Looks like a a skin-tag in my Panther's rear leg.

[Sparkle1]

Hi to all!
My name is Steve and this is my 1st post on this forum.

My Panther chameleon is about 2 years old, her name is Sparkle.
My dad has dementia and and wandered out of the house one day and came back with a "surprise" for me.
A baby Panther chameleon.
Needless to say I was a bit overwhelmed and shocked and had to try and learn about how to care for her instantly.
I really need to learn much more and haven't done a great job.
So I'm finally here and trying to make amends to sparkle.

My light set-up seems wholly inadequate 2 bulbs screw in types led and a spot light bulb (I know bad), so I just purchased Zoo Med Reptisun T5-Ho Terrarium Hood - 14", Black for UBV and Pangea Halogen Heat Lamp for Reptiles (50 Watt) for basking.

I use a Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage for an enclosure.
I have no live plants in the enclosure and use plastic plants.
I have a drip system on the top that hits the branches and she drinks like that.
I use a Chapin International Chapin 31430 3-Gallon Lawn & Garden Series Tri-Poxy Steel Sprayer to mist her enclosure.

Sparkle is addicted to superworms, which I know is very bad and loaded with too much fat.
Crickets drive me insane, I have tinnitus.
I'm going to have to ween her off superworms and try dubia roaches as a better staple.
I have a large pot in the bottom of the enclose with a soil and sand mixture for leg laying.

My question right now is that Sparkle has a soft mass on her back leg, it resembles a skin-tag in humans.
I have enclosed photos.
Can anyone opine on what this may be from?
Thankful for any assistance.

 

[SteveH]

Possibly a type of papilloma that would need to be removed.

 

[Beman]

Hi there welcome to the forum. We would be happy to help you with husbandry. Start by reading everything in this husbandry program. It will help you understand a lot of what we will talk with you about. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Then we can have you do a husbandry review and go over any needed changes.

Per the growth I agree with @SteveH could possibly be papilloma so you would need a good reptile vet to remove it and send it in to see what it is.

 

[Sparkle1]

Thanks for the reply.
I will do some reading on the link your provided about chameleon care.
I will get Sparkle out to the vet.
She wont be happy, though.

 

[Sparkle1]

Possibly a type of papilloma that would need to be removed.

Thank you for your prompt and informative reply!
I have a light that I used for plants.
Is this good and safe to use in my chameleon enclosure?
Will it benefit my chameleon's health and not just plant life?
https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Indoo...662905&sprefix=plant+led+light,aps,356&sr=8-5

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome! That looks a lot like a cutaneous horn, but I wasn’t aware that chameleons/reptiles could get them. A cutaneous horn is basically just a keratin growth - same material our hair and nails are made of and harmless. Definitely well worth a vet visit though and please do let us know what the vet says it is. In the meantime, we’d love to help you get everything just perfect for Sparkle. If you post a pic of your entire enclosure, we can perhaps get started.

 

[Sparkle1]

Hi and welcome! That looks a lot like a cutaneous horn, but I wasn’t aware that chameleons/reptiles could get them. A cutaneous horn is basically just a keratin growth - same material our hair and nails are made of and harmless. Definitely well worth a vet visit though and please do let us know what the vet says it is. In the meantime, we’d love to help you get everything just perfect for Sparkle. If you post a pic of your entire enclosure, we can perhaps get started.

Wow, so many nice people taking the time to reply!
What a great forum!
Thanks!

 

[Sparkle1]

If you post a pic of your entire enclosure, we can perhaps get started.

"If you post a pic of your entire enclosure, we can perhaps get started."
Here are some pictures, MissSkittles .
I just ordered new lighting.
Pangea Halogen Heat Lamp for Reptiles (50 Watt).
Zoo Med Reptisun T5-Ho Terrarium Hood - 14", Black.

 

[MissSkittles]

Could you please post some full pics of Sparkle?

 

[Sparkle1]

Could you please post some full pics of Sparkle?

I can get you a nice full picture of Sparkle tomorrow.
Sparkle is hanging out in her fake bush and she will get moody if I disturb her.
When she comes out tomorrow to bask I will get the photo uploaded.

 

[MissSkittles]

Okay Steve. You’re giving me a bit of a challenge. It’s very hard to express emotion thru written word and I don’t want you to think I’m being a super-critical jerk. I know you love Sparkle and want to give him/her the very best life you can and I’m only wanting to help you to do that. With that said, let me start.
I’ve asked for pics of Sparkle as the bands on the leg lead me to think you have a boy and I just want to confirm.
You’ve been given the link to Chameleon Academy already. Do make sure to read thru all of the husbandry sections and also the species specific info for panthers.
I’m not sure what the purple light is that you have, but it looks like a plant light to me. …but you don’t have any live plants, so I’m confused. Regardless, you should only have lights coming down from the top. What is the size of your enclosure? It looks a bit small. Had you purchased the chameleon kit when you got Sparkle? The minimum size for adults is 2x2x4’ or equivalent. Anything smaller is going to cause the chameleon stress and anything bigger is ideal. It looks like you have some sort of plastic on the top. Not a good idea for a few reasons, but the biggest (besides fire/melting from the lights) is it impairs ventilation. You want the air to be able to come in through the sides and up/out.
You already mentioned that you have ordered a T5HO uvb with a 5.0, but I wish you had gotten the 24” as you need the larger enclosure and thus, longer light. Once you have the bigger enclosure and correct uvb, you want to place the basking branch about 8-9” below the uvb and basking lights. This will provide the ideal uvb range. Then you have to figure out what strength basking bulb will give you the correct temps. Males can be as warm as 85, but we keep our females no hotter than 80.
Then comes the fun part…decorating! You want to recreate a forest edge with lots of branches or vines to provide lots of little roads for your chameleon to travel on. Then you need to add in some safe live and clean plants to provide areas of shade or hiding as well as to drink off of. Panthers do not eat their plants, but they do lick them at times. You want to avoid things like rope and the hammocks as little claws can get stuck and pulled out. I use real branches that I’ve scavenged outside. Oak is perfect and easy to find. Avoid ones with heavy odor or sap, like pine or eucalyptus. Remove the leaves and such, give a good scrub with dish soap and dry in the sun. Whatever doesn’t come off with a scrub from a brush, I leave on…like lichen. It is a challenge to hang things, but there are solutions. There are Dragon Ledges, which are better than sliced bread. https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ Or you can use garden lattice like I did in the below pic. The main thing is to attach these supports to the frame and nothing to the screen. You want your final result to be like my second pic. You will need plant lighting for many different live plants, but it needs to be on the top. No colored lights btw. They can harm sensitive little chameleon eyes. Never lights at night. Unless your night temps are below around 55, no extra heat at night either.
What supplements are you using and how frequently for each?

 

[MissSkittles]

…and I forgot to post the pics.