Senegal Chameleon turns light green/olive with grey. Should I be worried? PLEASE HELP

[kdmelendez]

Hello there, I have a Senegal Chameleon who I believe is around 8-9 months. I got him/her at 6months. I've had my chameleon for 18 weeks now.

Pascal is kept in a screened cage. He has all the necessary things, meaning he has a basking light and a 5.0 uv light. He's never dehydrated. Pascal's diet consists mostly of crickets. He doesn't like mealworms as much but i'm attempting to get him to eat those as well. I handle him few times. I know if they are handle too much it's bad because of the oils from our skin can damage them.

Pascal lately has been staying light green with a little grey. The grey isn't all over his body, mostly just on his head. He does turn light green, green, a little bit of light yellow, turns black/brown when absorbing heat from the lights. Should I be concerned that he is light green/grey? I've spoken to a few reptile care people at pet stores and etc and they say he's fine but I just want to be super sure about this. Pascal is my first reptile lizard chameleon as a pet. Pascal's behavior hasn't changed, he eats and does his normal chameleon stuff so I'm just concerned on his color changed. He has shed once already.

I remember when I first got him he was super bright green or dark green now he's just a reg. shade of light green. I don't know. If anyone can please help me out on this that would be great! Do you guys think this is because he shed? Because I feel like his colors changed after he shed.

Also, if you guys are concerned as to what he looks like he's in my icon photo!

 

[stepho]

http://www.chameleonnews.com/08FebFrancis.html Is a chart of what different colors may indicate.

Although it isn't super accurate from what I have seen. Mine goes dark green when hunting.

I would say gray is probably a bad sign though. Do you have a lot of live plants? They like heavy foliage.

 

[carol5208]

I don't think I would be that concerned. If he is eating, drinking, active, pooping etc. Some gray on his head does not seem cause for alarm. As far as handling, I have never heard the oils from our skin would damage theirs. If that is the case, my chameleons would not have any skin left on their bodies! I think that is incorrect info you were given. Handling is more of an issue in regards to it causing stress because the majority of them do not like to handled.

 

[kdmelendez]

@carol5208 and @stepho I am relieved to get some feedback! I was concerned.
Do you guys think that maybe the shedding made Pascal change a differen color? Before he shed he turned to beautiful shades of green. After shedding pascal is usually a faint light green. I don't know, is that something chameleons do? I'm still new at having a Chamelon as a pet.