Poop observation/question

[ayiaskepi]

I did a recent inspection of some fresh feces laid by my cham. I found a tiny, tiny grain of rice looking thing in there. I have found it more than once. One time it was a cream color. One time it was transparent. If they were living things they were dead or immobile. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what this could be? My cham is captive bred, but I know that does not make it immune to parasites, etc. No captive bred reptile I have ever kept has had something like this is its poop - only a wc savannah monitor years back. What is your advice, if any. Sorry, no pics. I found more poop today and I wanted to take a pic, but there was nothing in it (except for some crickets ) Help?

 

[opihiman]

what might help is letting us know your Chams diet and what kind of Cham you have....

OPI

 

[ayiaskepi]

Oh yeah, sorry. I guess after saying it so much you get tired of putting in the posts.

I have an ambilobe Panther. He is appx. 6 months old. His diet consists of crickets and phoenix worms presently. His weight is looking good. Urates seem fine, etc.

 

[darla]

I just read a post that said chams pass whole phoenix worms. Could you have seen a phoenix worm?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Have a fecal done.
No one here is going to be able to tell you anything conclusive.

-Brad

 

[mika]

sperm plugs?

 

[Dave Weldon]

I did a recent inspection of some fresh feces laid by my cham. I found a tiny, tiny grain of rice looking thing in there. I have found it more than once. One time it was a cream color. One time it was transparent. ...I found more poop today and I wanted to take a pic, but there was nothing in it (except for some crickets )...

Howdy,

What you've described sounds like cricket eggs. Adult female crickets are usually loaded with eggs. They don't get digested. Instead of looking clear or white, they often times get "stained" brown after going through a chameleon's digestive tract. Here's a 40x microscope photo (and then zoomed-in via software) that I took of some of them after doing a fecal float. It isn't unusual to find dozens of them in one poop sample. They float really well . Silkworm eggs do the same thing. They come out nice and round like the head of a pin. It'll scare the heck out-a-ya the first time you see a bunch of them in poop . If you boil them and add a little soy sauce....

What part of the world are you located?

 

[ayiaskepi]

Dave,

Thanks. I am in South Carolina. I think this is what it is as well. I am not an expert so I do not want to assume. I am keeping an eye on his poop. Today there was nothing in it. By the way, it is great with soy sauce!!!