Is this stick supposed to turn this color?

[jajabis]

I recently purchased my first chameleon. His name is Bruce and he is a Nosy Be Panther.


So far, I have a ficus + some vine plant that is supposed to be okay growing at the base.


My issue is with the stick that I paid around $50 and wasn't supposed to mold "told by multiple store staff". I expected mold easily with keeping the humidity up and such. But this seems bad. I recently removed the branch and cleaned his cage with water vinegar.

I also removed all the substrate and have just the glass on the bottom.


cage is 36” x 18” x 36”.


Is my branch supposed to look like this?


The lighter color is what it looked like when I purchased it.


Because I live on the 16th floor of a high-rise in Minnesota. I purchased a mist-king system to keep the humidity up in his cage. Sometimes when I come home, it’s been around 40-50%. I Spray him 3x a day + have a dripper.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

The stick is of no concern, but the substrate on the bottom is of real concern. Get rid of the bark substrate and don't put any substrate in the bottom.
Collecting fresh branches, cut from oak, maple, hickory, or virtually any deciduous tree is much less expensive and more practical than $50 at a pet store.

 

[Goose502]

Branch looks fine, setup looks pretty good to me. I agree with the above comment, get rid of the bark looking stuff. I use a very similar setup for my panther, I suggest using a bioactive approach. It works great for me. I've grown moss and grass as a layer to keep my Cham from accidentally eating any dirt.

 

[jajabis]

So the branch is fine even if it looks like mold and I get black powder on my hand when removing it?
It certainly looks like mold. I've just read about panthers having issues with getting respiratory infections and worry with him being in a glass cage terrarium.

I don't think i'll be able to grow moss/grass in my cage as I don't have any possible drainage. My cage is the large/x-tall exo-terra.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

That definitely looks like mold to me, Bruce has enough to climb without the brach so I would err on the side of caution! Remove it and scrub it, I would soak use a 5% bleach solution and make sure that you rinse it really well.

 

[Goose502]

So the branch is fine even if it looks like mold and I get black powder on my hand when removing it?
It certainly looks like mold. I've just read about panthers having issues with getting respiratory infections and worry with him being in a glass cage terrarium.

I don't think i'll be able to grow moss/grass in my cage as I don't have any possible drainage. My cage is the large/x-tall exo-terra.

If you think it may be mold, I'd scrub it. As far as drainage, I use the same cage. I've never had drainage issues. The water gets soaked up by the plants. I use a drainage layer of volcanic rock, I monitor to see if there is any standing water. I mist often, and still have to water the plants with about a gallon every couple weeks. With all that water, I still have never seen standing water or mold anywhere. Read up on bioactive vivariums, that system works amazing in the exo terra cages.
As far as upper respiratory tract infections, I've not had any issues. If things are set up right, the warm air from your basking light will create a natural current, pulling fresh air in through the bottom vent, and sending it out the top. I constantly spot clean, when I do this I inspect with my nose. A stagnant enclosure will smell nasty, mine has always smelt like I was in the forest. Plus, I keep my thermostat in the house pretty low, the glass enclosure keeps the temp and the humidity very precise.

 

[Jay3479]

Looks mouldy to me not sure what's ok about that first few comments said it's fine but mould is not fine 4 u or your Cham

 

[Extensionofgreen]

If the branch is molding then the branch itself is not the issue. You need more ventilation. By all means clean, boil, or bleach the branch, but mold spores are all around us, in household dust, in the air, everywhere! You might consider one or 2 of the HUF fans sold by lightyourreptiles.com or invest in a screen cage, with adequate ventilation.
Stagnant air and a high amount of mold will cause respiratory issues, but they are typically indicative of one another and a bit of mold on a branch happens from times to time. If that's the only branch that is molding, maybe a bleaching will resolve your problem and the ventilation is adequate, since you state the humidity is fairly average. That bark bedding is breeding all sorts of potentionally infectious bacteria and mold that will cause respitory issues and an impaction risk.
My suggestions are outlined above. Bleach the branch and evaluate the amount of airflow. A screen top can prove to be not enough ventilation, without vents and/or fans drawing in fresh air from below.