grumpy?

[Abba's Amanda]

Sometimes when I first go in the room Enzo seems quite dark to me, but I don't know why. No one is in there with him so I don't know why he would be upset. I am posting two pictures. One of his color when I first walk in the room when he is dark, and the second picture is after I was videoing him for a few seconds and he got mad and turned bright

.
My question is whether I am over analyzing the first darker color, and he is fine or if I should be worried that he is that dark.

 

[Graves923]

From my observations of my chameleon the dark usually means hes anxious or stressed. Usually happened when I am cleaning his cage or first start misting him then he relaxes and turns bright green. I wouldn't worry to much about it.

How do his urates look? I ask because at first glance his eye seems sunken in but that could most likely be the camera angle.

 

[Abba's Amanda]

Yes, he sucked his eyes in when he got mad.
His urates are normal.

That's the thing - nothing is happening when he gets dark! I just walk in and he's already dark. I'm trying to figure what he's saying to me, but I haven't figured it out yet. I was wondering if he is just perpetually grumpy. B/c when he wakes up in the am he's light colored, so I know that is not his sleeping colors, but are resting colors and sleeping colors that different?...

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

They will somethimes darken while they are basking to absorb heat more efficiently. My boy almost always gets darker when he's under his light.

 

[Abba's Amanda]

Thank you so much for responding and taking the time to post a picture too so I could see! Yes! that is just what Enzo looks like! I got another heat lamp to warm up his cage a bit and he hasn't been as dark....although part of that I think is bc he is super mad bc I took him out of his enclosure the past two days to give him eye drops. He bit the tar out of thumb today, but maybe he'll be in a better mood tomorrow...hope springs eternal! Thanks again for pisting that pic for me to see!

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

Thank you so much for responding and taking the time to post a picture too so I could see! Yes! that is just what Enzo looks like! I got another heat lamp to warm up his cage a bit and he hasn't been as dark....although part of that I think is bc he is super mad bc I took him out of his enclosure the past two days to give him eye drops. He bit the tar out of thumb today, but maybe he'll be in a better mood tomorrow...hope springs eternal! Thanks again for pisting that pic for me to see!

I always hope that my girl will be in a better mood, lol. She never is. My boy is the happiest easy going little dude, though. And your baby didn't bite you, that was a chameleon kiss!

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

Is it when your first come in to turn on the lights? Because I've noticed sometimes my chameleon can be a real grouch about his beauty sleep.

 

[Abba's Amanda]

No actually his colors are beautiful and calm in the morning. I think it was the heat bc he hasn't been as dark since I bought that extra heat lamp.