New Owner need criticism and experienced reviews

[ChameleonRugby]

Hello Everyone,

I have recently become the owner of a Jackson chameleon and would really appreciate it if I could receive some help considering that most members of this site seem very experienced in dealing with chameleons. Keep in mind this is my first pet chameleon and unfortunately I did very little research on the subject before I purchased my pet and I now feel as though I am not providing him with sufficient care. I really want to do everything I can for my chameleon and hope it lives a very long enjoyable life.
My first major concern is the health of my chameleon I will post some pictures along with this thread but there are a few things I am worried about. The first one is there appear to be brown spots on the joints of his skin and his skin overall appears very loose at times which from what I have looked up might be signs of dehydration and second my chameleon appears to have stopped eating the crickets I am feeding him I am concerned that this May be because the crickets are too big or I have read that he may be bored with that type of food . One of my biggest concerns with his cage is that I have difficulty keeping the humidity above 50 percent and I think this May be what is causing his dehydration I just recently put a live pothos plant in his cage because all of his other plants are plastic but I also have drip system for him.
So basically I would find it extremely helpful if you could take a few moments too look at the pictures I am posting and give some tips on how healthy he appears and if you can think of anything that may improve his over all being. I really hope to keep my new pet alive for many years to come and become a reasonable expert on this exotic pet that so I may be able to raise and take care of many more down the road. Thank you all in advance for your assistance.

 

[richardschris]

The best way for any of us to help and give tips is by you filling out the help sheet.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

 

[tony97]

Describe his setup

 

[jrath]

From the picture he looks completely healthy, doesn't appear to be dehydrated or anything.
Some more info from you on his setup and how you are caring for him would help so that you can make sure you are doing everything right.
Look for the How to ask for help and copy and fill that out if you could.

 

[Balizar]

His eyes look healthy as far as dehydration goes. I can see what your talking about with he skin tho. Since I have no experience with jacksons directly I cant tell you if that is just natural or... But he does look healthy and one of the first signs of dehydration is his eyes. He looks strong overall. As far as the legs go does he walk funny or struggle to climb. Is he on a vitamin schedule (here again not sure about jacksons) but my panthers and veilds need supplements.You could look at the care sheets on this site it is a good place to start. It will tell you what you need then you shop for the specifics. But he does look strong and healthy!

 

[Fly Daddy]

Hey i too think he looks real healthy. I have gotten my best advice from a friend. We both live in on the Central Coast of California, and have had great luck with Jacksons specifically by keeping them outside as much as possible. There are even tales of wild chameleons in the trees in our local town. It is true. Small family living in a few trees for about twenty five years now, So the moral is for the Jackson, they do not require as much humidity or heat, so the best thing is as much outside in the sun and breeze time. It also seems a trend for new owners to way over do it with the supplements and dust. A good variety of crickets, flies roaches, worms and moths is best. Do not feed every day, give them a break, and make him work for his food a bit, keeps them interested. If you live close, we should have a play date, I want to breed my lady.

 

[Carlton]

His eyes look healthy as far as dehydration goes. I can see what your talking about with he skin tho. Since I have no experience with jacksons directly I cant tell you if that is just natural or... But he does look healthy and one of the first signs of dehydration is his eyes.

Actually the eyes are not the first sign of dehydration. There are more subtle clues before their eyes sink in. One of the earlier is yellow to orange urates that are harder. This is partly because gut movement slows down as it tries to reabsorb more water from food, and because the longer the urate material stays in their system the more discolored and compacted it tends to get. The cham gets more constipated over time. It takes longer for them to shed, and more shed tends to get stuck in patches. When a dehydrated cham drinks they tend to drool a lot more. Their skin "tents". What this means is if you take a fold of skin between your fingers, gently pull it away from the body and then release it, the skin stays folded for a moment before it flattens out again. A well hydrated cham's skin will be more supple and flatten right away.

 

[Deevo]

Can you post a picture of his enclosure and what kind of lights do you have?

 

[Carlton]

Not sure about the brown spots you mentioned, but they might be small scabs from his wild life (most likely he was wildcaught). They will probably disappear with shedding. He looks good in the picture.

Jax do need more than 50% humidity for part of the time, so you do need to up the cage level. Really fill the cage with live foliage. He'll appreciate the hiding cover and increased chance to drink slowly for a longer time. If you have trouble finding him in there that's about right. Also, you can hang plastic panels on the sides of the cage (screen?) to help hold in humidity and also hold water overspray a little longer. Larger plant pots hold more soil...that also releases moisture over time. If your house is very dry during winter heating season you can also aim a room humidifier (a cool mist type, not a vaporizer type) at the cage and cycle it on and off with a lamp timer.

What are you using for insect gutloads and how often are you using supplement dusts? Jax are sensitive to oversupplementation BTW. What type of lighting do you use (brands)?

 

[Balizar]

Actually the eyes are not the first sign of dehydration. There are more subtle clues before their eyes sink in. One of the earlier is yellow to orange urates that are harder. This is partly because gut movement slows down as it tries to reabsorb more water from food, and because the longer the urate material stays in their system the more discolored and compacted it tends to get. The cham gets more constipated over time. It takes longer for them to shed, and more shed tends to get stuck in patches. When a dehydrated cham drinks they tend to drool a lot more. Their skin "tents". What this means is if you take a fold of skin between your fingers, gently pull it away from the body and then release it, the skin stays folded for a moment before it flattens out again. A well hydrated cham's skin will be more supple and flatten right away.

So can lethargy, suppressed appetite, and wrinkling of the skin.