Mood/ coloring

BHeff202

New Member
I got a baby veiled chameleon a month ago- it is probably 3 months old.. it shows dark gray spots almost everyday.. i know that can be due to stress but i have not seen pictures of stress that look the same- could the spots be related to something else or just the daily coloring of the chameleon
 
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I'm, not too experienced but from my guess, he/she looks like they may need a place to hide I would get some more foliage. its also a new enclosure could also need some time to adjust.
 
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thank you! That picture was a close up- i have researched a lot but am also new with chameleons..this is what the foliage looks like- should i add more?
 
Here's the form that @kinyonga mentioned. Just copy/paste this into a reply and fill it out. Can we get a picture of your lighting and supplements as well, please? Help us help you! :)

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.

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Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? It is a veiled chameleon that is about 3 months old. It has been in my care for 2 weeks. I do not know the sex.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I have not handled it yet because I wanted to give it time to get used to it’s surroundings.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I have a holder with oats and carrots it in. I have been feeding it crickets and mealworms so far. I try to put in about 8 per day and add more if they are all eaten.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I have repti-calcium as the supplement to sprinkle on food.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I mist the cage with a water bottle and have someome do it in the afternoon. I try to mist the cage 4-6 times a day and have seen it drink a few times.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? The feces has been white and brown, a little yellow once and then I misted more.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. No, the caretaker did not give any previous information which is why I did not know sex or anything.

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? It is a screen cage- i posted a picture. it is not the 4 foot one but I am going to buy that size as he grows. I got him from a reptile show and they only had one size cage at the time.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I have a day time and UV bulb and also use ceramic heating to bring the heat up during the day.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I measure the temperature with a thermometer. It is in the low 80’s during the day and drops to low 70’s at night.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? I do not have a reader yet for humidity but just bought one on amazon and the hydro ball things to help with humidity and am waiting for them to arrive.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I do not have any live plants, they are all plastic or vines and climbing equipment with moss.
  • 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? The cage is on top of a night stand type of shelf thing- it is in my bedroom.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? In Pennsylvania- about 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia.

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

I am concerned about the dark gray spots that he has displayed multiple times and what that means or how to help. Could it be because he is not used to the new surrounding yet or something else?
 
See my comments in red.
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? It is a veiled chameleon that is about 3 months old. It has been in my care for 2 weeks. I do not know the sex.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I have not handled it yet because I wanted to give it time to get used to it’s surroundings.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I have a holder with oats and carrots it in. I have been feeding it crickets and mealworms so far. I try to put in about 8 per day and add more if they are all eaten.
You can keep feeding carrots to the crickets, but I would add some leafy greens, such as: turnip greens, collard green, beet greens, dandelion greens, etc. I would also add maybe some fruit, such as papaya or apple (for hydration) You can also include bee pollen in your gutload. Personally I include some sort of premixed commercial gutload, such as cricket crack or bug burger.

Don't limit how much food you offer at this age. Throw 15-20 cricket in the cup in the morning, and dust with that days supplement lightly.


  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I have repti-calcium as the supplement to sprinkle on food.
I see you are using without d3. You are on the right track. Dust with this lightly each day. Along with this, dust with calcium with d3 once every other week, and then use a multivitamin once every other week ( I use reptivite WITHOUT d3.) Alternate the weeks.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I mist the cage with a water bottle and have someome do it in the afternoon. I try to mist the cage 4-6 times a day and have seen it drink a few times.
I would mist 2-3 times a day, for 2-4 minutes. Personally, I mist for 4 minutes in the morning, and 4 minutes in the evening.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? The feces has been white and brown, a little yellow once and then I misted more.
Feces should be brown and firm, and then the white part (urate) should be at least 50% white. A little orange is fine.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. No, the caretaker did not give any previous information which is why I did not know sex or anything.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? It is a screen cage- i posted a picture. it is not the 4 foot one but I am going to buy that size as he grows. I got him from a reptile show and they only had one size cage at the time.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I have a day time and UV bulb and also use ceramic heating to bring the heat up during the day.
So for heating bulbs, you can just use a 75 watt household bulb, for like 75c. By getting the reptile ones you are paying an extra 2 bucks for the reptile on the box. If you are using a sufficient heat bulb you shouldn't need to use a CHE. If the 75 watt doesn't get up to a good temperature, get a higher wattage. You could also try wrapping a few sides of the enclosure with a shower curtain to keep heat and humidity in.

For uvb, you are going to want a 5.0 reptisun T5ho 20-24'' bulb. Or, the Arcadia 6% t5ho 20-24''. When you order it, the bulb itself will be 2'' shorter than the fixture. So if you get a 24'' fixture, the bulb will be 22'' long. ** since you are going to upgrade to a 2x2x4 when he is an adult, I would go ahead and a get a 24'' fixture so you dont have to buy a bigger one later.



  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I measure the temperature with a thermometer. It is in the low 80’s during the day and drops to low 70’s at night.
So your ambient temperature should be 70-75, and then their basking spot should be about 82-85. At night it can drop as low as 60.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? I do not have a reader yet for humidity but just bought one on amazon and the hydro ball things to help with humidity and am waiting for them to arrive.
Im sorry but I don't understand, you are just putting plain hydro balls on the floor? You cham may try to eat one. They only need 30-40 humidity during the day. Instead of doing this you can just wrap a shower curtain around a few sides.

At night they need 70-100 percent humidity. You can achieve this with a fogger or humidifier. You should only have to run it during the night.

  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I do not have any live plants, they are all plastic or vines and climbing equipment with moss.
I would toss the moss and your fake plants. You outside and collect some branches (avoid anything with sap) and wash with soap well, and pour hot water over them, then cold water, then hot water, and then dry them. Put them horizontally the cage at all different levels. Make sure your cham cant get closer than 8-10 inches to your lights.
  • 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? The cage is on top of a night stand type of shelf thing- it is in my bedroom.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? In Pennsylvania- about 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia.

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
I am concerned about the dark gray spots that he has displayed multiple times and what that means or how to help. Could it be because he is not used to the new surrounding yet or something else?

I would guess new surroundings, could you post pictures of him/her?

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Here are a few and I posted one in the beginning.. thank you for going through each question!! That is extremely helpful- and I don’t want Hydra to be stressed!
 
Look at the heels...if there are tarsal Spurs there then it's a male.
If it's female you will want to prepare for eggs when it's mature since they can lay them without having mated.
 
Hows it going?

His coloring has been better and light green some of the time. I’m hoping that he is still getting used to habitat but noticed he doesn’t like when I mist- that seems to be when he gets the dark spots sometimes.
 
My boy doesn't like the mister either, normal behavior. Though I wouldn't spray him directly, just spray around him. but if he purposely goes into the mist, just let him do his thing.

Pictures of your current setup? What have you changed?
 
How long did your chameleon stay with that pattern- what helped make a change in his mood or coloration for yours
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My boy doesn't like the mister either, normal behavior. Though I wouldn't spray him directly, just spray around him. but if he purposely goes into the mist, just let him do his thing.

Pictures of your current setup? What have you changed?
the setup is not much different from the pictures i posted- i took out the big moss bridge, put in the 75 watt lighting and try to cover the sides at night to help with humidity
 
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