Hello, my name is Bryan, this is my first time on this forum. I found this forum looking for answers as to identifying if there's an issue with my Chameleon.
I have a female Veiled chameleon which I bought at Petco (never again). Not only did they give me horrible advice as to her needs but left me in the dark to many things, such as the need to lay infertile eggs.
Thought I was sent home with the wrong equipment, I went out and bought the right things she needs. She has an 18x18x36 reptibreeze screen cage, Exo Terra Solar-Glo High Intensity Self-Ballasted Uv/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp, 125-Watt, live Hibiscus plant (as of 4 days ago, she only had fake vines and branches before that), fake tree branch giving perch at top of cage for basking, little dripper set-up on top of tank (also only 4 days old) I wasn't aware that they drink from drips and thought misting her 2-3 times a day would be enough. eats between 5-8 crickets a day coated with Reptashy. Also offered meal worms, wax worms, phoenix worms in a bowl located on the bottom of the cage.
About two weeks ago I noticed her hanging out on the bottom of the cage often, not for long periods of time but very active, constantly moving up and down the cage and not really digging but her feet would move the Eco Earth soil. Her diet stayed the same for a bit but now she's beginning to ignore food where the second I dropped an insect in her cage, she was on it. Now a few crickets will be within arms reach and she ignores them. She won't eat worms in the bowl, she used to eat them right out my hand, wont do that anymore either. I have seen her drinking from the dripper but as far as eating, she wont and though for her lack of diet, still quite the fat belly on her.
She's also developed new spots and colors. Where she used to remain almost solid green, she's now often lightly striped, devloped big yellow spots on her sides and the faint stripes on her are now outlined yellow. She never used to show spots unless stressed but now, even when she's basking, she seems to consistently be spotted. Her eyes aren't sunken in but the bill on her head isn't as firm as it was, seems rather flattened, her skin wrinkles and just...doesn't look healthy like it used to. She also had what appeared to be shedding skin from her nostrils to the tip of the bill on her head and it took her a good week and a half to remove it all and hasn't shed any other part.
As far as her hanging out on the bottom, it hasn't been happening (as far as I can tell) but now she just clings to one specific side of the screen cage, right in the middle of the left side were the leaves cover her. She doesn't bask nearly as often as she used to where she'd just sit under the lamp all day, now she goes up, basks for maybe 5 minutes and goes back to her spot on the side of the cage and does that several times through out the day.
I'm not sure if maybe she's confused by the new live plant but doesn't seem interested in being around it. I felt her belly for lumps while she was relaxed and sleeping and couldn't feel anything, I also set up a very large plastic tub for her and put about 50 pounds of play sand in it along with a vine. I tried placing her in the tub but all she's interested in is getting the heck out.
I honestly can't tell if she needs to lay eggs or even if she's sick or stressed. I purchased her on June 4th, they sent me home with a short, glass cage and a waterfall. She lived like that for 2 weeks until I replaced all her equipment and then recently bought the dripper and live plant. I know chameleons are particular to their known environment, maybe this is why she seems stressed and not eating. She also seems more hostile now as well, once in a while she'd hiss and sway at me when I'd try to pick her up during the day but maybe, 1 or 2 days of the week were like that where now, the only time she'll allow me to pick her up is at night when she's sleeping or else she's very aggressive and hissy which was not her normal behavior mere weeks ago.
With this given information, can anyone tell me what this sounds like? Is she eggbound perhaps?? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, this is very upsetting for me as I've become quite attached to her. It would be awful if something happened to her.
Thank you!
I have a female Veiled chameleon which I bought at Petco (never again). Not only did they give me horrible advice as to her needs but left me in the dark to many things, such as the need to lay infertile eggs.
Thought I was sent home with the wrong equipment, I went out and bought the right things she needs. She has an 18x18x36 reptibreeze screen cage, Exo Terra Solar-Glo High Intensity Self-Ballasted Uv/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp, 125-Watt, live Hibiscus plant (as of 4 days ago, she only had fake vines and branches before that), fake tree branch giving perch at top of cage for basking, little dripper set-up on top of tank (also only 4 days old) I wasn't aware that they drink from drips and thought misting her 2-3 times a day would be enough. eats between 5-8 crickets a day coated with Reptashy. Also offered meal worms, wax worms, phoenix worms in a bowl located on the bottom of the cage.
About two weeks ago I noticed her hanging out on the bottom of the cage often, not for long periods of time but very active, constantly moving up and down the cage and not really digging but her feet would move the Eco Earth soil. Her diet stayed the same for a bit but now she's beginning to ignore food where the second I dropped an insect in her cage, she was on it. Now a few crickets will be within arms reach and she ignores them. She won't eat worms in the bowl, she used to eat them right out my hand, wont do that anymore either. I have seen her drinking from the dripper but as far as eating, she wont and though for her lack of diet, still quite the fat belly on her.
She's also developed new spots and colors. Where she used to remain almost solid green, she's now often lightly striped, devloped big yellow spots on her sides and the faint stripes on her are now outlined yellow. She never used to show spots unless stressed but now, even when she's basking, she seems to consistently be spotted. Her eyes aren't sunken in but the bill on her head isn't as firm as it was, seems rather flattened, her skin wrinkles and just...doesn't look healthy like it used to. She also had what appeared to be shedding skin from her nostrils to the tip of the bill on her head and it took her a good week and a half to remove it all and hasn't shed any other part.
As far as her hanging out on the bottom, it hasn't been happening (as far as I can tell) but now she just clings to one specific side of the screen cage, right in the middle of the left side were the leaves cover her. She doesn't bask nearly as often as she used to where she'd just sit under the lamp all day, now she goes up, basks for maybe 5 minutes and goes back to her spot on the side of the cage and does that several times through out the day.
I'm not sure if maybe she's confused by the new live plant but doesn't seem interested in being around it. I felt her belly for lumps while she was relaxed and sleeping and couldn't feel anything, I also set up a very large plastic tub for her and put about 50 pounds of play sand in it along with a vine. I tried placing her in the tub but all she's interested in is getting the heck out.
I honestly can't tell if she needs to lay eggs or even if she's sick or stressed. I purchased her on June 4th, they sent me home with a short, glass cage and a waterfall. She lived like that for 2 weeks until I replaced all her equipment and then recently bought the dripper and live plant. I know chameleons are particular to their known environment, maybe this is why she seems stressed and not eating. She also seems more hostile now as well, once in a while she'd hiss and sway at me when I'd try to pick her up during the day but maybe, 1 or 2 days of the week were like that where now, the only time she'll allow me to pick her up is at night when she's sleeping or else she's very aggressive and hissy which was not her normal behavior mere weeks ago.
With this given information, can anyone tell me what this sounds like? Is she eggbound perhaps?? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, this is very upsetting for me as I've become quite attached to her. It would be awful if something happened to her.
Thank you!
