Gizzy on tank floor and displaying dark colours

[sallyb]

Hi,
I am really worried about Gizzy and wondered if someone could help me please ? She seems to be eating, drinking etc as normal and she is not exhibiting this behaviour all the time. When i get up in the morning she comes out to warm up as normal and is lovely and green, i feed her and she eats well even losing her patience and chasing the crickets if they done come past her. In the afternoons for some reason she is climbing onto the tank floor and turning dark spots/stripes. Is this normal or is she ill ? I didn`t think she would lay on the floor being arboreal.

I have attached some pics and some close up of her legs and would be grateful for opinions on whether you think there is a problem or not. At present she is still in the glass tank until her new home arrives in a few days. I mist her 2-3times a day for several mins and she is drinking. Her crickets are dusted with calcium supplement and gut loaded with a shop bought product with vitamins etc. Humidity is 50-80% and basking temp of 85f. She also has a croton (live) in her enclosure and a white candescent bulb for heat and uv 5.0 repti glow tube. She feeds in the morning and is eating between 12-16 crickets per day. Hope that`s enought info.

 

[sallyb]

Sorry - pics here

Sorry i forgot to attach the pictures with my post.

 

[RachelRiot]

Fill this out. It will help them a lot.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[Miss Lily]

Sally,

Don't know what to suggest really, but your little girl is beautiful! Lily briefly had black spots once when I first tried to introduce water from a rodent bottle! How old is she? Is that carpet on the bottom of your viv? Just thinking that Lily goes quite dark when she's on our carpet - maybe she doesn't like the texture?

Could your cham be scared of something? Do you have a plant other than the croton that she can climb in, like a ficus? She could hide in one of those if she wanted to.

Is there something that happens in your house in the afternoons? Maybe a dog/cat coming into the room? Maybe she can see her reflection at certain times of the day when the sun moves round? Just a few ideas.

Fill out the 'How to ask for help' form that RachelRiot posted. Hopefully someone more experienced will add their comments soon! Could you post a pic of her viv too? That may be useful.

 

[veiledchamguy]

Your female has what looks like severe MBD (metabolic bone disease) or a badly broken limb a trip to the vet IS IN ORDER! IF YOU WANT YOUR CHAM TO SURVIVE!

And she doesnt look gravid IMO.

 

[Julirs]

Your female has what looks like severe MBD (metabolic bone disease) or a badly broken limb a trip to the vet IS IN ORDER! IF YOU WANT YOUR CHAM TO SURVIVE!

And she doesnt look gravid IMO.

What is making you think this? Her legs look straight to me.

 

[royden]

I don't personally see any signs of mbd.

 

[smyth]

u say shes in a glass cage at the moment, a complete guess here with not knowing any other info i would say shes getting too hot , u need a cool end to ur vivarium and if uve got a glass tank this will be hard to get, i do hope uve got a thermostat or else it will be like an oven in the tank. also what is the name of the calcium supplement you use?

 

[veiledchamguy]

What is making you think this? Her legs look straight to me.

Umm it just looks flimsy and weak I dont know for sure but it just doesnt look right..

 

[sallyb]

Thanks Miss Lily we think she`s gorgeous. She was 13 weeks old on Monday and we have had her since she was 6 weeks.We do not have any other pets and don`t really do anything different in an afternoon we`re baffled by this new behaviour. She seems to lay there for a while and then get up and go onto her plants etc within 5 mins of these pics she climbed back into the greenery and turned her usual green again. She does only exhibit these colours whilst on the reptile carpet and is green the rest of the time. She had seen her reflection in the glass and really did not like it It is possible she could be getting too warm, but we keep a constant eye on the temp and vent it well too. Her new home will arrive soon as i said so that should resolve these things.

She is walk fine and does not seem troubled by her legs at all and enjoys climbing her fiscus and other plants. She also loves human company especially when there`s a veil tickle in it for her. Perhaps i am just worrying too much - as i write she is sat next to me in her ficsucs, lovely and green and content.

 

[sallyb]

oops - sorry, i use the komodo dust for dusting.

Thanks to everyone for the opinions and suggestions, we will keep a close eye on her.

 

[Teresa]

She could be afraid of her reflection in a glass tank. I agree the temp in a glass cage could get really high.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Does Komodo dust say it is suitable for Chameleons? I use Calypso calcium dust as my main dusting material.

 

[smyth]

i think komodo dust is meant to be 99% calcium so shud be ok, only reason i asked is that alot of people from uk use nutrobal as their calcium supplement which isnt good.

 

[sallyb]

Yes it says its good for chams, the guy in the pet shop suggested it - probably the only thing he did adivse me well on though

 

[Kosmo]

the pictures don't show any robins egg blue on her, but she does look a little chubby around the gut. She might be down at the bottem looking for a place to lay some eggs if she gravid... might be worth a shot,
Mind you she is still young, best suggestion is to keep an eye on her and if she starts to look worse, vet trip

 

[kinyonga]

It would be a good idea to put an opaque container of sand in the cage so she has a place to dig in case she needs to lay eggs.

I don't really see any signs of MBD....but its strange that she just lays on the floor like that.

Also...crotons are listed on the toxic list in some cases....has she or the insects eaten any of it??

Sorry I'm not of much help.

 

[sallyb]

Thanks i`ll put a laying bin in just in case, i thought with her being just over three months old that it was too soon, but worth a shot. She had just eaten 6 huge crickets before laying down there and this evening looks nice and slim again.

She doesn`t eat the Croton thankfully and i don`t think the crickets are eating it either, but i think just to be sure i will do away with it and replace it with a Hibiscus instead.

 

[lampshade]

People like to drop the MBD here a lot even though they don't know what the diagnoses is. Drop in a pot of soil, see if she lays some infertile eggs. Some just drop dud clutches even if they haven't been with a male.

Your female has what looks like severe MBD (metabolic bone disease) or a badly broken limb a trip to the vet IS IN ORDER! IF YOU WANT YOUR CHAM TO SURVIVE!

And she doesnt look gravid IMO.

 

[Fred]

What is ur lighting sched? Do all lights go out at night? Is ur thermostat digital? What kind is it? Some are very inaccurate, at least the first one I purchased compared to a digital with probe was very different. I would fill out the questionaire, at least the parts of it u haven't already answered. Pet stores are well known to give wrong advise as u already know!! I don't think it is good shes going to the floor but it may just be because shes in an aqaurium, myne spent time walking on the bottom when he was in one, if u get the new enclosure (aluminum screen I hope with nice vertical dementions) and she still goes to the bottom- I would say that there is a problem, for now it just might not have alot of options vertically. I would get that plant out if it is posionous!! Hibiscus, panthos and fiscus are great!!Oh and umbrella trees too!!