Baby Veiled is wrinkly and sluggish

yarvy

New Member
Hello, I just got a veiled chameleon about a week and a half ago. He is a baby, probably 1-2 months old but I'm not actually sure. His body is about as long as my middle finger.

I just noticed today that he is beginning to shed. This is the first time I've seen it since I got him. His legs and tail look grey like they are about to peel. In addition to this, he has a few wrinkles along his body. He is moving around pretty slowly, and his limbs don't seem to be as coordinated as usual. He is still eating, and I saw him poop and the urate looked clear coming out. It did take him a while to poop, but I think that was the first time I've observed it so I'm not sure how long it typically takes.

I am curious if these are all symptoms of shedding, or if he may be dehydrated. I have "the little dripper" and it just drips into a water bowl. I mist the cage numerous times a day, and try to make sure that the leaves of his lil plant have water droplets on them. I have never seen him actually drink, though. Something that may be a problem is that the plants in his cage are fake. He has real moss, but the leaves are not real.

Here is a picture of him from today when I took him outside.

wNRn3Qa.jpg
 
He does appear a little dehydrated with the wrinkles I can't tell from the pic are the eyes sunk in? As for not being coordinated can't explain that one... But make sure u mist a lot and keep him hydrated while shedding.. also he is probably more along the lines of 3-4 months judging by the picture

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Your Chameleon - Male veiled. 3 months?
Handling - I have taken him out of his cage 3 times in a week and a half. He seems hesitant to come out, wary of my hand, and sometimes he hisses when i get too close, but I think he is getting more used to being handled.
Feeding - I put in 5-10 crickets each day. Most days they are dusted with calcium. He has eaten a few mealworms as well.
Supplements - Repti Calcium, Reptivite
Watering - He has a "little dripper" that drips into a water dish and I mist his cage with a spray bottle multiple times a day.
Fecal Description - Clear urate
History - ///

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Mesh, fairly large. Probably 3-4 feet tall
Lighting - UVB and daytime light. lights off at night. about 12 hours of light and 12 of lights off each day
Temperature - 75-85, probably around 70 at night
Humidity - I try to keep it above 50. It drops to 30 but after I mist it goes back up to 80. However, the cage doesn't seem to hold humidity that well. After a misting the humidity goes down relatively quickly.
Plants - Fake
Placement - Just on my desk. There is a fan in my room
Location - TN
 
3-4 months old. If body is really as long as middle finger, then probably 4 months old. Skin can be wrinkly while shedding, but available water is probably more important than food. They just have to have it. His casque does look sunken in.
 
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You could also try soft bodied worms such as hornworms or silkworms to help with the dehydration. Both worms have a high moisture content and can help with rehydration. Just make sure the hornworms are not wild ones as they can be toxic.
 
I must ask. What was the temperature in Tenn. when you had him outside? I'm in North Carolina and it maxed at 45 today. If he was exposed to cold that'll make him sluggish for sure.
 
You're right, it definitely was too cold to take him outside yesterday, that is if <70 degrees is too cold. It wasn't that cold here, the sun was out and it was actually fairly warm during the middle of the day, but it was probably still too cold.

Anyways, he shed all his skin last night and this morning he woke up and looks beautiful ! He is larger and a bright shade of green. The wrinkles are gone, so I think he is fine.

How long do you think it will take until he looks like one of these guys:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/images/veiled_slide1.jpg
 
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