10 month old Nosy Faly with a weak grip

[ColorCham427]

Hey all,

I recently purchased a 10 month old Nosy Faly and this guy arrived in a very weak state. Loose grip and not too energenic.

Anyways, I cannot seem to get any information out of the dealer.

I am looking to see if switching up (not sure what he was given prior to my care). In other words, simply giving him my supplement schedule would effect him in any way? My supplement schedule for sub-adult Panthers is the same as Screameleons. I think this guy would benefit off it. Just asking "if" he was given something else, would rep-cal with Vit D3 and rep-cal herptivite effect him in anyway in case he has some other supplements in his system? Never looked into this... Never thought I would have to, considering every person I've ever dealt with gave me information about the specimen!

The dealer stated she gutloaded his crickets with regular potato, romaine lettuce, and fish flakes. I only agree with romaine lettuce... Where is everything else??? That we chameleon enthusiasts strive to offer our chameleons.

Fish flakes is NOT good for a chameleon gutload from what I have read. Could this cause weakening? I have heard it causes gout over time...

Right now, this guy drinks out of the dripper like there is NO tomorrow, it is awesome. The dealer had no idea what a drip system was, she only "hosed" her chameleons because they were kept outdoors in the florida sun.

This guy has taken down 3 huge hornworms, a dozen big silkworms, and a good amount of crickets and a couple dubia. I've had him in my care for over a week now. He is eating like crazy, but, IMHO, I think he wasn't fed properly...





Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll post some pictures, I promise that all you will see is a normal weight dark colored chameleon. This guy doesn't show his light colors that he had in the ad on King Snake, but, I have seen him lighten in color.

His resting colors are very dark.

Pictures will be up soon!

Funny, I got a Nosy Faly from Screameleons yesterday, and that animal's grip can literally pinch you!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Aboslutely switch him over to whatever supplement schedule you believe is best. I agree the gutload choices previously left a lot to be desired. Short term use of the fish flakes are unlikely to have caused gout, but they almost always contain preformed vitamin A in amounts which may have been out of balance with the D3 and calcium. I would leave preformed vitamin A entirely out of the little guys diet for a LONG while. Herptivite has Beta Carotene, not preformed vitamin A, making it safe to use. I dont know the screameleons schedule, but I would use the Herptivite only once or twice a month (gutload to get the vitamins into him in a more natural way), and Repcal calcium with D3 twice a month, and plain calcium on all crickets (not necessarily on other insects).

 

[lbesok]

Brian, sorry to hear you are still having problems with your guy I would definitely make the necessary changes in his supplementation to see if getting the vitamins he needs helps his grip. Is it to the point where its affecting him and he is on the floor of the enclosure? Or just compared to the other males its puney? Good luck with him. I don't like hearing about my friends getting the shaft BTW but unfortunately it happens all to frequently in this hobby.

 

[ColorCham427]

thanks you two

he has a puney little boy grip compared to the other guy. but, for all the chameleons i've handled, this guy is simply weak.

he isn't to the point where he has to rest himself on the floor, god i hope that doesnt happen ever! lol..

 

[Cainschams]

Where are the pictures? Just curious to see what kind of shape this expensive lizard is in. I agree. At the price these less attractive (my opinion) panthers are being sold for you should get a healthy animal.

 

[Chuck G]

Always know the person you are purchasing from when buying rare and expensive animals. It sounds like a wild caught animal that never had any fecals run and hasn't been to a vet. You should get him to a good herp vet to get him checked out.

 

[ColorCham427]

[/IMG],

[/IMG], he looked great fired-up for the ladies on their website...chameleonkeeper...

His resting colors are starting to lighten up. I have a strong feeling this guy just isn't blue as I wished. His greens are bothering me... He atleast has a lot of white and red speckling, atleast in the photos i have seen.

lets hope he has time to get more coloring... he is only 10 months old...

 

[ColorCham427]

Chris Carter has the NICEST Faly in my opinion... The specimen he has is just incredible, and the lucky bastard got it for a great price in my opinion. I would have paid 1,000 for the animal!! LOL...

I wish chameleonnation wasn't across that imaginary line.......

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

That looks like a WC animal to me

 

[PardalisGirl]

WC for sure......

I agree, that is a WC animal. It actually has very good looking bone structure and is filled out. There is no way the person you got it from would have gotten it to grow up that well on what he was feeding it with.

You need to get a fecal done. It could very well have parasites. With the weakness of grip, etc. I would say that's a very definite posibility. You've bought something that is a bit expensive. You need to spend the money on the fecal (direct and float as they each can catch different things).

I have been the lucky owner of three WC male Nosy Falys. I had one for two years that looked a lot like yours does. At least he did in the beginning. He had parasites. He had an ashy green look. After four months he blossomed into a very good looking male. I have one picture of him in my gallery below. His name was Rainier:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/gal...ction=ASC&imageuser=1972&cutoffdate=-1&page=2

He was actually more attractive than that.

I just found some pictures Royden posted from a photo shoot at my house:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/catherines-chameleons-14019/

Rainier is in those photos. He looked a LOT like the male you have. So don't give up. Get a fecal check and continue giving him all the nutrition and hydration you can. Go sparingly on the supplimentation. He is an adult and has fully formed bones. Suppliment lightly and concentrate on good gutloading of feeders. My WC chams love the hornworms, silkworms and roaches. Keep us updated. I'd love to see what he looks like 4 months from now.

