Female Veiled - 2-3 months old. Constant brown color.

S

Skullcrow

New Member
Hello everybody!

I purchased a female veiled chameleon back in December. She was tiny so I am assuming she was maybe a month old when we got her. I bought her and her setup from petco ( dumb I know ). She currently is housed in a glass terrarium with air slots all around the cage. I know this isnt the best cage for her and I plan on upgrading to the mesh cage with a ficus in about a month or so. I have seen her shed twice within the time of having her. She eats anywhere from 8-10 small crickets a day, 2-3 meal worms and a few fruit flies as desert. She poops about once a day, maybe once every other day. I do powder the crickets and worms in non d3 and give her Flucker's Liquid Vitamins once every two weeks.

Here's a picture of her about 2 weeks after we got her.

http://s192.beta.photobucket.com/us...0_811129775_n_zps4b808891.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

I keep the cage at around 80 degrees and the humidity will range anywhere from 50%-80%. I live in CO and its really dry here so it's tough to keep that at a constant. I did go out and purchase a mister that auto mists every 3 hours for 10 secs. This keeps her cage at those levels. I have a sand pit in her cage for when she begins to produce eggs, its about 8 inches deep. She constantly watches me on her basking perch and is very active. She chases down the crickets swiftly, climbing over all of her branches and such. I use 2 26w 120v UV Reptisun bulbs. They are not the tube, they are the ones that look like the energy saving house bulbs. Since it's CO I use a RedGLO heat lamp at night to keep her temp around 70.

My issue is that she used to be a beautiful green color and overtime she just has stayed this brown branch color. Not sure if that is normal. Do I just not have enough foliage in her cage? Is this normal for a female around this age? Any help would be much appreciated, not sure what I am doing wrong besides the glass cage.

Here's a pic of her today right before breakfast time.
http://s192.beta.photobucket.com/user/joshsms14/media/chame_zps4e169ba2.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
 
the brown could be from stress, maybe 80 is a little high if
she is less than 3 months.
the nighttime lamp, is there any light emitted?
she can def go lower than 70 at night, so maybe that is not needed?

review this info...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

and fill out this info and a more experienced keeper will help out...

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
 
Hello, welcome to the forum :) Your little girl seems very sweet....I agree that the temps might be a little high, but that shouldn't make her darker.
The red light at night could be disturbing her sleep, even if she has her eyes shut she has a parietal eye on the top of her head which can detect light. If your temps drop below 60F at night a ceramic heater or a space heater would be much better.
If you are using 2 compact uv bulbs that might be too intense. You only really need one uv bulb.
 
The night lamp emits a red glow. I was running two UVs at the start but I stopped because I read the same that it could be too much and it hasn't changed a thing. Going to buy some more greens for her tomorrow to hide in, maybe that could make her less stressed. I will post pics of the cage tomorrow.
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled - Female - Assuming 2-3 months - Since Dec 5th.
Handling - I try to handle her when I feed her fruit flies to make care and holding a positive thing. Once a day for Fruit fly feeding.
Feeding - I feed her small crickets, small meal worms and fruit flies. crickets and worms are dusted in non d3. I feed her usually as soon as I get up and let her cage warm up. This is always before noon. I gutload crickets with veggies such as carrots, collards and apples. I also use Flucker's dry oats and their water gel. 8-10 crickets, 2-3 meal worms and about 5-8 fruit flies.
Supplements - Reptical with D3 about 2-3 times a week.. then Repti without D3 everyday. Like I said I feed anytime in the morning before noon.
Watering - I live in Colorado so it's quite dry here. I went out and bought a mister. It mists every 3 hours for 15 secs. If I notice it is a tad dry I will manually mist. She likes to prey on the water droplets that fall on the glass siding. Assuming that is her way of drinking haha.
Fecal Description - Large brown/black followed by a smaller white piece. Sometime the white doesn't exist.
History - She gets her black stress marks whenever I stick crickets in the cage. She hunts them down swiftly.. not sure if this is just her getting excited or if her food is really stressing her out that much.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass - 18x18x24
Lighting - I use 2 26w 120v UV Reptisun bulbs. They are not the tube, they are the ones that look like the energy saving house bulbs. Currently I am using a Since it's CO I use a RedGLO heat lamp at night to keep her temp around 70. I usually turn everything on around 9am and her lights usually go down around 9pm.. a little later if I have to close at work. Should I get automated off/on timers so its more consistent? Currently I believe I am using an exo terra 50 basking bulb. It pushes her temps to about 80.
Temperature - about 80-82 in basking and on the floor its at 72 at this moment. I use little exo-terra thermometers.
Humidity - I have a mister.. not 100% sure which one but it works well. It mists every 3 hours for 15 secs. It shoots her up to 90% humid then it decreases to about 60 before the next misting.
Plants - Currently no I am not using live plants. I use two large pieces of wood for her to climb up and its draped in the fake foliage.
Placement - It is located in my room. Not as active as other rooms. She is on a desk which is maybe 3 feet above the ground. Should I put a green blackground on the glass on three sides of her cage? Maybe there's just too much going on in the room. I notice she is constantly watching me and looking at things outside the cage.
Location - Colorado Springs, Colorado - US.

Current Problem - My chameleon is a constant brown color. She only turns green when she is sleeping so I am assuming she is stressed out over something. Anyone else have this issue and figure out how to solve it? Today I am going to go to the store and buy some more green for her cage. Possibly she just needs more places to hide and climb?
 
First, remove the nght light.
Its not needed, and they can take temps dwn to the low 50's at night.

I currently let my baby veields(all less than a month old) get down to about 58 at night, and they are all just fine.

Next- how much foliage is in her cage?
If she cant hide well, she could be darker because shes scared.

Also my guys have gone days with beinga brownish color, and there was nothing that could have been stressing them out.

the calicium with d3 should NOT be used that often, more like 2 times a MONTH.

you shold only be using ONE uvb bulb, and one baskin bulb (which can be a regular house bulb, not the energy efficient one)
 
Stopped by my local reptile store.. picked up some more foliage for her.

Alright I wont use the D3 as much. took out the heat lamp and added a house 25w, this is keeping her temp to about 73-75 and I wont use the night lamp anymore.

I took the 2nd UVB bulb out so now there is only the one UVB. Thanks or the advice ill keep you all posted.

http://s192.beta.photobucket.com/us..._1457353551_n_zps6b859b40.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
That is a picture of her cage and how much hiding she has.

http://s192.beta.photobucket.com/us...8_425951613_n_zpse8fcb267.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
Picture of her lighting. Basking 25w house lamp and a ReptiGLO 5.0 UVB 26w
 
If the 80Fish is the basking temp that is ideal. It looks like a very good setup to me, I expect she'll do very well. Everything about her apart from the colour seems good so hopefully the extra foliage will help......I can't think of any other reasons......
 
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