eyes

[Rango317]

So I've owned my Veiled Chameleon for about 2 months (I believe he is 3 months old) now and he seems to be doing well. I think he might still be a little in size for his age (about 2 and a half inches from nose to head of his tail). Also I have noticed the other day that sometimes he closes one eye and kinda sinks in in his head, then in goes back to normal and he opens it. Kind of like an intense blink. I really dont know what it means or if it's something i should worry about. for now I am gonna keep a close watch on him. Any suggestions?

 

[squeekz1992]

Is it persistent or random?

Also, it would help us to help you if you could fill out the How to Ask for help form from the Health Clinic, just copy and paste it here, and it can help us figure out what's up with your lil dude

 

[Rango317]

Your Chameleon - Veiled, male. Roughtly 3-4 months old. I have been caring for him for 2 months.
Handling - I try to handle him about 5 times a week so he can start to feel comfortable with me since he is young.
Feeding - He eats 3/8'' crickets. roughly 12 a day. They are gut loaded with orange cubes.
Supplements - Reptical w/o d3 everyday. Reptical w/d3 first and third Monday of the month.
Watering - I mist about 3 times a day with a hand spray bottle. I mist for about 3 minutes. Sometimes he comes and I see him drink sometimes he doesn't.
Fecal Description - regular (brown w/ white) never tested for parasites.
History - I bought him at an expo in Indianapolis on August 12th.

 

[Rango317]

It seems to be that he does it at least once when we have him out but its not like he does it when in the light or in the dark. I dont quite know what it is but I'm hoping its nothing major!!!

 

[squeekz1992]

That is an awful lot to be handling a baby.. Does he show any signs of stress when you are getting him out? (i.e dark colors, hissing, puffing up, flattening out?)

Gutloading needs some work. First, I would really urge you to stop using the Flukers cubes, they are crap, and have almost no nutritional value for the cham. Try fresh fruits and veggies and grains.

As for supplementation, good job on using the calcium w/o D3. However, you only need to use the calcium with D3 1x per month.

Watering schedule seems fine.

We need to know what lighting you are using, and what your temps and humidity are. This is vital in keeping a chameleon.

You should be using ReptiSUN or ReptiGLO 5.0, if you have arcadia that is great too. The basking bulb should be 45W since he is so young, with the basking spot (highest temp) at 85degrees until he is full grown, then it can be upped to between 87-90.

Actually I think I have a post somewhere where I give all the answers that you will need.. I will go look for that really quick.

 

[Rango317]

along with the Fluxer cubes the crickets are also getting a corn meal mix.
I will have to look at his lights and see what they are, as well as the temps.
As for the handling, how much should he be handled? someone told me that since he is young he should be handled more so that he can get use to people when he grows. I have not seem him puff up or anything and I have never heard him hiss. sometimes he turns a little darker when I handle him but never anything that noticable. Are they usually that aggressive?

 

[lysinlight87]

Sometimes when they blink that way they are cleaning their eyes. Does the eye sort of sink in when he does it?

 

[Kate]

I really don't see anything wrong with regular handling if the Cham wants it. I handle mine daily if he wants to come out and if I have time. Sometimes he hides and I leave him alone. Some are sociable some are not. It is best to provide fresh veg and fruit for your feeders instead of fluckers cubes. You dust with plain calcium daily and calcium with d3 twice a month, do you have a multivit? With regard to his eyes, does he do this with both eyes? They often do weird things with their eyes to clean them.

 

[AngieL]

^^ Good advice! It sounds like he's cleaning his eyes, all chams do it. Sort of looks like sucking the eye ball into the head

 

[Solid Snake]

 

[sdheli420]

HAHAHA,i remember the first time i ever saw a cham do this " OMG whats in his eye!!!??" lol..as for handling, if you cham is not trying to run away from your hand when you put it in the cage, and doesent puff up, open mouth, or hiss you are good to go... eventually they become buddies with you..

proof it works..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87H7XnpUSCk

 

[Kate]

Love it!!!

 

[justjumpit621]

Here is some gutloading information for you, corn meal and flukers anything are crap. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/nutritional-information/

 

[squeekz1992]

I really don't see anything wrong with regular handling if the Cham wants it. I handle mine daily if he wants to come out and if I have time. Sometimes he hides and I leave him alone. Some are sociable some are not.

I handle mine everyday as well, but I felt it was important to mention the stress it sometimes causes them, just in case

 

[ChameleonMom]

Yup.....the video (attached) is eyeball cleaning in a nutshell!! I have one cham that is pretty uptight about eyeball cleaning...constantly doing it, even if ONE drop of water comes near his eyeball. But then again, I guess I can't blame him as he had a pretty bad eye infection as a young lad and since then has to be hand fed. Cranky, old man!

 

[Rango317]

Yeah, that looks like what he is doing. phew!!! I'm so glad thats all it was but kinda freaked out by it. He looks so silly!

I think I may handle him a little less just in case. As for the crickets, I will be looking into changing their diet as well. Thanks everyone!

 

[Derrick Fischer]

Black eyeskin

Hi,

I took a wild caught flapneck chameleon away from someone that was selling it next to the road. I want to release it somewhere save, but she has a problem with her eyes, the left eye is completely closed and the right eyelid can open a bit, it looks like the top eyelid grew over the bottom one, or that the skin over the eyes is dead and she lost control over the eyelids, i can see the eyeball move under the skin, but the skin that covers the eyeball is black, while the rest of her body is a nice green. She is maybe 90% - 95% blind.

It is huge, (biggest flapneck i have ever seen) it must be a very old chameleon, my question is, is it possible that she survived in the wild with her almost being completely blind, are chameleons known to have eye problems in the wild when they become very old? Thank you Derrick.