I have a 1 month old male veiled chameleon, I just noticed this afternoon that His color is so dark, and he seems looking for food so I add some fruit flies, he seems fine eating and drinking but still his color is dark, my uva uvb heat lamp is on, I just don't know if he feel so cold or hot, or he's just enjoying absorbing the heat..I checked the temp on the area he's staying and it's around 85-88"F,if a chameleon feels hot is he going to look or move to a cooler place?i turned off my lamp and he went back to his sleeping place and his color turn green, please help I just don't know why he turn so dark that time is he feel cold, hot or he just camouflaged because he's on a hunt for food..thanks..
Baby chameleon
- Thread starter markyz
- Start date
Probably OK
This scared me too when I first got my chameleon because I had always read that turning a dark color meant that the animal was stressed- but that's not necessarily true. I don't have experience with babies but my adult veiled can stay dark brown for days while he basks and enjoys his lights. Occasionally he will plop himself down on a branch just to be lazy and relax. Your cham's appetite suggests that he's doing just fine. Unless you notice other concerning behavior I think he's probably just digesting his flies.
This scared me too when I first got my chameleon because I had always read that turning a dark color meant that the animal was stressed- but that's not necessarily true. I don't have experience with babies but my adult veiled can stay dark brown for days while he basks and enjoys his lights. Occasionally he will plop himself down on a branch just to be lazy and relax. Your cham's appetite suggests that he's doing just fine. Unless you notice other concerning behavior I think he's probably just digesting his flies.
vgaines
Member
Here is what the care sheet for veiled's says about temps.
Temperature:
Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)
You want to make sure that there is a good temperature range in his home so that he is able to move around and find the temp that is best for him. My baby veiled walks over to her basking spot when the lights first turn on and she gets really dark. After she warms up she moves around the cage and lightens up unless she is basking. I was told that babies can overheat a lot easier so it is important to keep a close eye on the basking temp as well as the overall temps of the cage. Hope this helps
Thanks that really helps...I am monitoring him...he have a pretty light color now maybe the time I see him so dark he was just soaking some heat...now he just turn dark whenever I'm trying to put my finger in front of him he doesn't want me to pet him for now I guess...I'm not forcing him to get out so I just leave him if he turns dark..I don't want him to get so stressed...
I turn off the light because I thought he feels so hot that time...and I like to see if he will turn turn into light colors..which he did...and i adjusted the distance of my lamp from the cage..
