Potential eye problem?

[modernjamie]

I have a almost 4 month old panther chameleon and I was not sure whether his behavior is normal or not. He would occasionally close one eye very hard for a second and then open up. He alternates eyes, so I don't think there is a problem with one specific eye. When he closes very briefly, he squeezes(?) his eyeball and roll around. Is it something that you can see in chameleon's behavior? I am wondering if is due to the high intensity of UVB lighting. I use zoomed reptisun T5 HO 5.0 and I recently heard that it is too intense for chameleons and that I should switch to reptisun T8 5.0 UVB (not high output)..

So, to sum up, I would like to know if anyone here observed this briefly closing eye behavior in their chameleons and also what kind of UVB lighting you are using.

 

[werecat]

This sounds like normal eye cleaning behavior. If it happens excessively it could be a sign that something is irritating the eye, but for the most part they will do this occasionally throughout the day.

 

[werecat]

I can't really comment on the strength of your UV bulb except that there are quite a few members who use HO lighting with success. I doubt that it's a problem but I'm not sure if it's too strong for a four month old. Perhaps someone who uses it will chime in.

 

[NHenn]

Jamie, I agree. That sounds like normal behavior and just keeping his eyes clean. If he would start to hold it close for extended periods of time that is when it could be an issue.

As for HO T5 UVB, they are perfectly fine. That is what I use but I prefer the Arcadia 6% bulbs over ZooMeds. Either way it isn't too intense and I would never switch back to the T8. T8's are dim and in my opinion just stink. HO T5 is the way to go!