Lip looks weird

[Lindsayd42]

I noticed yesterday this weird mark on my chameleons lip, it doesn’t seem to bother him, as he is still eating, but I just want to see if anyone knows why it’s there. I saw on here to check the inside of his mouth, but I wasn’t sure what to look for, so I’ll post those pictures here as well.

 

[Beman]

So question. Could it be bug guts?

 

[Lindsayd42]

So question. Could it be bug guts?

He has crickets in his cage when I go to school, so it could be cricket guts.

 

[Beman]

Did it just appear out of no wear or was it there progressively getting darker and or larger?

 

[Lindsayd42]

Did it just appear out of no wear or was it there progressively getting darker and or larger?

It appeared out of no where

 

[Beman]

It appeared out of no where

Well it could be bug guts. But it could be from rubbing against the side of the enclosure. Would you mind taking pics of the cage lights down so I can see if anything stands out? I don't want to give you incorrect advice

 

[Lindsayd42]

Well it could be bug guts. But it could be from rubbing against the side of the enclosure. Would you mind taking pics of the cage lights down so I can see if anything stands out? I don't want to give you incorrect advice

I will do that as soon as I get home from school, I used a q-tip to see if it was something on him the other day and got him this clean(shown in pictures), but it was back again the next day

 

[Beman]

Take some pics when you get home. The fact that it was back the next day could just be more guts. Abrasions don't wipe off clean. But I would still like to take a look at the full enclosure to get an idea on any other possibilities.

 

[Lindsayd42]

Take some pics when you get home. The fact that it was back the next day could just be more guts. Abrasions don't wipe off clean. But I would still like to take a look at the full enclosure to get an idea on any other possibilities.

Pictures of his enclosure, I use glass because it’s very dry here and I don’t want him to not have good humidity when he needs to shed, also, I plan on getting him a bigger enclosure, would the 24”LX18”WX36”H be good?

 

[Syreptyon]

Pictures of his enclosure, I use glass because it’s very dry here and I don’t want him to not have good humidity when he needs to shed, also, I plan on getting him a bigger enclosure, would the 24”LX18”WX36”H be good?

The recommended minimum size for adult male veileds is 24"x24"x48" and I would strongly encourage you to upgrade immediately. That is one of the smallest enclosures I have ever seen an adult male kept in and it looks like he has almost no room for movement whatsoever, the poor thing...

Living in a dry location is no excuse to skimp of size requirements. You can get around this problem easily by wrapping plastic over several of the sides of a screen enclosure

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Pictures of his enclosure, I use glass because it’s very dry here and I don’t want him to not have good humidity when he needs to shed, also, I plan on getting him a bigger enclosure, would the 24”LX18”WX36”H be good?

Oh my! Your poor chameleon is WAY too cramped! He's an adult in a cage the size I keep a 10g Gargoyle Gecko in... If you don't upgrade asap you're going to have one sick chameleon to deal with. And tbh we have enough of those on this site as it is.

 

[Lindsayd42]

The recommended minimum size for adult male veileds is 24"x24"x48" and I would strongly encourage you to upgrade immediately. That is one of the smallest enclosures I have ever seen an adult male kept in and it looks like he has almost no room for movement whatsoever, the poor thing...

Living in a dry location is no excuse to skimp of size requirements. You can get around this problem easily by wrapping plastic over several of the sides of a screen enclosure

Okay, thank you, the place I got him from said he should be fine in the cage for a year but they must have been wrong, do you think this has caused the color on his lip?

 

[Lindsayd42]

Oh my! Your poor chameleon is WAY too cramped! He's an adult in a cage the size I keep a 10g Gargoyle Gecko in... If you don't upgrade asap you're going to have one sick chameleon to deal with. And tbh we have enough of those on this site as it is.

Okay thank you, is a screen enclosure with plastic around some of the edges better than one of the glass ones with the screen lid and vents?

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Okay thank you, is a screen enclosure with plastic around some of the edges better than one of the glass ones with the screen lid and vents?

Yes they need ventilation and humidity. Get a humidifier before getting another one of those cages.

 

[Beman]

Pictures of his enclosure, I use glass because it’s very dry here and I don’t want him to not have good humidity when he needs to shed, also, I plan on getting him a bigger enclosure, would the 24”LX18”WX36”H be good?

Ok hun. So you were given bad advice from the pet store. You are going to want to do a total enclosure upgrade as mentioned already.
These are on sale for a great price on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Rept...y&sprefix=extra+large+reptibre,aps,200&sr=8-1

We can help you with humidity issues and how to combat low humidity. There are tricks for this while also maintaining the minimum size requirements and allowing for airflow.

I would really love for you to fill out this form in total detail. I would like to make sure you were not miss informed about anything else which is very very common.

Your lighting will need to be corrected as well. They got you to buy a compact bulb and he needs a T5HO fixture with a 10.0 bulb. You will want to get a 24 inch fixture to use on the new cage you need to get.

