Chameleon Shedding Behavior

[ChamDE86]

I noticed yesterday that my panther chameleon was getting ready to shed for the first time since I've had him. Today I found him stretched out trying to get everything loose. I upped his misting a bit to help assist in the process. He did not eat anything as expected, but is still drinking as normal. My concern, and it's probably nothing, is that he went to his usual bedding spot 4 hours early and closed his eyes to sleep. His normal routine is 2 hours prior to lights out. I have the lights set from 7PM-7AM. I'm thinking the shedding process may have tired him out, but wanted to be certain since closing of the eyes during the day is a big no-no no matter what

I've looked up some previous threads on shedding and couldn't find an answer. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[carol5208]

I have never witnessed any of my chameleons going to sleep earlier because of a shed, but that is not say it has never happened to others. I would just keep an eye on his behavior over the next few days and see how it goes. Don't freak out just yet!

 

[ChamDE86]

I'm not too worried at the moment and will definitely keep my eyes on him more the next couple of days.

 

[ChamDE86]

My guy (or girl) after completing the shedding process. Kind of looks like the chameleon version of Number 5 from the movie Short Circuit. If anyone is willing to take another stab at whether my cham is a male or female, I would really love to know for certain....