Female veiled change in color/behavior

[aduesler93]

I have a 6 month old female veiled chameleon. About a week ago I noticed her coloring has been darker, even when she is alone in the room. She is generally pretty bright green but lately has shown more black spotting or is just a dark green/blackish color when I’m in there. The only time I notice her bright greens lately is sleeping and when she is eating. She seems to be moving around the cage quite a bit and exploring as usual but is also much more defensive when I open the cage, unless I have food then she will crawl right out into me. Is she just getting ready to produce eggs or should I be worried? She otherwise acts healthy.

 

[Beman]

Post pics of her. Do you have a lay bin in the cage? If so post pics of that as well.

 

[aduesler93]

Post pics of her. Do you have a lay bin in the cage? If so post pics of that as well.

Her lights have gone off for the night so I can get some tomorrow this is her eating Saturday. Her lay bin is filled with washed play sand that can hold a tunnel (I check at least once a week) and has been in her cage for 2 months now.

 

[Beman]

Her lights have gone off for the night so I can get some tomorrow this is her eating Saturday. Her lay bin is filled with washed play sand that can hold a tunnel (I check at least once a week) and has been in her cage for 2 months now.

She looks pretty small there. Post recent pics when you can along with pics of the entire cage. Do you have her in the 2x2x4 cage now that she is older? They can be darker in color when they are basking. This is very normal. Black spots normally indicates that they want you to back off.

As they mature their personality does change. They become more defensive of their territory and typically do not tolerate intrusion unless something is in it for them like food.

 

[aduesler93]

She actually brightened up a little this morning

 

[aduesler93]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? 5(ish) months old, veiled cham, female, 6 months
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Two or three times a week
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Crickets, black fly larvae, once a week wax worm treat, daily, 5-8 feeders depends on how much she wants, gut load with repashy big burger, carrots, kale, mustard greens
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Zoo med repticalicium without D3 daily, fluckers reptacalcium with D3 twice a month, and zoo med reptivite (no D3) twice a month
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? Mistking set to go off 2 minutes right before lights on, 1 minute at 1pm, 2 minutes right before lights out and 1 minute at 1am, along with night time fogging (it’s super dry here right now)
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Good poops, brown and solid but wet and white part is always white with an occasional tiny yellow spot, goes daily skips a day here and there, no parasite testing yet
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Was in a tiny glass enclosure at pet store that was very humid which is how I ended up with her quicker that I planned, it was a rescue effort. She had a strange eye issue when I got her which is in another post but that has improved with proper care and supplements, no other issues, has shed twice since I got her at end of November no issues

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? 2x2x4 reptibreeze screen cage, live pothos, money tree and umbrella plant, two sides covered with shower curtain to contain water from mister and humidity
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? UVB: reptisun 5.0, basking is a zoomed 65 watt blue daylight bulb hours on 12 hours off on timer about 6 inches above top basking branch, also has a branch a few inches lower in a basking area for options
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Basking temp: currently 78 degrees measured with digital thermometer probe at top basking branch, rest of cage usually around lower 70s depending on spot. Overnight stays in mid to upper 60s, I have two temp probes in upper half of cage that I measure with
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? During day: usually right at 50 percent during day and 70-80 but have struggled with that a little with the larger enclosure and getting a good reading
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? One pothos plant toward top that hangs down, a larger umbrella plant on bottom, and a smaller money tree that I’m hoping grows sooner, I also have some flukers vines toward front of cage for added coverage as I grow some larger plants
• 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? On stand in spare room/office space, no fans nearby, there is a heat vent about 6 feet away but point away from cage, very low traffic pretty much only go in room to care for her, top of cage sits about 6’
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Upstate New York, it’s super cold and dry right now and the heat doesn’t help

 

[Beman]

Everything looks good in your husbandry. Looks like the color changes you are seeing are just her maturing and showing her attitude.

With the T5HO fixture and the 5.0 bulb you want 8-9 inches to the branch below it.
Daytime humidity should not go over 50%. Your looking for a 40-50% range during the day.
Here is info on feeding now that she has reached 6 months.
As she matures you will have to start cutting back her food. By about 6 months she should be getting about 5-8 small feeders each day. At about 7 months you want to slowly reduce by cutting down feeder amounts so that she is on a feeding schedule of 3 days a week with 3 feeders. You want them to be on this schedule by the time they are 9-10 months old.


You will not ever want basking to be over 78-80 for her. Very important for females because as she ages she needs this temp no higher at basking to help control the amount of eggs she produces.


Now I would switch out that laybin. You want something larger in diameter and only like 4-6 inches in depth for the playsand. You do not want it extremely deep because they will dig down to the bottom.

Here is an image. just make sure you drill holes in the bottom of the tub so water can drain out.

 

[aduesler93]

Thank you! Sounds like I just have a spunky teenage girl, I’m just so worried about all of this egg laying business and messing it up that I’m paranoid. And I will switch out that laying bin this week! Thanks!