Help! Dried excretement

[HarleyGirl]

I just found my male panther cham with dried yellowy white stuff on his butt. It's stuck there. What does that mean? His daily activities seem to always be fine. The only thing I noticed is that every now and then this week he was closing his eyes earlier than when the lights go off. It kinda came out of nowhere.
He's been drinking water, so I don't think he's dehydrated. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Lost Lake Chameleons]

Please post a picture, but most likely it is a sperm plug and nothing to worry about.

 

[HarleyGirl]

The hard chunk fell off, but there is still a piece dangling. How do i upload a pic from my desktop? When i click add pic it wants a url.

 

[Zoey]

Upload the picture to Photobucket and paste the IMG code if you can't figure out how to upload directly onto the site.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

It sounds like smegma (sperm plug). If you can upload a photo, that would be great. It is normal for males to shed this fairly regularly from within the hemipenes area. Comes out their vent, usually when they poop, and normally they wipe it on a branch. But often a portion of it remains in the vent and so the rest dangles outside. When this happens you can take a tissue, hold the dangling part, and pull the rest out. It is not a problem unless the smegma hardens within the vent and becomes a hemipenal plug. To determine this you gently feel their vent area and along the area where the tail meets the vent. Everything should feel fairly soft and bulbous, and should yeiled, slightly, to the touch. If there is an ugly crusty bulge at the vent, or a very hard and unyielding area behind the vent, then you may have a problem.

 

[Chamero]

Ive hear about these sperm plugs and I also have a male veiled. I was wondering about what age do they happen. Anyway, your description and was thorough and graphic. I almost cringed reading it.

 

[dodolah]

Ive hear about these sperm plugs and I also have a male veiled. I was wondering about what age do they happen. Anyway, your description and was thorough and graphic. I almost cringed reading it.

when they hit juvenile age.
they are equivalent to teenage boy starting to get ... y'know.
it's a sign showing your chameleon boy is growing to be a man.
mine just start having one last week (he's about 6 months)

normally, the plugs will come off by itself..
on some cases, the plugs will need to be moved.

 

[HarleyGirl]

The good news is I brought him to the vet and she says he's fine. He is 2 yrs. old so I think he's beyond the juvenille stage.

Here's the pic anyways....

https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=3586&catid=member&imageuser=2708

The pic shows what was left dangling after the hard orangish dried chunk fell off.
She said he might just have not been drinking enough from the fountain or leaves lately, so I have to keep on eye on him and make sure he drinks more water. I just don't get why he closes his eyes every now and then. Anyone know if that just might be b/c he hasn't been drinking as much?

Other than the fact that he needs more water, she says he looks really good. Strong bones, good skin, no mouth problems, etc... she checked everything.

 

[Lost Lake Chameleons]

SPERM PLUG for sure!!!

 

[HarleyGirl]

Thanks everyone. The vet never really said it was a sperm plug for sure or not. How often do cham's get this?
And do they get this until a certain age or always?
How do I know if it all fell off correctly? By this, I mean how do I know if any is stuck inside still?

 

[dodolah]

Thanks everyone. The vet never really said it was a sperm plug for sure or not. How often do cham's get this?
And do they get this until a certain age or always?
How do I know if it all fell off correctly? By this, I mean how do I know if any is stuck inside still?

that looked like sperm plug.
It's a healthy indication that your boy is becoming a man.
From now on, he will always keep producing this.
You will start seeing some on the vines, leaves, etc..
it will usually fell off by itself.
Adding misting or warm shower can help.