Open mouth basking, stubborn shed

[jamest0o0]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, male, ~5months, been with me almost 3 weeks
• Handling - work around his cage a decent bit, hand feed him occasionally, but only hold him a few minutes every couple days MAX when he crawls on me. Other than being a little nervous he doesn't seem to mind it though, no hissing, biting, etc. pretty calm with me for the most part.
• Feeding - crickets, dubia, orange heads, BSFlarvae, and silkworms atm, all he can eat in the mornings, but I limit BSFL because I hear they're high in fat. Probably about 20ish small/med crickets a couple silks and 3-5 roaches worth of food a day. It varies depending what I feed him. I gut load with bug buffet, kelp powder, mango, apple, kale, carrots, cabbage, oranges, etc
• Supplements - sticky tongues calc, d3 every other weekend, herptivite every other weekend (considering doing herptivite and reptivite 1x ea a month after reading about vitamin A)
• Watering - I hand mist currently, he ignores the dripper so I stopped using it. I mist a solid few minutes heavy in the morning and then a few lighter mistings throughout the day. I stop misting about an hour or two before lights out. He drinks sometimes in front of me, other times he shoots his tongue at water droplets on the leaves. He also seems to like the mist getting on him.
• Fecal Description - Never been tested, it looks healthy though. Solid, but not dry, dark color, with solid chalky white urates.
• History - Climbs a lot during the day, has had a thing with climbing on the top screen, I'm going to try adding more plants. Never opened his mouth while basking until I moved the light to the other side of his cage a couple days ago.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen 18Lx18Wx36H (moving to larger in a couple months)
• Lighting - 12 hours light, reptisun 5.0 and 60watt halogen bulb for basking
• Temperature - temp ranges from low 60s at night, low 70s during the day, 82-87 basking. I measure with red laser handheld, analogs, zoomed infrared, and the pet store analogs(for comparison)
• Humidity - around 45-70 depending on how recently I misted, I use live plants on a foam wall and heavy misting sessions, water drains to bin under the cage. I just have a bunch of analog hygrometers, I haven't been able to find any accurate way of measuring humidity. Open to suggestions
• Plants - schefflera, pothos, also have money tree, dracaena, and weeping fig sitting around his cage on the outside.
• Placement - seperate bedroom, no fans, but I run the air purifier 2 hours in the morning after opening roach bin. I'm only one in the room most of the time, and I closed the vents for the most part other than a small opening to keep the room from getting too cold. The cage is pretty high up, I'm 6'4" and his basking is about eye level with me.
• Location - Pennsylvania

Current Problem - He just recently started basking with his mouth open, not always though, it's pretty random. He has also has a piece of shed that has not come off on his head since I got him. One other thing I noticed, which I thought(and maybe still is) was normal is he maybe once a day (that I notice), gives off a puffing/hiss-like sound. It always seemed to happen when I was messing in his cage too much and he seemed bothered, but he also did it at other times while I was across the room. Not a lot by any means. Just seemed like a warning or something that he didn't like what I was doing, but I have no idea so I thought I'd mention that here.

 

[Remkon]

They open their mouths to release heat from their body... For the shed I would upgrade the misting times or out him on a tall plant in the shower, lukewarm water and let the shower bounce off the wall.

 

[Virgil1972]

I agree with the above. They open their mouth when basking to release body heat. For the shedding, a shower would definitely help and so would raising the humidity. If you don't have a humidifier in the room with your cham I would get one. You can get a cool mist humidifier pretty cheap from walmart or amazon. I got one to raise my cage humidity.

 

[jamest0o0]

Awesome so nothing major to worry about? I read they do that for respiratory infections as well. I'm going to get a humidifier as well. The little specks of shed on him are starting to worry me and the extra humdidity will be nice.

 

[Virgil1972]

Awesome so nothing major to worry about? I read they do that for respiratory infections as well. I'm going to get a humidifier as well. The little specks of shed on him are starting to worry me and the extra humdidity will be nice.

