Hair on my chameleon??

[maryanne27]

This may sound really odd, but it looks like my 11-mo graceful chameleon is growing hair! Just today I noticed these really fine, almost cm long hair-looking things poking out of Rory here and there on his body. They almost look like those really fine hair-looking spikes from some cacti.
I do have two dogs (their hair is EVERYWHERE) but this looks nothing like theirs. Plus, when I tried to pull it off, it felt like it was attached.

What the heck???? I've never heard of hairy reptiles, so I thought I would ask! ha

He just finished shedding a few days ago. Could that have something to do with it? Is this normal?

 

[camimom]

can you post a photo please?

it could be skin, or maybe a parasite. but we have to see photos to help.

or you can just head to a vet.

 

[okiroo]

Post a picture. No chameleons don't grow hair. The first thing that comes to mind is some type of fungus or other parasite.

 

[maryanne27]

They won't show up in a picture... you can really only see them when the light hits it just right. And actually, I think I figured it out... I have a cactus in the same room on the floor, and I didn't think he could get to it. He must have because I was moving it around to be sure and found a pile of poo behind the cactus! It has been moved completely out of harms way now.

However, I will keep a close eye on him to be sure it isn't parasitic. What should I look for for signs of a possible parasite?

 

[Carlton]

They won't show up in a picture... you can really only see them when the light hits it just right. And actually, I think I figured it out... I have a cactus in the same room on the floor, and I didn't think he could get to it. He must have because I was moving it around to be sure and found a pile of poo behind the cactus! It has been moved completely out of harms way now.

However, I will keep a close eye on him to be sure it isn't parasitic. What should I look for for signs of a possible parasite?

Look at your cactus. Do the hair like things on the cham look like the spines? I'd suspect they do. The only thing I can think of that might look like hairs on the cham would be from parasitic worms emerging from the cham's skin. They would not be stiff, they would move around, as they are alive. You would probably see lumps under the skin where the rest of the worm is. I think your spines are the answer IMHO. They could cause some skin reactions so I'd suggest trying to remove them with tweezers (hint: let the cham chill down so it won't be as active when you are doing it).

 

[maryanne27]

Look at your cactus. Do the hair like things on the cham look like the spines? I'd suspect they do. The only thing I can think of that might look like hairs on the cham would be from parasitic worms emerging from the cham's skin. They would not be stiff, they would move around, as they are alive. You would probably see lumps under the skin where the rest of the worm is. I think your spines are the answer IMHO. They could cause some skin reactions so I'd suggest trying to remove them with tweezers (hint: let the cham chill down so it won't be as active when you are doing it).

They definitely aren't moving, so not worms! Haha. I'm pretty sure it is the cactus. For the life of me, I can't figure out how he got to it! But I just finished removing them... he isn't very happy with me now. Thank you so much!