Cham acts healthy, but one question...

[drumminherbie]

One of the pictures is the day we first got Leon. He was super dark, the pet store had 5 in one cage and NO foliage whatsoever, it was terrible conditions for any cham. The second pic is him at my home, much brighter.

I just would like to know, why is the skin under his armpits and going down his body so lumpy? Is this a disease? As you can tell in the first picture, he has had it since we got him a month ago. He is shedding this week and was wondering if this would go away. It looks like its cracked, colorless, and super dry, but my wife and I mist him 4-6 times a day, keep his dripper full, and keep the humidity 40-70%, and he feels soft and hydrated.

 

[Trace]

I'm assuming you are talking about that white-ish stripe? That's actually perfectly normal patterning on male Veiled Chameleons so don't worry about that. Many species have it, most notably in the species of the Chamaeleo genus. I'm not sure why the scales are different in that area but would assume it would be break up the vertical striped pattern and thus make them less obvious to predators.

He is missing a few small scales on the front of his nose, which most likely came from the poor conditions at the pet store but they will go away with successive sheds. Just make sure those don't get any worse. Otherwise he looks nice and healthy so have fun with him.

Cheers,
Trace

 

[drumminherbie]

Thanks for the quick response, Trace! I'm just excited to know it's not a bad care thing. I have heard Chams are difficult to care for, and I want to do my best to provide a long and healthy life!

 

[Trace]

This is a great community here so don't ever be shy about asking questions about Leon.

We have put together a great resource for new and experienced keepers alike. It covers a lot things like lighting, caging, watering, food and so much more. Definitely check it out: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/