Stiff Chameleon PLEASE HELP!

E

EvatheChameleon20

New Member
Hello, I have a female Jackson Chameleon. She is very active and eats well. I've done a lot of research and he habitat is fine from what I understand? As of an hour ago I went to get her out of her cage to hold her. She was on her normal favorite branch but she was holding on to branch very tightly and was very stiff, her eyes keep closing. She was moving a little but not much and her colors were camo. I have no idea she is, I have had her for a week in a half she has been fine and healthy, drinking water and eating regularly. Any ideas whats wrong? I am very worried. :(

-Marissa
 
Everything you need to know:

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson Chameleon, Female, Not sure of age (got her at petsmart), I've had her a week in a half.

Handling - Every couple of days. She always scratches on the glass as if she wants out and if I put my hand in there she comes to me.

Feeding - We feed her crickets and meal worms, we put three in there, we do it whenever the others are gone. Some times it'll day her a day or two. We put calcium on them.

Supplements - We put it on the crickets every time, the calcium powder is called "cal-strong".

Watering - For water we use "the little dripper" it falls on the leaves in the cage. We also use a spray bottle, we spray in there two times daily. Yes we have seen her drink.

Fecal Description - Dark brown. She lets out a clear liquid first then drops a dark brown one. Not that I know has she been tested for parasites. I do know the vet at Petsmart was supposedly taking care of her though.

History - N/A ?

Cage Info:
Cage Type - She has a "Exo Terra Terrarium" It is 12x12x18

Lighting - I dont know the brand or model. Its just its a metal light with a clip hanging above the cage, I do knows its a 50 watt blub. Lighting schedule is usually 8am-8pm.

Temperature & Humidity- I dont know the temp in the cage but I do have a humidifior gaudge in the cage and try to do whatever I can to make it stay some what humid. Im having a problem doing that though.

Plants - No, there is no live plants.

Placement - Its not by air vents, fans, or a high traffic area. Its about 4 feet from the ground. She is placed in my bedroom on the side of my desk.

Location - I am located in South Florida.

Current Problem - Hello, I have a female Jackson Chameleon. She is very active and eats well. I've done a lot of research and he habitat is fine from what I understand? As of an hour ago I went to get her out of her cage to hold her. She was on her normal favorite branch but she was holding on to branch very tightly and was very stiff, her eyes keep closing. She was moving a little but not much and her colors were camo. I have no idea she is, I have had her for a week in a half she has been fine and healthy, drinking water and eating regularly. Any ideas whats wrong? I am very worried.

-Marissa
 
EvatheChameleon20 said:
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson Chameleon, Female, Not sure of age (got her at petsmart), I've had her a week in a half.If you can post a pic of her we can help guess at her age.

Handling - Every couple of days. She always scratches on the glass as if she wants out and if I put my hand in there she comes to me.

Feeding - We feed her crickets and meal worms, we put three in there, we do it whenever the others are gone. Some times it'll day her a day or two. We put calcium on them.depending on her age she should be on some kind of schedule and you should try to keep tack of total cricket and it best to do the feedings at 1 time

Supplements - We put it on the crickets every time, the calcium powder is called "cal-strong". There should be 3 types of suppliments plain calcium without D3 at every feeding to 3 times a week depending on her age. they need more when they are younger. the they need calcium with D3 2 times a month and a multi vitamin 2 times a month.

Watering - For water we use "the little dripper" it falls on the leaves in the cage. We also use a spray bottle, we spray in there two times daily. Yes we have seen her drink.

Fecal Description - Dark brown. She lets out a clear liquid first then drops a dark brown one. Not that I know has she been tested for parasites. I do know the vet at Petsmart was supposedly taking care of her though. she should have a white part and a brown part on her fecal. maybe a stool sample test wouldn't hurt and I think they are fairly cheap.

History - N/A ?

Cage Info:
Cage Type - She has a "Exo Terra Terrarium" It is 12x12x18

Lighting - I dont know the brand or model. Its just its a metal light with a clip hanging above the cage, I do knows its a 50 watt blub. Lighting schedule is usually 8am-8pm. she should have 2 lights the one you explained is for heat bu she also needs a UVB light 5.0

Temperature & Humidity- I dont know the temp in the cage but I do have a humidifior gaudge in the cage and try to do whatever I can to make it stay some what humid. Im having a problem doing that though. I recommend getting something to check the temps asap as this is pretty important for a healthy chameleon

Plants - No, there is no live plants. are there any fake plants in there

Placement - Its not by air vents, fans, or a high traffic area. Its about 4 feet from the ground. She is placed in my bedroom on the side of my desk.

