About 2 weeks ago i purchased a male jackson's chameleon. not sure on age but guessing young adult. the first day i had him he did a little exploring of his screen terrarium but has since been very lethargic. he hardly ever moves and seems to have his eyes closed most of the time. He is no longer brown as he was the first few days, but nice light green. I have not seen him eat or drink, though i have a waterfall and mist frequently to keep humidity up and i offer him crickets and mealworms, dusted in ReptoCal calcium/vit D3 supplement. i do not handle him often. i dont believe i have any husbandry problems, being that i have a female jackson's chameleon in another terrarium that is very happy and healthy. i think he might have been especially stressed at the pet store because he was in a tank with 1 or 2 other male jackson's temporarily. Pet store guarantees physical health, being free of disease and parasites. should i be concerned that there is something really wrong with him?
lethargic new jackson's chameleon
- Thread starter Ali
- Start date
MyJacksonHarvey
New Member
Fill out the how to ask for help form (right above your post), and you will have helpful info soon!
ChamChick
New Member
Hey there,
The best thing for you to do in this situation is to fill this out:
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.
Any pics are also helpful...
I do see a couple things that are off with your husbandry just by that little bit of info, so please fill that out so we can help you further...
ataraxia
Avid Member
im a bit of a pessimist. better get a fresh feces to the vet asap for examination. first make sure your husbandry is as good as it gets. proper temps, lighting, enclosure, hydration and put it as high in the room as possible. eyes closed usually a sign of illness..... parasites, dehydration, lack of nutrition, organ failure, cold and so on.
jacksons like it cool with high humidity
Cage:24x24x48' SCREEN cage lots of rope, vines and live plants if you can. live plants will help with the humidity. make sure you cover the soil with screen. put cage as high up in the room as you can. not near any vents, fans or windows.
Lighting: 5.0 reptisun or reptiglo linear tube (length depends on cage size)/house hold bulb for basking. the house bulb watt will depend on how far your nearest branch is from the light and your ambient room temps.
***change uvb bulbs every 6 months.
Temps: basking temp around 78* / ambient temps 72* measure by digital guages.
Hydration: manual spray 2-5 minutes/2-3 times a day. provide a dripper.
Feeders: gutload (24 hours before feeding) with fresh veggies and fruits and once a week with sticky tongues gutload. Crickets, mealworms, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, dubai roaches, reptiworms, BB flies.
are you familiar with syringe feeding at all? if not maybe a vet/vet assistant can help you for the first time. it is rather simple but can still go wrong.
jacksons like it cool with high humidity
Cage:24x24x48' SCREEN cage lots of rope, vines and live plants if you can. live plants will help with the humidity. make sure you cover the soil with screen. put cage as high up in the room as you can. not near any vents, fans or windows.
Lighting: 5.0 reptisun or reptiglo linear tube (length depends on cage size)/house hold bulb for basking. the house bulb watt will depend on how far your nearest branch is from the light and your ambient room temps.
***change uvb bulbs every 6 months.
Temps: basking temp around 78* / ambient temps 72* measure by digital guages.
Hydration: manual spray 2-5 minutes/2-3 times a day. provide a dripper.
Feeders: gutload (24 hours before feeding) with fresh veggies and fruits and once a week with sticky tongues gutload. Crickets, mealworms, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, dubai roaches, reptiworms, BB flies.
are you familiar with syringe feeding at all? if not maybe a vet/vet assistant can help you for the first time. it is rather simple but can still go wrong.
