Luda seems to have lost his color

[Pinoy]

My one year old ambilobe X panther seems to have lost his colors. He used to have beautiful colors ( reds, blues, greens, oranges) and now he seems to just be almost all white, light brown, some red spots on his belly, and sometimes some very light yellows.

I went on vacation to the Philippines for three weeks and I had a friend take care of him. He did a great job as Luda looked very healthy when I came back. But I did notice that he seemed lighter than usual. So I figured that he might just be ready for a shed since he hasn't shed in a little while. A few days later he did in fact shed but after a day or two later when all the skin was off he was still light in color. I was surprised to see he was still light in color because from what I remember he was always very colorful after a shed. I wasn't worrying too much because he still seemed to be active and he still ate the same amount of food. I just do not understand why he is so pale.

Today I had enough when he projected his tongue out very slowly to the point that it only went about two inches out of his mouth and he had to retract it back in. It happened twice before he actually seemed to have enough strength to hit his target, but when he did he hit it pretty hard like he usually does. After his meal my MistKing came on and I saw him drinking.

Staple diet consist of gutloaded Dubia roaches, and dusted with Repti Cal w/o D3, multivitamins, and calcium with D3 several times a month.
UVB bulb is about 4 months old
basking area gets about 82-85 and the lowest part of the cage gets about 62-65.
Misting 3 times a day 4-5 mins each with MistKing
Cage 24x24x48 inches highwith a nice healthy tall live ficus tree

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

Great pic!
Is this the current no color pic or a previous with color?

 

[Elizadolots]

A recent pic would probably help (because, if that's him being dull then he's positively hallucinogenic when he's colorful). Also, people will really want you to fill out the "How to ask for help" questionnaire. https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ Just copy and paste and type in your information. It's probably a good idea to copy that into a word or notepad file so you can save it for future problems.

 

[melric]

Fill out the questionare for sure. But I think he looks great. The how to ask for help that was just posted should be able to determine if they're any changes that might help. If not, then he might just be changing color like all juvi's do.

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

Thank gawd!
I didn't know how to word it so I didn't sound completely stupid!. But in my head I was saying "geez, if that's no color my Panther is seriously color challenged"!!!

 

[vegas shooby]

nice looking cham

 

[Dez]

Can you get him outside for some natural sunshine? I have had two chams turn pale on me and about a week of keeping them outside brought the color back to vivid

 

[Pinoy]

Sorry everybody that WAS his colors before. Also thanks for the compliments Luda def appreciates it. I wasnt able to take a pic of him last night as he was sound asleep and I hate disturbing him while he sleeps especially since I think there might be something wrong with him I will fill out the form as soon as I can currently at work now and just tried to sneak this in.

Here is a current pic. He looks extremely fat lol but thats just him puffing himself up for the iPhone that he HATES

 

[DeviousMike]

Could he be dulling because of a eminent shed?

 

[ataraxia]

maybe the new guy scared him and he is throwing his neutral off colors. maybe week after week he is truely unsure of his surroundings and feels threaten. white tells me he is about to shed or hot. dark colors cold or unsecure. recheck your temps, make sure he is not able to see anything new that is threatening or causing him to be aware (is his cage in the same spot? by a window? anything new in the room?). beautiful chameleon btw. hope you figure out what the deal is.

 

[Pinoy]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Ambilobe cross, Male, 1 year and 2 months, I've had him since he was three months so 9 months in my care?

Handling - Recently not much at all. I only used to handle him to take him outside for some rays but since it been winter here and too cold to go out he has stayed in his cage almost all the time. Maybe for a few mins for a quick checkup once or twice a month lately.

Feeding - Dubia roaches for the past few months, depending on his mood I will feed him every 2-3 days 2-3 good size roaches each feeding. I've mad a mixture of different veggies ( carrots, spinach, lettuce, apples, avacado, etc.) in a blender and froze for easy feeding and storage, I also give the roaches cricket crack and fresh fruits and veggies every once in a while.

Supplements - Zoo med Repti Cal w/ D3, Rep-Cal Herptivite with beta carotene, Rep-Cal calcium with D3. No certain schedule I just dust a few roaches several times a months.

Watering - MistKing, 3 times a day 4-5 mins each throughout the day, I see him drink every so often.

Fecal Description - He poops every week sometimes he scares me as he takes 2 weeks to have a bowl movement. But when he goes he GOES. good urite while coloration, big brown slimy looking feces, when he was about 8 months old he was dewormed and was tested negative for worms and parasites.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 24x24x48 screen cage

Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 tube style. Heat lamp. lights on at 8 lights off at 8pm

Temperature - 82-85 basking temp, 62-65 low side. Overnight temp. 68 degrees, measured by two digital thermometers one low one high by the basking area.

Humidity - Fluctuates from 34/40-95% Humidity is also measured by the digital thermometers. I use the MistKing to manage my misting needs.

Plants - One large ficus that fills the cage. live

Placement - In the living room, no fans, its near an air vent and window but the two sides of the cage that are close to any drafts are completely covered with plastic that is used to cover drafty windows in the wintertime. Not too much traffic in his area as he is set in the back of the living room where you actually have to walk up to his cage to see him. The cage is pretty high. I have to look up at him when he is on his basking area. Top of the cage itself I would say is 6 1/2 feet high.

Location - Connecticut

 

[Pinoy]

He stayed in my house same location while I was away. I don't think he is hot because he actually goes all over the cage and even hangs around the lower portion of his tree where it is only 65 ish sometimes. He is actually slightly darker in color when he is in the lower portion of the tree sometimes. He seems very relaxed as always in his tree and doesn't show any white barring that runs horizontal on his body when he gets stressed out unless I take him out when he doesn't want to come out. thanks for the input

 

[sdheli420]

the pooping once a week thing doesent seem right to me..mine always poop same time same place every morning..kinda like me..LOL

 

[Hunyango]

Nice chameleon kabayan. Notice when I took my female veiled outside her colors are more brilliant. (Taga saan ka sa atin?)

 

[Pinoy]

sdheli LOL I was worried before as well because when he was young he pooped every single day but as he grew he just went less often. He's been pooping about once a week for about 5 months now.

Hunyango I wish I could take him outside but its way too cold here in the east coast still. During spring and summer I usually take him out several times a week to play outside. I'm from Nueva Ecija, Cabanatuan city back home. How about you?

Anybody know whats going on with my Cham???

 

[Elizadolots]

I don't think it's unusual for some chameleons to poop once a week. I've seen other threads about chameleons losing their color but I can't remember whether there was an answer for the problem. I'll keep trying to find it. Maybe someone who has experience with it will post in the meantime.

 

[Pinoy]

Thanks Eliza Ive been looking as well for the past couple days before I actually posted but maybe you can dig something up that I didnt see. Thanks

 

[melric]

Your info looks good. You might want to start a schedule with his supplements. Two times a months for calcium with d3 and multivitamin. And calcium without d3 every feeding. That seems to be what everyone usually does. I do. What is he mixed with? That could be a reason he has been developing differently.