Location - I am located in South Florida.trying to get her out for natural sun shouldn't be hard where you are located and is recommended for natural UVB and UVA rays when ever possible as long as you keep an eye on her

Current Problem - Hello, I have a female Jackson Chameleon. She is very active and eats well. I've done a lot of research and he habitat is fine from what I understand? As of an hour ago I went to get her out of her cage to hold her. She was on her normal favorite branch but she was holding on to branch very tightly and was very stiff, her eyes keep closing. She was moving a little but not much and her colors were camo. I have no idea she is, I have had her for a week in a half she has been fine and healthy, drinking water and eating regularly. Any ideas whats wrong? I am very worried.
-Marissa
Click to expand...

my notes are in red.
nothing in your husbandry screams out. I would keep an eye on her or take her into the vet if you feel truly worried. trust your judgement
 
EvatheChameleon20 said:
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson Chameleon, Female, Not sure of age (got her at petsmart), I've had her a week in a half.

Handling - Every couple of days. She always scratches on the glass as if she wants out and if I put my hand in there she comes to me.

Feeding - We feed her crickets and meal worms, we put three in there, we do it whenever the others are gone. Some times it'll day her a day or two. We put calcium on them.

Supplements - We put it on the crickets every time, the calcium powder is called "cal-strong". Can you post a link to this product?

Watering - For water we use "the little dripper" it falls on the leaves in the cage. We also use a spray bottle, we spray in there two times daily. Yes we have seen her drink.

Fecal Description - Dark brown. She lets out a clear liquid first then drops a dark brown one. Not that I know has she been tested for parasites. I do know the vet at Petsmart was supposedly taking care of her though. What do the urates looks like? The white or sometimes yellow or even orange part..

History - N/A ?

Cage Info:
Cage Type - She has a "Exo Terra Terrarium" It is 12x12x18

Lighting - I dont know the brand or model. Its just its a metal light with a clip hanging above the cage, I do knows its a 50 watt blub. Lighting schedule is usually 8am-8pm. Uvb is a essential part in a chameleons care. Without it your chameleon will eventually perish. Reptisun 5.0, Reptiglo 5.0 or zillas tropical T8 bulbs are a great way to provide this important part in the care of a chameleon.

Temperature & Humidity- I dont know the temp in the cage but I do have a humidifior gaudge in the cage and try to do whatever I can to make it stay some what humid. Im having a problem doing that though. You need to monitor this ASAP. Chameleons rely on us to provide a proper temp gradient. 85* basking temp 66-72 ambients and a low over all night time cage temp in the low 60's is great. You also need to monitor the humidity in the cage. Many times a cool mist humifier is needed. Fluctuating humidity between 50-80 is great. Be sure the cage is drying out between watering sessions.

Plants - No, there is no live plants. Jacksons need humidity to thrive. Live plants aid in this.

Placement - Its not by air vents, fans, or a high traffic area. Its about 4 feet from the ground. She is placed in my bedroom on the side of my desk.

Location - I am located in South Florida.

Current Problem - Hello, I have a female Jackson Chameleon. She is very active and eats well. I've done a lot of research and he habitat is fine from what I understand? As of an hour ago I went to get her out of her cage to hold her. She was on her normal favorite branch but she was holding on to branch very tightly and was very stiff, her eyes keep closing. She was moving a little but not much and her colors were camo. I have no idea she is, I have had her for a week in a half she has been fine and healthy, drinking water and eating regularly. Any ideas whats wrong? I am very worried.

-Marissa
Click to expand...

I agree wit hthe above post;s. Sounds like your chameleon was settling in for the night.
 
Thank you SO much. :) I will fix all those issues tomorrow. & Yes there is fake plants in there. I also have some other questions if you dont mind...

-What is the reason she curls her tail up? Does it mean something?

-How can I bring up the humidity in the cage?

-Is it a bad thing is she keeps her mouth open from time to time?
(I read that it means she was either angry or too hott, is this true?)

-Is it true she will change colors more after 5 months?

- & one last question: Can she lay eggs without being around a male?

Thank you so much for your help!
 
ataraxia- Thank you also! This information helps a lot! The Cal-Strong I can't find on the internet... I get it at this pet store near my house along with a lot of most of the other things she has. Her pee also appears white.
 
EvatheChameleon20 said:
Thank you SO much. :) I will fix all those issues tomorrow. & Yes there is fake plants in there. I also have some other questions if you dont mind...

-What is the reason she curls her tail up? Does it mean something? Normal chameleon activity.

