Can my chameleon smell my snake?!

[veiled66]

Hello all! I just want to start by stating I am new to this forum and I am extremely happy to be aboard and get some questions answered from some seasoned keepers. Anyway I own a 5 foot Colombian Red tailed boa and was wondering if my chameleon is able to smell him? My chameleon is fairly new to my house hold and is about a 4inch to 5 inch male veiled, and I have had him in my care for 6 days now from backwater reptiles. He is very black all the time and I am having trouble figuring out why other than the obvious it could just be me in the room? I was discussing this issue with an employee at backwater reptiles and they suggested that it could be the smell of my snake, is this possibly the main issue for all the stress other than my big scary human self? His temps are in the 80 to 90F range during the day 90F being a basking spot, and 70 to 78 at night. Humidity happens whenever I spray which is 5 to 6 times a day and at times he will get sprayed directly with warm water since it is taking him quite a while to lose the shed skin he has. He stands about 5 to 6 feet above my snakes cage on a table and is visually unable to see my snake so I find this response interesting? I hope this gives a good idea of conditions so that maybe I can get some help in calming the little guy down a bit. I appreciate all the help I can get because I have never heard of chameleons being able to smell other pets.

 

[phantomchameleon]

Chameleons dont have a very good sense of smell https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/can-chameleons-smell.84578/

 

[veiled66]

Thank you so much for the quick reply! I appreciate your help!

 

[JacksJill]

Chameleons turn dark sometimes to increase their ability to absorb heat.

 

[veiled66]

Thats what I thought haha thank you for the reply!

 

[Carlton]

The Backwater employee thought a cham could smell the snake? Don't listen to anything else this person told you!

Your cham has been through a lot...shipping and probably less than decent care at the store, so he's stressed out and upset. If he's black all over all the time, something may be wrong with your setup or he's possibly sick. If he's black on one side while basking, that is normal...the dark color helps him absorb heat. Your nighttime temp is too high. Don't use any added heat or light at night unless your room gets colder than about 55 F. They need the temp drop to rest.

 

[veiled66]

I see I will make sure I let temps drop some more at night time. More the 60's range? Ill keep an eye on him and see if he ever returns to a normal color after settling in a bit more. I appreciate your input Carlton I thought something was fishy about that employees response its hard to trust any of these guys nowadays.

 

[veiled66]

Also here is a pic of my setup for him

 

[Angelwolf]

Love the jungle you have for him! He is probably just scared to death right now. Also, he may possibly be seeing birds and/or cats/dogs outside the window. To him, all of these, and the big scary human, are predators

 

[Jax_Cham_MAN]

he should be okay it's still only been only a few days and they usually get settled after two weeks

 

[veiled66]

Thank you Angelwolf I wanted to give him the wild experience haha. Ill let him settle in a bit and see how he is then. Jax I appreciate the input ill be patient haha.

 

[LindsayG]

I love all the plants and stuff around his cage. Makes his home just that much bigger! I really don't think your snake has anything to do with it. I have a western hognose and also a pacman frog next to my cage (he can't see either of them bUT if smell were an issue I for sure would've seen by now) and all three are in my dinning room. I also have a ball python, bearded dragon and leopard tortoise in my livingroom, which is connected to the diningroom and none of them have caused an issue either. (Except in the beginning, my beardie loved giving the stink eye to my cham until I moved him out of site of anyone else). Site might have something to do with it but not smell IMO. I would first think hes just adjusting to his new life or hes just soaking in the heat. If not either of those things, i would take a look at your husbandry to make sure everything's on point. I haven't heard anything good about backwater reptiles so he may have come to you with issues already. Could you fill out the entire "how to ask for help form" and we could make sure he now has everything he needs?

 

[Peachypink]

I agree with @LindsayG, copy and paste these questions and fill them out. Let us help you make sure it's not something else in the husbandry that is making him turn black.



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.


Pictures are helpful

 

[veiled66]

Thank you so much guys! Ill fill this out and post it asap

 

