Help NOOB, Hatchlings

[bballplya222]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - 5 Veiled, was told they are 8-9 weeks old but they are about the size of my thumb (I have a pretty large thumb; but still), Had them for 3 days
* Handling - Not often (just to put them in their enclosure)
* Feeding - Didnt dust for their first few feedings (but will with repcal and herptivite) Fed them Hydei Fruit flies.
* Watering - constant drip onto a pothos plant with 3-5 mistings a day to keep plant leaves wet.
* Fecal Description - Moist mostly black with some white



Cage Info:

* Cage Type - 16x16x20 Reptibreeze
* Temperature - Temp ranges from low 80s to low 70s at night
* Plants - Golden Pothos, Pilea, Peperomia
* Placement - Ontop of a large desk so that the top of light on the cage is inches from the ceiling, in the corner of my bedroom in a low trafficked area.
* Location - Central New Jersey


Current Problem - I recently receive 5 Veiled Chameleons that were supposed to be 6-8 weeks old, but judging from their size they are younger. 4 appear to be moving around healthy and i have observed eating and drinking. The 5th is the one in question. He was the skinniest (not 100% sure its a male) when I got him but was moving around ok yesterday. Today I noticed he climbs and falls and appears to be moving awkwardly. I sent an email to the breeder I purchased them from and he has yet to get back to me (its only been a few hours) But now the little guy is kinda curled up in the corner of the bottom of the enclosure curled up almost into a ball. He is almost entirely black in color.

 

[ajacobson]

That doesn't sound good at all, I'd say find a vet fast!

 

[bballplya222]

That doesn't sound good at all, I'd say find a vet fast!

Maybe Id be able to find a vet tomorrow but Im concerned he wont last that long even, any advice? He really doesnt look good and I feel like trying anything would be an improvement just dont know what to do.

 

[BigBlue]

I've had baby chams do the same thing. Drop to the ground and curl up and turn black. I've even seen them trigger the others to do the same, all within a short period of time. In the end they were all fine once I left them alone, seems it may be a distress mechanism. Give them some time to get used to things and see if that helps. I only ran into the problem when I moved them to an enclosure that was too large for them. Good luck.

 

[LaidbackLizards]

sorry to hear..

I've had a female nosy be pather chameleon do the same thing to me. almost exactly.Mine was a little older though (about 1 1/2 months). was very weak, had trouble gripping branches, when i'd place her on the branch, she'd try to hold on but fall. called my vet, he said there was nothing really I could do but wait it out.. well... I waited. eventually she laid in here porthos plant's soil and curled up. Eyes closed, not moving, but still breathing.. unfortunately, mine passed away about 3 hours later. it was so sad. I felt helpless. I really hope yours pulls through.

 

[BigBlue]

Unfortunatley, when a cham is so small, the vet really can't do much. At least thats been my experience. It's tough to see them go through this. I hope she pulls through.

 

[ChrisnLisa]

Unfortunatley, when a cham is so small, the vet really can't do much. At least thats been my experience. It's tough to see them go through this. I hope she pulls through.

Very true, which is why they really shouldn't be bought or sold so young. Shame on breeders for selling such young ones to inexperienced owners A good deal isn't a good deal if you end up with a dead chameleon a few days later.

 

[tkilgour]

Very true, which is why they really shouldn't be bought or sold so young. Shame on breeders for selling such young ones to inexperienced owners A good deal isn't a good deal if you end up with a dead chameleon a few days later.

Very well put!!! If possible separate it from the group, give it it's own bin or enclosure. Then you can monitor how well it is staying hydrated and you can also monitor food intake better. Make sure it is eating size appropriate food, like 1/8" crickets or fruitflies and keep a dripper running a lot of the day. Check to make sure you have appropriate temps and keep everything very clean. Best of luck to you and your new babies.

 

[pantherlover]

Very well put!!! If possible separate it from the group, give it it's own bin or enclosure. Then you can monitor how well it is staying hydrated and you can also monitor food intake better. Make sure it is eating size appropriate food, like 1/8" crickets or fruitflies and keep a dripper running a lot of the day. Check to make sure you have appropriate temps and keep everything very clean. Best of luck to you and your new babies.

good advice to separate. use a tub if you cant get your hands on an other enclosure. youll need moreenclosures & lights anyways.

 

[laurie]

When I have a baby acting like it is in distress I put it alone in a small bin with a paper towel on the bottom and some very low to the ground fake greenery. I personally would never have a dripper on one that small. I mist the sides of the tub and the greens right in front of the baby, if the mist is really fine I would even mist my baby. Have a small number of food items available. Before bedtime I make sure there are no food items in to bother my baby. I keep them warm but never hot. Hope this helps & the little one makes it.

 

[kinyonga]

I have to agree with putting it in a separate cage for now. Make sure that the cage temperature is moderate so that it will be warm enough wherever it sits without it having to move because its too hot.

I also with not using a dripper on such small chameleons. They can aspirate the water and die.

Hopefully it will pull through.

 

[tkilgour]

Laurie and Kinyonga make an excellent point about the dripper. They are right you probably want to avoid using one to prevent any issues from occuring.

If I use one on little guys, the dripper would drip maybe 2 drops and hour, so very slowly. I would position it so it pooled up into a silk leaf turned upsidedown and there would be hardly any run off.

Being such a small animal and the fact that it is weak makes the dripper a bad idea, so do as Kinyonga and Laurie suggested they are both very smart.

However, I would certainly separate it and monitor it's every move.