Is my chameleon's leg broken?

[dinothechameleon]

Hey guys, so when I let my chameleon out he got onto the screen of my window so as I was trying to get him down, he fell probably a couple of feet. I'm worried his leg is broken, I'll put some photos down below, can you guys tell me if you think it's broken? He's still using his leg btw. Please look at the right hind leg, that is the one I am concerned about. (He isn't always this dark, I think it was just because he was stressed from the fall).

 

[GrayMadder]

How far did he fall? And what did he fall on? Chameleons can actually handle a fall pretty well. In the wild it's a last form of defense to stay alive, they literally will jump out of a tree quite a ways down. If it was only a few feet I wouldn't stress it too much. If hes walking normally and acting normally you're probably just being a worried parent. just keep an eye on him.

 

[Beman]

There is nothing you can do if there is a break... I would not let it roam like this without being in a proper free range area and being watched. They are extremely fast and will jump to get away from you if they do not trust you yet. This can be very dangerous for them.
This baby looks quite thin though.

 

[kinyonga]

Did the fall happen after this post?
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/does-my-chameleon-look-stressed.181261/

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I'm worried his leg is broken, I'll put some photos down below, can you guys tell me if you think it's broken?

What—exactly—leads you to believe it may be broken aside from the fact that he fell?

 

[dinothechameleon]

What—exactly—leads you to believe it may be broken aside from the fact that he fell?

That's the only reason why.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

OK, I'm not a veterinarian, but from your description, it doesn't sound like a break or that he's in pain.

From: https://www.vettails.com/vettails/pain-perception-in-reptiles/9/2016

Some people still believe that reptiles can not perceive pain. Unfortunately it is more often that we do not perceive that they are in pain because the signs they show are often subtle and unlike mammals.

Many recent scientific studies have shown that reptiles have all of the necessary neurotransmitters and anatomy to feel pain. It is likely that they have simply evolved to hide their pain to avoid predation in the wild.

Signs of a broken limb would likely be similar to those in any animal:
Paraphrased from: http://www.anapsid.org/signs.html

• Limping or favoring a limb
• Dragging a limb
• Swelling
• Loss of muscle strength
• Shaking or trembling of the limb
• Inability to climb
• Difficulty raising itself up off the ground

All that said, for reference:

Fractured Bone in Reptiles (PetMD)​

Lizard Broken Leg (Reptiles Magazine)​

Reptile Fractures: Causes And Practical Therapy (Reptiles Magazine)​

and from the archives:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/search/1021429/?q=broken+leg&c[title_only]=1&o=relevance