Brown Flaky Dry Spots in one side of tail

[Pisca]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Female Jackson, about a year old, her name is Pisca!

Handling - Handle maybe once a week at most.

Feeding - Feed gutloaded crickets and reptiworms. Her appetite is great!

Supplements - Repti Cal no D3 once every 3 or 4 days, Repti Cal with D3 and Herptivite once a month

Watering - King Myst, 3 times a day two 15 minute sessions and one 30 minute session

Fecal Description - White urates and normal brown poop, She used to go everyday but as she has matured she goes every other day

History - When she was a juvenile she had some dehydration issues from being from a Pet Store but with quickly recuperated when she was comfortable in her new home

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Reptibreeze 18 x 18 x 36

Lighting - 40 watt bulb 6 inches above basking spot, 5.0 reptisun tube

Temperature - Usually about 80-85F in basking area as it got colder the temp dropped a few degrees. Ambient was in upper 70s and at night its in the low 70s.

Humidity - 60-80% with the myst king and also reptifogger .

Plants - One hanging pothos and one Schefflera arboricola

Placement - Near a window

Location - Virginia

Recently I noticed some brown flaky spots in one side of her tail, It looks like dried skin and they are shinny to light. I dont know if its just remains from shedding or bites from a cricket, I recently found and escaped cricket. I use a feeding cup but this one got away. Is it something normal or something I should take immediate action, thanks for your responses I will attach a picture of her tail. She is my pride and joy !

 

[Lathis]

It doesn't look like an open wound, so I don't think you have to worry. Keep an eye on it. It will probably disappear with her next shed.

A few things:

You can give her the plain Calcium (no D3, no vitamins, no phosphorous) more often than that. I give it to my Jax male about 3 or 4 days a week. I always dust the crunchy bugs (crickets, superworms) but not the soft bugs.

You should add a few more bugs to her diet:

• Silkworms and hornworms would both be excellent common feeders - once a week or more. Try the silkworms first; they are very high in calcium and moisture and grow much slower than the hornworms. I have bought both from Great Lakes Hornworms and Coastal Silkworms. Shipping is pricy, but it's worth it. If you are ambitious, you can breed them.
• Superworms (not mealworms) are easy. I offer them only once a week since they are high in fat. You can gut load them just like crickets. You should be able to get superworms at any pet store.
• Reptiworms are good - keep offering those.
• My Jax loves anything that flies. I get him blue bottle flies as a treat. I buy the pupae from Mantidpets.com. They keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. You can take out 10 at a time to hatch into flies.

Also - We want pictures of more than just the tail!

 

[Pisca]

Thank you so much Lathis for your help! I will start dusting my crickets more often, I was just being super careful as I've heard Jacksons are very sensitive to vitamins and calcium. I've tried silkworms and she really doesn't like them but I'll give super worms a try! I tried raising blue bottle flies but had no success but I should give it another try. She loves hunting the soldier flies when my reptiworms get too old lol. I think the spots are from not a great shed, she had her first partial she'd, I guess she's is just maturing. I don't know if you have dealt with females she is my first chameleon and I've read she is supposed to lay infertile eggs at some point soon and that her behavior might change a little bit while this occurs. Do I have to do anything different. Is there anything I should do to the viv to facilitate this process? Thank you so much! I'll add some pictures of her! She is very pretty! In the weekends I put her out on a cage free setup I have and it makes for nice pics, she is also very adventurous so I have to keep an eye on her haha. Thanks again!

 

[Pisca]

I added some pics of Pisca in an album on my profile hope you enjoy them

 

[Lathis]

Jacksons give live birth instead of laying eggs. She might drop infertile babies called "slugs". I do not have a female, so you should do some reading here to see if anyone recommends anything. I don't think you have to do anything different.

Ferdinand took a while to warm up to silkworms. The first time I bought them, he ate one and snubbed the rest. Now, he will eat them happily. He's still not all that enthused about hornworms. He goes crazy over the BBF, though. It's hilarious to watch.