Prism Chameleons
Established Member
Another piece of interesting information that I thought I might share with all of you chameleon owners and lovers:
"Foreign bodies such as dirt, sand, or dust may enter the small eyelid opening and become trapped in the deep conjunctival sacs. The conjunctival fornix is located around 180 degrees, forming a vertical hemisphere. In nature, chameleons correct the problem by drinking excessive water during rain showers. The water is flushed from the oral cavity, up the choana, through the nasolacrimal duct, and out into the conjuctival sac. The eyes greatly bulge outward and rotate, allowing the water to flush the conjunctival sac. In captivity, this process can be simulated by placing the chameleon in the shower, outside under an artificial sprinkler system, or outside during a light rain (R.L. Coke, N.K. Couillard/Vet Clin Exot Anim 5 (2002), pg.280)."
For all you new chameleon owners & old, this is why you see your chameleon's eyes rotate and bulge at times, especially while drinking. They take the water they drink, pull it up through what we may consider in human terms, the nasal passage, to their eye ducts in order to gather the moisture to rinse and clean out their eyes, especially of any irritants they might have. This is also a reason why showers may help when any of your chameleons show any distress in the eyes as well.
"Foreign bodies such as dirt, sand, or dust may enter the small eyelid opening and become trapped in the deep conjunctival sacs. The conjunctival fornix is located around 180 degrees, forming a vertical hemisphere. In nature, chameleons correct the problem by drinking excessive water during rain showers. The water is flushed from the oral cavity, up the choana, through the nasolacrimal duct, and out into the conjuctival sac. The eyes greatly bulge outward and rotate, allowing the water to flush the conjunctival sac. In captivity, this process can be simulated by placing the chameleon in the shower, outside under an artificial sprinkler system, or outside during a light rain (R.L. Coke, N.K. Couillard/Vet Clin Exot Anim 5 (2002), pg.280)."
For all you new chameleon owners & old, this is why you see your chameleon's eyes rotate and bulge at times, especially while drinking. They take the water they drink, pull it up through what we may consider in human terms, the nasal passage, to their eye ducts in order to gather the moisture to rinse and clean out their eyes, especially of any irritants they might have. This is also a reason why showers may help when any of your chameleons show any distress in the eyes as well.