Showering him with warm water will help soften up those pieces that wont come off and getting a humidifier will help him next time he sheds.

 

[Angelwolf]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, male, ~5months, been with me almost 3 weeks
• Handling - work around his cage a decent bit, hand feed him occasionally, but only hold him a few minutes every couple days MAX when he crawls on me. Other than being a little nervous he doesn't seem to mind it though, no hissing, biting, etc. pretty calm with me for the most part.
• Feeding - crickets, dubia, orange heads, BSFlarvae, and silkworms atm, all he can eat in the mornings, but I limit BSFL because I hear they're high in fat. Probably about 20ish small/med crickets a couple silks and 3-5 roaches worth of food a day. It varies depending what I feed him. I gut load with bug buffet, kelp powder, mango, apple, kale, carrots, cabbage, oranges, etc
• Supplements - sticky tongues calc, d3 every other weekend, herptivite every other weekend (considering doing herptivite and reptivite 1x ea a month after reading about vitamin A)
• Watering - I hand mist currently, he ignores the dripper so I stopped using it. I mist a solid few minutes heavy in the morning and then a few lighter mistings throughout the day. I stop misting about an hour or two before lights out. He drinks sometimes in front of me, other times he shoots his tongue at water droplets on the leaves. He also seems to like the mist getting on him.
• Fecal Description - Never been tested, it looks healthy though. Solid, but not dry, dark color, with solid chalky white urates.
• History - Climbs a lot during the day, has had a thing with climbing on the top screen, I'm going to try adding more plants. Never opened his mouth while basking until I moved the light to the other side of his cage a couple days ago.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen 18Lx18Wx36H (moving to larger in a couple months)
• Lighting - 12 hours light, reptisun 5.0 and 60watt halogen bulb for basking
• Temperature - temp ranges from low 60s at night, low 70s during the day, 82-87 basking. I measure with red laser handheld, analogs, zoomed infrared, and the pet store analogs(for comparison)
• Humidity - around 45-70 depending on how recently I misted, I use live plants on a foam wall and heavy misting sessions, water drains to bin under the cage. I just have a bunch of analog hygrometers, I haven't been able to find any accurate way of measuring humidity. Open to suggestions
• Plants - schefflera, pothos, also have money tree, dracaena, and weeping fig sitting around his cage on the outside.
• Placement - seperate bedroom, no fans, but I run the air purifier 2 hours in the morning after opening roach bin. I'm only one in the room most of the time, and I closed the vents for the most part other than a small opening to keep the room from getting too cold. The cage is pretty high up, I'm 6'4" and his basking is about eye level with me.
• Location - Pennsylvania

Current Problem - He just recently started basking with his mouth open, not always though, it's pretty random. He has also has a piece of shed that has not come off on his head since I got him. One other thing I noticed, which I thought(and maybe still is) was normal is he maybe once a day (that I notice), gives off a puffing/hiss-like sound. It always seemed to happen when I was messing in his cage too much and he seemed bothered, but he also did it at other times while I was across the room. Not a lot by any means. Just seemed like a warning or something that he didn't like what I was doing, but I have no idea so I thought I'd mention that here.

I also live in PA, and my cham was doing exactly the same thing, about a week and a half ago. He sat there every day, under his basking light, with his mouth open. I was getting concerned, thinking that it was too hot in his enclosure, until he started doing it when he was outside of the cage. He has gradually decreased the amount of time he spent with his mouth open. I posted a video of him doing this on my profile page and in a thread. It's still up, if you want to look at it. Anyway, he has stopped doing it now, and is going through a pretty big shed, so I am wondering if it was indeed some kind of warning. As if to say, I don't feel good, leave me alone to the general world population. Even though no one was near him. In fact, when I did go near him, he closed his mouth!

 

[jamest0o0]

Okay thanks! Big relief. I'm near pittsburgh, suprising i've seen a few people here from around PA.

I did notice his urates were a little yellowish today. I'm going to keep a close eye and mist heavy. Going to shower him tomorrow, any tips for doing this without traumatizing him, he's pretty attached to his cage still.

