Hello I'm new I have a very important question.

[Tommyguntaylor]

Hey, I have a Nosy be panther chameleon. He is a juvenile(about 7 months old). Now, I know that their coloring does not develop for some time. Abraham's coloring is very drab And dull sometimes. Then he'll get his brighter blues, all different shades. For example, today he is very dark. Even with human interaction (usually even if I put my face near the cage he'll get excited). I have heard some say a dull colored chameleon is happy, calm. Or cold, upset(but wouldn't an upset chameleon be bright colors?like when they are mad?)Others say that the brighter colors mean he's happier or mad. I want to show pictures of him in all different stages of colors but I need to find my memory card first. So he has a supplemented variety of food, ventilated cage, both lights, misted, regularly cleaned, you know, the whole bit. Everything the breeder told us to do (also got Abraham from a reputable breeder and have seen pics of his parents). He eats, drinks, sleeps, doodoos. So guys help a noobie cham forum gal (my b.f. Has had plenty of chams, never a panther)out is my little baby upset?sick?or just showing a very, very wide range of colors(the dark color I'm worried about is like almost the color of a Tree branch, white stripe still, black bars sometimes, still underlying blue,green -ok I just picked him up he turned to his normal excited / pissy blue green juvenile color. Is he just in ultra chill mode when he's that color?
Thanks so much, please please w.b. I worry so much! And I'm glad this forum seems a lot better than others I've seen some with a bunch of people that don't know what they are talking about try to help about a million other people who say their chameleon is dying bc they didn't do the proper research before they got one. So sad. Anyway, I don't want to be on here in a week saying he's dying ! So help! By the way he has been here with us since July 12

 

[summoner12]

My panther male, when young, had nice colors but mostly only when sleeping... Most of the time he was pastel colored. After he met a girl.... his colors became more vibrant even just during the day without any stimulation from another male or female.

Also when chameleons are young they will have a drab gray to them because they are constantly growing and shedding.... so when close to a shed you'll notice a cloudy look to the skin.

In general I think you'll have to learn the chams moods based on color....... I think it's easy to say popping colors are an 'unhappy' or 'bothered' cham. More calm colors are just a 'chilled' or 'relaxed' cham. I tend to notice more black or dark colors when my chams aren't happy. My male panther is very very relaxed most of the time. He only 'pops' when he is checking out his GF.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

My faly only fires up when hes outside or if his gf is in site. Otherwise he just stays a nice overall chilled out teal blue color. But if I let him go out his turrets pop yellow and blue and he just radiates colors.

 

[draetish]

One more thing to note is that chams will turn darker to absorb more heat so make sure his basking spot is 85-90 for panthers. It's a good idea to have different levels of limbs under the basking light so the cham can decide.

 

[Tommyguntaylor]

Thank you guys very much for answering, made me feel a bit better. Yes he has several lengths of branches. I'm kind of concerned that maybe , since they
Like to be so high up, that his spot on a desk could be bothering him? Seeing too much action? He usually is that pastel type blue green. Then the brights. Let's see his color has been better since earlier. I was also thinking maybe he is to close to the vent to the a.c.? I mean even with his heat. But, we do turn both the heat and the a.c. Off at night but maybe it's still too cold to turn his heT off? But I read an article that says the lights for them should be turned off, and even when its daylighht saving time to make sure they stick to the same lights off schedule lol. So I tried to get a bulb especially for nighttime, to make sure he would stay warm, got zoomed the right watt and it melted my damn light fixture! Theni read an article about only giving them (I can't remember if it said at the least or at the most). 12 hours of heat And UVB a day. What do you guys think? He's pretty happy seeming besides this. Maybe he will shed but seems more of a brownish but my friend here says grayish so who knows. But he thought blue was black the other day. He hasn't shed it ...about 3 or more weeks. It was awesome he ate his skin lol. Peeled it right off his own side lil freak lolllll

 

[Tommyguntaylor]

Maybe I should do an experiment, move him from his desk spot, also not within 7 feet of the a.c......you said the thing about the branches, which he has but maybe he is too close to the a.c.....if it blows near him it probably wouldn't matter that he has his heat light on. I'm not going to leave the lig on at night though till I talk to you guys more. I leave his on most of the day when it's nice I bring him out. His colors are crazy beautiful when we go out. My ipad dying w.b. Bye thanks guys

 

[draetish]

I cover my cages at night like you do with birds. It keeps any drafts off of them and if you have to turn on the room light it won't bother them.

 

[Manik6]

Yes definately take him away from the a.c. Like mentioned before monitor his temps till u got em right. As for the lights, get a digital timer from home depot. $20. Dont get it at a pet store. Way over priced. Then set it for a 12 hour schedule. 7 to 7, 8 to 8 whatever. And no need for lights at night unless your temps go below 65.

 

[Manik6]

And as for your light fixture, make sure u get the proper wattage capacity. if the fixture is rated for 75 watts, dont get a bulb over that.

 

[Tommyguntaylor]

Okay. Yeah I thought I stated that my light fixture is proper for his bulbs( except for that weird bulb I got that one time-the right wattage but it melted the fixture and it wasn't left on long at all). Anyway, I put a sheet over his cage when he first got here more, to cover all the distractions. I'll try that again. He is looking a lot better bc we moved him....but I think I found the true culprit. SOMEONE wanted to save money on electricity so would turn the heat lamp not the basking off after a little while because they figured it would be hot anyway because the a.c. Isn't on too much and as you know it's hot as he'll lately. So after I found this out I , let's just say I had a talk with the heatburglar. Lol. Abrahams color is better. Thanks so much though! Great answers.

 

[Tommyguntaylor]

Oopps forgot to ask- the auto light thing ...it goes onto the light fixture I already have? Turns both heat n basking bulb on and off at the same time? That's awesome....

 

[Symbiot]

Tommy, I feel you on that. I have had my parents turn the heat lamp off multiple times even after I've told them that chameleons need heat in order to digest and function throughout their daily lives. I know keep the chameleon inside a big enclosure outside so I don't have to deal with this anymore. The Florida whether is perfect for him, he loves it.