My New Jackson's brown?

[Winslow]

I just got a Jackson chameleon about a week ago and he seems to be brown a lot, except when he's asleep then his light green. I thought it might have just been him adjusting to his cage. (18" by 18" by 36") however today when I let him out and put him on one of his vines while I was cleaning he was green as could be. Do you think it could be the lighting I have? Any ideas? I don't know what it is. I use a retiglow 5.0 UVB light and a 75 Watt zoo med basking. 80 at basking spot and about 70 at the bottom.

Thank you for the help.

 

[ReptileLove18]

welcome to the forum! chams tend to take time to adjust as you said a couple weeks or some take even more so that may be it, he could be showing his stress colors because he is still adjusting. he may also have turned green when you took him out and put him on a vine outside the cage because he would enjoy free ranging. if you are really worried you could fill this out so that we could look over it and see if there is anything wrong with what you are doing that could be upsetting him.

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.

 

[RAFASTAR23]

Hello there!
So we can better assist you with your problem, please provide the following information:

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.


Pictures are always helpful!

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum!
Too often people are given bad care advice by the "experts" at the pet store.
If I had listened to the reptile store care instructions and hadn't found this forum, my Jackson's would not have lived long.

If you copy and paste the questions from https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ and add all you answers, we can help determine if everything is the way it needs to be to keep your Jackson's healthy or if anything needs to be changed for him to have a healthy life with you.
The more complete your answers, the better the quality the replies can be.

This is an excellent caresheet for Jackson's to have on hand:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

 

[Winslow]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male Jackson Chameleon, not sure of age. Ive had him for a week
Handling - Only when i need to, cleaning once a week.
Feeding - I've fed him crickets, about 5-7. I do this in the morning a little after he wakes up. I feed my crickets Flunkers
Supplements - Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3 every time and with D3 once a week.
Watering - I mist him about 4 or 5 times a day. Ive only seen him drink a few times. And it does seem like he likes the dripper.
Fecal Description - His poop is firm and brown and his urine is white with a little yellow. Never been tested that i know of.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage 18"x18"x36"
Lighting - zoo med basking spot light 75 watt and a retiglow UVB light. Both for 12 hours a day. 10am to 10pm
Temperature - I have a thermometer. The basking is at 80 and the bottom is around 70. I have no light at night so it stay at room temp. Around 70
Humidity - my humidity stays around 50 to 60. I have a humidifier that helps with that, along with misting.
Plants - No live ones yet. Maybe in the future.
Placement - The cage is in my room. No fans or anything. Only traffic would be myself. Where is your cage located? The top is at about 6 feet.
Location - Michigan.

Current Problem - He seems to be showing stress from his colors. He is brown a lot. Except at night or when he is out of his cage on his vines. Not sure why.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Lovereps]

Overall, most things look very good.
There are just a few things that need to be changed for him to stay healthy, though.

Jackson's are very sensitive to oversupplementation.
It is recommended that dustings be light and as follows
Calcium every other feeding
Calcium with D3 once a month
Multivitamin without any D3 once a month
Excessive D3 or multivitamins leads to kidney /liver damage, which is why you will often read warnings against overdoing it with supplements.

The multivitamin I use is this one:
http://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-reptivite.html
(The one without D3.)

Just as we need a variety of foods to stay healthy, the best cham diet includes a variety of appropriately sized feeders.
Phoenixworms, silkworms, hornworms, Dubias, Blue Bottle flies and isopods are all good additions to his diet.
My Jackson's love Blue Bottle flies.
All feeders should be fed a nutritious diet, so that they provide your cham with the most nutrients possible.
Those commercial gutloads are very convenient, but unfortunately they are low in nutrients.
This linked nutrition blog was written by a veterinarian who also keeps chameleons tells you more:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ferretinmyshoes/560-frequently-asked-questions-nutrition.html
Some of the forum sponsors such as Mulberry farms, offer a variety of feeders.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/index.php?page=sponsors
http://www.mantisplace.com/ has both Blue Bottle fly larvae and pupae

If you add some live plants, this is a list of ones that are known to be non-toxic to chameleons:
http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp
Any live plant should be washed with dish soap and water to remove pesticides and fertilizer residues, followed by thorough rinsing---because chams drink off the leaves.

