Unusual Behavior Veiled Chameleon

[Mark+Chives]

Hi I have a Veiled Chameleon named Chives. Unsure of his name and/or gender. I found him in my neighborhood roaming the streets, tried to find the owner a while back but to no avail.

after having him for quite some time I notice some unusual behaviors recently. He has been falling off his branch multiple times the past few days (branch is thick and easy to hold on to). He is also less active around his cage but thankfully is still eating and drinking (sometimes needs assistance by hand).

I’ve attached some pictures any help would be great! I’m considering rehoming him to someone who can provide better for him as I’m just a novice who didn’t want him to suffer on the street.


The pictures of him are recent the picture of the cage is older and the humidity gauge is inaccurate.

 

[Mark+Chives]

Also I’ve had him for 2 years now and he was expected to be older when I first found him so unsure if this could be “old age” related.

This was him on the road back in 2021 and then him in full health 2022.

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! Lets do a husbandry review to see if we can figure out what is going on with you beautiful boy.

Can you share a picture of his lights?

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 do 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 -

 

[Mark+Chives]

Unfortunately I don’t have much information about him because of how he was obtained/found on the street but I will provide what I know!

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? to my knowledge he is a veiled chameleon and likely male. He has been in my care 2 years now
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I try not to handle him often unless he seems eager to allow for it given I know it can stress them out
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? At first I was feeding him a mix of super worms and dobia roaches. He seemed to like the worms more so I stuck with that after some time
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule? Zoo med’s reptivite and I was told to use 1-2 times per week given his estimated age.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I use the little dropper by zoo med and try to turn it on at least one everyday if not every other day and let it run until he is no longer interested. He did drink yesterday and eat yesterday. I also have a mister set to every 3hr for 30secs
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? never been tested for parasites. Recent droppings are usually formed and white/yellow pigment
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. no true history given found on the street

• Cage Info:
• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? screen cage, had trouble keeping humidity so I placed a clear film warp around 3 out of 4 sides to aid with humidity control. Sizing 30” by 16”
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? zoo med light set up, manually turn off and on, use daylight blue bulb of 60w and night light or similar watt. Lights are turned on at 8am and off around 11pm/midnight.
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? temp usually is around 70 on bottom floor and 87-95 near basking area. Temps measured with cage thermometer
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? previously I couldn’t get humidity about 40% but after wrapping I was able to maintain around 70% humidity for some time
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? unfortunately no live plants only some fake foliage around the cage but there is bioactive substrate of lava rock and ABG mix soil (sphagnum moss, bioactive soil, coco peat, and orchid bark).
• 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 is located near corner of room. No fans used, not real high traffic area, about 4-5ft up on table. If temp stability is variable an external heater is turned on to adjust overall room temp.
• Location - Where are you geographically located? New Jersey

 

[elizaann2]

See my answers in bold

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? to my knowledge he is a veiled chameleon and likely male. He has been in my care 2 years now. You are correct, you have a male veiled chameleon
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I try not to handle him often unless he seems eager to allow for it given I know it can stress them out. Great! Chams do stress easily with handling.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? At first I was feeding him a mix of super worms and dobia roaches. He seemed to like the worms more so I stuck with that after some time. Dubia are great staple feeders, as are crickets, grasshoppers, silkworms, and bsfl. Super worms are unfortunately high in fat and are considered the 'candy' of our chameleon feeders, just like wax worms. I have attached a list of feeders for you to check out for feeding your boy moving forward. I like to feed my chams a mixture of bugs each week so that they have something different every time. Saturdays are my treat bug days. Attached you will also find great fruits and veggies that are good gutloads. If our bugs eat healthy foods, then they are nice and healthy for our chameleons.
• How often do you feed him and how many bugs does he get each feeding? An adult chameleon should be eating about 5 feeders every other day.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with, and what is the schedule? Zoo med’s reptivite and I was told to use 1-2 times per week given his estimated age. Your boy needs a phosphorus free calcium WITHOUT vitamin D3 dusted on every feeding. If you have the Reptivite that has D3, then you can use this 2x a month (the 1st and 15th for example). Can you share a photo of your supplement so I can double check if it does have D3? The trouble with your supplement schedule is your baby boy is not getting the calcium he needs, and the Reptivite multivitamin he is getting too much vitamin A (and possibly D3) both D3 and Vitamin A stores in the body and we can, overtime overdose our babies which will cause health issues.
• This is the calcium I use on each feeding - Calcium is vital for our chameleons so you will need to get this right away
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I use the little dropper by zoo med and try to turn it on at least one everyday if not every other day and let it run until he is no longer interested. He did drink yesterday and eat yesterday. I also have a mister set to every 3hr for 30secs. Good.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? never been tested for parasites. Recent droppings are usually formed and white/yellow pigment. Perfect! White/light yellow urates (chameleon pee) means he is hydrated. I would strongly recommend getting your boy tested for parasites.
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. no true history given found on the street

