help?

[Mozart]

I have a Jackson Male and hes been acting strange lately. i took him to the vet and he found nothing wrong with him. So he could be molting or acting weird due to the change of daylight hours but has anyone ever experienced this. He wont eat but he drinks plenty of water. his eyes are really small and he even closes his eyes. But when hes in the heat he opens them. So therefore he doesn't really move around his Cage anymore and just stays in the hotter areas.
his eyes get small like this

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and then they close like hes sleeping but he still tries to walk around.
His grip is fine and he changes colors completely normal. I have a 18x18x36
screen cage and my set up is this

[/IMG]




I have a 75 w infrared heat lamp and a 26 wat 10.0 uvb light. . I mist every 40 minutes now and i have some moss in his cage that i bought to keep it humid. i feed him usually 4 or 5 medium/large crickets a day i powder them with repto life calcium and i just started to feed them flukers orange cubes. hes been in my care for atleast 6 months and has never acted like this. any ideas? (he likes when i take him out in the real sunlight)
Sorry for the sideways pictures, its my phones fault D:

 

[Ulrich]

I was puzzled by the infrared. Even more puzzled by the 10.0. I always thought 10.0 is for desert species. Yours is a montane. I think you should use an incandescent bulb of low wattage and a 5.0. Misting levels seems all right but what are the humidity levels?

 

[Mozart]

I was puzzled by the infrared. Even more puzzled by the 10.0. I always thought 10.0 is for desert species. Yours is a montane. I think you should use an incandescent bulb of low wattage and a 5.0. Misting levels seems all right but what are the humidity levels?

The light bulbs were not my doing the lady at the pet store i went too said that's what vets say are recommended for jacksons. But i am unsure. He started acting like this before the bulbs though. I just got the new bulbs yesterday. The persona at the petstorealso said i could use an infrared as a daylight instead of just a night heating source. Usually between 70-85 but there is a point during the day where it gets low since no one is home to mist.

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

I'd trust what this forum says over the pet store, may have to buy more equipment but this forum knows what they're doing. Pet store I got my Veiled from told me to use a combo heat/uvb with calcium d3 never and regular calcium every other day.

 

[rsepiphyte]

Is this a captive bred Chameleon or Wild Caught. I would recommend going to a reliable vet clinic that is experienced with reptiles and have a stool sample checked for parasites. This is something i do with all chameleons that i bring into my home. I agree with the other members that this is a montane species and requires high humidity and cooler temperatures. When he opens his mouth do you see any mucus and is the inside of his mouth a nice pink or rather gray color? Ruth

 

[Tagle23]

My guess would be that you 10.0 UVB light is way to bright. people report there chameleons going blind because it it so bright. if i were you i would swith to a 2.0 UVB bulb. a 2.0 bulb is made for tropical species such as the chameleon. Good Luck!

 

[BocaJan]

Jackson's love lots of foliage. It helps regulate temps and holds in humidity. It gives them the opportunity to lick the leaves when they are thirsty and keeps them cool.

I wish there was some way to discourage people from doing what pet stores tell them because they are USUALLY wrong. Jacksons like a cool, humid environment. If they need some basking warmth they will climb up to their basking bulb. NEVER over a 60w. I always used 40w and made sure there was a branch or vine within about 8 inches away from the bulb for basking. a Reptisun 5 linear tube UVB is what you need for them.

NO OTHER BULBS OR HEAT SOURCE is needed, wanted or required regardless of what the pet store told you. Take everything else back because it is wrong for this species.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

2.0 is far too low and does not give adequate levels of UVB. A 5.0 is minimum. Despite people saying 10.0 can cause blindness I've yet to see it.

Your cage is extremely sparse. Chameleons are prey animals and need places to hide to feel safe. There is no foliage or anything to hide behind in the vast majority of your cage. Feeling vulnerable and exposed can cause chronic stress, which weakens the immune system over time. You need to add plants, real or fake to your cage that gives him something to hide in/behind for at least 60% of the cage space, and maybe even more. The substrate at the bottom is not needed and can actually lead to infection or impaction so it should be removed. The red light should be changed to a white light.

I do not see any thermometers in your cage - what is the temperature under your lights? Jackson's need it cooler than most reptile species with a basking temp at most in the low 90s and preferably even high 80s. If you don't have a thermometer then you need to get one ASAP.

What did the crickets eat before the orange cubes? The orange cubes are terrible for nutrition. The crickets should be eating dark leafy greens like mustard, turnip greens, dandelions and collards as their primary food source since those are all high in calcium and other beneficial nutrients. Your chameleon needs to get better nutrition from its bugs in the form of gutloading. The link below has more information on it.

The symptoms your chameleon is exhibiting are not specific for one thing and may be a symptom of chronic deficiencies in the care he's been needing. You were misled by the pet store, which is all too common, but we can get you back on track!

 

[Mozart]

2.0 is far too low and does not give adequate levels of UVB. A 5.0 is minimum. Despite people saying 10.0 can cause blindness I've yet to see it.

Your cage is extremely sparse. Chameleons are prey animals and need places to hide to feel safe. There is no foliage or anything to hide behind in the vast majority of your cage. Feeling vulnerable and exposed can cause chronic stress, which weakens the immune system over time. You need to add plants, real or fake to your cage that gives him something to hide in/behind for at least 60% of the cage space, and maybe even more. The substrate at the bottom is not needed and can actually lead to infection or impaction so it should be removed. The red light should be changed to a white light.

I do not see any thermometers in your cage - what is the temperature under your lights? Jackson's need it cooler than most reptile species with a basking temp at most in the low 90s and preferably even high 80s. If you don't have a thermometer then you need to get one ASAP.

What did the crickets eat before the orange cubes? The orange cubes are terrible for nutrition. The crickets should be eating dark leafy greens like mustard, turnip greens, dandelions and collards as their primary food source since those are all high in calcium and other beneficial nutrients. Your chameleon needs to get better nutrition from its bugs in the form of gutloading. The link below has more information on it.

The symptoms your chameleon is exhibiting are not specific for one thing and may be a symptom of chronic deficiencies in the care he's been needing. You were misled by the pet store, which is all too common, but we can get you back on track!

I do have thermometers they are on the side I will get more plants. What kind of love plants are okay? And the crickets used to just eat apples. I'll put greens in there from now on along with the orange cubes and calcium powder. Il get. 5.0 bulb then?

 

[Mozart]

Also with that new cage it's colder in it. Is it way too big because it was the right temp in the glass cage I had

 

[camimom]

what is the temperature?

jacksons like cooler temps, like no more than 82 cooler temps.