Hopefully, you already have enough leaf cover for him to feel secure.
Chams do turn a lighter color when they're asleep.
Sometimes Jackson's will turn a darker color when they bask and it does take a week or two to settle in when things are set up right..

Providing them with enough water is essential, so it is good that you have a dripper and are misting.
Some Jackson's don't drink until they're misted for about 5 minutes.
You'll know that he is hydrated enough when his fresh urates are snowy white.
Yellow, pink or orange urates indicate that more water is needed.

You'll find additional reliable info here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

 

[Action Jackson]

Overall, most things look very good.
There are just a few things that need to be changed for him to stay healthy, though.

Jackson's are very sensitive to oversupplementation.
It is recommended that dustings be light and as follows
Calcium every other feeding
Calcium with D3 once a month
Multivitamin without any D3 once a month
Excessive D3 or multivitamins leads to kidney /liver damage, which is why you will often read warnings against overdoing it with supplements.

The multivitamin I use is this one:
http://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-reptivite.html
(The one without D3.)

Just as we need a variety of foods to stay healthy, the best cham diet includes a variety of appropriately sized feeders.
Phoenixworms, silkworms, hornworms, Dubias, Blue Bottle flies and isopods are all good additions to his diet.
My Jackson's love Blue Bottle flies.
All feeders should be fed a nutritious diet, so that they provide your cham with the most nutrients possible.
Those commercial gutloads are very convenient, but unfortunately they are low in nutrients.
This linked nutrition blog was written by a veterinarian who also keeps chameleons tells you more:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ferretinmyshoes/560-frequently-asked-questions-nutrition.html
Some of the forum sponsors such as Mulberry farms, offer a variety of feeders.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/index.php?page=sponsors
http://www.mantisplace.com/ has both Blue Bottle fly larvae and pupae

If you add some live plants, this is a list of ones that are known to be non-toxic to chameleons:
http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp
Any live plant should be washed with dish soap and water to remove pesticides and fertilizer residues, followed by thorough rinsing---because chams drink off the leaves.

Hopefully, you already have enough leaf cover for him to feel secure.
Chams do turn a lighter color when they're asleep.
Sometimes Jackson's will turn a darker color when they bask and it does take a week or two to settle in when things are set up right..

Providing them with enough water is essential, so it is good that you have a dripper and are misting.
Some Jackson's don't drink until they're misted for about 5 minutes.
You'll know that he is hydrated enough when his fresh urates are snowy white.
Yellow, pink or orange urates indicate that more water is needed.

You'll find additional reliable info here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

Great info!

I would add you should adjust your lighting schedule to correspond with dawn and dusk in your area. Your Cham should be asleep much earlier than 10 pm IMO.

 

[Psychobunny]

My Noogie was like that too when I first got him, it worried me that he was so dark all the time.
After a few weeks, he started to lighten up! I knew there was nothing wrong with him, so I just believe it was stress associated with being in a new place.
He just got used to me and his new home and relaxed.

If your basic husbandry is good, I wouldnt worry.

When the weather permits, do take him out.

They like to get out and explore, even let him out indoors (with supervision) and you will find that he is much happier.

P.S. welcome to the forum BTW

 

[Miss Lily]

Congrats on your new chameleon! I got my little Jax when he was just 7 weeks old. He didn't start to show much green until he was about 4 - 5 months old. Like yours, he would green up a little when I had him out, but he was always brown when he was in his cage. Check out my thread on his development - I took a photo on my hand every month to show how he has cahnge. He is now almost 18 motnhs old and I love him to bits! https://www.chameleonforums.com/monty-jackson-first-year-photos-93405/

 

[Winslow]

Wow thanks guys these are are helping.