burned chameleon :(

Chameleonnn

New Member
hello :) I have a chameleon (trioceros jacksonii) recently. She is 6 months old. It is currently dewormed because it has parasites and is therefore in a temporary cage. I noticed he had a black spot on his leg and black spikes. Most likely she got burned about the heat lamp she had been sitting by recently. I smeared it with panthenol ointment and turned off the lamp, I don't have much space to change the position of the basking spot. The heating lamp is in a shade so there is no access to it but it climbs to the ceiling . Should i continue heating it or turn off the lamp while it is healing? or maybe my heat lamp power is too high?

Cage; 60x45x45 glass with one side and ceiling mesh
Light; uvb 5.0, heat lamp 35w
 
Photos of the chameleon and the whole cage as well please.
Generally for burns in chameleons, we use flamazine type creams for healing.
 
The left side is tanned but occasionally turns bright green the spines too but this spot on the leg does not go away.
 

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hello :) I have a chameleon (trioceros jacksonii) recently. She is 6 months old. It is currently dewormed because it has parasites and is therefore in a temporary cage. I noticed he had a black spot on his leg and black spikes. Most likely she got burned about the heat lamp she had been sitting by recently. I smeared it with panthenol ointment and turned off the lamp, I don't have much space to change the position of the basking spot. The heating lamp is in a shade so there is no access to it but it climbs to the ceiling . Should i continue heating it or turn off the lamp while it is healing? or maybe my heat lamp power is too high?

Cage; 60x45x45 glass with one side and ceiling mesh
Light; uvb 5.0, heat lamp 35w
In the first place, that enclosure is too small, and I'm not sure you've got the dimensions right.
24" x 18" x 18"? You should be looking for a minimum of 24"x24"x48"H (60cm x 60cm x 120cmH)

She still needs to bask (you didn't mention the basking site temp, which is important for this next part).

You could back off (raise) the current light so it doesn't heat the screen so much, but that could lower the temp at the basking site. You could use a weaker bulb, but that could also lower the basking temp.

IF the basking temp is correct, then you may need to raise the light and use a stronger bulb.

The key factor is the temp at basking area. The best way to monitor is with a digital thermometer with probe attached right to the basking site.

Whichever you do, place your hand on the screen beneath the basking light after it's been on a while (an hour?) If it's too hot to keep your hand there indefinitely, it's too hot for a chameleon.
 
I ordered a heat lamp bracket and I am thinking of increasing the power to 40-50w but I don't know which one will be better. There are about 83 F in the basking spot. should i give her a stronger uvb?
 
Last edited:
I ordered a heat lamp bracket and I am thinking of increasing the power to 40-50w but I don't know which one will be better. There are about 27 degrees in the basking spot. should i give her a stronger uvb?
Getting the correct basking wattage & distance (and angle) is always a matter of trial & error—too may variables. What wattage is it now? (below 40W seems low for any heat, but it could happen).

What kind of UVB do you have now? 35W doesn't tell us much.
It should be a linear T5HO UVB; either Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%.
 
Getting the correct basking wattage & distance (and angle) is always a matter of trial & error—too may variables. What wattage is it now? (below 40W seems low for any heat, but it could happen).

What kind of UVB do you have now? 35W doesn't tell us much.
It should be a linear T5HO UVB; either Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%.
i have this
 

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i have this
OK, those types (CFLs) are intended to be mounted & used horizontally. But more importantly, they have a very short range, and are not really suited to chameleon enclosures.

Most folks here & elsewhere will recommend a linear T5HO UVB—either Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%—running the entire width of your enclosure. Both are equally good.

Here are 2 excellent articles explaining UVB lighting for reptiles—one shorter and one longer.
https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/reptile-lighting-information/
https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/an-in-depth-look-at-uv-light-and-its-proper-use-with-reptiles/
 
OK, te typy (świetlówki kompaktowe) są przeznaczone do montażu i użytkowania w pozycji poziomej. Ale co ważniejsze, mają bardzo krótki zasięg i nie nadają się do obudów kameleonów.

Większość ludzi tutaj i gdzie indziej poleca liniowy T5HO UVB - albo Reptisun 5.0 albo Arcadia 6% - na całej szerokości twojej obudowy. Obie są równie dobre.

Oto 2 doskonałe artykuły wyjaśniające oświetlenie UVB gadów - jeden krótszy i jeden dłuższy.
https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/reptile-lighting-information/
https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/an-in-depth-look-at-uv-light-and-its-proper-use-with-reptiles/
ok, thank you :) I'll order her and should I heat it now with the bulb I have? I'm afraid she'll get burned even more
 
ok, thank you :) I'll order her and should I heat it now with the bulb I have? I'm afraid she'll get burned even more
I'm confused. We were talking about two different kinds of lights. To clarify:

UVB
Should not produce significant heat. This is where you want the linear T5HO UVB extending the width of the enclosure. But I believe your enclosure is too small.

Basking
Which does produce heat for basking.

The best bulbs for basking are (in order of preference):
  1. Household incandescent bulb (not LED)
  2. Incandescent flood light (not LED and not spot light)
  3. Halogen flood light (not spot light)
Your basking temperature (83F) is fine, but you don't want her to get burned on the screen again.

I would use the basking light you have for the present, but raise it up a few inches so that the screen is no longer hot enough to burn your chameleon. You should be able to place your hand on the screen indefinitely; if you cannot, then it is too hot. Too hot for you=too hot for a chameleon.
 
I'm confused. We were talking about two different kinds of lights. To clarify:

UVB
Should not produce significant heat. This is where you want the linear T5HO UVB extending the width of the enclosure. But I believe your enclosure is too small.

Basking
Which does produce heat for basking.

The best bulbs for basking are (in order of preference):
  1. Household incandescent bulb (not LED)
  2. Incandescent flood light (not LED and not spot light)
  3. Halogen flood light (not spot light)
Your basking temperature (83F) is fine, but you don't want her to get burned on the screen again.

I would use the basking light you have for the present, but raise it up a few inches so that the screen is no longer hot enough to burn your chameleon. You should be able to place your hand on the screen indefinitely; if you cannot, then it is too hot. Too hot for you=too hot for a chameleon.
I picked up the bulb and it is already warming up, I know my enclosure is too small but it is easy to clean and therefore it is in it for the time of deworming.
 
So many questions---
Did it heal?
Did the babies survive the treatment?'
As fare as age, she looked way older (size and color) than six months. I would guess someone told them it was about 6 months..
Darn! I always like getting updates- good or bad can be a lesson for someone..

Hope and update is in the future..
(y)
 
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