my jacksons getting skinny

pascals

New Member
Chameleon info
Your Chameleon - Jackson, male, around 11 months I had him 6 months
Handling - I handle him everyday. He likes me but won't go to anyone else.
Feeding - he won't eat more than 3 large crickets a day. He used to eat meal worms. But he won't even look at them anymore.
Supplements - calcium powder fir crickets
Watering - i have a waterfall that he normally drinks from. If he opens his mouth while I am spraying the tank I will drip water and he will drink it.
Fecal Description - he poops 1 time ever one to two days . no never tested.
History - I don't know much about his history besides he came from petsmart and he was kept in a really small cage there.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - glass. 18x18x24 terrarium.
Lighting - heat lamp.
Temperature - at the highest its close to 85in the basking area. the lowest temp at the bottom now is 60. I have a thermometer near the basking lamp,
Humidity - it varies sometimes, between 50-70% during the day.when i get up in the morning it's about 80%
Plants - zoo med fake plants vines and sticks
Placement - on a stand in my room
Location - texas.

Current Problem - I am worried about my baby. He is sleeping a lot. He hasn't shaded in aver two months. He's looks really skinny when he sleeps in his cage. But if I take him out he falls asleep in me and he is fine. I'm just worried. He stays green and always has his tail curled he seems happy just skinny. And he seems uninterested in food.
 
Hi! There are a few issues with your husbandry that should be fixed. There is an awesome care sheet here for Jackson's - https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

Please get rid of the waterfall - they harbor bacteria. You should have your cage split into two temperatures, on one side it should be warm and dry, the other should be cool and wet. Put your UV in the middle of the cage (best to have one of the long UV lights/fixtures). Jackson's should have a fogger - I use a cool air humidifier from Walgreens, and have a tube that brings it into the cage. They will mostly hang out in the cool wet side.

Can you share photos of your cage and of your cham?
 
Sounds like he could be bored of crickets too.

Your enclosure is a 18x18x24, which is about half the size needed for an adult Jacksons. Definitely need to get him a bigger enclosure.

Can you post pics of both sides of his head? Maybe he has a temporal gland infection you are not seeing? That can cause them to stop eating and is somewhat common to happen.

I also don't see a mention of what UVB light you have. Does he have one?
 
Yes, you did not mention a uvb lamp. If you have not had one for six months then that is most likely why your chameleon is sick. Sleeping during the day no good whether it is inside the cage or out. Please post some pics of your set up and chameleon
 
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