My Chameleon (veiled male, 3-4 months old) has always been very reclusive and skiddish around people, but earlier today he retreated into the most dense portion of his cage and hasn't moved at all. His skin looks like it has tiny cracks in it and it's black in-between where it looks cracked. Any ideas as to what's wrong with him?
Lethargic Chameleon with Skin Problem?
- Thread starter Riggsy
- Start date
FaunaBgirl
New Member
Do you know a vet that knows chameleons in your area? Might be time for a visit.
1. There are no vets that I know of in the area, but I highly doubt that there are any. 2. He doesn't get handled ever, and his cage is in a medium traffic area. Good news though, he's better today, ate every cricket I gave him and is out and about. I guess I'll just wait it out and hope he stays better.
lele
Avid Member
1. Where do you live? Did you look at the sticky at the top of this forum with links to finding vets in your area? Here are two more links as well
http://www.exoticpetvetfinder.com/
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html
2. What is your set up? The particulars would be helpful to so members can help you troubleshoot.
3. It does not sound good and "waiting it out" is not a good idea. Chameleons are known to hide symptoms, often until much damage is done. Have you ever had a fecal done? I am guessing not if you don;t have a vet. This should be done routinely every 6 months, you really need to find yourself a vet. it's tough to keep an exotic animal woithout one.
Here are some questions about your setup you can answer right in the post that would be helpful:
1-Cage type: Size and type of cage (screen/glass)
2-Temps: - Basking area and lower in cage. How do you measure the temps in your setup? What is the temp in the warmest spot? The coolest spot? At night? During the day? You should be measuring the temp of the cham's skin or the surface of its current branch to get the most accurate reading. Do you leave any heat on at night? What is the temp in the room at night?
3-Lighting: - What brand is your UVB light? How long have you been using it? Do you leave any lights on at night? How long are your lights on each day? Where are the lights? on top?
4-Humidity: Do you have a humidity gauge? What is the range of relative humidity (RH) from lowest to highest? How long does it take to go from high to low? Do you use a humidifier? Do you live in the north or south (or other)?
5-Water: How often do you mist? Do you have a dripper? have you seen him/her drink?
6-Food : What is s/he eating? Where are you getting them? What are you feeding the feeders? Fresh veggies? Gutload? If you use a commercial gutload what is the brand? If you make your own what are the ingredients?
7-Supplements What and how often do you dust and with what (brand)?
8 –Plants/branches: What plants do you have? Are your plants alive or fake? lots of coverage where he will feel safe? Can you see your cham most of the time or can it hide from your view?
9-Cham facts: How old is s/he? Do you know if s/he is wild caught or captive born? Did you get him at a show? Breeder?
10-Handling: Do you handle your cham? How often and how long? What's its reaction to you? Is the cage in a quiet part of the house or is it in a busy or noisy area? Any big stereo speakers near the cage? Is your cham alone in the cage? Can it see any other herps or pets from the cage?
11-Vet Do you have one who KNOWS chameleons?
ChameleonsTree
New Member
Post a picture of his skin.
