Why’s my chameleon half brown and half green?

[Cham1st101]

Hello guys I currently have a baby veiled chameleon he’s about 2 months old and I have the strangest question? Why is he half brown and half green half of his body is green and the other half is light green..I don’t understand this is he sick? Does he have a infection or something I don’t know if this is normal maybe you guys can answer? Or is this normal?

 

[Serbianchameleon]

Colors look normal to me. You should fill out how to ask for help form.

 

[Serbianchameleon]

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.

 

[Cham1st101]

I’m new can I get one? And those are completely normal being half brown half green?

 

[Serbianchameleon]

I’m new can I get one? And those are completely normal being half brown half green?

I posted it here just copy it fill it up and make a thread with the answers so someone can review your husbandry. This is my cham, you can see he has really small parts that are actually green. It’s okay for him to be light brown colors.

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ve seen my baby do this, especially when I take him outside. They will turn darker to better absorb light and heat, sometimes it’s just whatever side is facing the light/heat. Nothing to be concerned about. However, it is always a good idea to have your husbandry reviewed as @Serbianchameleon has offered.

 

[Cham1st101]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled chameleon male ~2 months almost ~2weeks
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Around once a day heard it’s better for aggression 10-30 min a day
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Small crickets 12 a day once around 10-11 carrots and flukers crickets diet
• 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? I mist the cage twice a day and do a few mists every here and there when it looks dry I’ve seen him drink a few times
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Brown sometimes with little white dots no never been tested
• 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? Screen
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? UVB bulb is a 15 watt thrive 18” tropical ubv bulb t8 I don’t know he’s basking bulb only it’s 60 watt schedule is 8am on 8am off
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? 87 basking 68 cage bottom test with small electric thermometer
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Don’t have a hydrometer yet I use a small fogger at night and mist and water planes for humidity
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a hibiscus plant and plenty of branches he used to have Lily’s in there but I got told they where poison
• 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? Cage inside my room cage isn’t near anything but school books it’s the highest object in my room
• Location - Where are you geographically located? I’m geographically located on a hill in the heights not to far up

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. Half brown half green and will barley eat

 

[Cham1st101]

And he doesn’t eat much I’ve tried cup feeding and he won’t touch it I’ve had the same crickets in the cup for 2 days and he only ate one they’re supposed to have huge appetites right?

 

[CasqueAbove]

And he doesn’t eat much I’ve tried cup feeding and he won’t touch it I’ve had the same crickets in the cup for 2 days and he only ate one they’re supposed to have huge appetites right?

If they are learning to cup feed, don't leave it in there. Offer for about 20-30 mins and take away. Do not give other food. Since it is a baby you will want to do this 5 6 times or more a day.
This is for teaching to use cup. Be sure there is not another reason they are not eating.

Is he eating at all or just not from the cup ? and where is the cup in the cage? It can be miss leading when people say 20-30 a day because we don't know size of crickets.

Yes he should be eating more. Go over the husbandry. You will likely want to go to T5HO for lights. Add lots of live plants.


The color thing as @MissSkittles said is just warmer on one side.

 

[Cham1st101]

Yes it’s learning to cup feed has only eaten one cricket from the cup and he eats sometimes but not a lot at all I’ve only seen him eat 3 crickets ever I usually let him hunt because he never ate from a cup the cup is a branch below his basking area so he can clearly see it As he’s always in his basking area at the top of his enclosure if he’s sick what to I do I have no vet near me I can go to get him checked on Ive only had him for a little over a week so there’s nothing I think I could be doing wrong if he’s sick the store would have given me a sick animal

 

[kinyonga]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled chameleon male ~2 months almost ~2weeks
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Around once a day heard it’s better for aggression 10-30 min a day
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Small crickets 12 a day once around 10-11 carrots and flukers crickets diet At this age you can feed it as much as it will eat in a couple of minutes at each feeding. It should eat at least 12 small crickets a day. For feeding/gutloading crickets I use dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, squash, collards, zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, mustard greens and a small amount of apples, pears, berries, mango, papaya, etc.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? it's important to dust lightly with a phos free calcium powder at almost all feedings. Twice a month I dust with a phos free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder lightly that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. Some people also give the chameleon a very little bit of preformed vitamin A once in a while too...but be very careful with preformed sources of vitamin A because they can build up in the system and cause problems unlike prOformed sources. D3 from supplements can build up too so don't over do it. The chameleon should produce most of its D3 from its UVB exposure.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I mist the cage twice a day and do a few mists every here and there when it looks dry I’ve seen him drink a few times You could also use a dripper in addition to misting the cage. It should drop at the rate of one or two drips per second.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Brown sometimes with little white dots no never been tested
• 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? Screen
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? UVB bulb is a 15 watt thrive 18” tropical ubv bulb t8 I don’t know he’s basking bulb only it’s 60 watt schedule is 8am on 8am offThe most often recommended UVB light is the long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light. I use a regular incandescent household bulb for a basking bul
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? 87 basking 68 cage bottom test with small electric thermometer Basking at that age should be about 5degrees lower IMHO.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Don’t have a hydrometer yet I use a small fogger at night and mist and water planes for humidity
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a hibiscus plant and plenty of branches he used to have Lily’s in there but I got told they where poison
• 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? Cage inside my room cage isn’t near anything but school books it’s the highest object in my room
• Location - Where are you geographically located? I’m geographically located on a hill in the heights not to far up What state or province?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. Half brown half green and will barley eat
The door could be as @MissSkittles said. Have you been free ranging the insects?

 

[CasqueAbove]

Yes it’s learning to cup feed has only eaten one cricket from the cup and he eats sometimes but not a lot at all I’ve only seen him eat 3 crickets ever I usually let him hunt because he never ate from a cup the cup is a branch below his basking area so he can clearly see it As he’s always in his basking area at the top of his enclosure if he’s sick what to I do I have no vet near me I can go to get him checked on Ive only had him for a little over a week so there’s nothing I think I could be doing wrong if he’s sick the store would have given me a sick animal

I agree, where I see room for improvement, nothing jumps out as a big enough issue to stop eating. Depending on where you got him it is possible you got a sick animal. That said most issues caught early can be taken care of. If he is hunting he may be getting more than you think. do you have a way of tracking it?

I will go over your husbadry when I get some time if you would like. EDIT What @kinyonga said

Teaching to cup feed a this age another idea might be a bigger cup.

Here is my girl about 2-3 months old

 

[Cham1st101]

I live in Massachusetts

 

[Cham1st101]

He has a cup about the size of that cup i can’t necessarily keep track of how many crickets he eats the past few days I’ve been putting them in a cup he only ate one I count them before I put them in and then the next day

 

[Thehippie]

well, my guy does this when basking, he'll be much darker on the side facing the sun. its also pretty normal for his sides to not exactly match lol, I really wouldn't be concerned about the colors unless it becomes much more drastic without any prompting. then you may have a problem but such a small difference isn't too bad. I would definitely make the changes that the other members suggested tho. it is definitely much easier to introduce the feeding cup now at this age as said above.

 

[MissSkittles]

To make sure any escaped crickets don’t bite your cham, you could put a small piece of greens or slice of carrot in your enclosure.

 

[Cham1st101]

Thank you guys I’ll make sure to do so

 

[kinyonga]

Correction...I said...
"The door could be as @MissSkittles said. Have you been free ranging the insects?"... I can't believe spell check changed color to door.