Possible burns?

[possiblyalive64]

Hello!
Recently I've noticed that my chameleon Whopper has had some dark markings on his crest and back. They don't look as serious as other burns I've seen on chameleons so I want to make sure. He recently had a very big shed so that is why some loose skin is still attached to his back. I lowered his backing branch down by a few inches just in case he is getting too close. Please let me know if you have ideas of what it might be and if there's something I could do to make him more comfortable.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, male, roughly 2 years old. I've had him since Febuary 2025. (Got him from a pet store, I've since learned the errors of my ways)
• Handling - I try not to handle him at all, if he seems comfortable and is feeding I place my hand in front of him but don't force him to be held. I'm just trying to help him get more comfortable with being held in case he needs to go to the vet or moved.
• Feeding - I am feeding Whopper dubia roaches, hornworms, and black fly larve, every two days. I feed the bugs fresh veggies like carrots, squash, and greens. Whopper gets calcium every time he eats and D3 one every other week. He eats very well and runs over to the feeding bowl whenever it is put in his cage.
• Watering - I have a Mistking mister that goes on twice at night, and a fogger that goes on multiple times at night. I haven't seen Whopper drinking recently, but I've been thinking of making a simple dripper for consistent daily water.
• Fecal Description - His poops have been good for the most part, they are usually hidden in the plant pots which makes them hard to see. The poops are hard, but that very well could be that I don't see them quick enough before they harden.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I got a used screen cage from FB Marketplace (thoroughly scrubbed don't worry) It's 24"x24"x48". My girlfriend built some frames out of pvc pipe to hold branches and plants.
• Lighting - I use three lights, a UVB, a plant light, and a heating lamp. The UVB is a ZooMed T5 H0 24W lamp, the plant light is a Arcadia Jungle Dawn at 32W, and I have a ZooMed reflector with an Exo Terra 100W daytime heat lamp. I have everything on timers, the lights are on from 6AM-8PM and the heat lamp automatically turns off if his basking temp gets over 85 degrees fahrenheit.
• Temperature - Currently the basking temp is 85 fahrenheit, the bottom of the cage is currently 72 fahrenheit. I'm not sure of the lowest overnight temp, I can check tonight if needed. I measure the temps twith two thermometers, his basking spot is measured with a Exo Terra Reptitemp Digital Thermostat where I can set the desired temp and it shuts off if it goes over 85F. The bottom cage thermometer is a dual thermometer and hydrometer, I forget the brand.
• Humidity - Currently the daytime humidity is 70% but I've seen it get up to 90% at night while the fogger and mister are on.
• Plants - I have two wax plants, two sedge plants near the bottom of the cage, and a money tree in the center.
• Placement - The cage is located in my living room (we have a bedroom, living area, and bathroom so there's not many places to choose from) next to a big sliding glass door so he can get some natural sunlight (it's very limited though, the sun doesn't hit him). Theres two vents nearby but they're closed so he isn't getting any cold drafts. We have two cats, one of them is very curious about Whopper but whenever she gets to close or he seems nervous we try to "correct" her and are finding other things to keep her attention. The top of his cage is probably 6-7 feet tall, he's on top of a small coffee table.
• Location - I'm located in central Ohio in a city.

 

[GrannyK]

Hi, I would look for a lower wattage heat bulb bulb. 100w is strong. 60-75w.

And plain neosporain (no additive or pain relievers) can temporarily be applied until a vet can get him burn cream.

Poor guy! I too have a panther with a burn from when I first got into chameleons. He’s fine now but I have guilt every day. He’s 4 1/2 now.

 

[ehdee6]

Can you please post a picture of the entire cage? I see the photos from your previous post and understand you've made some additions.

The pictures of his casque are too blurry to tell, but his back looks like it could have a slight burn. It is hard to say for sure when they are shedding, but to be cautious, I would move the basking light further away. A 100W bulb in an XXL ReptiBreeze is too much; I never use anything higher than 25–75 watts. I adjust mine between 25W, 50W, and 75W depending on the season and ambient room temperature.

