very dark female chameleon

namedclaire

namedclaire

New Member
I purchased a veiled female chameleon 8 months old and she is dark brown all the time..when i went to view her before i bought her she was brown then as well..I dont think this is normal..I am sure she should be green..

she eats well

I spray her tank 3 times a day and have fitted a drip system too

uv lighting is repti glow 5.0

basking light sunglow 50 watt

i leave these on for 12 hours a day

I have put a picture below


can anyone help many thanks
 

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Is she plump looking?

Sounds like she might be gravid? She does look gravid to me but I am not as experienced as many of the members here.

Do you have an egg laying bin set up for her? Female chameleons can lay eggs even if they have never mated. There won't be any babies inside but the need to lay is still very important. If she does not lay her eggs then she can become egg bound and die.

Please fill in this form so we can see exactly what's going on. Everything on this form is a NEED TO KNOW in order to care for your chameleon :)
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
 
The markings don't look to be that of a female. They usually dont have bars like that. Does she have bumps on the back of her back feet? If so you have a male and don't have to worry about the laying bin. Also, are your chameleons eyes open in that pic? It is hard to tell? They should not be closed during the day at anytime. Sometimes they will stress for awhile when you first get them over being in a new environment and it may take them a week or so to adjust.
 
her eyes are open and she has no bumps on her legs...so I will build her a egg lying box and take it from there...thanks so much for all your help and advice I will keep you posted
claire
 
Not her legs, but her feet. But if you checked then, ok. that is the best way to tell a male from a female and also as they mature their coloring and patterns. Her markings are unusual for a female. Like I said they usually don't have the thick barring like that. I am still thinking male!!
 
carol5208 said:
The markings don't look to be that of a female. They usually dont have bars like that. Does she have bumps on the back of her back feet? If so you have a male and don't have to worry about the laying bin. Also, are your chameleons eyes open in that pic? It is hard to tell? They should not be closed during the day at anytime. Sometimes they will stress for awhile when you first get them over being in a new environment and it may take them a week or so to adjust.
Click to expand...

Yes now you mention it, does look like a male! But imo the colours look gravid maybe? I dunno, I'm a newbie too! I have been doing lots of research on the females though :)
 
I have added some more pictures...still think its a female :) well at least from the pictures it looks like it :)
 

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Id say its a female because of the casque size and my female gets the same bars and patterns but not ever that dark except when she used to bask she would darken up to obtain more heat but I thought I cooked her! What are your basking temps? Maybe she is searching.for more heat. I keep my female veiled in the low 80s in basking and check her temps with an infrared temp gun. Hope this helps:)
 
You are right, no spurs so I would say female. Temps are good so maybe she is gravid! Has she been this way for a long time? If she doesn't lay she will need to see a vet. That's what I would do anyway :)

EDIT: she could be a morph of some sort?????
 
Well your temp sounds fine. She seems really brown though could you post the how to ask for help? Unless she is increasingly active and scratch at the floor (trying to dig) I wouldn't say she has eggs. I would still get a bin setup for her and read through Janns blogs, I've done it countless times and get her ready to lay eggs. You might want a gram scale to weigh her everyday and you ca..n easily tell if she's developing eggs. But we need to figure out why she's so brown!
 
I only acquired her 2days ago...when i went to see her at the previous owners house she was dark brown there as well...I have set up a plant pot with soil in which is 10 inches high....just hope it sorts its self....
ps what is a morph
thanks claire
 
Welcome to the forum!

It sound like the lighting is right. The basking temps might be a bit high for a female (temps above 80 promote egg production?) but the info on the link you were given about girl chams will tell you all about that and the right info on the laying bin. JannB is really good with chams and has wonderful info.

Morphs are chams that color variations have been bred into.

Lots of things could be affecting her color too. If you fill out this form, it has lots of info so people on here can help see if it is something she is unhappy about that is causing her to stay brown. Just copy and paste and put your answers right after the questions. It seems like a pain to fill out, but it is good info too keep on hand and updated for your records. If you ever have to go to the vet, they should ask all the same questions so it is easiest if you just give them a copy of the filled out form. :)

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

Looking forward to your answers and hopefully we can help you make your girl happier and greener (unless she is a morph and that would be cool!).
 
A morph is like a colour variation in the same species. Like a yemen Cham that's colour/patterns vary from that of the 'usual' appearance. I don't know how it happens or what all the different morphs look like, I just know they exist and have seen pics. Probs not very likely :) just a thought!

Seriously tho, if you fill in the form that we have asked then someone may be able to give you an idea of what, if anything, is wrong ;)
 
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