Chameleon Eyes Closed

All day today my chameleon has been standing around with his eyes closed. I just recently upgraded to a new cage, and put some new things in it yesterday, which I think may be the issue.

I tried to make a vine contraption out of PVC pipe and rope, and I got him a waterfall. I placed them all in the cage yesterday morning, and he seemed to be getting around just fine by the afternoon. Today, he has been having at least one eye closed at all times, and sometimes both. He just shed a couple days ago, and his eyes look just fine.

He seemed to really hate walking on the rope at first. It's a poly/nylon rope, in a "camouflage" color, so it looks like a vine (kind of).

He ate just fine this morning, I put the crickets in and he chased them down and ate them, and I saw him drinking out of the waterfall yesterday and walking all over the place, but now he's just standing around with his eyes closed, and I don't know what would have caused it, because nothing has changed since yesterday, when he was doing just fine.

I don't really have the time right now to fill out the whole "Asking Questions" form, and I just wanted to get this up to see if anyone had any ideas on what might be wrong, but I will fill one out tonight after I get some work done.

Thanks

waterfalls hold bacteria and will get him sick id remove it

Decided to upload a picture real fast.

try a good warm misting to help rinse the eye and maybe a warm shower with the water bouncing off the wall to mist yoour cham

Eyes being closed isn't the classic response to a new environment.

Most people here are anti-waterfall. They are considered bacteria magnets. Chameleons almost can't seem to resist the urge to poop in them. If they are then also drinking from them.....you can see the problem.

You should probably set up a dripper so there is water dripping onto plant leaves for a good chunk (or all) of the day. That can be something as simple as a plastic bottle or cup with some holes punched in the bottom.

What kind of light are you using. Tube or Compact coil?

What exactly did you change in the cage or add to it would likely be a better thing to ask?

It's an Exo Terra 5.0 compact coil bulb.

I added the rope-PVC-vine thing and the waterfall yesterday morning, and he even seemed to be doing fine yesterday afternoon. That's all I've added recently, and he was doing fine in the new cage the past few days.

Coil bulbs have been associated with eye problems as the light from them is too bright for sensitive cham eyes.

I'd change it to a Reptisun 5.0 UV tube.

KatCham said:

Coil bulbs have been associated with eye problems as the light from them is too bright for sensitive cham eyes.

I'd change it to a Reptisun 5.0 UV tube.

Click to expand...

I agree, the reason why he closes his eyes might be the bright light.

But I've been using the same bulb since I first got him in May, I don't understand why it would be a problem now

Those lamps can seariously damage a chams eye if used for a longer time, especially when the cham is still young.
Maybe he has already been damaged by the too short UVB-rays those lamps produce.
BTW:
closed eyes may also be a sign of worng temperatures (especially too high temperatures at night) or dehydration.

Please change your compact bulb for linear one asap, as that type of light can cause eye problems and it done it with two of my chameleons. It is just unfortunet timing is happening in the new cage, your cham probably would start closing eyes now in old cage too, or maybe he is a bit closer to the bulb now. Don't wait for too long as i did first

I recently had issues with a compact bulb. In my case I had the bulb too close to the cage. I shut off the light and it has been 1 full week with out the coil bulb and his eyes are just now starting to open. If a compact bulb is being used you need to keep it a safe distance away from the chameleon but I recommend not using one at all
.

I think perhaps more obviously - did you use a glue to make the vine? It could be emitting fumes or something that are irritating his eyes. These guys are so small and so sensitive, that could be a possibility.

I didn't use any glue, just a couple pieces of duct tape on either end

Might be true. You should still get rid of that bulb.