Abandoned chameleon

[kdkat]

Hello! I am a brand new veiled chameleon owner (Only 2 months in ) so I am still learning and excited to be a part of this forum and new to the whole forum thing.
My question is not in regard to her but a different chameleon that got brought to me this weekend. Somebody dumped a veiled chameleon on the side of the road and it was brought to me. I live in Alaska so weather is an issue and I have no idea how long she was there. I have not found resources here on where to take her except for animal control. Id like to give her a chance if possible but dont want her to suffer. I set her up in her own temporary tank in a separate room from my chameleon in case she has anything she could pass on to mine. She keeps digging like she is looking for a spot to lay eggs, but she also drags her back leg and holds her tail differently like her spine is injured. She will not eat anything I have tried. Crickets, mealworm, beetles, hornworms. I know her tank is not ideal but it is what I had on short notice. She has live plants, substraight to dig in, a drip system, and misted regularly, plenty to climb on (however she stays on the bottom and when i put her on a branch she seems to struggle)) and I'm monitoring her humidity and heat. I am looking for suggestions or ideas or thoughts or just anything until I can reach a rescue.
I am adding photos of her. I tried to get close ups to show how her body looks.

 

[MissSkittles]

Really sounds like she needs to lay eggs. She needs absolute privacy or she won’t feel safe enough to dig/lay. Block all view so she can’t see you and hopefully that will do the trick.

 

[kdkat]

Really sounds like she needs to lay eggs. She needs absolute privacy or she won’t feel safe enough to dig/lay. Block all view so she can’t see you and hopefully that will do the trick.

Thank you! I took your advice and have covered her whole tank with a blanket. Do you suggest I still try to feed her and mist the tank? Or just leave her alone for a day or so?

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you! I took your advice and have covered her whole tank with a blanket. Do you suggest I still try to feed her and mist the tank? Or just leave her alone for a day or so?

Make sure she has ventilation. Poor little lady doesn’t need a respiratory infection. In the AM, if she is digging, leave her be until she’s back to basking.

 

[LizardLurkin]

Hello, my fellow Alaskan chameleon keeper!
It's so sad to think she was abandoned outside without a care for the elements around her...MissSkittles has given some good advice, the girls are really shy about laying their eggs.
As far as resources, perhaps you could post on the Reptile Rescue of Alaska facebook page? I believe Jonathan's Reptiles is a reptile rescue organization, too, though they don't seem to take in rescues anymore...But maybe they could point you in a good direction.

 

[kdkat]

Hello! Thank you for the advice! I did not remember about the AK Reptile Redcue! I will look them up. Fellow Alaskan?

 

[LizardLurkin]

Yep, alaskan here. Also we seem to have got our chams around the same time, so what a coinkydink.
I hope this girl can get the help she needs. She's lucky you came across her.

 

[kinyonga]

I hope she can lay the eggs. With her being found outside in Alaska, I hope that hasn’t hindered the process and I also hope that someone didn’t put her outside thinking that she was eggbound and would die out there.

If she shows signs of not being able to lay her eggs (digging a hole and acting like she’s laying eggs, filling the hole back in and tamping it down without having laid eggs, etc) or seems to be going downhill ( lethargic, sitting low in the cage with her eyes shut in the daytime, etc), get her to a vet asap.

You’ve already said she sits lower in the cage, but it could be to do with her other issues since you said “she also drags her back leg and holds her tail differently like her spine is injured”. This could be from an injury…but IMHO, it could be that the eggs are pushing on a nerve or something and causing those symptoms. Please be aware that I’m NOT a vet…and just speak from what I’ve learned over the years.

I hope she gets through this all.