Always dark??

E

Eliguerr13

New Member
I got my blue veiled chameleon (his name is Melon Ball) at a pet store two months ago, he was about two inches long at the time and a beautiful bright green. After he grew to about 4 inches he's been a dark brown with some white spots and some green and he’s shed about twice now but he always remains brown. I’ve checked his temperatures and his basking spot is about 85-87, his coolest spot is around 75. I’ve checked humidity levels too and I recently build him a new enclosure where he has a lot of room to climb around, plenty leaves to hide, he’s elevated so he’s a bit above me too. He eats too well lol, I’ve been starting to feed him a little less now that he’s about 5-6 Inches long. I hardly ever handle him, maybe once a month ? I don’t bother him unless I’m cleaning his enclosure or feeding him, I try to just leave him alone since I can’t tell if he’s stressed or not? He moves around quite a lot, he basks and sometimes I’ll see him hiding in the cool side for a bit. He eats hornworms as treats out of my hand. Everything seems fine but he’s always dark brown, I just want someone else’s opinion on his coloring and if he looks stressed?? I recently read that maybe my room is too chaotic for him, I have five dogs running in and out and my family often comes in to talk or friends are over so I’ve covered some of his cage to try to give him more privacy

the first picture is him from today in the sun for 10 minutes while I cleaned his enclosure. The second one is from April 24 I was trying to get him so I could clean and noticed his odd colors so I took a picture and the camera stressed him out worse so I put it away. The third is from when I had had him for about two weeks and I was cleaning his enclosure so I decided to let my dad have him so he could soak up some sun. He’s only been out of his enclosure a handful of times since he became brown to avoid stressing him out worse. Any ideas?
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When you said dark I thought you meant dark..I had one long ago that stayed black ...i think he was sick when I purchased him..he lived for about 4 months but always was black unless he was sleeping
 

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Eliguerr13 said:
I got my blue veiled chameleon (his name is Melon Ball) at a pet store two months ago, he was about two inches long at the time and a beautiful bright green. After he grew to about 4 inches he's been a dark brown with some white spots and some green and he’s shed about twice now but he always remains brown. I’ve checked his temperatures and his basking spot is about 85-87, his coolest spot is around 75. I’ve checked humidity levels too and I recently build him a new enclosure where he has a lot of room to climb around, plenty leaves to hide, he’s elevated so he’s a bit above me too. He eats too well lol, I’ve been starting to feed him a little less now that he’s about 5-6 Inches long. I hardly ever handle him, maybe once a month ? I don’t bother him unless I’m cleaning his enclosure or feeding him, I try to just leave him alone since I can’t tell if he’s stressed or not? He moves around quite a lot, he basks and sometimes I’ll see him hiding in the cool side for a bit. He eats hornworms as treats out of my hand. Everything seems fine but he’s always dark brown, I just want someone else’s opinion on his coloring and if he looks stressed?? I recently read that maybe my room is too chaotic for him, I have five dogs running in and out and my family often comes in to talk or friends are over so I’ve covered some of his cage to try to give him more privacy

the first picture is him from today in the sun for 10 minutes while I cleaned his enclosure. The second one is from April 24 I was trying to get him so I could clean and noticed his odd colors so I took a picture and the camera stressed him out worse so I put it away. The third is from when I had had him for about two weeks and I was cleaning his enclosure so I decided to let my dad have him so he could soak up some sun. He’s only been out of his enclosure a handful of times since he became brown to avoid stressing him out worse. Any ideas?
View attachment 302120View attachment 302121View attachment 302122
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Cant tell for sure or not but it appears his eyes are starting to sink in
 
Woooah, that’s really dark. Mine stays sorta brown with some coloring most of the day, I haven’t really looked at him while he sleeps because I’m afraid to wake him up but as far as I’ve seen he’s just always brown
 
He prolly is immaculate at night while sleeping..I'm not an expert and I'm new to the forum but there are so many great people here with the knowledge..if a trip to the vet is possible im sure that would be good for him ..they dont really show signs until it's too late ..do you see him drink? How often and how do you mist cage..the more info you give the easier it is for these guys to help you..I wish you the best
 
Thank you for your comment, it’s appreciated. We don’t have any exotic animals vets in my city or in neighboring cities. I have an automatic misting system that goes off every two hours for about 15 seconds and I haven’t seen him drink but there’s always water available, I also have a dripping bottle for him so it’s constantly dripping some water throughout the day
 
It should be a full bulb peaking from the face..I dont think it should have any sunkeness to the outer ring..I'm guessing eventually it increases..could be dehydrated a little but I'm no expert I'm here for learning as well
 
