Veiled Chameleon Sleeping During Daytime

[morganeoreilly]

Good Morning Y’all,
I noticed my veiled chameleon has been sleeping during the day.
She responds when I open the cage and offer her food which she has been eating. Any comments or suggestions for what to do would be greatly appreciated.

I just put in a new light bar to replace one which was fading… T5H0 5.0 UVB 22” temp sensor is about 1 ft down in the cage and reads at 73.9 fahrenheit. I don’t trust mt moisture gauge as it got some soil inside the inner components and I question the validity because it always says 80% and never moves. and my climate does not have high humidity levels I feed generally with crickets that are dusted in calcium without D3 during the week and with D3 once on the weekend. Usually feed every other day. sometimes feed little chunks of mango too.


I bought chameleon at an estimated age of 6months last december so estimated age is 18 months?

these photos were taken today. thank you in advance

 

[CalamityCrow]

Hello and welcome! From first glance it looks like your girl is full of eggs - do you have a lay bin in the cage? Also, eyes closed during the day is absolutely a sign of illness of some sort. You'll want to locate a vet that's familiar with chameleons in your area.

Gonna tag in @MissSkittles for this, she's got more experience with the female veilds.

In the meantime, please fill out this form so we can check all of your husbandry to see where there could be improvements for your precious girl. Post lots of pictures of her, her enclosure (to include the lights) as well as pictures of the supplements you're using please.

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.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. From just the info you’ve given, I can tell you that your supplements are off. You’ve got it right to use the calcium without D3 for every feeding, but you’re giving the D3 too often. It should be given only once every other week. What about a multivitamin? That is just as important. I’m not sure if the amount of D3 she’s getting would cause her to have her eyes closed. If she’s not getting a multivitamin, that could potentially be the cause. However, it would be best to look at everything before pointing any fingers anywhere. If you can kindly answer all of the above questions and provide some pics of her entire enclosure, it would be best. Also, when did she last lay eggs and how many were there?

 

[morganeoreilly]

Hi. From just the info you’ve given, I can tell you that your supplements are off. You’ve got it right to use the calcium without D3 for every feeding, but you’re giving the D3 too often. It should be given only once every other week. What about a multivitamin? That is just as important. I’m not sure if the amount of D3 she’s getting would cause her to have her eyes closed. If she’s not getting a multivitamin, that could potentially be the cause. However, it would be best to look at everything before pointing any fingers anywhere. If you can kindly answer all of the above questions and provide some pics of her entire enclosure, it would be best. Also, when did she last lay eggs and how many were there?

I had not been using a multivitamin but I will get one. for the calcium I use zoomed repticalcium. I am out with family right now at the zoo but I will fill out the full survey above when I get . I think I included info about her age and light used. the cage is reptibreeze XL(2’x2’x4’) and its on a table about 4’ off the ground. i have a sprayer machine which sprays for 1 minute every 6 hours plus the zoomed water dripper

there was a time 6ish months ago where she was constantly digging in the egg bin but she never actually laid eggs from what I saw and that was that she just stopped digging one day.

 

[MissSkittles]

A good multivitamin and D3 combo to use is Repashy calcium plus LoD. https://www.amazon.com/Repashy-Calc...5b-87f2-9e0d2ed02030&pd_rd_i=B00DLJRMV2&psc=1 This would cut out the need to give a multivitamin and D3 seperately. You’d continue the calcium without D3 and then just once every other week use this one. Much less to buy and less to remember. Plus, it’s a great multivitamin.

 

[MzLaurie]

Make sure your laybin is deep enough and damp enough to hold a tunnel. She may have absorbed the prior clutch but she wont be absorbing thus one. Too many. Also get a sheet, a towel, or i use card board and block the bottom half of the cage once she stops eating and starts going to the bottom. They need privacy and interrupting can cause egg binding so its important. I believe ms skittles is right on point with the vitamins. Lack of vit a can cause eye issues. Also is that temp at the basking branch or at the top. you should always taje the temp at the place she sits. Think it may be too low for a female veiled. What do u think forum? My male vieled likes 80 about 8" down. My female is a panther so different basking.

 

[morganeoreilly]

A good multivitamin and D3 combo to use is Repashy calcium plus LoD. https://www.amazon.com/Repashy-Calc...5b-87f2-9e0d2ed02030&pd_rd_i=B00DLJRMV2&psc=1 This would cut out the need to give a multivitamin and D3 seperately. You’d continue the calcium without D3 and then just once every other week use this one. Much less to buy and less to remember. Plus, it’s a great multivitamin.

thank you i’ll get that next time i’m at the pet store
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? veiled translucent female chameleon. 1 year 6 months estimated. had since november 2022
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? two or three times per week.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets and sometimes super bugs. What amount? 3-5 crickets or 1-3 super bugs What is the schedule? 3-4 time per week monday wednesday friday How are you gut-loading your feeders? dandelion weed fed to insects also have cricket food with calcium, other vitamins provided to crickets
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? reptivive calcium with and without D3. D3 I do once every week(will reduce to every other week) and without D3 at every feeding.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking zoomed reptirain every 6 hr for 60 seconds plus the zoomed little dripper. I’ll run a second cycle on the reptirain have witnessed chameleon drinking in the past but not recently
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? I will check with next movement. not that I know of regarding the parasites
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. nope