[veiled66]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species is veiled or (Chamaeleo calyptratus) I believe. He is a male, and not sure how old but he is about 4 to 5 inches from snout to tail end. He has been in my care for about a week (7 days).
• Handling - I almost never handle him unless its necessary since he is new. My hand is in the cage with food in it or when im cleaning the branches adjusting misters etc.
• Feeding - I feed my cham crickets mostly, wax worms on occasion, and wax moths as well as roaches. Unfortunately I dont see him eat alot if at all. I offer food everyday and food is in the cage everyday. I gut load with cricket quencher and cricket calcium meal, roaches recieve water crystals and roach diet, wax worms are getting honey.
• Supplements - I use reptivite and repti calcium. repti calcium without D3 every feeding everyday, with D3 will be twice a month, and vitamins 2 times a month as well.
• Watering - I use a dripper and a mist system that mists every 3 hours for 30 seconds and I also mist 3 times a day with warm water in which i mist as much as the cage and furnishings as possible. I saw him drinking from the dripper hose once and from the screen once but that is it over a period of 7 days.
• Fecal Description - The fecal color is brown to greyish (best color i can come up with unless im color blind?) they are smoothish looking and urates are a yellow to white color when I first received him the urates were yellow orange (so I feel its getting better). This is letting me know he is eating just when im not looking haha. I have not had him tested for parasites.
• History - He occasionally paces back and forth across vines and up and down the screen and eyes do close occasionally when I am near. At times he seems confused about where to go or what to do but then again he is new. (I dont know what the hell to do when im new at something haha)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - My cage is an open air cage reptibreeze. The dimensions are 30" High X 18" Long X 18" Wide
• Lighting - I am using a reptisun 5.0 UVB light, and for heat a 40W Zoomed Daylight Blue reptile bulb since some sunlight does come in my window i keep the wattage low so temp does not get too hot. Lights are on at 6 to 6:30am and off at 7:30pm.
• Temperature - Daytime cage floor to bask spot 75 to 90F. Night time lows are 68 to 72F. Temps are measure with an in cage thermometer.
• Humidity - Humidity is around 50 to 60% but 70 to 80% after spray (it is an open air cage so humidity is tough to keep high for long periods. I mist often and live plants are all around his cage and the paper towels on the bottom of the cage are occasionally wet. Humidity is measured with an in cage hygrometer.
• Plants - I use live plants all around the cage but not in the cage, these include: Dioscorea elephantipes, Dioscorea mexicana, Money plant, and a few euphorbias and cycads. inside the cage I included one orchid plant that is live all other plants are fake for the time being.
• Placement - My cage is on a table about 3 feet above the ground next to a window that faces south and receives good sunlight. There is an air vent below his cage but it is rarely on and the table blocks most of the air from blowing up to his cage. The only traffic that the area receives is me going in and out of the room and no one else except my girlfriend on occasion but we live 3 hours from each other so this is rare. The top of the cage is a total 5 1/2 to 6 feet off the ground or carpet level of my room.
• Location - I live in Flagstaff, AZ

Current Problem - He is constantly blackish with little green showing, but at night he is a light green (normal color). His right nostril (refer to photos) is of concern as well it seems blocked by skin or something white? I received him like this from backwater reptiles, which I am starting to regret buying from...unfortunately...

Hope this helps guys let me know if you would like me to provide any more info on the guy. Thank you so much and thank god for forums bringing all of us and our knowledge together the pics I am attaching are of his nostril it is the right nostril that seems blocked to me in the photo, as well as a photo of his setup and where he is in relation to the window. I live in a 2 story house and I am on the second floor. I can only imagine him seeing birds or the occasional dormant trees blowing back and forth.

 

[Peachypink]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species is veiled or (Chamaeleo calyptratus) I believe. He is a male, and not sure how old but he is about 4 to 5 inches from snout to tail end. He has been in my care for about a week (7 days).
• Handling - I almost never handle him unless its necessary since he is new. My hand is in the cage with food in it or when im cleaning the branches adjusting misters etc.
• Feeding - I feed my cham crickets mostly, wax worms on occasion, and wax moths as well as roaches. Unfortunately I dont see him eat alot if at all. I offer food everyday and food is in the cage everyday. I gut load with cricket quencher and cricket calcium meal, roaches recieve water crystals and roach diet, wax worms are getting honey.
• Supplements - I use reptivite and repti calcium. repti calcium without D3 every feeding everyday, with D3 will be twice a month, and vitamins 2 times a month as well.
• Watering - I use a dripper and a mist system that mists every 3 hours for 30 seconds and I also mist 3 times a day with warm water in which i mist as much as the cage and furnishings as possible. I saw him drinking from the dripper hose once and from the screen once but that is it over a period of 7 days.
• Fecal Description - The fecal color is brown to greyish (best color i can come up with unless im color blind?) they are smoothish looking and urates are a yellow to white color when I first received him the urates were yellow orange (so I feel its getting better). This is letting me know he is eating just when im not looking haha. I have not had him tested for parasites.
• History - He occasionally paces back and forth across vines and up and down the screen and eyes do close occasionally when I am near. At times he seems confused about where to go or what to do but then again he is new. (I dont know what the hell to do when im new at something haha)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - My cage is an open air cage reptibreeze. The dimensions are 30" High X 18" Long X 18" Wide
• Lighting - I am using a reptisun 5.0 UVB light, and for heat a 40W Zoomed Daylight Blue reptile bulb since some sunlight does come in my window i keep the wattage low so temp does not get too hot. Lights are on at 6 to 6:30am and off at 7:30pm.
• Temperature - Daytime cage floor to bask spot 75 to 90F. Night time lows are 68 to 72F. Temps are measure with an in cage thermometer.
• Humidity - Humidity is around 50 to 60% but 70 to 80% after spray (it is an open air cage so humidity is tough to keep high for long periods. I mist often and live plants are all around his cage and the paper towels on the bottom of the cage are occasionally wet. Humidity is measured with an in cage hygrometer.
• Plants - I use live plants all around the cage but not in the cage, these include: Dioscorea elephantipes, Dioscorea mexicana, Money plant, and a few euphorbias and cycads. inside the cage I included one orchid plant that is live all other plants are fake for the time being.
• Placement - My cage is on a table about 3 feet above the ground next to a window that faces south and receives good sunlight. There is an air vent below his cage but it is rarely on and the table blocks most of the air from blowing up to his cage. The only traffic that the area receives is me going in and out of the room and no one else except my girlfriend on occasion but we live 3 hours from each other so this is rare. The top of the cage is a total 5 1/2 to 6 feet off the ground or carpet level of my room.
• Location - I live in Flagstaff, AZ

