Help! Head is black?

[Alexlozi]

I'm not sure what happened, I fed my chameleon tonight, and he ate just fine. I went through our normal routine, the temperatures are fine, and he seems content, his tail is curled and he's sleeping; but his head has started to turn black? I'm not that experienced so if anyone can help me out, i'd appreciate it!!

 

[Chameleonlove5]

Mine does that at weird times to so don't feel bad.

 

[Cait0420]

Did you give butters? Some chams are allergic, two of mines heads/ one of their sides went black after the first time I fed butters and was told it's allergies

 

[xephyr17]

It could be allergies but if you haven't ever noticed him doing that before (with the same feeders) then it probably isn't that.

They just change colors randomly sometimes. I've seen my chameleon turn completely solid brown before. They just do as they please ;P

 

[sharp229]

I haven't seen that before, although allergies would make sense if you fed him something new. He didn't rub or hit his head on anything or get too close to a bulb? What kind of supplementation (dusting) do you use?

If you could fill out the following form and post pictures of the full enclosure it could help rule out any issues:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

 

[Trace]

I would definitely revamp your cage and remove the moss and add some more cover. That said, the black areas you are seeing are perfectly normal colours for a Veiled and not caustic burns from butterworms.

 

[carol5208]

I totally agree with Trace on everything she said, especially your cage set up. Can we see pics of the whole thing?

 

[Defianceofexistence]

Loki my 1 year old male veiled does the exact same thing when he sleeps...I've added a picture....its not as dark as it sometimes is but you can still see it

 

[Alexlozi]

it's gone this morning, i'm not sure what it it was!

 

[Alexlozi]

I would definitely revamp your cage and remove the moss and add some more cover. That said, the black areas you are seeing are perfectly normal colours for a Veiled and not caustic burns from butterworms.

Thanks for the reply, i'm curious as to why I should remove the moss? If you think it's a good idea, I definitely will. I'm just curious haha.

 

[Alexlozi]

It could be allergies but if you haven't ever noticed him doing that before (with the same feeders) then it probably isn't that.

They just change colors randomly sometimes. I've seen my chameleon turn completely solid brown before. They just do as they please ;P

I did feed him some wax worms that he's never had before last night. Do you think he's allergic? Should I keep feeding them to him?

 

[Alexlozi]

I did feed him some wax worms that he's never had before last night. Do you think he's allergic? Should I keep feeding them to him?

 

[Defianceofexistence]

Its normal.....I don't feed Loki wax worms and his diet has always been the same, as you can see from the pic I uploaded to my last reply he does it to.....your little one is perfectly fine

 

[Trace]

Thanks for the reply, i'm curious as to why I should remove the moss? If you think it's a good idea, I definitely will. I'm just curious haha.

I know that moss can help boost humidity but it can pose an impaction risk if he accidentally eats it. It’s not as bad as other substrates (bark, soils etc.) and it would most likely pass through so I’m not adamant about people removing it. Just pointing it out.

I haven’t gone through some of your past threads so that might be a temporary enclosure but certainly adding a few more plants (real is preferred but fake will work in a pinch) will make for more hiding spots and make your guy feel more comfortable.

Here is our Chameleon Care Resources with caging and decorating tips. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

Have fun with your guy. He’s very handsome.

 

[Alexlozi]

I know that moss can help boost humidity but it can pose an impaction risk if he accidentally eats it. It’s not as bad as other substrates (bark, soils etc.) and it would most likely pass through so I’m not adamant about people removing it. Just pointing it out.

I haven’t gone through some of your past threads so that might be a temporary enclosure but certainly adding a few more plants (real is preferred but fake will work in a pinch) will make for more hiding spots and make your guy feel more comfortable.

Here is our Chameleon Care Resources with caging and decorating tips. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

Have fun with your guy. He’s very handsome.

alright, thanks for the help!!

 

[Devokid]

Thanks for the reply, i'm curious as to why I should remove the moss? If you think it's a good idea, I definitely will. I'm just curious haha.

It can cause impaction, is a breeding ground for bacteria, and keeps the humidity too high for veileds.

 

[xephyr17]

You can keep trying to feed wax worms but if he keeps doing that when you feed them to him, I'd check with a vet that specializes in Chams...

You're not really supposed to feed a cham wax worms very often, though. Like twice or three times a month, max.