The male named Monet in Royden's photo shoot also was an ugly color and was very skeletal looking. I thought I was going to lose him. It took six months but he became a stunning male and I've got some babies from him now.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Royden's Gallery....

I just checked out Royden's gallery on the forum. I forgot he had a bunch of my chams in his gallery.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/gal...id=&orderby=title&direction=ASC&cutoffdate=-1

Such an excellent photographer. That's why my own gallery is so sparse. My pictures seem so crappy compared to his. He has some more pictures of Rainier and one of my Fanagwa in his gallery. Fanagwa was featured in last year's forum calendar. He is still going strong and has been breeding with three of Monet's daughters. He has my Nosy Mitsios in the gallery too. You can see the one that was the calendar cover in there too. Royden and I are shooting for February to do another photo shoot.

 

[Cainschams]

I am confused? Is this animal supposed to be CB or WC? It doesnt look bad to me if it was sold as a WC. Its got nice rounded head caps and doesnt appear to be too beat up at all from the pics. How long has it been in the states? How long was it on the poor diet?

If you bought it as a WC then honestly, you got what you paid for and a decent one at that. I would love to get WC tavetana that came in in that good of shape!

I agree with Catherine. I think this animal will turn around here in a few months and start looking more like the "normal" Faly you see. Kent67 got one that was similar in appearance and every time I see him post new pics it keeps getting more blue. Not saying these will turn out like the ones pictured at screameleons but then again if you want that quality and assurance then buy from them or others that have proven bloodlines of what you feel a Faly should look like.

BTW, I know they are a rarer locale and that is why they are more expensive but I have to say. Ambilobe owns!

 

[AReptile]

How can you tell if its WC or CB?

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

This chameleon was supposedly one of Pans Chams aquired by Chameleon Keeper.... and sold to the OP as a CB.

Looks long term WC to me. Still has the dirt on it

I hope that doesn't add to the confusion.


Edit sorry cham101 , I typed you for some reason meant chameleon keeper, it has been edited above.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Hmmmm....

Well Pam certainly got a lot of WC Nosy Falys in. Multiple shipments over several years. My three came from her. Vincent from Screameleons got them imported for her. I can't, of course, say this one is WC. But it looks very representative of the individuals I've seen from Pam after they have been cared for for a long time. This person/breeder didn't hatch it out themselves because it could not be that filled out and healthy looking and yet have the poor grip. It sounds more like someone else took good care of it and then sold it to someone who sold it to ColorCham427.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

This chameleon was supposedly one of Pans Chams aquired by Chameleons101 and sold to the OP as a CB.

Looks long term WC to me. Still has the dirt on it

I hope that doesn't add to the confusion.

The guy the OP shows in his photo matches, dot for red dot, and stripe for stripe, the WC male shown on the home page of Chameleon Keeper. Their photo links to an available WC male, shown facing the opposite direction in the linked photo. But the photo on the home page is definitely the guy colorcham427 shows in this thread here. Here is the photo from chameleon keeper's website:

And here is colorcham427's photo from this thread:

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Don't know if that first photo was photoshopped. But if not, and they got him to fire up looking that good then you do have a nice animal there. He has lots of background area that will hopefully fire up white, and tons of red spots. That's good.

Hopefully some personal care will get him back on his feet. We would also be using Reptaid on such an animal.

Our young WC Nosy Faly, Crosby, from Tiki Tiki came in looking green and gray, much like yours, and he looks quite nice now. Not even when fired up. But he is growing into his colors. The young ones don't look as good as the mature ones.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Good job Sandy!

Good job on matching them Sandy! They are the same. I'm feeling really stupid right now. Who is "the OP" being referred to? I'm obviously missing something.

I think this male does have potential. He has a health issue for sure because of the grip situation. But his coloring, or lack of it, is probably partly due to the stress of an new home. I think you will be pleasantly surprised when he is acclimated and healthy again.

 

[ColorCham427]

This chameleon was supposedly one of Pans Chams aquired by Chameleon Keeper.... and sold to the OP as a CB.

Looks long term WC to me. Still has the dirt on it

I hope that doesn't add to the confusion.


Edit sorry cham101 , I typed you for some reason meant chameleon keeper, it has been edited above.

the dirt is poop. i still need to get that off of him, but i didnt want to stress him anymore. the small container he came in, he had gone to the bathroom.... mucus and nasty poo...

it has dried on him, im planning on getting it off of him soon! what r ur opinions on leaving it on him? i know its very dirty, but would scrubbing help? i misted that spot on him a number times....

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

the dirt is poop lol. i still need to get that off of him, but i didnt want to stress him anymore. the small container he came in, he had gone to the bathroom.... mucus and nasty poo...

it has dried on him, im planning on getting it off of him soon! what r ur opinions on leaving it on him? i know its very dirty, but would scrubbing help? i misted that spot on him a number times....

I am talking about the dirty WC tinge to his skin not the spot on his leg... You can leave it or wipe it off I don't think that is hurting him.

Just so you can clear this up for everyone... You were supposed to get a CB right. That is how it was sold?

Take that thing to the vet , mucus is not good.

As for the brighter picture / colors ... looks like someone found the tint feature or adjusted the color temp to me.

 

[ColorCham427]

thanks all for your support!

oh yeah.. and guess what.. his casque is chipped up, great indicator of him being a WC......