Current Problem - He is constantly blackish with little green showing, but at night he is a light green (normal color). His right nostril (refer to photos) is of concern as well it seems blocked by skin or something white? I received him like this from backwater reptiles, which I am starting to regret buying from...unfortunately...

Hope this helps guys let me know if you would like me to provide any more info on the guy. Thank you so much and thank god for forums bringing all of us and our knowledge together the pics I am attaching are of his nostril it is the right nostril that seems blocked to me in the photo, as well as a photo of his setup and where he is in relation to the window. I live in a 2 story house and I am on the second floor. I can only imagine him seeing birds or the occasional dormant trees blowing back and forth.

First of all, you are doing a great job. He will need a bigger cage as he gets older but your cage looks awesome.

Check out the care sheet for veileds if you haven't already. Really great info...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

If you could get a picture of his whole body maybe we can get a better idea of his age but from what I can see is he is still pretty young.
For young veilds I would suggest trying to get his basking spot closer to 85, then as he gets older you can raise it a bit as out lined in the care sheet.

How are you feeding him? Using the cup method will help you know what he is eating and how much.

The white on his nose can either be a bit of shed or it could be minerals. The do release minerals from the nostril and that looks like salt coming out of the nose. Your picture isn't super clear so it's hard to tell. You can give him a couple of showers to help him with the shed and the nose. Get a sturdy plant, put it in the shower and direct the nozzle at the wall so that just the overspray is getting him. Nice warm water. And always supervise!

 

[alphakenc]

Chameleon smell the snake???
I believe is other way around,how far is ur snake enclosure from the chameleon cage?can they see each other at all??

 

[veiled66]

Chameleon smell the snake???
I believe is other way around,how far is ur snake enclosure from the chameleon cage?can they see each other at all??

My chameleon cant see my snake, he sits about 3 to 4 feet above my snake and I have towels over the snakes screened cage so he is visually out of sight.

First of all, you are doing a great job. He will need a bigger cage as he gets older but your cage looks awesome.

Check out the care sheet for veileds if you haven't already. Really great info...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

If you could get a picture of his whole body maybe we can get a better idea of his age but from what I can see is he is still pretty young.
For young veilds I would suggest trying to get his basking spot closer to 85, then as he gets older you can raise it a bit as out lined in the care sheet.

How are you feeding him? Using the cup method will help you know what he is eating and how much.

The white on his nose can either be a bit of shed or it could be minerals. The do release minerals from the nostril and that looks like salt coming out of the nose. Your picture isn't super clear so it's hard to tell. You can give him a couple of showers to help him with the shed and the nose. Get a sturdy plant, put it in the shower and direct the nozzle at the wall so that just the overspray is getting him. Nice warm water. And always supervise!

Thank you so much for the support it means alot! I use both the cup method and free range crickets. He is definitely eating because his fecal waste is pretty big. im gonna try giving him a shower today, the only problem is my shower nozzle wont aim at the wall haha unfortunately. So what I am thinking of doing is turning on the shower real hot to get it steamy then letting him hang out in the 100% humidity for 15 to 20 minutes on his large money plant. Thoughts? I do try and spray him with warm water at least twice a day but he absolutely hates this like you wont believe hissing and striking and just passionate disgust for the warm spray haha. I appreciate you sending me that caresheet alot of caresheets are all over the place with info and temp ranges humidity ranges etc. Ill also try and get a pic of his whole body when I do the shower. I also totally forgot they dispose of minerals through there noses so this calms me down a bit haha thank you again!!!

 

[alphakenc]

My chameleon cant see my snake, he sits about 3 to 4 feet above my snake and I have towels over the snakes screened cage so he is visually out of sight.

As long ur snake cage is secure lock ,u have nothing to worry about it since the chameleon has very poor smell sense almost to none.