1st baby cham worried about color

[Corey Cham]

This is my first chameleon. He is a veiled chameleon. I got him September 22nd from petco. He's approximately 2 - 2 1/2 inches from nose to butt not including tail right now.

We just moved October 7th, and the last few days his color has been weird. When he's just sitting there he almost has a grey look to him I feel. Not the bright green he has been. I filled his mister today in he seemed to be greener but with a bunch of black dots? I came back like an hour later to check on him. The dots where gone in he was back to this grey look. I have never held him, I do try to socialize with him everyday. Like trying to hand feed in just sitting there talking to him. But I did have to transport him for the move. It took me about 20 mins to get him out. I didn't just reach in and grab him. I try to put my hand up to him for him to walk on. He wouldn't he kept trying to run. I finally got him to climb on a 6 inch stick then I stuck him in a small cardboard box on the stick. He was in the box approximately 1 hour, hand held the whole time. When I got him out of the box after setting up his cage in the New house. He was still on the stick in the box so I pulled the stick out with him on it. He decided he wanted to climb my hand at that point. He sat on my hand and looked around for like 3 mins. Then I put him in the cage. The next day is when I started noticing the color change, and its been like that all yesterday and today.

I feed him around 10 crickets a day dipped in calcium powder without d3. Thats about average what he wants to eat. I also have been giving him a few waxworms a week he seems to enjoy them.

When it comes to H2O, he has a dripper i turn on during the day, with a mister that hits half his cage for 30 seconds every 8 hours.

His habitat is the 16x16x30 screen cage, with the zoo med dual tropical uvb 5.0 and heat light. I figured that was ideal for a baby.

When it comes to temperature its around 80-82 degrees in basking spot. Then drops down to around 72ish towards bottom. I turn the lights off at night. The temp averages 67 degrees give or take a few degrees at night.

My plan was to upgrade his cage to the 24x48 with the T5 5.0, when he gets into the juvenile age and a bit bigger.

I'm posting pics of the dots I was talking about, what he looks like right now.

 

[PabloTheCham]

not including tail right now.

I hope you are aware this cham has lost its tail somehow, and it is not a normal part of a cham growing.

My plan was to upgrade his cage to the 24x48 with the T5 5.0, when he gets into the juvenile age and a bit bigger.

You can definitely wait for the big enclosure, but the correct uvb is needed asap, or major health issues are likely to occur.

greener but with a bunch of black dots?

Stress colors.

I feed him around 10 crickets a day dipped in calcium powder without d3. Thats about average what he wants to eat. I also have been giving him a few waxworms a week he seems to enjoy them.

Ditch the waxworms, they are just globs of fat.
As for the supplements, you need a calcium with d3 and a multivitamin as well. The calcium with d3 and multivitamin should be used one day on alternating weeks. For example:
Week one: calcium without d3 every feeding, calcium with d3 one day
Week two: calcium without d3 every feeding, multivitamin one day
And so forth.
Make sure your multivitamin does not contain d3 as well.

When it comes to H2O, he has a dripper i turn on during the day, with a mister that hits half his cage for 30 seconds every 8 hours.

How is humidity? 30 seconds every 8 hours for hydration is not enough... I would say mist 2min when his lights turn on, and 2 min 30min before they turn off. You may need to mist based on how high or low your humidity is where you are.

Please fill this out and include pictures so we can help you, you did not include all the info necessary in your original post.


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[AmandaS]

I hope you are aware this cham has lost its tail somehow,

How can you tell that? There isn't a photo showing its tail.

 

[PabloTheCham]

How can you tell that? There isn't a photo showing its tail.

the first photo??!

 

[AmandaS]

the first photo??!

Its blocked by a branch, I believe.

 

[PabloTheCham]

 

[PabloTheCham]

Its blocked by a branch, I believe.

Oh... yeah. My bad, I didn't see there was a branch.

 

[Corey Cham]

He definitely has a tail. And his colors seem to be going back to what they were.

 

[Corey Cham]

This is a pic of right now

 

[PabloTheCham]

This is a pic of right now

Ok... I think you need a lot more branches and you should replace the fake plants with real plants
Fake plants for fake chams

 

[Corey Cham]

He does have 2 real pothos, waiting for zipties from Amazon to put them higher up. I also ordered a 22 inch fake one to put in there to help catch water from the mister. So he will have 2 real and 2 fake ones. I am posting a pic of the two pothos in there, and the one I ordered. Do I need to run mister more than i do even if I have the dripper going through the day? I've seen him drink from the leaves but also drink from the dripper. So I dont think he has a preference. Thank you Pablo i appreciate all the help.

 

[PabloTheCham]

He does have 2 real pothos, waiting for zipties from Amazon to put them higher up. I also ordered a 22 inch fake one to put in there to help catch water from the mister. So he will have 2 real and 2 fake ones. I am posting a pic of the two pothos in there, and the one I ordered. Do I need to run mister more than i do even if I have the dripper going through the day? I've seen him drink from the leaves but also drink from the dripper. So I dont think he has a preference. Thank you Pablo i appreciate all the help.

You're welcome.
But here's the thing about the plant you ordered... its fake. Veiled chameleons are known to eat plants in their enclosure, and fake plants are obviously not digestible.
Also, the plastic from the plant goes in the water so your cham is drinking plastic water. Especially a plant not marketed toward reptiles is more likely to made from a plastic that will leak into your water.
Just my 2 cents, but i think there is simply no reason to go fake over live. 15 bucks for an umbrella tree at walmart, helps with humidity, isn't an impaction risk, and simply looks better too.

 

[AmandaS]

He does have 2 real pothos, waiting for zipties from Amazon to put them higher up. I also ordered a 22 inch fake one to put in there to help catch water from the mister. So he will have 2 real and 2 fake ones. I am posting a pic of the two pothos in there, and the one I ordered. Do I need to run mister more than i do even if I have the dripper going through the day? I've seen him drink from the leaves but also drink from the dripper. So I dont think he has a preference. Thank you Pablo i appreciate all the help.

Your chameleon is arboreal, meaning it is a tree dweller, so it needs to have lots of plants, places to hide, branches to roam on. Every sized branch to stretch its tiny feet on. There should be so many plants that it is difficult to see your chameleon at first glance. ?

I'll post a photo of mine so you have something to compare to..I have a branchy side (like the tree canopy) and a dense side (like the inside of the tree) so she can decide how much exposure she really wants.