What does his color mean?
- Thread starter jesst1980
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K_Wolf
Avid Member
What kind of chameleon is that? I can't tell by the pictures, and it will make a difference as to whether or not he's doing alright.
Without taking his species into account, my best guess would be that he's a little bit stressed due to a new environment all together. Just give him some time to explore and adjust, and Im sure he'll start to be a little less cautious. Also, rule of thumb is to not attempt to handle a new chameleon until it shows signs of comfort and comes out into the open (unless of course there is some medical emergency, then obviously don't just leave him there lol).
Keep an eye on him, and continue to monitor his food consumption. Try and create a routine when it comes to feeding and misting as well, this may help. Also make sure that all is good with UVs and heat, along with humidity. If he stops eating completely from here, then I would say there is a cause for concern.
Shoutout to that gorgeous habitat though!!! That's a paradise!
Without taking his species into account, my best guess would be that he's a little bit stressed due to a new environment all together. Just give him some time to explore and adjust, and Im sure he'll start to be a little less cautious. Also, rule of thumb is to not attempt to handle a new chameleon until it shows signs of comfort and comes out into the open (unless of course there is some medical emergency, then obviously don't just leave him there lol).
Keep an eye on him, and continue to monitor his food consumption. Try and create a routine when it comes to feeding and misting as well, this may help. Also make sure that all is good with UVs and heat, along with humidity. If he stops eating completely from here, then I would say there is a cause for concern.
Shoutout to that gorgeous habitat though!!! That's a paradise!
K_Wolf
Avid Member
Looking back at it, though, I noticed that although it is well decorated and has a dripper set up, it's a bit on the short side. This might be a cause for concern as far as temperature goes, since chameleons need different levels in order to maintain their body temperature. Check the ground level temp along with the highest point. If he is too hot, this could also be an explanation as to why he's hiding (trying to shade himself) and not eating much.
Thank you. The cage itself is 4.8ft tall. His basking spot is 89-91. I have ordered him a t5 HO uvb bulb that is on its way. Currently he has a repti glo 5.0 linear uvb. I'm trying to figure a way to add more vines and foliage to the top of his enclosure but can't figure a good way.....that was recommended in a different group. Sorry he is a veiled chameleon.
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He has a ficus and an umbrella tree on the bottom. He also has a large, hollowed out piece of wood in between the trees he likes to climb and hide in.
K_Wolf
Avid Member
Hm....if he's not hiding, then that's a good sign, though I've never seen any of my Veileds turn that brownish color. My basking spot ranges from about 78-88....stays more towards the mid 80s for the most part though. Is he eating/drinking ok?This was him this morning. He spent his first night sleeping up high and not hiding. I was so happy when I saw that
He isn't eating much but he seems to be drinking. I mist him 4x a day plus he has a dripper. He has eaten a few crickets and one silkworm since I got him last week
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
- Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon. Got him 3/25/17.
- Handling - I haven't handled him other than to put him in his new cage.
- Feeding - I have offered him silkworms with not much interest. He has crickets in a feeder at all times.
- Supplements - I have ordered him some repashy calcium plus. I haven't given him anything yet as he was given calcium with d3 daily for years.
- Watering - he has a dripper on at all times and I mist him 4x a day.
- Fecal Description - white urates and fecal looks normal, not runny and dark in color.
- History - he was owner surrendered to my local animal shelter on 3/24/17. I picked him up on 3/25/17. He was in a very small cage with minimal vines and foliage. He is supposedly 2 yrs old. Old scar on his back and head.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - current cage is 2x2x4.8ft wooden screen cage. He came in a 16x16x30" screen cage.
- Lighting - currently using a 65w indoor spot light for basking and a repti glo 5.0 uvb bulb.
- Temperature - basking is 88-91. Bottom of his cage is 75 and non basking the 78-80
- Humidity - live in Florida so humidity is pretty good.
- Plants - he has anever umbilical tree and a burgundy ficus tree.
- Placement - cage is located in my reptile room away from the vent. Can see the cage from the hallway but is about 6 ft from the room door.
- Location located in Tallahassee, FL
Replife
Chameleon Enthusiast
His color looks fine they tend to turn a darker color to help with absorbing heat... so my advice go ahead and take the plastic plants out vailds will eat them, then replace them with pothos all u have to do is put two small holes in the plastic pots then run floral wire threw the pot and hang them in the top corners also most likely hes not eating for 2 reasons one he is in a new place and will need to do sum adjusting also he looks to be shedding this will also cause him to stop eating..... to help with this give him a 30min shower put him on a plant with the shower head facing the wall and only mist splashing on him but not 2 hot tho and u should also notice him turn light green
Thank you. I have been really worried about his dark color. I should take out all of the plastic vines? The trees on the bottom are live trees. He does have 2 smaller pothos plants I can hang in the corners. He has been shedding since I got him. I mist him when I mist his cage and he doesn't seem to mind.
Replife
Chameleon Enthusiast
Very good and yea just any kinda artificial leaf that he might try and eat needs to come out this would not be a problem with most types of chameleons but is with vailds
That's not the kind of ficus you want. That kind is poisonous. https://www.chameleonforums.com/plants/Ficus-elastica.2/
Since veiled are plant eaters that's a bad combination.
Since veiled are plant eaters that's a bad combination.
K_Wolf
Avid Member
I have never had this problem with any of my veileds, not sure why exactly a chameleon would attempt to eat faux foliage, but my best guess would be that they aren't getting enough food to serve their appetite or they were previously in a setting where there were real plants that they could nibble on and now they are just confused.
Replife
Chameleon Enthusiast
The proper way to keep a vailed is with live plants that it can nibble on as well offering it greens such as mustard greens and collard greens as it is a plant eater by nature ..a vailed chameleon has no way of reasoning wat is real and wat is fake
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