Darker Than Usual. Possible problem?

[KingNow]

Hello fellow cham owners.


Here is his info.


Chameleon Info:
• Your Chameleon – Ambilobe, M, 4 ½ months. I’ve had him since May 1, 2011
• Handling – I never handle him.
• Feeding – I feed him 20 – 30 crickets a day. I use the flukers orange cubes to gut load.
• Supplements – I use Flukers Calcium with D3 once a week. I use Rep Cal MultiVit once a week. I just read about calcium without D3, I ordered some since no store around here carries it. (It is 2 week shipping, should I buy some calcium spray to use in the mean-time?)
• Watering – I water him every few hours via misting. He usually drinks right away.
• Fecal Description – He has normal, dark stools. He usually “poops” about once a day. Sometimes the feces is still connected to where you can see the shape of his bowels. He appears to have a very healthy digestive system. The feces also has a white tip usually.
• History – Before his last shed, he had some eye problems. His eyes were shutting and not opening on and off for about a week. I started using saline solution and he got better after his shed last week.

Cage Info:
• Cage Type – Screen cage 18x18x36
• Lighting – I use a Repti Glo 5.0 for UVB, and a regular 60w household bulb for heat. In the past I used PowerSun 100w for UVA/UVB/Heat, but I just stopped yesterday.
• Temperature – I have a digital thermometer/hydrometer. His basking spot is right at 83F. It gets down to around 70F at night.
• Humidity - The humidity is always really low. I have struggled with this. Today the humidity was down to 6%, but I think it may be a hydrometer error considering the fact that I have a humidifier blowing right into the cage.
• Plants – I have 1 pothos, 1 bamboo tree, and 1 croton.
• Placement – The cage is right by a window. I usually keep the blinds closed. There is a vent on the opposite side of the room. I keep it closed.
• Location – I live in Winston Salem, NC.

Current Problem – He has been staying a dark green color with black bars lately. (as I will show in the photo). He occasionally turns vibrant red/orange/pink/blue/lime/yellow but only for a few minutes, then he goes right back to being dark green with black bars. He usually turns vibrant orange when he sleeps, but tonight (after the installation of the new Repti Glo, he is sleeping much darker.)
I have noticed in everyone’s photos and videos from youtube that panther chams are typically vibrant all the time. I am concerned that being dark all the time may be a sign of a health problem or him being unhappy.
Any advice on this?
Also, should I use the calcium spray until the powder arrives?


Here is the pic of his current color.

Here is a pic of him semi-vibrant

 

[carol5208]

I wouldnt worry too much about his color. Have you tried taking him outside for some natural UVB to see if his colors change? I would definitely be gutloading your crickets with more than flukers orange cubes. Use fresh fruits and vegetables. Use oranges for hydration and gutload. I do not know about using the spray on the crickets if that is what you mean. I am sure it would be fine if the crickets can take being sprayed with it. My chameleon is much older than yours, but he does not have very vibrant colors at all when caged up. He really turns pretty when I get him outside in the sun or just outside of his cage in general.

 

[KingNow]

He really turns pretty when I get him outside in the sun or just outside of his cage in general.

I have not taken mine outside yet. He gets nervous when I attempt to pick him up to take him outside. Any tips on getting him out? Should I just grab him?

By the way, your chams are beautiful.....

 

[carol5208]

thank you! I just have the one in the avatar though! I have held back from getting multiple chams but it has been hard not to! Anyways, I would open the cage door and get a large tall potted plant and stick that infront of the door and kinda shove it in close where he can climb onto it. If he does, then I would take the plant outside with your chameleon on it. Just make sure you watch him at all times, as they can disappear quickly or could fall prey to a bird or something. You gotta start working with him on handling. It will be very difficult to do so in the future if you dont start now. I also used a stick to get mine to climb onto. It worked for me, but some people do not agree with that method as it can intimidate your chameleon. oh, DONT grab him!

 

[KingNow]

oh, DONT grab him!

I have heard that was a bad method. I got him from a LLL Reptile booth at a show, and the breeder said that it was best to grab them. I guess he was saying that since he didn't have to keep them
Im going to go with the stick route tomorrow. Thx.

 

[carol5208]

I just think if you grab him then you take a risk of getting bit. You might not have time to react quick enough to get your hand out fo the way. I have never gone that route but that is just me. The stick method really worked well for me. I just kinda shoved the stick under him and he climbed on. Once I got him out on the stick, I sat down and set the stick on my lap and let him crawl around on it or me. Little by little he gained my trust. I would do it everyday for like 5 minutes and just keep increasing the time I kept him out of the cage. The plant worked good too. I found my cham much more approachable in the plant as opposed to being cornered in the cage.

 

[Cainschams]

Panthers arent vibrant all the time. Infact, if they are content they will be darker colors and not so spectacular. They turn the bright colors when excited (feeding, breeding, defending territory etc). You need to work on getting a better gutload regimen and also raise his basking site. It is summer and he can feel the season outside, even if in a room closed off to everything. To take him outside just have a cage that is easily moved from inside to outside. This will cause less stress plus you can leave him out there and not worry. When housing outside you want to make sure they have a very densely planted enclosure and shade from a tree. A fecal wouldnt hurt. He looks just a wee bit skinny. Not bad though.

 

[KingNow]

You need to work on getting a better gutload regimen and also raise his basking site.

I am using a 60w house bulb. It is about 3 inches from his bask....should I go up to a 75w?

Would the Flukers High Calcium cricket diet be a better GL?
I will have trouble keeping constant veggies and fruits for the crickets.
Any suggestions, friend?

 

[VeiledChams]

I am using a 60w house bulb. It is about 3 inches from his bask....should I go up to a 75w?

Would the Flukers High Calcium cricket diet be a better GL?
I will have trouble keeping constant veggies and fruits for the crickets.
Any suggestions, friend?

What you should do is raise the lamp.. you're gonna burn him having it so close. Have a 90 degree basking spot, doesnt matter what size bulb, but have it at least 12 inches above him. Having it so close is going to burn him. a 60w bulb at 3 inches is going to provide a LOT of heat.. try keeping your hand under it for an extended period of time and tell me it doesnt burn..

 

[Elizadolots]

Panthers arent vibrant all the time. Infact, if they are content they will be darker colors and not so spectacular.

That's what I thought...I sort of think a boring looking chameleon is a content chameleon and a really amazing looking chameleon is a pissed off chameleon....boring is a sign that you're doing things right.

(It's all part of the counter intuitive nature of the beasts....normally, a pet with peeling skin, eyes that point in different directions that hates it's owner would be considered sick...for a chameleon, that's all good)