecates you will quite often see his hemipenes whilst he is doing so. They are usually retracted back into the tail base afterwards. If they do not retract then veterinary assistance may be required. On seeing it for the first time, it can often be a cause for worry for the owner. So, with this blog, I aim to eliminate the shock - it is always good to know what to expect, especially if you are new to chameleon ownership.
This is a normal part of defecating - some males show them and others don't - I never saw my male Veileds hemipenes at all when he pooped, whereas Monty's (my Jackson) pop out every time!
Here you can see the sperm deposit still attached to the hemipenis.
The bowel movement will take place and the hemipenes are then retracted back into the tail base. After, the chameleon will probably 'wipe' his vent on the branch or vine to clen himself. The sperm deposits usualyl get left behind after the wipe. I found this deposit of Monty's a while ago - you can see that it is joined and consists of one from each of the hemipenes.
This is a normal part of defecating - some males show them and others don't - I never saw my male Veileds hemipenes at all when he pooped, whereas Monty's (my Jackson) pop out every time!
Here you can see the sperm deposit still attached to the hemipenis.
The bowel movement will take place and the hemipenes are then retracted back into the tail base. After, the chameleon will probably 'wipe' his vent on the branch or vine to clen himself. The sperm deposits usualyl get left behind after the wipe. I found this deposit of Monty's a while ago - you can see that it is joined and consists of one from each of the hemipenes.
