What is this?

[UrbanChameleon]

So over the course of my chameleon's life I've noticed a black dot here and there. Usually in a different spot and it doesn't happen often. I fed Bodhi twice today and I'm thinking this could probably be cricket poop. I didn't notice it until he went to bed and his colors lightened up. It is separate from his skin. I'm not sure where it came from, or what it is. Maybe someone can help me with this? I'm just hoping its not anything like a mite or a health problem. I know he does not have any type of mouth rot. I'm probably just worrying, but I wanted to make sure. I was reading through old posts and saw one that Jan posted in 2008 describing something similar. She said that her cham had a brown spot, that would turn black, fall off, and come back again. This is the first time I've seen this and it is black. So Jan if you see this post and it looks familiar please let me know. I'm going to keep an eye on him tomorrow to see if anything changes. I'm sure it's just a piece of something. It just seems odd. Better safe than sorry!

 

[Elizadolots]

Can you take a picture of it? Or 3? I'm sure that would be very helpful.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

Oh crap! I totally forgot to post the pictures. I put them on photobucket and everything! Haha. It's been a long day. Here they are. I apologize.

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[UrbanChameleon]

I don't think I mentioned this, but it is on his mouth. Just wanted to point that out in case someone didn't notice the dot. Isn't his belly so cute in that second pic? He was so skinny when I got him. I'm glad he's fattening up a bit.

 

[whereswaldo]

did you try rubbing it off... looks like a little guts to me waldo had it before when he was a baby it was just where he was a messy eater once.

 

[Elizadolots]

How cooperative of him to sleep on that thing! He's handsome and those are great pictures. The belly is cute.

You say it's appeared at different places. Has it always been around his mouth?

What I notice about it is that it's rectangular. If it's always around his mouth, I'm inclined to think it's an insect foot the got stuck outside when the great "chomp" happened.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

It seems like more of a pill shape to me when looking up close. I went to open his cage door and he woke up so I slowly backed away. Lol. He won't let me go anywhere near him. I hand feed and everything. He's such a nervous little guy. When I've seen the black spots before its been on the middle of his leg or on his side. They always go away and I've never seen one move. I don't know what he's getting into. My thought is maybe his artificial vines in the past.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

He sleeps on his mister pretty much every night. He switches sides all of the time too. Lol. He's such a good boy. It's so cute when he rests his head on it. I know I'm going to miss him being this age. He's growing so darn fast!

 

[Zen Reptiles]

In my experience, this is a scratch.

Happens when my males mount my females, there are black claw marks on them for a few days.

Also happens if a cricket or roach leg spike gets caught on the mouth. I find the ones around the mouth last upwards of 5-10 days depending on how aggressive the scratch was.

I've always thought of it as an 'indefinite hiatus' of the color in the affected cells. It's never permanent unless it is worthy of scarring.

 

[Elizadolots]

So, it's equivalent to that red line that hangs around on your leg a few days after the dog launches out of your lap to bark at the kid walking by?

 

[UrbanChameleon]

He recently shed and I thought I saw him rubbing his face on a vine today. I don't know if he shed his head or not. He usually sheds within a day. This time it took 2-3 days and was only shedding certain parts at a time. It could possibly be a scratch he gave himself, or a cricket. The only reason I didn't think it was that is because it is actually coming off of his body. If you look at him straight on it is poking out. Kind of like a scab or something that just got stuck to him.

 

[Elizadolots]

You indicated that he's a growing boy, not an adult.

I know I'm going to miss him being this age. He's growing so darn fast!

The shedding thing often slows way down as they mature. Adults sometimes takes a week or more to get through the process, while youngsters will blow it all off in an hour or two sometimes.

Have you tested every spot for "remove-ability" ? Of is this the first spot you've checked for that?

 

[Sikchick341]

Look jordan! Brothers!

 

[ImaLeaf]

u get him frm tikitiki?