Roxstarpony
New Member
Recently I've noticed several black scales on my veiled's casque/crest that I know weren't there before (I referenced a few older photos), and after his last shed there seem to be a few more. I'm not sure if they're simply part of his coloration, as I've been told that each time they shed, they develop more colors/patterns, or if it's part of a deeper underlying issue. I've been searching through several articles and websites, but I can't seem to find anything like what's going on. I just don't want to dismiss it as coloring and then find out its a problem after it's already too late. I did find some stuff about hypermelanistic traits, but those are hereditary, and show up when they're born, yes? Anyway, ideas would be appreciated.
Here is some info about him:
Chameleon Info:
Chameleon - Veiled, male, about a year old, has been in my care for almost nine months.
Handling - I handle him as little as possible, only when moving him so I can clean his cage (once per week)
Feeding - he gets 15-20 small crickets per day, with one feeding in the morning (7 am), and one in the evening (8:30 pm). I gut load the crickets with kale, carrots, mustard greens, and give him the occasional mealworm or waxworm.
Supplements - I dust the crickets with an exo terra calcium powder nearly every day, and give him a zoo med calcium + d3 supplement twice per month.
Watering - I have a misting system on a timer that comes on for several minutes every ninety minutes, and spray down his cage by hand after feeding. I also have a small waterfall that I clean and change the water for every day. I see him drinking off of the leaves regularly and he will often come and drink right from the nozzle of the spray bottle.
Fecal Description - solid dark brown, with a white chalky part attached to the end. I've not personally had him tested for parasites, but I was told he had a full vet work up before I bought him.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - glass with sliding door in front and screen top, 18"x18"x36" tall. I also plan to have an extension made for the top to increase the height.
Lighting - zilla 100 watt day bulb and exo terra 13 watt fluorescent UVB bulb. I turn his lights on at around 6:45 am and off at 9 pm.
Temperature - the cage floor is at about 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and the basking spot is at around 81 degrees. Though in the winter I also leave a ceramic heater on, so this may change. The lowest overnight temp I get is around 70 degrees in the summer, and I have a heater on in the winter as otherwise it would get down to around 35. I have thermometers at the top and bottom of his cage to help monitor the temp.
Humidity - The humidity stays pretty steadily at around 65-70%, according to my hygrometer.
Plants - I'm not using any live plants at the moment, though I may get a ficus or something to boost the humidity in the winter.
Placement - my cage is on a low coffee table in the corner of my room, away from air vents and fans. It's not in a high traffic area, as I rarely allow people in my room since I like to maintain a quiet environment. The top of his cage is about midway between my ceiling and floor.
Location - I live in central Indiana, in the United States.
I will also attach a few photos for reference.
Sorry if he looks angry in some, he was none too happy when I opened his cage and didn't have any food to offer.
Also, he is just finishing up his shed, as I'm sure you can tell, so his appearance is a bit on the down side.
Thank you for your time!
Here is some info about him:
Chameleon Info:
Chameleon - Veiled, male, about a year old, has been in my care for almost nine months.
Handling - I handle him as little as possible, only when moving him so I can clean his cage (once per week)
Feeding - he gets 15-20 small crickets per day, with one feeding in the morning (7 am), and one in the evening (8:30 pm). I gut load the crickets with kale, carrots, mustard greens, and give him the occasional mealworm or waxworm.
Supplements - I dust the crickets with an exo terra calcium powder nearly every day, and give him a zoo med calcium + d3 supplement twice per month.
Watering - I have a misting system on a timer that comes on for several minutes every ninety minutes, and spray down his cage by hand after feeding. I also have a small waterfall that I clean and change the water for every day. I see him drinking off of the leaves regularly and he will often come and drink right from the nozzle of the spray bottle.
Fecal Description - solid dark brown, with a white chalky part attached to the end. I've not personally had him tested for parasites, but I was told he had a full vet work up before I bought him.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - glass with sliding door in front and screen top, 18"x18"x36" tall. I also plan to have an extension made for the top to increase the height.
Lighting - zilla 100 watt day bulb and exo terra 13 watt fluorescent UVB bulb. I turn his lights on at around 6:45 am and off at 9 pm.
Temperature - the cage floor is at about 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and the basking spot is at around 81 degrees. Though in the winter I also leave a ceramic heater on, so this may change. The lowest overnight temp I get is around 70 degrees in the summer, and I have a heater on in the winter as otherwise it would get down to around 35. I have thermometers at the top and bottom of his cage to help monitor the temp.
Humidity - The humidity stays pretty steadily at around 65-70%, according to my hygrometer.
Plants - I'm not using any live plants at the moment, though I may get a ficus or something to boost the humidity in the winter.
Placement - my cage is on a low coffee table in the corner of my room, away from air vents and fans. It's not in a high traffic area, as I rarely allow people in my room since I like to maintain a quiet environment. The top of his cage is about midway between my ceiling and floor.
Location - I live in central Indiana, in the United States.
I will also attach a few photos for reference.
Sorry if he looks angry in some, he was none too happy when I opened his cage and didn't have any food to offer.
Also, he is just finishing up his shed, as I'm sure you can tell, so his appearance is a bit on the down side.
Thank you for your time!
