Eyes Closed

[hi106]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Jacksonii Jacksonii, three days, and he is 5 months old
* Handling - Haven't since I got him
* Feeding - He hasn't eaten yet
* Supplements - I have calcium, calcium w/d3, and a multivitamin
* Watering - Mist king, 10 minutes, 3, 3, 3, 10.
* Fecal Description - Hasn't pooped yet
* History - Got him on Thursday. He was doing fine before he was shipped. Just wondering if he is still getting used to his new setup or not.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - 6'x2'x4'. It's split in the middle. I have two chams.
* Lighting - Have a 5.0 repti glo uvb florescent, a florescent shop light, and a 40 wat housebulb. Lights on at 8, off at 8:40
* Temperature - Basking (81ish), ambient is about 73-76, night is 65-70
* Humidity - 40-60, depends how close it is to a misting session
* Plants - All live, small ivy plant, two pothos, and a yucca
* Placement - Located in my bedroom, little to no traffic during the day. I check on them everynow and then but I just look. The cage sits 1.5 feet off the ground
* Location - Kentucky!

Rarely opens his eyes. He crawls all over the place but doesn't open his eyes. Why? Hasn't eaten since I have gotten him but I figured he was still adjusting, he drinks regularly. He seems healthy. I got him for a forum member and he was doing great before he got shipped. I am hoping he is just still adjusting but it worries me cause he doesn't open his eyes.
Any help would be great!

 

[kinyonga]

IMHO its not good that he is walking around with his eyes shut....but I don't know what's going on with him.

You said you have two other chameleons....are they all in separate cages?
Can they see each other?

 

[hi106]

I have one other one. They have no way to see each other. The divider in the cage is solid wood and they don't even try to get through it. I don't even think they know the other one is there.

 

[kinyonga]

Is the UVB light a spiral or compact or the long linear tube light?

 

[hi106]

its a 24 inch, tube light. He is hardly ever near lights. He always is hiding under a plant. The lights might be to bright? I don't know..

 

[kinyonga]

That's what I was wondering. I don't know what you mean by a shoplight either.
How do you offer him the food?
I'm wondering also if where he is sitting in the cage its too cool?

 

[hi106]

Like the long lights you have in a shop/garage, It's just two 48 inch florescent tube lights. I have the same setup for my other jackson but she is about a year old and she loves it. I have tried sitting a bowl under him with them in it and having branches 2-3 inches about it, and also hand feeding, holding te cricket in front of him and wiggling it.

 

[kinyonga]

Have you tried just free ranging the insects?
Have you tried different insects?
I use double fluorescent fixtures but I put the UVB light in one side and a regular household fluorescent in the other half.

What's the temp where it sits most of the time?

 

[hi106]

Kinda.. There is a flower pot that he likes to crawl in and I let a couple go in it. Still no interest. And I have only tried crickets. But he never opens his eyes to see them..

 

[kinyonga]

I added a couple of questions to the last post.
If you can't figure out what it is I wouldn't wait too long before I take him to the vet. Its not good that he walks around with his eyes shut IMHO.

 

[kinyonga]

It could be something like parasites too especially if its wild caught.

 

[hi106]

He was doing wonderful before he was shipped. Eating and no closing eyes. It's about 75 where he likes to chill and it's always in the shade. He was Captive breed.

 

[kinyonga]

You could try bumping the temperature up a bit and see if that makes a difference....but not too much.

 

[hi106]

I moved the basking light a bit closer and I'm afraid to get it any closer. I am just gonna wait out the weekend and hopefully he is just adjusting to his new enclosure. If he hasn't improved Monday morning I will be scheduling a vet visit.

 

[kinyonga]

I hope it won't be too late!

 

[hi106]

My biggest concern is that he hasn't eaten. I would be a little better if he ate a few crickets, don't have to be a lot.. Just something.

 

[Elizadolots]

Hi.

Thank you so much for including the form in your opening post. I consider that to be very polite (after all, it's a sticky!) and courtesy is nice.

We're talking about 24 hours, right? I'm just making sure I understand the situation.

Can you see both eyes when he's walking around? Or are you seeing one you think is closed and assuming the other is as well?

Can we see pictures?

**edited to add**

You might want to buy a higher wattage bulb for his basking lamp. I keep my Fisher's basking temp in the 78-81 range. He usually spends an hour or two up there before going down to the cooler realms.

 

[hi106]

I only assume it's 24 hours, when the lights are on his eyes are closed. I poked his tail today and his eyes opened and he looked at me, then went back to his eyes closed. I worked all day today and my mom told me he moved around a lot but his eyes were always closed.
This is the only picture I have of him.

 

[kinyonga]

Are the crickets the right size for him?

 

[hi106]

This is my cage, his is the right side of the picture, my other cham is the left. He always hangs out in the bottom left of the picture. There are vines, and a locket shelf that the vine sits on that he crawls around on.