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? reptibreeze xl 2’x2’x4’
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? t5H0 uvb 22” around 630am to 7pm
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? i only have a temp sensor about 9 inches down. i initially posted a temp taken at 8am but later in the afternoon was reading 79.3 there is a spot higher up where she hangs out and sleeps. Overnight temp currently gets into mid to low 60’s
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? currently reading 60% but I might need to replace it some soil got into the unit it got knocked into the egg laying bin.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? yes cordylline tricolor (out of the house so the species might be wrong but i found the plant on multiple safe plant lists) and a philodendron silver stripe. I have some fake plants on the outside.
• 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? it is located in the corner of our living room backed up to two walls. There is a high ceiling fan in this room which is on occasionally. we do spend time in this room but it is not the most frequently used room in the house. it is on a table that is 4’ tall. so top of the cage is about 8’ off the ground.
• Location - Where are you geographically located? los banos california

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[MissSkittles]

I see a couple of areas that could be improved upon, but aside from the supplements nothing else is jumping out as incorrect enough to cause her to close her eyes during the day. I’ll go over the improvements in a bit. I hate to tell you to wait and see if correcting the supplements will solve the problem, as that could take a few weeks before you see changes and if that isn’t the problem, she’ll only get weaker and decline further and possibly to the point of no return. Because of this, I’m going to say to have a vet visit to rule out anything serious. Take a fresh fecal for parasite testing. Definitely consider having an x ray to rule out reproductive problems like follicular stasis and/or blood work to check her organ function and general wellness.

 

[morganeoreilly]

I see a couple of areas that could be improved upon, but aside from the supplements nothing else is jumping out as incorrect enough to cause her to close her eyes during the day. I’ll go over the improvements in a bit. I hate to tell you to wait and see if correcting the supplements will solve the problem, as that could take a few weeks before you see changes and if that isn’t the problem, she’ll only get weaker and decline further and possibly to the point of no return. Because of this, I’m going to say to have a vet visit to rule out anything serious. Take a fresh fecal for parasite testing. Definitely consider having an x ray to rule out reproductive problems like follicular stasis and/or blood work to check her organ function and

 

[morganeoreilly]

her walking today

 

[MissSkittles]

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets and sometimes super bugs. What amount? 3-5 crickets or 1-3 super bugs What is the schedule? 3-4 time per week monday wednesday friday How are you gut-loading your feeders? dandelion weed fed to insects also have cricket food with calcium, other vitamins provided to crickets

This definitely could use some improvement. Crickets are good staple feeders, but like us, they need and like variety. Superworms are not staple feeders - treats only. Attaching some graphics to help. Dandelion greens are healthy and great to feed your bugs, but try to add in some other fresh produce. I’m going to say to stop using the cricket food that has calcium and other vitamins, Often those things are either useless or can cause issues. There are some commercial bug foods that are ok. I use Repashy bug burger, but only give a little bit to round out the bug’s diets, plus they love the stuff, so it’s like a treat for them. The amount you’re feeding and the frequency is great.

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking zoomed reptirain every 6 hr for 60 seconds plus the zoomed little dripper. I’ll run a second cycle on the reptirain have witnessed chameleon drinking in the past but not recently

You can and should decrease the frequency. I don’t know the ReptiRain settings, but if you can set it for 2 minutes every 8 hours, that would be much better. You probably don’t need to use the dripper, but if you do, just use it for about 15-20 minutes once a day. Many chameleons are secretive about drinking, so go by the color of her urate. White is perfectly hydrated. It’s ok to have a little yellow on one end, but if the whole urate is dark yellow or orange, your girl is dehydrated. Feeding silkworms and hornworms will add more hydration.
What is the strength of your uvb bulb? Is it a 5.0, 10.0, 6%, 12%? Where is your basking light? How are you maintaining basking temps without a light?
60% is too humid for daytime. Ideal range is between 30-50%. Reducing the frequency of misting should bring it down. Give some time for the enclosure to dry out between misting.
You definitely need to add some more plants and branches in your enclosure. Empty space is wasted space. It’s a challenge to hang things in screen enclosures, but with a little creativity it’s very doable. There are the super amazing Dragon Ledges. https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ I’ve recently used scraps of garden trellis I had hanging around. I’ve also used branches and made a little scaffolding support. However you do it, you need to use the frame as the primary attachment that will take the weight. Dragon Ledges can handle a lot of weight. I don’t trust my trellis or scaffold with much, but they do hold a small plant or two. I like to have a tall and fuller plant, like a schefflera or weeping fig tree (if I can ever find one) and then have my smaller plants placed around it. Some I elevate on whatever I can find - old plant pots stacked together, an old bucket turned upside down, old wire stand, etc. Chameleons need areas to hide in, take shade in and lots of big clean leaves to drink from. Plus our veileds and especially the ladies love to nibble plants like pothos.