So I think your initial question of the spot is bug guts. Could also be dirt. He is at risk though for multiple issues should he stay with the current husbandry you were told to provide.

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?

 

[Lindsayd42]

Ok hun. So you were given bad advice from the pet store. You are going to want to do a total enclosure upgrade as mentioned already.
These are on sale for a great price on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4KLRQTOX59E&keywords=extra+large+reptibreeze&qid=1555097484&s=gateway&sprefix=extra+large+reptibre,aps,200&sr=8-1

We can help you with humidity issues and how to combat low humidity. There are tricks for this while also maintaining the minimum size requirements and allowing for airflow.

I would really love for you to fill out this form in total detail. I would like to make sure you were not miss informed about anything else which is very very common.

Your lighting will need to be corrected as well. They got you to buy a compact bulb and he needs a T5HO fixture with a 10.0 bulb. You will want to get a 24 inch fixture to use on the new cage you need to get.

So I think your initial question of the spot is bug guts. Could also be dirt. He is at risk though for multiple issues should he stay with the current husbandry you were told to provide.

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?

• Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, around 8 months according to the store I got him from, have had him around 7 months
• Handling - 3-4 nights a week for around 1 to 2 hours
• Feeding - 4 superworms ( if he wants them) and 10 crickets, give them collard greens
• Supplements- calcium without d3 everyday, calcium with d3 twice a month, calcium with multi vitamin twice a month
• Watering - spray bottle 3-4 times a day, 2-3 minutes, not often seen drinking
• Fecal Description - yellow-white color, wet looking, half inch poop, never tested for parasites
• History - Came from small animal shop located near my house

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - exo terra 18H 12W 12D, vents on side, screen top
• Lighting - 10.0 UVB 26 WATT bulb zoo led brand, exo terra 75 WATT basking bulb , turn on uvb around 6am, off around 8pm
• Temperature - basking spot around 90 degrees Fahrenheit , lowest night temp around 70, thermometer humidity gauge
• Humidity - 50-60%, spraying water into the cage, measured with thermometer humidity gauge
• Plants - no
• Placement - next to door, top of cage around 4 feet from floor
• Location -Pennsylvania

 

[Beman]

• Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, around 8 months according to the store I got him from, have had him around 7 months
• Handling - 3-4 nights a week for around 1 to 2 hours
• Feeding - 4 superworms ( if he wants them) and 10 crickets, give them collard greens
• Supplements- calcium without d3 everyday, calcium with d3 twice a month, calcium with multi vitamin twice a month
• Watering - spray bottle 3-4 times a day, 2-3 minutes, not often seen drinking
• Fecal Description - yellow-white color, wet looking, half inch poop, never tested for parasites
• History - Came from small animal shop located near my house

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - exo terra 18H 12W 12D, vents on side, screen top
• Lighting - 10.0 UVB 26 WATT bulb zoo led brand, exo terra 75 WATT basking bulb , turn on uvb around 6am, off around 8pm
• Temperature - basking spot around 90 degrees Fahrenheit , lowest night temp around 70, thermometer humidity gauge
• Humidity - 50-60%, spraying water into the cage, measured with thermometer humidity gauge
• Plants - no
• Placement - next to door, top of cage around 4 feet from floor
• Location -Pennsylvania

Feeding... Do you feed everyday? If so at his age you need to start curbing him back to every other day feedings.
Guttload for feeders needs to be improved. You can buy Repashy bug burger or do a mixture of veg and fruits alternating what types you use each week. See graphic.
Supplements... right schedule. Can you take pics of the supplement bottles so we can see the exact ones you are using?
hand misting is fine. length of time is good and the amount of mistings during the day is good.
Fecal description... if the urate is mostly yellow or even a third yellow then he has dehydration issues. I am guessing that while you are misting the fact that he is in a glass cage is contributing to this. Hot moist air is what it is creating. Which is not good for him. Also no live plants in the enclosure.. This is what they like to drink off of. Pothos plants are wonderful and they even like chewing on them. You can put a little dripper device on the top of your cage creating a slow consistent drip onto the leaves
Cage type... As already pointed out. Much too small for the little man. needs to be changed asap
Lighting... As already pointed out needs to be changed asap.
Temp. Too hot... Needs to be at 85 for basking level (highest point he can sit on under the heat). I think your are probably sitting at a higher ambient temp though since it is a glass enclosure.
Humidity is fine. You want a target range of 30-50% during the day and it can skyrocket at night after lights are off.

Being as how you are in Pennsylvania I think changing over to the screen will be very easy for you to get the right humidity levels.

 

[snitz427]

My chams get stuff on their lips all the time from bug guts... especially from hornworms.

 

[Beman]

My chams get stuff on their lips all the time from bug guts... especially from hornworms.

Beman too he is a messy boy lol.

 

[snitz427]

Beman too he is a messy boy lol.

Clarice rather enjoys making bugs explode in my face.