Odd behavior?

[Ares05]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

Male, Veiled, 6.5 months. Been in my care for 3.5 months.

• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

It can range from maybe a few times a week (as little as possible) , to three times a day. I am admittedly a helicopter keeper, so I jump on anything out of the ordinary ( or so I believe to be) I weigh him every 2 days. It is normally quite the stressful ordeal to get him out to weigh him (lots of hissing and lunging) and he puts on colors I never see on him, unless he is very upset. (light gray-greens, yellow bands and -very dark blue-gray dots all over his body)

• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

Crickets. 10-15 3/4 inch crickets, every day, in the morning. My gutload has been lacking bit lately, bug burger and some turnip greens. Just got some collards, cilantro, romaine, turnip greens, and a red bell pepper today for this weeks gutload.

• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

I dust with plain calcium every day (repticalcium), and then a multivitamin every other week (reptivite, no d3). I am not using d3 pretty much at all currently. My uvi is distance-estimated to be at around 3.

• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

Automatic misting system. Goes off for 3.5 minutes in the morning right after the uvb is on, but before the basking light, 4.5 minutes in the evening after the heat light turns off, but but before the uvb goes off. IM normally not in the room when the mister goes off, ut I do see him drinking occasionally when im in the room (he normally hides, to drink in peace)

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

medium Brown color. Urates range from 50% orange to only the tip being orange (the rest being a white color) Yes, he has been tested for parasites. Got cleared of coccidia a few weeks ago.

• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Has had coccidia in the recent past, during that time had some dehydration problems.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

Screen, 2x2x4

• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

Heat light, no clue of the brand, some sort of spare reptile bulb I had lying around. My uvb is a 10.0 reptisun t5ho. The closest he can get currently is 14-15 inches, though his normal hangout spot Is around 18-20 inches away. I will put more branches closer once I get a t5ho, so then I can get my uvi levels while having more branches throughout the cage.

My schedule is Uvb on at 7am, mist at 7:30am, heat light on at 8am, feed at 8:30-9am, heat light off at 6pm, mist at 6:30pm, uvb off at 7pm. Fogger goes on from 11pm-4am, full blast.

• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?

Cage floor is around 70, middle mid 70's. basking spot is 83-85. Lowest overnight is around 58. Digital thermometer.

• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

30-40 during the day, 70-100 during the night. Misting and fogging. I was using a digital hygrometer, though it broke. These have been consistent for a month or two, and this problem started before it broke a few days ago.

• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?'

yes. Bromeliads, purple dracaena, lacy tree philodendron, and pothos.

• 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 very top of the cage is about 5.8 feet tall. There is an ac in the room (far away from him), and I sometimes keep my windows open for fresh air so sometimes there is a breeze going through the room. I only do this when it is a nice day out, not to cold or too hot.

• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Pensacola, FL

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

Ever since I setup his new cage, maybe 2 weeks ago give or take, he has been climbing up to the very front or very back right corner of his cage and rubbing and scratching. When he does this, he gets very dark color. He has been shedding quite a bit, so I thought he was just trying to find a good stick to rub his face and body on. He normally will sleep in these corners, too. He will sometimes do it during the day aswell. No sleeping during the day or anything. I just dont know if im doing something wrong to make him want to get out of his cage? When he rubs I take him out of his cage and set him on his free range. If I open the door and leave the room for a minute, he climbs out and sits on the screen door.

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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.

This is him yesterday, on his free range.

Here is him now, doing the the corner thing. I apologize for the quality, it was zoomed in. Didnt want to lose a finger.

**keep in mind! he only doesn't this dark thing when he is up in the corner. Everywhere else he is either bright, or has his neutral colors on (a duller, slightly browner version of his bright colors)

 

[Brodybreaux25]

His hormones are changing, he’s looking for some booty.

 

[Ares05]

I swear this chameleon is gonna be the death of me. Lol Whenever he's out, he patrols his territory a few times before he settles on a good branch in his free range.

Does he look dehydrated at all to you? His Urates have been good lately but today they were a bit more orange than I normally see for him.

I've heard its normal for veileds to appear to have slightly sunken eyes when they are stressed, is this correct?

Do I just need to take a Xanax (or two) and stop worrying so much?