Color Question

This little guy is from an early summer 2022 clutch. He used to be bright green but has changed to this pale brown for a few weeks now. I’ve searched to no avail for explanations so I figured I’d ask here.

Thanks for any insight and guidance you can provide.

Previously displayed color for reference.
 

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What is the hatch date? Can you post some more pictures please? Is it being housed with other chams?
 
Don’t know the specific hatch date, it was in June of last year. He is housed by himself, although we have other Chams. They can’t see one another.

I don’t have any other pics at the moment, and not sure why they are needed….. just wondering if anyone had any insight as to why the color change.

Kindly. ☮️
 
What are your temps and humidity? Can you post some pics of your enclosure, including lights? What are his colors when sleeping? Is he always brown like that?
 
He is housed outside in southwest Florida. I have attached photos per your requests.

The lighting is included in the pictures. ☀️

The pic of him was just taken, and as stated above he has changed to this color without changing back for close to two months now.

Lastly, this weeks forecast provides the needed humidity and temperatures. 🌡️💧🌦️

Oh. He gets feedings of dusted crickets (~10) daily with no D. Calcium, Multivitamins twice monthly, and vit a supplement once monthly. We hand mist his tank twice daily when it’s not raining.
 

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Love your sense of humor! 😄
Can you handle some more and possibly stupid questions? Are you positive he‘s a veiled chameleon? Did you by any chance obtain him from a wild area? Could he maybe be an Oustelet’s? There used to be a population of them in the wild here in FL, but it either is completely gone or close to it.
 
I am a tad cheeky at times. LOL.

He is one of the two offspring we have from our rescued cham Sola. She laid eggs and died shortly after. So I am pretty sure he is a veiled based on that but she was wild caught and we only had her for a few weeks before she died. She was obtained in the Labelle area just northeast of Fort Meyers. I attached pics of Sola for reference.

His husbandry is well maintained and stable. Its just weird as brown isn't a common or usual color for them.

He just finished a shed yesterday, and I recognize he's stress patterned in the pic above this morning....it was because i was all up in his space lol.
 

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Oh…ok. I remember your sweet girl and her passing. 🥺
She was a veiled. I know Oustelet’s and veileds can look similar with the casque, but they are brown as far as I know. Veileds are primarily green and when relaxed can be more grey than brown. Let’s see what @kinyonga thinks about it all. She knows so very much and perhaps has run into this before. @jannb is also super experienced and may have input too.
 
So I was asking for pics because for the age, the baby is quite small. Is it a male? Shape, tail base, and casque look more female to me.

Color could be due to the environment... Having higher heat in the day in direct sun without enough plant cover.
 
We do recognize he is a bit small. We have two others from another female that are twice his size. His feedings and supplements have been on point, hubby is a frogger and you know how anal they can be about supplements... lol

We upgraded his space about four months ago (although a lot of the top cover has died back and needs to be bulked up).

During the hotter days we cover with shade cloths and mist more often.

I will double check shortly but in the recent past he had visible spurs...but that may be the reason (s)he is brown.... Oh boy the 13 year old may not like that change lol.

Thanks for all the insight, I am sure there is a reason, I am just failing to see it.

Will post pics of back of legs in a bit.
 
Just taken pics. Hopefully clear enough to discern sex.
 

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Here is Phoenix and before you give me crap, his new tank is being built. :)
 

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Sorry, I am on the defensive today due to issues not with Chams.

The sibling has remained green, no changes in color for him....

I do see a difference in their casques now that Berman pointed it out. Perhaps the spurs on Leaf (brown guy) aren't actually spurs?
 
Just taken pics. Hopefully clear enough to discern sex.
Yeah this one looks like a little girl to me. No bulge on the tail, casque is petite, no tarsal spur on back of hind feet. Although she has tiny little ones that would make you think male. But sometimes females do have these little ones but it is rare.

And Phoenix looks to be female to me as well. Small casque for age, not showing male banding, no bulge on tail. Below are tarsal spurs on a 7 month old male.

I mean I could be wrong... But I have never seen males that age being so small and not showing male coloring already with a decent little casque and spurs.

Tarsal spur1.jpg tarsal Spur2.jpg
 
Yeah this one looks like a little girl to me. No bulge on the tail, casque is petite, no tarsal spur on back of hind feet. Although she has tiny little ones that would make you think male. But sometimes females do have these little ones but it is rare.

And Phoenix looks to be female to me as well. Small casque for age, not showing male banding, no bulge on tail. Below are tarsal spurs on a 7 month old male.

I mean I could be wrong... But I have never seen males that age being so small and not showing male coloring already with a decent little casque and spurs.

View attachment 334646View attachment 334647
Thanks. Have to go break it to my boys that they have girls! Lol. Thanks for all your help everyone!
 
she could be browning up to get more heat. they do this sometimes mine gets a darker green when she is trying to get more heat. you might want to make lay bins she could be gravid. I hope this helps I am not an expert just going by what I've learned.
 
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