Im a horrible Cham father :(

[rionjames]

i just recently acquired my first panther, a beautiful 3 month old ambilobe. He is healthy, active, eats, drinks, basks and poops normally. He is in the climb on top of cage phaze, and i am afraid i may have had the basking light too close as he has a small black spot on his bottom side stomache. It has since turned a little gray with white. It doesnt look too bad, actually there is still color underneath and it looks to be getting better. i have a vet on call for silvadene if needed, but i feel bad.

 

[Jakeelias93]

thats sad but its not really something to get upset about. It happened, you know how to fix it, so just keep that in mind for the future. There are quite a bit of burned chameleon posts on here so your not the first and for sure not the last. Just make sure you brush up on your research. you really cant read enough about husbandry and typical behavior, its interesting and fun.

 

[rionjames]

im not new to the chameleon world but this is a new bulb im using that seems to have a more focused beam. i have since raised it a few more inches above the enclosure, and am switching to a newer flood style in the morning. im ready to do whatever he needs to stay happy and healthy, so the vet was the first person i called thank you!

 

[Kate]

It might be a good idea to get the silvadine. It may help the area to heal quicker and prevent secondary infection. My boy sustained a thermal burn on his belly almost two years ago and there is still a small grey area there to remind me of how bad a mum I am. He had a course of antibiotics and flamazine ( uk equivalent of silvadine ) and is doing well.

 

[Chameleon Company]

im not new to the chameleon world but this is a new bulb im using that seems to have a more focused beam. i have since raised it a few more inches above the enclosure, and am switching to a newer flood style in the morning. im ready to do whatever he needs to stay happy and healthy, so the vet was the first person i called thank you!

Flood lights, or "basking lights" are not a good idea in my experience. Providing you have a dome, a standard incandescent bulb of appropriate wattage to project heat the needed distance is more than adequate, and far safer than any kind of flood or basking light, which frankly are bad ideas, and a waste of money.

When in doubt, take a basic outdoor stem thermometer, and tape it to your basking spot, face up. Let is sit for 10 minutes at what you believe to be the hottest spot. If its over 95 degrees., you need a) lower wattage; or b) more distance from the heat source. Then remove the thermometer.

Keeping it simple is usually the best way with chameleons.

 

[Ladynyce]

not to worry!

My Meller does the same thing. But that's when I spray the cage she hates to get wet. if you are very concerned about her climbing the roof of her cage maybe you should take the lates of the screen and pull them up so the light isn't directly on the screen of the roof maybe thats something you can think about.good luck.

 

[Chameleon Company]

My Meller does the same thing. But that's when I spray the cage she hates to get wet. if you are very concerned about her climbing the roof of her cage maybe you should take the lates of the screen and pull them up so the light isn't directly on the screen of the roof maybe thats something you can think about.good luck.

Since you mention it, being "sprayed", where the moisture comes from the side, is not normal to any chameleon. Being "rained" upon, where the moisture comes from above, is. I note such because "spraying" a chameleon is just one of many over-management things that keepers do. Such is just one more example of how folks deviate from natural husbandry, in what is a rampant over-management of captive chameleons. Chameleons should NEVER be sprayed.

Just rained on. Big difference. They do not "hate" getting wet. They do not mind being "rained on" ..........

They just are not fond of misguided husbandry.

 

[Ladynyce]

Since you mention it, being "sprayed", where the moisture comes from the side, is not normal to any chameleon. Being "rained" upon, where the moisture comes from above, is. I note such because "spraying" a chameleon is just one of many over-management things that keepers do. Such is just one more example of how folks deviate from natural husbandry, in what is a rampant over-management of captive chameleons. Chameleons should NEVER be sprayed.

Just rained on. Big difference. They do not "hate" getting wet. They do not mind being "rained on" ..........

They just are not fond of misguided husbandry.

Thanks hun two people learn from this today. I appreciate the advice its my new meller sometimes she likes it and sometimes not but now I know not to mist her and only the cage. It was only xuz she was shedding

 

[Chameleon Company]

Thanks hun two people learn from this today. I appreciate the advice its my new meller sometimes she likes it and sometimes not but now I know not to mist her and only the cage. It was only xuz she was shedding

Hey. I understand. But even when shedding, being sprayed is to over-manage.

When it comes to moisture, to always "drip' or "rain", is the way to go. The chameleons will recoil from neither.

 

[sandrachameleon]

When it comes to moisture, to always "drip' or "rain", is the way to go. The chameleons will recoil from neither.

agree. Ive found this to be true also.

... i am afraid i may have had the basking light too close as he has a small black spot on his bottom side stomache. It has since turned a little gray with white.

keep an eye on it. sounds like its minor and all should be alright in time

 

[Psychobunny]

I agree, I never saw any of my chams actually drink from either manual or MistKing misting.
But when I got a rain dome, that changed everything!

I saw they drinking like they were dying of thirst!!
It's those drops of water coming down, like rain, that really stimulates them to drink.

Also, a dripper, dripping into a shallow cap and cascading down onto the leaves below works very well.
A few of my guyz have learned to drink from the full cap, even when the dripper is not dripping.