Eliguerr13 said:
Thank you for your comment, it’s appreciated. We don’t have any exotic animals vets in my city or in neighboring cities. I have an automatic misting system that goes off every two hours for about 15 seconds and I haven’t seen him drink but there’s always water available, I also have a dripping bottle for him so it’s constantly dripping some water throughout the day
Click to expand...
I was told to get my dripper going to at least 30 mins or more ..mist good around lights up and lights down .temp and humidites are important..the better levels are for day/ night the more comfortable and healthy he will be...sometimes when I wanna assure mine gets water I spray a piece of greens and she eats it off my hand
 
Cheezilla said:
When you said dark I thought you meant dark..I had one long ago that stayed black ...i think he was sick when I purchased him..he lived for about 4 months but always was black unless he was sleeping
Click to expand...
Eliguerr13 said:
I got my blue veiled chameleon (his name is Melon Ball) at a pet store two months ago, he was about two inches long at the time and a beautiful bright green. After he grew to about 4 inches he's been a dark brown with some white spots and some green and he’s shed about twice now but he always remains brown. I’ve checked his temperatures and his basking spot is about 85-87, his coolest spot is around 75. I’ve checked humidity levels too and I recently build him a new enclosure where he has a lot of room to climb around, plenty leaves to hide, he’s elevated so he’s a bit above me too. He eats too well lol, I’ve been starting to feed him a little less now that he’s about 5-6 Inches long. I hardly ever handle him, maybe once a month ? I don’t bother him unless I’m cleaning his enclosure or feeding him, I try to just leave him alone since I can’t tell if he’s stressed or not? He moves around quite a lot, he basks and sometimes I’ll see him hiding in the cool side for a bit. He eats hornworms as treats out of my hand. Everything seems fine but he’s always dark brown, I just want someone else’s opinion on his coloring and if he looks stressed?? I recently read that maybe my room is too chaotic for him, I have five dogs running in and out and my family often comes in to talk or friends are over so I’ve covered some of his cage to try to give him more privacy

the first picture is him from today in the sun for 10 minutes while I cleaned his enclosure. The second one is from April 24 I was trying to get him so I could clean and noticed his odd colors so I took a picture and the camera stressed him out worse so I put it away. The third is from when I had had him for about two weeks and I was cleaning his enclosure so I decided to let my dad have him so he could soak up some sun. He’s only been out of his enclosure a handful of times since he became brown to avoid stressing him out worse. Any ideas?
View attachment 302120View attachment 302121View attachment 302122
Click to expand...
I have a misting system going off every two hours for 15 seconds, and a dripper that is constantly dripping. I dust his food with calcium without D3 and then once a week (Saturday) I do calcium with D3 or a multivitamin alternating every week
 
Your dusting game seems good from what I have gathered ..as far as misting it seems once in the morning once in the evening ..not sure if you have to do it periodically through the day...my fogger went out and right now I'm spraying only by hand and I spray when I feel I need the levels to balance besides the routine morning and evening shower
 
Gutloading insects is also an important aspect to the healthiest cham you can have ...also are you familiar with proteins? ..calcium for bones protein for muscle..Spurulina I here is great I will be getting some to add soon
 
All in all..I had a very dark cham long ago and he didnt last long ...if he stops eating you will need to worry ..if he starts acting different or sleeps with his back to you etc start to worry and if you care enough you may want to find a vet that is sorta close to you ..
 
I suggest taking out the fake plants and replacing them with live ones. Veiled chameleons will eat plants, if they decide to chomp on a fake one it will cause serious impaction. Some good plants are pothos, umbrella plant, mass cane, monstera, spider plant.
 
Have you gotten all of your husbandry checked yet? It would be a good idea to fill this out so we can double check every thing. 🙂


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.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
I would also stop misting every 2 hours for only 15 seconds. Chameleons need longer to recognize the misting as a source of droplets for drinking, AND you want the cage to dry out between mistings. I would suggest misting in the morning, right at lights on for 3-5 minutes, then again just before lights out for 3-5 minutes.

This may not help, but I recently had an issue with, my panther chameleon, where he lost his color and turned a dull grey/brown color. After a few minor adjustments to his care, his color came back within a couple weeks. The most notable change I made was to put his cage near a window where he got lots of natural light (NOT direct). It is amazing how little things can affect our chams in dramatic ways. I don't think your cham is real dark, though he is not as bright as many veileds. Keep in mind, not all will have bright, vibrant colors, so it is possible this is his natural, waking, colors.

Please fill out the form @PoseidonTheChameleon posted above and attach pics of the entire setup. The more info you can give, the better we can help.
 
