Growth stunt

[CosmicJokes]

Hello everyone, I’ve been a bit worried for my panther chameleon his name is sonic and he’s about 9 months old. when I first had him he was a bright mint but since he’s gotten older his colors have turned to pretty much tan. The biggest issue I’m having with him is his growth. He is about 8-9 inches five or take and is weighing 52 grams. I know that’s pretty light for a chameleon and lately he hasn’t been eating as much.

He has a mist king misting system his temps are about 80-85 basking and I even got him a bigger cage any advice would be greatly appreciated and I’ll show some pictures

 

[SteveH]

Your he is a she that appears to be gravid. Females tend to be smaller than males. I recommend setting up a lay bin for her.

 

[CCT Reptiles]

Hello everyone, I’ve been a bit worried for my panther chameleon his name is sonic and he’s about 9 months old. when I first had him he was a bright mint but since he’s gotten older his colors have turned to pretty much tan. The biggest issue I’m having with him is his growth. He is about 8-9 inches five or take and is weighing 52 grams. I know that’s pretty light for a chameleon and lately he hasn’t been eating as much.

He has a mist king misting system his temps are about 80-85 basking and I even got him a bigger cage any advice would be greatly appreciated and I’ll show some pictures

Hey your cham looks healthy however it’s a female. Like steve H said i’d highly recommend setting up a lay bin she shouldn’t be gravy’s unless she was exposed to a male however

 

[CCT Reptiles]

grav

Hey your cham looks healthy however it’s a female. Like steve H said i’d highly recommend setting up a lay bin she shouldn’t be gravy’s unless she was exposed to a male however

gravid

 

[CalamityCrow]

grav

gravid

Hey just FYI that information is incorrect. Veiled and Panther chameleons BOTH lay eggs whether or not they're mated to a male. They're much like chickens that way- the eggs they lay are not fertile. A lay bin is definitely something you need in the cage ASAP... This video will help with that:

Once things are set up and she starts digging, you'll want to leave her alone and don't watch her. They're VERY sensitive to being seen while "on the ground" and the stress of that can keep them from laying. By not having a place to lay, it can cause egg binding and death.

Definitely get on that ASAP! Your girl is lovely!

 

[CalamityCrow]

Hello everyone, I’ve been a bit worried for my panther chameleon his name is sonic and he’s about 9 months old. when I first had him he was a bright mint but since he’s gotten older his colors have turned to pretty much tan. The biggest issue I’m having with him is his growth. He is about 8-9 inches five or take and is weighing 52 grams. I know that’s pretty light for a chameleon and lately he hasn’t been eating as much.

He has a mist king misting system his temps are about 80-85 basking and I even got him a bigger cage any advice would be greatly appreciated and I’ll show some pictures

Welcome!

As stated above, it definitely looks like you've got a female. I posted about the lay bin above, but I spotted that hairy vine in the picture - those can shed particles that are tiny and can often get caught in cham's eyes. Do you mind posting full pictures of your cham, your enclosure (to include the lights on the top) and fill out the following form? This is a great way for the folks here to look through your husbandry and make sure we understand what you're doing, and that'll let us rule out any causes for concern for your cham.

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.

 

[Beman]

Hi there. You will need to set up a lay bin asap... As mentioned you have a gravid female. Which means she needs to lay eggs. Laybins are typically left in the cage so that a female is used to it being there and so she can lay when she needs to. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video.77225/

 

[kinyonga]

welcome to the forum!

Sincerely hope she can lay the eggs….she looks quite large in the one photo and I hope she can still lay the eggs…that it’s not too late.
you need to get a proper egg laying bin in there right away….today…

Please post a photo of your whole cage…lights included.

One more site…

 

[CosmicJokes]

Welcome!

As stated above, it definitely looks like you've got a female. I posted about the lay bin above, but I spotted that hairy vine in the picture - those can shed particles that are tiny and can often get caught in cham's eyes. Do you mind posting full pictures of your cham, your enclosure (to include the lights on the top) and fill out the following form? This is a great way for the folks here to look through your husbandry and make sure we understand what you're doing, and that'll let us rule out any causes for concern for your cham.

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.

My mind is blown all this time I thought she was male and never bothered to actually verify it. But this would also explain ALOT and thanks for all the great info and videos I’ll get started on this right away

 

[CalamityCrow]

My mind is blown all this time I thought she was male and never bothered to actually verify it. But this would also explain ALOT and thanks for all the great info and videos I’ll get started on this right away

Definitely do. The lay bin is an imminent need. Go out to the hardware store and get the play sand and a bin ASAP. Your girl is ready to burst!

 

[CosmicJokes]

Definitely do. The lay bin is an imminent need. Go out to the hardware store and get the play sand and a bin ASAP. Your girl is ready to burst!

Well as soon as I saw your message I was going to get to work making a lay bin and when I checked her cage she plopped the eggs out last night. I’m glad she was able to get them out but is there any further care or steps to take?

 

[CalamityCrow]

Well as soon as I saw your message I was going to get to work making a lay bin and when I checked her cage she plopped the eggs out last night. I’m glad she was able to get them out but is there any further care or steps to take?

How many eggs were there? Does she still look pretty round or does she look like a deflated balloon?

You absolutely should still get the bin set up. It should be a staple in your cage, both so new items don't stress her out and so if she has more eggs coming, she has a good place to go to lay. They usually dig holes and then bury the eggs. That she was dropping them free means she's desperate to lay and couldn't find a place to do it.

 

[Beman]

Agree with @CalamityCrow 100%.

 

[CosmicJokes]

How many eggs were there? Does she still look pretty round or does she look like a deflated balloon?

You absolutely should still get the bin set up. It should be a staple in your cage, both so new items don't stress her out and so if she has more eggs coming, she has a good place to go to lay. They usually dig holes and then bury the eggs. That she was dropping them free means she's desperate to lay and couldn't find a place to do it.

There are 14 eggs in total from what I could see and she definitely is thinner compared to yesterday I feel so bad I had no idea she was a female all this time. Well at least now I can give her a better place to lay eggs.

 

[CalamityCrow]

There are 14 eggs in total from what I could see and she definitely is thinner compared to yesterday I feel so bad I had no idea she was a female all this time. Well at least now I can give her a better place to lay eggs.

14 is probably too few. If you've been feeding her regularly and she hasn't been on "the diet" you could see as many as 40 for panthers. She likely has more to go.

 

[CCT Reptiles]

Hey just FYI that information is incorrect. Veiled and Panther chameleons BOTH lay eggs whether or not they're mated to a male. They're much like chickens that way- the eggs they lay are not fertile. A lay bin is definitely something you need in the cage ASAP... This video will help with that:

Once things are set up and she starts digging, you'll want to leave her alone and don't watch her. They're VERY sensitive to being seen while "on the ground" and the stress of that can keep them from laying. By not having a place to lay, it can cause egg binding and death.

Definitely get on that ASAP! Your girl is lovely!

Ya you’re technically right i just always think holding fertile eggs or after being paired as gravid instead of their typical egg cycle. Thank you for making it clearer

 

[kinyonga]

Can you please post a photo of her from today?