 

[elizaann2]

• Cage Info:
• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? screen cage, had trouble keeping humidity so I placed a clear film warp around 3 out of 4 sides to aid with humidity control. Sizing 30” by 16”. It looks like you may have the dreaded 'chameleon kit', which comes with all the wrong stuff. Your boy needs an enclosure where the minimum size is 24x24x48.
• Chewy currently has the correct size on sale for $100 - https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-reptibreeze-reptile-cage/dp/344873
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? zoo med light set up, manually turn off and on, use daylight blue bulb of 60w and night light or similar watt. Lights are turned on at 8am and off around 11pm/midnight. No blue light or any color lights, it hurts their eyes. What kind of UVB light is baby getting? UVB helps our chameleons use calcium in the body to form strong bones and use proper muscle function. Without proper UVB we see chameleons develop MBD. If you do not have proper lighting you'll need to get this right away as it is vital for the health of our chammy babies.
• I have this hood here (get the 36 inch hood) https://www.pangeareptile.com/collections/fixtures/products/pangea-reptile-t5-ho-fixture?variant=40391334592554
• Get this light here (get the 34 inch) https://www.pangeareptile.com/collections/uvb-bulbs-florescent-mercury-vapor/products/arcadia-6-uvb-t5-reptile-bulb?variant=26907524923492
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? temp usually is around 70 on bottom floor and 87-95 near basking area. Temps measured with cage thermometer. What kind of cage thermometer are you using? Some are not very accurate. Temps for your baby should be 78 at the top of the enclosure to 72 near the bottom. His basking branch should be no higher than 80-85 degrees. Veiled chameleons tend to burn their casque - something about how we have their lighting set up confuses their brain and they do not seem to have a sensor to tell them their body is burning - when you set up his basking light make sure you place your hand on the basking branch for several minutes to ensure that it is a soft comfortable heat so your boy does not burn his beautiful casque.
• You'll need a reliable way to measure his temps and humidity levels. This is what I use for both: https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Hygrometer-Thermometer-Temperature-Monitoring/dp/B09DPCW47P/ref=sr_1_7?crid=309JYPPLUR3E9&keywords=govee+hygrometer&qid=1699115264&sprefix=govee+hy%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-7
• For the basking branch I have a probe thermometer attached on the basking branch so I know what my basking temps are.https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Terrarium-Digital-Thermometer-Temperature/dp/B07DLG2PXC/ref=sr_1_7?crid=HD21LGHE5DYU&keywords=probe+thermometer+for+reptiles&qid=1699115338&sprefix=probe+thermometer+for+reptile%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-7
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? previously I couldn’t get humidity about 40% but after wrapping I was able to maintain around 70% humidity for some time. Good, humidity levels during the day should be 40-50%, at night you want as close to 100% as you can get. Chameleons get their hydration in the wild from the fog banks that roll in in the early mornings. Most of us that live in dry states have fog machines to help us accomplish this.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? unfortunately no live plants only some fake foliage around the cage but there is bioactive substrate of lava rock and ABG mix soil (sphagnum moss, bioactive soil, coco peat, and orchid bark). I would remove the substrate on the bottom of the enclosure and just have a clear bottom to help you monitor his poops. Baby needs lots of foliage for coverage, chameleons are shy lizards and need this to feel safe. A good rule of thumb is if you can look at the enclosure and easily spot your chameleon, they do not have enough plant coverage. Constantly feeling they are on display will cause chronic stress which will lower their immune system which will make them susceptible to illnesses. Because you have a veiled chameleon you'll need to get plants that are known to be safe for chameleons to eat, veiled chams have a tendency to eat the plants in their enclosures as well. I've attached some lists of safe plants for your baby. I've found the cheapest places to get plants is Home Depot, they often are sprayed with pesticides so remove them from the dirt they are planted in, wash them well with soap and warm water, and replant them in fresh organic soil.
• 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 is located near corner of room. No fans used, not real high traffic area, about 4-5ft up on table. If temp stability is variable an external heater is turned on to adjust overall room temp. Good, height equals safety to chameleons so for example the top branches in my chams enclosures are above my head when I stand near my chameleon enclosures.
• Looking at your enclousre as well, your baby needs branches, chameleons are aborial creatures and spend their whole lives in trees. You'll need thicker branches for the bases to hold all his 'high way' branches. When you have the UVB light I recommended make sure there is a branch that is 6-9 inches directly below that light that is running horizontally with the UVB light. You'll also want to make sure your 'basking branch' is at least 9 inches away from his heat bulb. I've attached photos of my enclosures to give you an idea of what you need for set up, coverage, lighting and branches.
• Location - Where are you geographically located? New Jersey

