Is he healthy?

[aramis32]

He eats well but skin looks white around the head... is this normal?
Humidity controlled at 80-20 degrees gradient.

i had a female dying last week so being overly cautious

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I see you've been here a week or so...
Have you done a husbandry review?

 

[kinyonga]

Smokey you lost your female.
Please post a couple more photos so we can see all of him.

 

[aramis32]

Smokey you lost your female.
Please post a couple more photos so we can see all of him.

Ill do this tomorrow now he is sleeping.

whats a husbandry review?

 

[kinyonga]

Last post should have said sorry...how did it become smokey?!!

Husbandry review...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

 

[MissSkittles]

So sorry that you lost your girl.
A husbandry review is you answering the below questions (copy & paste) so an experienced member can look it over and make sure all is correct for your little man. Often times it’s difficult to find correct information on keeping chameleons, so it’s very easy to make mistakes. If you include pics of your enclosure, including lights and floor, it would be of even more value.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[aramis32]

Last post should have said sorry...how did it become smokey?!!

Husbandry review...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

Thanks it was traumatic. She was egg bound. She passed away at the vet.

 

[aramis32]

So sorry that you lost your girl.
A husbandry review is you answering the below questions (copy & paste) so an experienced member can look it over and make sure all is correct for your little man. Often times it’s difficult to find correct information on keeping chameleons, so it’s very easy to make mistakes. If you include pics of your enclosure, including lights and floor, it would be of even more value.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled, male, 6 months with me. He is 7.5months old.
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? About twice a week for 2-5 min on my hands.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Used to be crickets, dusted every other day with calcium, lately (the past two months) locust fully adult, i left the locusts in the enclosure so they were eaten/dieing over time. No supplements from the 10th of march to last weekend. I started again with crickets and dusting every day. He eats a little, maybe one or two medium crickets a day.
• 
  
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Reptiles calcium with D3. no other sups or vegs
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I buit a rain system on the ceiling of the enclosure, no misting. For the past 6 months it was raining 2L of distilled water every day at 3pm. There are three hygrometers in the enclosure showing a gradient of humidity from 80% to 20%. This week i increased to 5L. I didn't see them drinking a lot as i am not at home at 3pm often, but when it rains the leaves around the chameleon are all wet and remain like this for 1h or so.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Black faces with white bit at the end. seem solid. Never tested for parasites.
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. He was kept with his sister until last week when she passed.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? home made, turned an ikea wardrobe into a terrariums. Acrylic front.
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Arcadia jungle UVB. 12h a day shifts. They are placed near a window so get a bit of natural light as well.
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Three thermoters, one under the heat lamp (32C), one at the opposite end (21C) and one in the middle of the ficus (22C). Overnight it is the same as the enclosure in the living room but the heat lamp is on for 6h a day only.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? as per above.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Ficus, and ivy live.
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? corner of living room, next to window, second floor, no traffic outside, fans.
• Location - Where are you geographically located? London.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Used to be crickets, dusted every other day with calcium, lately (the past two months) locust fully adult, i left the locusts in the enclosure so they were eaten/dieing over time. No supplements from the 10th of march to last weekend. I started again with crickets and dusting every day. He eats a little, maybe one or two medium crickets a day.
• 
  
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Reptiles calcium with D3. no other sups or vegs

Supplements & schedule could use some tweaking. Most of us are using 3 supplements as below.
An easy way to keep the supplements straight:

1. Pick a day of the week (I supplement on Sundays when I do major cleaning).
2. Every supplement day, alternate between calcium w/D3 and multivitamins. I mark the calendar ahead of time each month so I don't mix up supplement days.
3. Every other day of the month, dust w/ calcium w/o D3

• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I buit a rain system on the ceiling of the enclosure, no misting. For the past 6 months it was raining 2L of distilled water every day at 3pm. There are three hygrometers in the enclosure showing a gradient of humidity from 80% to 20%. This week i increased to 5L. I didn't see them drinking a lot as i am not at home at 3pm often, but when it rains the leaves around the chameleon are all wet and remain like this for 1h or so.

How about at night? The 80% would be better then, but I don't see how this would happen with only misting/raining once per day. Another option for nighttime is a fogger.

Daytime humidity target should be around 50%±

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? home made, turned an ikea wardrobe into a terrariums. Acrylic front.

Dimensions? Ventilation? Is it fully bioactive?

• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Arcadia jungle UVB. 12h a day shifts. They are placed near a window so get a bit of natural light as well.

Just be aware (if you're not) that UVB is blocked by glass & acrylic.
I see at least one dome—what's in that?

• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Three thermoters, one under the heat lamp (32C), one at the opposite end (21C) and one in the middle of the ficus (22C). Overnight it is the same as the enclosure in the living room but the heat lamp is on for 6h a day only.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? as per above.

Are all the thermometers/hygrometers analog (dial type) as in the pic? Dial types are notoriously inaccurate—can be off by 20°/20%. Digital hygrometer/thermometers with probes are preferred/recommended. Combo units are about the same price as thermometers.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=digital+hygrometer+with+probe&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Ficus, and ivy live.
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? corner of living room, next to window, second floor, no traffic outside, fans.

