New panther chameleon owner need help

R

ReptiFreak

New Member
My panther chameleon stop eating 1 days ago but drink a lot and he can't shoot out his tongue. Help plz

Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, male, 3month, 8 days taking care of him
Handling - Handle him only 2 times
Feeding - 8 Medium crickets per day with repti calcium without d3
Supplements - Repti calcium without d3 every feeding. Fluker calcium with d3 once a month. Reptivite with d3 once a month.
Watering - Dripping system. I mist the enclosure 3 times a day for 1 min
Fecal Description - dry White and black feces
History - Basking and drinking a lot.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 2 by 2 by 3 feet screen cage.
Lighting - Fluker mini dome with 100w repti basking spot lamp. Zilla Slimline Tropical 25 UVB T8 Fluorescent Fixture.
Temperature - Basking area at 85. Room temperature at the bottom. Night temp is 60. zoomed analog gauge.
Humidity - 65%. zoomed analog gauge.
Plants - three fake plants with two jungle vines. pothos and ficus.
Placement - In my room
Location - Huntington Beach CA

Current Problem - Stop eat and can't shoot out his tongue.
 
Get rid of the Zilla light and get a Reptisun 5.0 to replace it. As far as not being able to shoot his tongue. It could be an injury, or vitamin insufficiency. You have only had him 8 days, was he shooting his tongue the first days you had him? You need to gutload(feed your crickets) a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. What are you feeding them now? Up the calcium with d3 to two or three times a month and get a multi vitamin to give twice a month also. Get a digital gauge to measure temps. With 100 watt bulb I doubt you temp is 85 unless you have it suspended high above the cage. also, it weather permits where you are, get him out in the sun as much as possible. Give him atleast double the amount of crickets also. you are underfeeding.
 
also, is he closing his eyes during the day?. If so, he should not be incase you were not aware of that.
 
I might worry about the cricket size - "medium" can mean a lot of different things depending on where you're purchasing them from, and I would normally give "small" (not pinhead) to a 3 month old - at any rate, you want the crickets to be no longer than the space between his eyes.
Will he eat without shooting out his tongue (i.e. lean over and munch)?
 
hallenhe said:
I might worry about the cricket size - "medium" can mean a lot of different things depending on where you're purchasing them from, and I would normally give "small" (not pinhead) to a 3 month old - at any rate, you want the crickets to be no longer than the space between his eyes.
Will he eat without shooting out his tongue (i.e. lean over and munch)?
Click to expand...

you are right about that! I should have paid more attention! I would feed like 1/4 inch at three months old and about 15-20 a day. If they crickets are too big he may not want to eat them. I still would change out your light and we need to figure out why he is not shooting his tongue. as the other member stated, please post a pic of your cage and your cham.
 
@carol I will replace the UVB today to see if he improve. He don't sleep in the day or closing his eyes. I think my temp gauge is broken because I just feel the basking and it pretty hot
@hallel 8 medium crickets is all he eat because I offer him 20 free range and he only take 8.
 
Chameleon.jpg

Chameleons.jpg
 
Where did you buy your chameleon from? A pet store, breeder, private individual? The reason I am asking is whoever had your chameleon may have not been supplementing or gutloading their feeders correctly which could be why he is not shooting his tongue. It could be injured but it is hard to say with not knowing what happened before you got him. Try smaller crickets too and I am glad you are changing the light because I think it could cause you problems down the line.
 
You said he wasn't shooting out when you got him...could be an injury or a mineral imbalance or an infection or even dehydration.
 
Last edited:
yeah, the bulb should fit the hood as long as it is the right lenghth. I am not 100% sure on that though. As far as your enclosure, you need WAY more plants in there! He has nowhere to feel safe and secure.
 
He finally much on some food today when I offer him 20 wax worm and he ate them all. I think he a picky eater or just hate them crickets. Is wax worm good for him and what are the primary food for chameleon and secondary food (snack on occasion). Thank
 
Welcome to the forums and the world of chams! Worms in general are a bit fatty so I wouldn't recommend them as staples. I use a mix between crickets and roaches alternating every other day so he walways has something different to look forward to. For snacks and treats, hornworms and silkies are my favorite.
 
Pretty please try some silk or other worms. We don't want your chameleon getting addicted to waxworms and not eating other less fatty species. :)
 
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