Deciphering Color and how to enhance it.

[Jsanfig]

Id have to disagree slightly. It depends entirely on how it’s done and I haven’t seen or harmed my animals in any way. Also and in regards to color, I understand that colorful reptiles such as chameleons DO have a normally healthy bright colorful skin, it’s almost saying that a dark, grayish is the normal happy color of a green iguana… I’ve seen my chameleons in all their schemes. They have a normal spectrum of changes and also a very distinctive stressed/defensive color scheme… mine display very dark and striking white band across when stressed intensely (which happens very little) or extremely bright colorful and flashy whenever they see my dog, and I can tell you it’s not the same beautiful, relaxed and harmonious blue that he gets when he showers briefly, when he’s eating or when he voluntarily wants to come out to and perch on me… very two different stories.

 

[ERKleRose]

How do you shower your cham? It can be dangerous if not done right and isn't recommended at all. It's really only used with some experienced keepers who keep their chams a little unconventionally. Do you know if your water is filtered enough and/or doesn't have anything dangerous in it? Could you post pics of your cham in his different colorations, please?

 

[Jsanfig]

How do you shower your cham? It can be dangerous if not done right and isn't recommended at all. It's really only used with some experienced keepers who keep their chams a little unconventionally. Do you know if your water is filtered enough and/or doesn't have anything dangerous in it? Could you post pics of your cham in his different colorations, please?

Like I said, that’s something I’ve done only a couple sporadic times and no, it wasn’t boiling hot or even hot at all and yes, my water is filtered, no danger. I didn't mean to get into an in depth conversation about showers as I just tried to make a point with colors, that’s all… Here some pictures of my Nosy Faly.

 

[Mendez]

Id have to disagree slightly. It depends entirely on how it’s done and I haven’t seen or harmed my animals in any way. Also and in regards to color, I understand that colorful reptiles such as chameleons DO have a normally healthy bright colorful skin, it’s almost saying that a dark, grayish is the normal happy color of a green iguana… I’ve seen my chameleons in all their schemes. They have a normal spectrum of changes and also a very distinctive stressed/defensive color scheme… mine display very dark and striking white band across when stressed intensely (which happens very little) or extremely bright colorful and flashy whenever they see my dog, and I can tell you it’s not the same beautiful, relaxed and harmonious blue that he gets when he showers briefly, when he’s eating or when he voluntarily wants to come out to and perch on me… very two different stories.

I agree that a relaxed chameleon isn't grey or black. I'm saying that they are duller than their fired-up colors.

Also, I should have been more specific when describing their language of communication. Like humans, chameleons have different "voices" (i.e colors) to communicate for different occasions/events/situations. Like you said, when they are stressed and fear for their lives, they turn a darker color with stress patterns. When they are ready for combat such as fighting off another male, their colors peak in brightness. But there are also other colors/voices they have. Stress doesn't mean that they fear for their lives. Some stress can be bad but other forms of stress can leave minimal to no impact at all. Handling your chameleon every once in a while would fall into this category where they experience stress, but don't necessarily fear for their lives as you have established trust as their food provider, which has no long-term effect on their health. But this doesn't mean that they can't communicate that. They are always letting you know how they feel.

Since they have multiple voices so-to-speak, they will also communicate the "I don't fear for my life, but I'm still experiencing a type of stress." This is done by the colors that you see when your chameleon is showing bright vivid colors, but not quite fired-up. We tend to correlate these colors with them being happy because they get to explore, but this is anthropomorphizing them. They aren't happy, but they also aren't deathly afraid or preparing to fight for their territory; they are simply communicating the stress they are experiencing. They certainly aren't relaxed. We have to be careful of anthropomorphizing them.

This is a species that has developed color as a way of communication. I think we underestimate how well they have developed this trait. Different stresses result in different colors. No stress will result in basic colors. They aren't dull, but they aren't vivid. This is simply how chameleons have evolved to live. They are solitary creatures constantly on the lookout for predators and prey. They are the closest to happiness when they are in a relaxed state. I wouldn't be surprised if happiness is an emotion they lack.

 

[Mendez]

Like I said, that’s something I’ve done only a couple sporadic times and no, it wasn’t boiling hot or even hot at all and yes, my water is filtered, no danger. I didn't mean to get into an in depth conversation about showers as I just tried to make a point with colors, that’s all… Here some pictures of my Nosy Faly.

Beautiful cham!

 

[Jsanfig]

I agree that a relaxed chameleon isn't grey or black. I'm saying that they are duller than their fired-up colors.