We're looking for height here as well. Chameleons are most comfortable when their basking area is at or above eye level. Yours appears lower, which could be remedied by placing it on a stand or table.

I think I see some fake vines(?) Some types are not good if they flake, or veiled chams take a bite—possible impaction hazard. Alternatives would include live vines, e.g. wandering jew, philodendron, pothos—all grow quickly and are chameleon safe.

Here are 3 lists of chameleon safe plants from reputable sources:
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
https://www.madcham.de/en/pflanzen-fuers-terrarium/
https://www.chameleons.info/l/safe-and-unsafe-plants/

 

[aramis32]

How about at night? The 80% would be better then, but I don't see how this would happen with only misting/raining once per day. Another option for nighttime is a fogger.

Daytime humidity target should be around 50%±

I can check more in the middle of the night but in the late evening it is 80-90% before i go to bed. There is mourned 20 cm of soil and it is all moist so probably releases humidity a lot.

Dimensions? Ventilation? Is it fully bioactive?

1.15 m wide, 59 cm deep and 1.5 m high. yes fully bioactive with springtails and earth worms in the soil.

Just be aware (if you're not) that UVB is blocked by glass & acrylic.
I see at least one dome—what's in that?

heat lamp there. the UV long bulb is attached on the ceiling, the acrylic is the outer door, the UV is not blocked by anything and shines right above the plants.

Are all the thermometers/hygrometers analog (dial type) as in the pic? Dial types are notoriously inaccurate—can be off by 20°/20%. Digital hygrometer/thermometers with probes are preferred/recommended. Combo units are about the same price as thermometers.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=digital+hygrometer+with+probe&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

One analogue and two digital, the screens are behind the water bottles on the roof of the enclosure...

We're looking for height here as well. Chameleons are most comfortable when their basking area is at or above eye level. Yours appears lower, which could be remedied by placing it on a stand or table.

I can't place it higher than eye level... the enclosure is of a fixed height and not sure how to get it higher.

I think I see some fake vines(?) Some types are not good if they flake, or veiled chams take a bite—possible impaction hazard. Alternatives would include live vines, e.g. wandering jew, philodendron, pothos—all grow quickly and are chameleon safe.

yes three fake vines from amazon... two have a metal wire inside and the cham loves it. they don't flake from my observation.

Here are 3 lists of chameleon safe plants from reputable sources:
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
https://www.madcham.de/en/pflanzen-fuers-terrarium/
https://www.chameleons.info/l/safe-and-unsafe-plants/

He ate lots of dusted crickets today, i was just wondering on his white skin on his head... is this normal? i don't know if it is clear in the picture.
thanks for all the advice, i will look at dusting with more supps as you suggested

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

1.15 m wide, 59 cm deep and 1.5 m high. yes fully bioactive with springtails and earth worms in the soil.

Size is good.

One analogue and two digital, the screens are behind the water bottles on the roof of the enclosure...

There should be an intake near the bottom to create a chimney effect with ventilation. It wouldn't take much. A linear vent—a 2.5cm x 1 m near the top of that panel below the doors, backed by window screen would be enough. Looks like there's room.

I can't place it higher than eye level... the enclosure is of a fixed height and not sure how to get it higher.

Up to you; I'm just relaying current wisdom.

One of the most effective ways to give security to a chameleon is to arrange it so they can perch high up. If you are able to set their cage on a platform where their perch is at or, better, above eye level of the humans walking around, your chameleon will feel much more secure. Even with a perfect cage interior, resting the cage on the floor is the quickest way to have a nervous chameleon.​

Perch height will determine how well your chameleon will tolerate people and pets milling around. It is amazing the difference being above the action will make.​

https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-cage-placement/​

There are always ways. There are such things as table leg extensions, but putting it on top of a coffee table might do the trick as well, and give you a little space below if you ever need drainage or storage.

He ate lots of dusted crickets today, i was just wondering on his white skin on his head... is this normal? i don't know if it is clear in the picture.

Looks OK to me. Is it possible he's getting ready to shed? As they age, they shed in parts instead of all at the same time like when they're younger.

 

[aramis32]

Hum thanks for the tips, i will look at all of this, starting with the dusting schedules.

thanks a lot

 

[kinyonga]

Thanks it was traumatic. She was egg bound. She passed away at the vet.

In another thread titled Pregnant, you said..."I took her to the vet yesterday amd they said shes wasnt egg bound but needed calcium and injected her with it"...you need a new vet for the future.

 

[aramis32]

In another thread titled Pregnant, you said..."I took her to the vet yesterday amd they said shes wasnt egg bound but needed calcium and injected her with it"...you need a new vet for the future.

yes it was horrible, it was a sunday vet who said she needed calcium to have energy and release the eggs. i took her home and the next day she layed lots of eggs so i was happy. the following day she was lethargic and i took her to another vet out of town as all the ones in town had no room to take her. she passed away in the afternoon. traumatic.