impaction questions

[PukaKeha]

I cannt seem to find much about inpaction. I have tried pulling stuff up on the net but most of the time it just says such and such can cause inpaction. The reason I ask is because two days ago I was doing some yard work and noticed my girlfriend picking up bugs out of the flower beds and feeding them to my jackson's. I didnt think much of it. I have seen her pick small caterpillars off and he loved them. The next day the pet store had some silkworms so I brought some home because he loved them so much the last time, but he just stared at them, so I tried crickets and he wouldnt eat them either. Today I have been trying again with silkworms, crickets, and phoenix worms. He ate one small phoenix worm and just stared at the rest. Trying to figure out why he was acting so wierd I asked my girlfriend what she fed him and she told me a baby grasshopper and some rolly polly bugs. Do the sow bugs or pill bugs (I know they are different but dont know which is which) cause inpaction. If thats the problem what should I do about it?

 

[PukaKeha]

Oh I allmost forgot to include that the last two times I went to check on him he was standing there with his mouth hanging open. Dont know what that means but I have never seen him do it before.

 

[Nami]

I'm not sure about impaction, but I would not recommend feeding your Chameleon Sowbugs or Pill bugs in the future. They are not insects; they are crustaceans and can live five years or more. Depending on where they have traveled they can carry pesticides and do excrete a chemical to ward off preying insects. They are not a very healthy treat, but they may not be what are causing your Chameleon's problems.

 

[PukaKeha]

If they may not be whats causing the problem do you have any idea what might me?

 

[spuds]

When was the last time he pooped? What color is he? If they get too hot they will open their mouths to help cool down. At the same time they will usually be a lighter color. I'm guessing that it helps to reflect sunlight.
Try giving him a shower. It will help with either the heat or if it is impaction it can help him pass what ever is blocking.
He might just be coppin some attitude. They do that after a couple of weeks in captivity. I notice that the first few weeks are the easiest. They accept food more readily. Maybe because they never had food come by so easily. Then after a while they seem to get bored.

 

[spuds]

Oh yeah. I made three misters yesterday. Really easy. I'll send you some pics of the construction and finish product.

 

[kinyonga]

Why do you think he's impacted? Has he pooped in the last day or so?

The pill bugs and the sow bugs are the same family. Right or wrong, I call the ones that roll up pill bugs and the ones that don't sow bugs. These bugs are not considered to be pests and are capable of removing heavy metals from soil.

Here is lots of information about pillbugs...and quite a few creatures eat them.
"Woodlice are also consumed readily by many small mammals such as shrews, which may easily consume over 100 per day if they can find them, as well as by many small birds."
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/woodcare.html

I have heard that some of the grasshoppers can be toxic for chameleon....but I don't know which ones.

It bothers me that he is standing with his mouth open.

Wish I had an answer for you.

 

[PukaKeha]

Hopefully he is just pissy. Here is a picture of the mouth thing and it shows his color. I dont know if you can tell anything from the picture though.

 

[spuds]

First time I saw that look on a Jack was when a kid tricked it to eat an M&M. That doesn't look like a pissy mouth. Looks more like a I'm not comfortable look. Like he has a bad taste in his mouth. Mines had that same look last year when I gave her one of those stripped cockroaches that smell like perfume. She was like that for a couple of days, but was fine afterwards. Did he maybe try to eat a bee, spider, scorpion and got zapped in his mouth (not too likely, but hey). Does he look healthy otherwise? Any other unusual behavior? Does he drink when you water? Jacks might pass up food, but on warm days like we've been having he shouldn't be passing up the H20. Does his tongue look unusual (besides being long and having a suction cup). If he doesn't look like he has any labored breathing, upper respitory problems then try misting him.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

If he is keeping his tongue at that position, forward towards his open mouth, he's got a problem. His tongue should be fully retracted and tucked away. Swelling or some other blockage may be keeping it from returning to its normal position. Post more details of just what has been going-on with his tongue over the last day.

 

[PukaKeha]

So I went out this morning and Rufus had his mouth closed was acting normal. When I opened the cage for food he stretched towards me and climbed up my arm so I decided to take him over to this big vine that is crawling up the other side of the house cause it would give him some freedom from the cage and it would be easy for me to walk away for a bit and still be able to track him down. I came back after awhile and he was acting like I have never seen him act before. He was swinging his head side to side in a really jerky motion and was a super bright green color. I thought maybe he was just super happy to be out of the cage or something but he kept doing the head jerking and moving his way real slow up the vines. I checked back again and noticed there was a female up in the same vine and she was black as could be swinging her whole body back and forth and Rufus just kept climbing towards her. I ran for my camera and of course it was dead so I throw it on the charger and get the girlfriends camcorder...dead too... Im going to keep an eye on him close today and watch for strange things with the tongue, and let you know anything else wierd I see. Thanks everyone.
Ryan

 

[DraftDayz]

Another female in that same vine? You live in Hawaii i take it?

 

[PukaKeha]

Yeah I live upcountry in Maui

 

[kinyonga]

The female in the tree was telling your male she is already gravid or non-receptive by her coloration and actions...and your male was showing his interest in getting together with the female by his behavior.

 

[spuds]

Sorry to hear Rufis has taken some PTO. Hey here's the old school method we used to catch Jacksons. Find a male, tie a brightly colored ribbon around his waste (you will use this to keep track of his movements) and let him go in a likely jackson tree, bush. He'll spot them before you do and lead you right to them. Just watch his movements and let him go get them out of hiding. Sooo unfair! Works everytime. Attention all, if your a true cham lover you won't use this to make an extra buck. Cham lovers only... please.