Great resources are:
https://www.neptunethechameleon.com/
https://chameleonacademy.com/

Veiled Chameleon care sheet:
https://chameleonacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Veiled-Care-Summary-2022C.pdf

Lastly, with lack of proper lighting, supplementation, symptoms you are describing and pictures you shared I believe your boy has MBD. Further decline in this illness will require an exotic vet with chameleon care experience to properly diagnose and to prescribe a high dose liquid calcium to help your baby's bones firm up. I have attached a spreadsheet that has a list of recommended vets by others on this forum. Check it out if you need help finding a vet.

Please let me know what other questions you have!

 

[elizaann2]

I’ve got some errands to run so I may not be super available until later tonight. I’m going to tag some fellow Chameleon lovers who have a lot of experience and know life to support you as well in case I’m not able to respond.

@MissSkittles @Beman

 

[MissSkittles]

I only skimmed thru it all, but @elizaann2 has given you solid info and suggestions. The changes in uvb and supplements need to happen asap. He also really needs to be seen by a good vet and started immediately on treatment for metabolic bone disease if he’s to have the best chance. I also strongly advise taking a fresh fecal sample for parasite testing.
If I may give my opinion about rehoming him….I think it would be best for him to remain with you. Passing him off to someone else might not give him any better life and might be worse. You made some husbandry errors, but now know what they were and can correct them. We are all novices when we start.

 

[Beman]

You have received excellent info. UVB and supplements should be corrected asap. This boy also looks to have edema. This would be caused by the improper supplementation.
Yes, a cage upgrade in size would be needed but right now with him falling I would correct the main aspects and make the current cage more cham appropriate for him. That way if he does fall it is not as far to the bottom.

 

[Mark+Chives]

Thank you to all that responded sooo much! I will try my best with the information provided to help little Chives make a full recovery!
Hopefully I can get him feeling better soon and give an update in the near future!!

 

[elizaann2]

Thank you to all that responded sooo much! I will try my best with the information provided to help little Chives make a full recovery!
Hopefully I can get him feeling better soon and give an update in the near future!!

Please keep us updated. Feel free to hop on here any time and ask any questions you may have. Wishing him a speedy recovery.