Make sure your temperature probe is placed on the branch directly under the light is. You also need to account for the height of the chameleon's back and casque. Aim for the correct temperature reading about 4–5 inches above that branch if it sits directly under the basking spot.

It can take some ( or al lot) of time to get all the settings just right! It’s all about keeping a close eye on the environment and making the necessary adjustments for your specific setup.

 

[possiblyalive64]

Hi, I would look for a lower wattage heat bulb bulb. 100w is strong. 60-75w.

And plain neosporain (no additive or pain relievers) can temporarily be applied until a vet can get him burn cream.

Poor guy! I too have a panther with a burn from when I first got into chameleons. He’s fine now but I have guilt every day. He’s 4 1/2 now.

Okay, we're going to the pet store today to get a lower watt, we were having trouble with getting the correct temp before so thats why it's so high. How would I apply the cream on him? He doesn't love being handled and usually puffs up when I open the cage.

 

[possiblyalive64]

Can you please post a picture of the entire cage? I see the photos from your previous post and understand you've made some additions.

The pictures of his casque are too blurry to tell, but his back looks like it could have a slight burn. It is hard to say for sure when they are shedding, but to be cautious, I would move the basking light further away. A 100W bulb in an XXL ReptiBreeze is too much; I never use anything higher than 25–75 watts. I adjust mine between 25W, 50W, and 75W depending on the season and ambient room temperature.

Make sure your temperature probe is placed on the branch directly under the light is. You also need to account for the height of the chameleon's back and casque. Aim for the correct temperature reading about 4–5 inches above that branch if it sits directly under the basking spot.

It can take some ( or al lot) of time to get all the settings just right! It’s all about keeping a close eye on the environment and making the necessary adjustments for your specific setup.

Yep! This is his cage, the money tree got some branches tore when I was putting it in but it should eventually sprout back up. Theres some more photos of his crest and back if you want to look at it. (He's gaping because he's never seen a phone so close before lol) Thank you for your help! I'll be going to the store to get a 50w and 75w so I can see which one would be best.

 

[BleuSaphir]

Your first photos look like he hot slight burn on his back. But the newer photo suggests normal. Just his spikes look alone slightly burn.

I don’t ever use heating lamp. My room
Is hot in the warmer months. My guy hates anything above 80 degrees.

 

[GrannyK]

I’m thinking basking stick placement is playing a part. Usually it goes across left to right the cage and not at an angle. That is so he he proper uvb and heat.

 

[GrannyK]

I don’t have the greatest pics but see how his uvb light is over his branch. Then in the back you see another branch where his basking light is coming through. Nevermind the foil in background he was temporarily soil munching and it was all I had

 

[ehdee6]

It does look like he has a slight burn, you should move the basking light away from that higher sitting branch. An excellent way to tell with an XL reptribreeze is that the top latch for the door is exactly 8". You want the basking light at that distance, and no closer.

When I use a basking light, I honestly just use household incandescent lights with the right wattage. Often times, reptile heat bulbs are designed to concentrate heat into a specific area. Sort of like when you hold a magnifying glass just right in the sunlight, and it will start a fire.

It's better to start with a lower wattage and work your way up. As others have stated, depending on the ambient temperature of the room, you may not even need a basking light, the UVB light can create enough heat on it's own. I personally have a LED grow light for the plants, a UVB light for the Cham, and a second UVB light that I use an older bulb in for a secondary grow light. Those three lights create enough of a heat gradient that I don't need a basking light.

This is the link to my original cage build, just as an example.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/xl-reptibreeze-build-floating-branches.194647/

This is how my Jackson's cage is now. It's important to note that I've had to raise the lights off the screen. This is because he likes to screen climb; I've had to account for that by moving the lights off the screen, so he doesn't burn himself. I use a solor meter to ensure he's at the right UVB level, along with the heat.