Is my chameleon burned?

[the_nightman]

Hey all, new keeper here so please go easy on me

I have a 40w incandescent ceiling fan bulb and a T8 5.0 UVB ~10 inches from the highest basking perch in the enclosure. Today I noticed while admiring my boy that his spikes are starting to look a little dark. I only have pics of him through the screen on his cage from when I first got him a week ago so I can’t tell if this is new or if this is how he looked when we got him.

I put the incandescent bulb on a clamp and moved it a few inches higher just to be safe, but does this warrant a vet visit?

 

[the_nightman]

Here’s his enclosure for reference, before I raised the incandescent bulb ~2 inches and added another horizontal branch 2 inches below the highest point

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! What a handsome boy you have there! We were all new once. There are a lot of awesome people in this forum that are willing to give great support and advice.

I am not familiar with Jackson’s, while I get an expert here can you copy the form below and fill out your information for a full husbandry review?

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high-traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem -

 

[Tkrd69]

I will tag some knowledgeable people to help you out. @Beman . @MissSkittles and @kinyonga

 

[elizaann2]

I will tag some knowledgeable people to help you out. @Beman . @MissSkittles and @kinyonga

Thanks! I just realized I forgot to tag them!

 

[the_nightman]

Hello and welcome! What a handsome boy you have there! We were all new once. There are a lot of awesome people in this forum that are willing to give great support and advice.

I am not familiar with Jackson’s, while I get an expert here can you copy the form below and fill out your information for a full husbandry review?

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high-traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem -

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Jackson’s, about 1.5 yrs according to the guy at the expo and I’ve had him for exactly a week today!
• Handling - Only when adjusting his setup. I’m waiting another week or two to start trying to lure him into coming onto my finger with bugs for the rare hangout but fully expect him to not participate
• Feeding - I’ve been offering 5 medium dubias, dusted with calcium daily but he’s started taking all of them so I plan to change to every other day with a once a month dusting of herptivite
• Supplements - Zoomed Repticalcium every feeding and Rep-Cal Herptivite once a month
• Watering - Reddit told me to offer a bowl of water, and he’s been drinking from that just fine actually, but I have a mister coming in tomorrow and a fogger on the way with plans to automate based off of the chameleonacademy fogging/misting schedule. Urates have been looking good and I’ve observed him drinking every morning within an hour of turning the lights on
• Fecal Description - Poop looks good, moist solid brown dookies with slightly orange/white urate
• History - I only know he’s a year and a half old. I should’ve asked more questions at the show but I fell in love and got excited

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Reptibreeze Large
• Lighting - 40w incandescent ceiling fan bulb, ReptiSun T8 5.0 UVB.
• Temperature - Basking spot is 80F, ambient varies between 70-75F. I have some Arduino thermometers throughout the cage that take readings periodically
• Humidity - those same Arduino thermometers also measure RH and read around 40% . I need to get my nighttime levels up but the mister should help with that. If it doesn’t the fogger should, and if that fails I’ll convert the enclosure to a hybrid one and adjust accordingly
• Plants - Yes - Umbrella plant, Pothos and a Prayer plant
• Placement - It’s located in our living room, the top of the enclosure is around 6 feet from the floor
• Location - Atlanta, GA

Current Problem - Dark scales, concerned it might be burns):

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome. I’m afraid I really can’t be of much help with Jackson’s. I can question a couple of things though. Does your calcium contain vitamin D3? Are you giving any form of D3? If so, how often? What is the distance of your uvb light and basking area? What are your night time temps? @JacksJill is our Jackson’s expert and will be needing to know this stuff to help.
This is something I can help with - What are you feeding your feeder insects? You want to give your chameleon a variety of staple feeders along with occasional treats. In order for your feeders to be more nutritious, you need to feed them a variety of fresh produce. Attaching graphics of both.
The drinking glass method of hydration is not one that many (any?) of us follow here but it has been fairly discussed by Bill Strand of Chameleon Academy. Unless you are doing something known to be risky or dangerous, we try hard not to judge here. If you keep the glass and water clean and it works for you, ok. However, are you still misting? That is the more natural way for chameleons to get hydrated - to lap rain water off of leaves or as it drips.
As for your beauty’s spikes - I’m not seeing burns. At the distance that it appears you have everything and with a 40w heat bulb, I doubt it would even get hot enough for a burn unless he is walking upside down along the screen top.

 

[kinyonga]

I don’t see anything to be concerned about with the scale colour.

 

[Beman]

Your T8 will not push UVB down far enough. You want to replace that with a T5HO fixture and a 5.0 or 6% t5 bulb. Then you would have basking branch 8-9 inches below. He will develop MBD with the T8 you have being so far away and unfortunately you have to have the branch really close to the fixture for the right UVB with this fixture and bulb. Which I would not recommend as they can scrape their spine and horns against the top.
If you go here you can look at the care for different Jackson species. https://chameleonacademy.com/caresheets/
This page will show you complete cage set up. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

 

[MzLaurie11]

Hello. Well at his age the spikes can change colors. If it was burned, it would look scraped first then eventualy blacken as necrosis sets in, do i dont think you are dealing with a burn. whatever you do, heed the advise given above to get the lights right asap. Btw, he is beautiful!

 

[nightanole]

Burns dont look dark, they look light, just like with humans. As it ages its spikes and ridges will darken.

And your T8 5.0 UVB is for "tanks", like a 20 gallon long for anoles. Its kinda useless once you are 6" away, and its only good for the chameleon recommended 3.0 uvi peak, around 1-2" away (aka when your anole hangs from the screen directly under the bulb).

If you cant afford to replace the whole thing with with a T5HO, then replace the bulb with a 10.0 or higher (iguana 12-14%) T8 that will extend the usefulness of the bulb to a foot into the cage.

 

[the_nightman]

Burns dont look dark, they look light, just like with humans. As it ages its spikes and ridges will darken.

And your T8 5.0 UVB is for "tanks", like a 20 gallon long for anoles. Its kinda useless once you are 6" away, and its only good for the chameleon recommended 3.0 uvi peak, around 1-2" away (aka when your anole hangs from the screen directly under the bulb).

If you cant afford to replace the whole thing with with a T5HO, then replace the bulb with a 10.0 or higher (iguana 12-14%) T8 that will extend the usefulness of the bulb to a foot into the cage.

The T5 just got here. It’s a T5 5.0. Rearranging perches now. Just want to thank everyone here for the help