Chameleon being picky/ Acting weird.

Kamran_k

Established Member
So my 5 month old Jacksons Chameleon was acting strange all day, Yesterday he ate 1 big silkworm and I tried to feed him BSFL off my hand but he was nervous or something and his tongue didn't shoot out very far so I got very concerned. Today he ate a couple crickets and his tongue shot out fine and he drank a lot (I think his tongue issue was either nervousness or dehydration) . His Urates are white and he drank this morning but he seemed really stressed today and I don't think he shed last month. Should I be concerned I am emailing my vet and filling her in on the situation as well.
 
I was out of town a lot last month and I know he shed in July but I was gone for about 2 weeks last month and he was under the care of my grandma. The first week of August I got him checked up by the vet because I thought I heard a weird popping noise while he was breathing and when I took him to the vet she said that he was all good and had no sign of infection. But last week I had to go away and when I got back all was okay. I cleaned his cage yesterday and added some things to his setup so maybe that could be why he is acting weird.
 
Please provide the information below so out resident Jackson’s Goddess can help you out

@JacksJill

Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.

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.



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Please Note:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.

2 Photos can be very helpful.
 
Chameleon Info:

◦ Your Chameleon - Jacksons Chameleon, Since April 22nd, Male

◦ Handling - Probably around once a week. I've cut back on it but I have just been anxious about his health sometimes.

◦ Feeding - I feed my cham a staple of Crickets, BSFL, and Blue Bottle Flies and Silkworms. As a treat I feed Waxworms and Superworms and once a month he gets a Small Hornworm. I recently tried Dubias because he wasn't eating crickets but he doesn't like them. I feed him daily in the morning and try again in the afternoon to see if he is still hungry.

◦ Supplements - I use Repashy Calcium Plus LoD 3 times a week. Saturday, Sunday, Monday (My dusting schedule has been messed up due to me being out of town).

◦ Watering - I use a spray bottle when I'm home but if I happen to be in a rush or out of town I use a Reptirain misting system. I see him drinking sometimes but other times no.

◦ Fecal Description - His poop was brown yesterday with sperm plugs around it (2nd time I have seen this) and his urates are white. He was tested in July and has no parasites.

◦ History - He has no medical issues but I was worried about a URI around August 3rd (due to humidity in his cage being to high) but when I took him to the Vet she said that he didn't have one and he was just thermoregulating.



Cage Info:

◦ Cage Type - Screen Cage, Dragon Brand Large Keeper kit. Not sure of the dimensions but it is about 4 ft tall.

◦ Lighting - I use reptisun t.5 13 watt UVB light and I don't using a Basking light anymore as my room gets fairly warm. I leave his UVB on for about 10 hours on and 10 hours off. I also have an LED light for the plants.

◦ Temperature - His Basking spot is around 79-80 and middle of the cage is around 77-75 and bottom of the cage is in the 60s. I use 2 digital thermometers.

◦ Humidity - My humidity is too high I recently got a dehumidifier and I get it to drop to the low 50s finally but before it would be in the 60s for daytime. His nighttime humidity is around 77-85% I mist 3 times a day one during the morning, Short one in the afternoon, and one at night. And I use a reptifogger at night. I use a digital Humidity gage.

◦ Plants - I am using a Weeping Ficus, Money Tree, Spider Plant, Parlor Palm, Pothos

◦ Placement - It is on a table in the corner of my room.

◦ Location - Redondo Beach California

He didn't shed at all in the month of August and I am getting really worried as he didn't eat much at all yesterday even though I put crickets in his feeding cup and I did see him stretching out his skin quite a bit but I'm still pretty anxious and hoping he sheds soon.



Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
 
I cleaned his cage on Saturday as well and added A lot more vines and a plant just to change it up for him and have more places for him to explore. He loved it the first 2 days but yesterday he was stressed all day. He had a dull Olive Green skin complexion.
 
Update: just ate a cricket out of his cup. He dosen't seem to like me watching him eat anymore whenever I turn away I can sometimes hear his tongue hit the screen any possible way to get him to trust and feel comfortable around me? Sorry for asking so many questions on here all the time, This is my first cham and I'm just trying to learn everything I can.
 
I suspect passing sperm plugs is an odd sensation for them. I wouldn't be too concerned about a day of odd behavior around that event. Even changing a single plant in the cage can put them off for a day or two.
I leave his UVB on for about 10 hours on and 10 hours off.
I assume this is a typo and you meant 12 and 12. Otherwise your husbandry is on track. I've cut back my supplement use I now only use the Repashy one day per week and use a mix of plain calcium and bee pollen the other 2 days. I feel once they are fully grown they have lower requirements. If your lighting is good and you gut load reliably then it could be too much of a good thing. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone without linear UVB bulbs.
I have chameleons that will strike food items before I can get it in the feeder and others I only here strike as I leave the room. If he wasn't hand raised he may take longer to trust you.
My adults only seem to shed 3-4 times per year and then it's only a partial most of the time.
 
Yes correct I meant 12. 9 am-9pm is his light schedule. I use Carrots and Bug Burger to gut load all the bugs except the Hornworms, Waxworms, and Silkworms.
 
Update: he ate some crickets this morning and 2 more while I was in school. I think it was just stress yesterday little dude gave me a heart attack.
 
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but you said you have a reptisun 13watt. That’s a compact uvb bulb not a linear. As far as I know, there are no 13watt linear tubes. If this is the case, you should probably get a linear t5 uvb bulb. I think Jackson’s do well with a 5/6% uvb. Just so we’re clear, a compact fluorescent bulb screws into a regular bulb socket; a linear fluorescent has two pins at each end and is a long tube. Please advise on whether you are using a screw-in uvb bulb, or a linear bulb.
 
Here are my lights the one in the back is a LED light for the plants the one in the middle is a heat lamp (I never have it on due to the basking spot being the perfect temp without it). And the on one the front is my UVB Light.
 

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