 

[Angelwolf]

I am from Erie. There is someone else from the Pitt area, but I don't remember who it is.

 

[Angelwolf]

Okay thanks! Big relief. I'm near pittsburgh, suprising i've seen a few people here from around PA.

I did notice his urates were a little yellowish today. I'm going to keep a close eye and mist heavy. Going to shower him tomorrow, any tips for doing this without traumatizing him, he's pretty attached to his cage still.

Good wiggly super worms! Entice him with the worm onto your your arm by keeping the worm just beyond his reach. He will follow. After he gets all 4 feet on you, and lets go with his tail, let him get the worm. Give him a minute to eat it, and then slowly move away from the cage. Put a sturdy plant into the shower, and point the shower head at the wall, using warm water. NOT hot, and not cold. Then let him climb upwards into the plant. Let him do what he wants to do, and just sit back and supervise. Let him hang out for about 20 min or so. Then gently work your hand under his chin, and he will eventually step onto you. Then, as much as you will probably want to admire him outside of the cage, let him go back in. He will need to warm his body temperature back up, and de-stress.

 

[Michelle Maxwell]

I just showed mine and when took him out from short wrnt outside to put him on outdoor plant hello it's in the shower ima dork lol so I just let him climb to my head he had a nice time had to put my head in his cage so he would go back in

 

[jamest0o0]

Showered mine today, still has his pieces of shed, but it seemed to help. He was terrified and climbed back on me soon as he could, but he got over it pretty quickly, gave him a silkworm and his basking spot and acted like it never happened.

 

[jamest0o0]

Hey all figured i'd just bump this instead of making a new thread. So after a shower, a humidifer, and heavy mistings keeping humidity in around the 60-70% range at almost all times he still can't seem to get rid of these little specks of shed on him. They've been there for going on a month now and i'm getting concerned about it. Everything else seems fine, he went on a one day hunger strike about a week ago(not really hunger strike either... more of only a few crickets and a silkworm instead of his usual 2 dozen crickets, roaches, worms, etc). He's been vibrant, active, and normal other than that one day and the little pieces of shed still not going away.

Anyone else experience this? Is it a problem? And how often should i expect him to shed?

 

[Decadancin]

Could you post a picture or two of your chameleon? It will help us to tell if there is anything to worry about or just normal stuff.

 

[Mawtyplant]

humm.. you have a picture of your chameleon? it could be a bad shed or a little burn (halogen spot are too hot sometime)

 

[Link]

60 watt halogen is like 120 regular might be a little hot. They also tend to focus the Heat to a smaller area. $0.02 added

 

[jamest0o0]

He had the pieces of shed stuck to him when i got him. Haven't noticed anything new since, but i'll keep that in mind about the halogen. I'll look through my phone for some pictures right now, but i'll have to get better ones tomorrow when he's awake.

Here you can see a piece on his head.

 

[jamest0o0]

Here you can see a tiny piece on his tail. I know he shouldn't be on the screen, but he always goes on it for like an hour our of the day. I've put branches up top, but he still loves the screen.

 

[Link]

View attachment 176772
Here you can see a tiny piece on his tail. I know he shouldn't be on the screen, but he always goes on it for like an hour our of the day. I've put branches up top, but he still loves the screen.

Yeah I can't really get too close to see it totally on his leg but that just looks like a stubborn skin or sometimes we get a little discoloration when shedding I have a few that do that. I want to send you a picture of what a burn really looks like. He looks great though nice colors.

 

[Link]

Yeah I can't really get too close to see it totally on his leg but that just looks like a stubborn skin or sometimes we get a little discoloration when shedding I have a few that do that. I want to send you a picture of what a burn really looks like. He looks great though nice colors.

Those are multiple some healed some not

 

[Link]

View attachment 176772
Here you can see a tiny piece on his tail. I know he shouldn't be on the screen, but he always goes on it for like an hour our of the day. I've put branches up top, but he still loves the screen.

Also I did not burn them they were rescue