Also, I should have been more specific when describing their language of communication. Like humans, chameleons have different "voices" (i.e colors) to communicate for different occasions/events/situations. Like you said, when they are stressed and fear for their lives, they turn a darker color with stress patterns. When they are ready for combat such as fighting off another male, their colors peak in brightness. But there are also other colors/voices they have. Stress doesn't mean that they fear for their lives. Some stress can be bad but other forms of stress can leave minimal to no impact at all. Handling your chameleon every once in a while would fall into this category where they experience stress, but don't necessarily fear for their lives as you have established trust as their food provider, which has no long-term effect on their health. But this doesn't mean that they can't communicate that. They are always letting you know how they feel.

Since they have multiple voices so-to-speak, they will also communicate the "I don't fear for my life, but I'm still experiencing a type of stress." This is done by the colors that you see when your chameleon is showing bright vivid colors, but not quite fired-up. We tend to correlate these colors with them being happy because they get to explore, but this is anthropomorphizing them. They aren't happy, but they also aren't deathly afraid or preparing to fight for their territory; they are simply communicating the stress they are experiencing. They certainly aren't relaxed. We have to be careful of anthropomorphizing them.

This is a species that has developed color as a way of communication. I think we underestimate how well they have developed this trait. Different stresses result in different colors. No stress will result in basic colors. They aren't dull, but they aren't vivid. This is simply how chameleons have evolved to live. They are solitary creatures constantly on the lookout for predators and prey. They are the closest to happiness when they are in a relaxed state. I wouldn't be surprised if happiness is an emotion they lack.

That’s what I mean! Very well explained my friend! And thanks for the compliment he is gorgeous!

 

[ERKleRose]

He is absolutely stunning!

 

[Jsanfig]

He is absolutely stunning!

Quite a celebrity lol! But he looks a loooot like this darkish green that I don’t dislike, but definitely is not that blue that drives me crazy!
Im on to believe lighting and angles have a lot to do just like with feathers and reflections… also maybe it’s an effect similar to Abronia Gramminea in captivity they kinda lose the intense green and turn ashy grey instead and it has to do with the different uv radiation we provide vs the sun which is incontestable in quality… but hey, we do our best and we Gotta love them in all their stages

 

[ERKleRose]

Absolutely! And I love that he’s taking a little lick of you in that pic! Gorgeous cage, by the way!

 

[Lindasjackson]

He is gorgeous!

 

[Mendez]

That’s what I mean! Very well explained my friend! And thanks for the compliment he is gorgeous!

Awesome, I'm glad we are on the same page! I should have read your post a little more carefully. It's been a busy day. And thanks for the compliment as well!

Quite a celebrity lol! But he looks a loooot like this darkish green that I don’t dislike, but definitely is not that blue that drives me crazy!
Im on to believe lighting and angles have a lot to do just like with feathers and reflections… also maybe it’s an effect similar to Abronia Gramminea in captivity they kinda lose the intense green and turn ashy grey instead and it has to do with the different uv radiation we provide vs the sun which is incontestable in quality… but hey, we do our best and we Gotta love them in all their stages

I think the reason many abronia species lose their color is due to the lack of carotenoids and not necessarily the UVB bulbs. Though I do agree that we still have a long way to go before our UVBs will even come close to the sun.

One subspecies of the jackson's chameleon, the Machakos Hills Jackson's chameleon, was known to have more diluted colors in captivity, but I think that was due to improper care. Bill Strand and @JacksJill have raised captive-bred individuals that are just as colorful as their wild counterparts.

The gutload used may have to do with this since many veggies have a variety of carotenoids. I've also heard of people using Repashy superpig, which has a variety of carotenoids, to help out with color. But I don't think anyone has provided conclusive evidence that the repashy super pig supplement works for chameleons specifically.

That is an interesting thought on camera angle! I don't think my basic phone camera can ever capture the true beauty of a chameleon. When I try to take a picture, it always comes out slightly off!

 

[JacksJill]

Adult male panthers colors wax and wane. If it is not a husbandry issue then it is usually just a hormonal fluctuation. It would be seasonal in the wild but indoors they don't get the seasonal cues they would in the wild and it just happens randomly.

 

[Jsanfig]

Adult male panthers colors wax and wane. If it is not a husbandry issue then it is usually just a hormonal fluctuation. It would be seasonal in the wild but indoors they don't get the seasonal cues they would in the wild and it just happens randomly.

Agreed! I think diet also promotes more healthy appearance like crustaceans do to flamingoes featheres. My sister used to work in a resort hotel that kept flamingoes as part of the local ornamentation and the vets gave them carotenoids supplementation to put color on as they proved that captivity diet as much as tried to emulate the wild one never got the birds to look as bright as their wild counterparts.

 

[JacksJill]

This has been tried in panther chameleons before, there are some very old threads on the subject. You should search for them. If I find them later I will link them.