-How can I bring up the humidity in the cage?Cool mist humidifer, live plants, mist sessions, etc/

-Is it a bad thing is she keeps her mouth open from time to time?
(I read that it means she was either angry or too hott, is this true?)Could mean she is hott. It may also be a indication she has a RI.

-Is it true she will change colors more after 5 months? Each chameleon is different. She will more than likely stay green to a brown.

- & one last question: Can she lay eggs without being around a male?Jacksons are a live bearing species.

Thank you so much for your help!
Click to expand...

hope that helps you.
 
EvatheChameleon20 said:
Thank you SO much. :) I will fix all those issues tomorrow. & Yes there is fake plants in there. I also have some other questions if you dont mind...

-What is the reason she curls her tail up? Does it mean something?

-How can I bring up the humidity in the cage?Live plants will help increase and keep humidity

-Is it a bad thing is she keeps her mouth open from time to time?
(I read that it means she was either angry or too hott, is this true?) It could be that she is too hot. Jacksons don't need temps as high as other chameleons

-Is it true she will change colors more after 5 months?

- & one last question: Can she lay eggs without being around a male? Jacksons are live bearers which means that females don't lay eggs

Thank you so much for your help!
Click to expand...


This site is an awesome place for learning about chameleons and how to care for them. There are many knowledgeable keepers here and they are VERY helpful. The below is a blog that I found helpful in regards to what Jacksons need:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/hoj/634-montane-chameleon-care-info.html
 
also try puting you heat bulb threw your viv at a angle,threw the top corner so it dosent over heat the viv but still gives a good basking spot,this way the cham will have the option to be warm or cool,if its beaming directly down it can over heat the tank and in a glass viv you dont have the air flow at the bottom so the whole viv will be walm
 
Just because nobody else mentioned it the 12x12x18 is a very small enclosure. I know next to nothing about Jacksons in particular but I wouldn't even keep a frog in a something that small let alone a chameleon (except maybe a pygmy).

I know that doesn't address the current issue but is something to consider in the future.

Any updates on how she is doing?
 
DanSB said:
Just because nobody else mentioned it the 12x12x18 is a very small enclosure. I know next to nothing about Jacksons in particular but I wouldn't even keep a frog in a something that small let alone a chameleon (except maybe a pygmy).

I know that doesn't address the current issue but is something to consider in the future.

Any updates on how she is doing?
Click to expand...

Actually you addressed half the cage issue. Keeping her in glass in Florida, and her opening her mouth says to me that she is too hot. I would switch her to am 18 x18x36 screen cage. That might solve a couple issues.

The other thing, and yes I do understand this will be hard,:( , until you are sure everything is going well I would stop holding her. If I am correct, she wants to be held to get out of a too small, too hot place. That takes nothing away form her enjoying you. It just says she needs time to acclimate to a new home.
 
On the cage issue, I believe this is the cage she has:

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/natural_terrarium_mini.php

Because it's so small, I'm assuming this is a very young chameleon, so it's likely pretty small. We haven't seen pictures yet, so no way to really know for sure.

I think you have three priorities right now:

1) Get a temperature reading of her cage. She needs a basking spot of about 90 degrees (no hotter than 90), and the rest of the cage should be in the 70's-80's. If her entire cage is hot (because it's glass) she won't be able to thermoregulate, and that could explain her gaping mouth. Chameleons thermoregulate normally by moving closer or farther away from the source of heat (usually the sun) if the entire cage is too hot, she has nowhere to go to cool off, so she opens her mouth.

2) UVB Lighting

3) Cage size. It is likely you have a very young baby. As she gets older, you'll probably need a larger cage for her. Consider getting her a screen enclosure instead of the glass one you have her in now. It will be much better for her in the long run.

- Also as a side note... if you bought her from a petstore, I bet they gave you bark or something to put on the bottom of the cage. You don't need that, and you're better off getting rid of it entirely. You don't want to have anything the chameleon could accidentally eat and get impacted.
 
I feel that jacksons are one kind of cham that should not have fake plants. Real plants help keep the humidity up and help these chams stay moist which they need. If your plants a re thin when you first buy thorn you can always loop in a few fake vines our branches until your plant grows, but keep
Your vegetation heavy.
 
I kept Monty in a 12 x 12 x 18 Exo Terra until he was 5 months old. He is now in a 18 x 18 x 24 Exo. He has two Schefflera and one small ficus plant in there and lots of vines and branches to walk on and the schefflera have grown nicely and filled the viv to give him a lot of cover. At 8 months old nearly, he still looks quite small in there.
 
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