Cham might have parasites?

Hey,

I already posted about my wild Mediterranean Chameleon here (in the general discussion) --> https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/new-chameleon-owner-that-needs-help.184858/

Would like to know if someone could help or know if my little fella has parasites or something else. Some days he sleeps and stays on one spot the whole day and looks quite weak and the other he's lively moving around. As mentioned in the other thread I've tried giving him crickets / super worms but showed no interest and since he's a Wild Cham and from the research, I've done they most likely eat insects like wasps, flies etc.

Thanks in advance!
 

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It is a wild cham more than likely it does have parasites... But trying to treat a wild cham for them would be extremely stressful on it.
 
Just thought that it might be going into brumation...but not sure if they do in Malta like they do in Spain.

As for parasites...you need to have its feces tested to see if it has parasites.
 
Parasites are a natural thing in the wild...and even if you have them treated the chameleon could pick them up again. However treating them, if it has them, might give it a longer life.
 
Parasites are a natural thing in the wild...and even if you have them treated the chameleon could pick them up again. However treating them, if it has them, might give it a longer life.
Don't even know if we have any reptile veterinarians here, might need to search around
 
Any vet should be able to do a fecal...but one more thought....are you allowed to have a common chameleon in Malta?
 
Yeah that would be the issue I would think if your not allowed to keep them then taking one to a vet would probably be out of the question... Like @kinyonga said though it is normal in the wild. Treating it would involve taking the cham to the vet with a fecal sample. Then if there is an issue that needs to be treated your force handling again to give meds. Not to mention there are many types of parasites that wild chams can have including tiny worms that live just below their skin. Not something I personally would do with a wild cham. I would just enjoy that it is happy in your yard. Put out food and let it live its life.
 
Yeah that would be the issue I would think if your not allowed to keep them then taking one to a vet would probably be out of the question... Like @kinyonga said though it is normal in the wild. Treating it would involve taking the cham to the vet with a fecal sample. Then if there is an issue that needs to be treated your force handling again to give meds. Not to mention there are many types of parasites that wild chams can have including tiny worms that live just below their skin. Not something I personally would do with a wild cham. I would just enjoy that it is happy in your yard. Put out food and let it live its life.
Will do so! Thanks, both of you for the help.
 
Yeah that would be the issue I would think if your not allowed to keep them then taking one to a vet would probably be out of the question... Like @kinyonga said though it is normal in the wild. Treating it would involve taking the cham to the vet with a fecal sample. Then if there is an issue that needs to be treated your force handling again to give meds. Not to mention there are many types of parasites that wild chams can have including tiny worms that live just below their skin. Not something I personally would do with a wild cham. I would just enjoy that it is happy in your yard. Put out food and let it live its life.
Hey again,

As I mentioned in the last comments, I found a vet that is willing to look into the chameleon, and as you mentioned he needs a fecal sample. However, I've never seen my cham poop or his poop anywhere, so I'm not quite sure how I will be able to do that :confused:
 
Hey again,

As I mentioned in the last comments, I found a vet that is willing to look into the chameleon, and as you mentioned he needs a fecal sample. However, I've never seen my cham poop or his poop anywhere, so I'm not quite sure how I will be able to do that :confused:

Yeah this is the challenge of him being in the wild. Chameleons can be creatures of habit so he might bask and poop in one spot every other day or so - depends on how much he eats and what his routine is. But again, treating him is going to have some significant cons - is it worth the pros? If you can find fresh poop and not have to transport or handle the chameleon at least you could figure out which parasites he has if he has them. Which is likely given that he's in the wild.

You might want to try making your yard more hospitable to him while he's there instead. More foliage and coverage for him to feel safe, a good basking spot for him to feel warm, some dripping water to drink, and some tasty bugs to enjoy.
 
He felt like going on an adventure today 😅
 

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