PoseidonTheChameleon said:
Have you gotten all of your husbandry checked yet? It would be a good idea to fill this out so we can double check every thing. 🙂


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.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
Click to expand...
-blue veiled chameleon, I got him in March 2021 when he was about 2 inches long, maybe a month old? They didn’t specify. Male, he’s been in my care for about 3 months.
- only handle him if needed, Max once a month
-I gut load my insects, I feed him Dubia roaches and BSF larvae, about 10 once a day now. I recently started feeding him less, I used to feed him about 6-10 once a day. Occasionally I’ll slip in a wax worm/moth or a hornworm as a treat once in a while. I feed him two hours after he wakes up
-I dust everyday with Calcium no D3 (Rep-Cal ultrafine), i take feeding tongs and pinch with the tip and then mix the bugs around so they are lightly dusted. Then every Saturday I dust with calcium with D3 (Reptivite) or a Multivitamin (Rep-Cal Herptivite)
-I have an automatic mister, it goes off every two hours for 15 seconds, and then a dripper above one of the plants that is always dripping. I have never seen him drink but I don’t monitor him much to avoid stressing him out. I use water from a gallon, not from tap.
- he has healthy poops, brown and white parts, not runny but not dry either. He poops usually once a day or so but he hasn’t been tested for parasites
-I don’t know much of his history. When I got him he was tiny and seemed healthy but he was dehydrated and he seems better but I’m just worried he’s stressed or sick because he’s never any other color aside from brown

-home made screen cage, 20x20x35 inches
- T5 HO UVB from Reptisun and 100W EXO TERRA basking bulb placed 7 inches above his basking spot over the screen, his temperature at its warmest point gets to about 87 degrees, his lowest point/coolest reaches about 75 degrees, at night I turn on a ceramic heater (60W from Zoomed) if temperatures are going to drop below 50-60, but I was told he didn’t need a night heater, and my room remains 75 degrees throughout the day usually. I measure his temps with a heat gun, and a hygrometer. His humidity ranges between 70-80 throughout the day. I recently added plexiglass on two sides to try to keep the humidity stable last month
- I have two live plants, a golden pothos and a spider plant and some fake plants hanging to give him a place to hide as well as vines and branches for climbing
-his cage is next to the sliding glass door that leads to my yard, I recently read that this may be stressful. I have five dogs that come in and out, I’ve closed the curtain and have him elevated so the middle of his cage is about at the height of my head (I’m 5’2)
-I am in Southern California.

-I’m concerned because my chameleon remains dark brown all day, he never becomes and bright colors, he has some green strips and white spots, a hint of orange on his spine part but he is always brown no matter what
 
Eliguerr13 said:
-blue veiled chameleon, I got him in March 2021 when he was about 2 inches long, maybe a month old? They didn’t specify. Male, he’s been in my care for about 3 months.
- only handle him if needed, Max once a month
-I gut load my insects, I feed him Dubia roaches and BSF larvae, about 10 once a day now. I recently started feeding him less, I used to feed him about 6-10 once a day. Occasionally I’ll slip in a wax worm/moth or a hornworm as a treat once in a while. I feed him two hours after he wakes up
-I dust everyday with Calcium no D3 (Rep-Cal ultrafine), i take feeding tongs and pinch with the tip and then mix the bugs around so they are lightly dusted. Then every Saturday I dust with calcium with D3 (Reptivite) or a Multivitamin (Rep-Cal Herptivite)
-I have an automatic mister, it goes off every two hours for 15 seconds, and then a dripper above one of the plants that is always dripping. I have never seen him drink but I don’t monitor him much to avoid stressing him out. I use water from a gallon, not from tap.
- he has healthy poops, brown and white parts, not runny but not dry either. He poops usually once a day or so but he hasn’t been tested for parasites
-I don’t know much of his history. When I got him he was tiny and seemed healthy but he was dehydrated and he seems better but I’m just worried he’s stressed or sick because he’s never any other color aside from brown

-home made screen cage, 20x20x35 inches
- T5 HO UVB from Reptisun and 100W EXO TERRA basking bulb placed 7 inches above his basking spot over the screen, his temperature at its warmest point gets to about 87 degrees, his lowest point/coolest reaches about 75 degrees, at night I turn on a ceramic heater (60W from Zoomed) if temperatures are going to drop below 50-60, but I was told he didn’t need a night heater, and my room remains 75 degrees throughout the day usually. I measure his temps with a heat gun, and a hygrometer. His humidity ranges between 70-80 throughout the day. I recently added plexiglass on two sides to try to keep the humidity stable last month
- I have two live plants, a golden pothos and a spider plant and some fake plants hanging to give him a place to hide as well as vines and branches for climbing
-his cage is next to the sliding glass door that leads to my yard, I recently read that this may be stressful. I have five dogs that come in and out, I’ve closed the curtain and have him elevated so the middle of his cage is about at the height of my head (I’m 5’2)
-I am in Southern California.

-I’m concerned because my chameleon remains dark brown all day, he never becomes and bright colors, he has some green strips and white spots, a hint of orange on his spine part but he is always brown no matter what
Click to expand...
 
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