question on lighting and cham color

[ir0k]

Ok, so its been about a week since ive had my baby panther cham. Ambilobe.

My gradient in temps is 74~88 range. But hardly ever do i see him not dark brown color.

I have a reptisun 5.0 for uvb.and a 43 watt house bulb for heating. My fixture is a large, wide dome.

He is eating and drinking just fine. Poop looks normal. He has plenty of vines and 3 live plants so i dont think its a lack thereof.

Humidity runs around 40~60. Sometimes higher after a misting.
He seems to sit under the uvb light alot. When he sleeps he drops all color to a nice light tan color. I can get pics up tommarow possibly of him and his enclosure.i dust with rep cal without d3 and without phosphorus every feeding. Anyone see anything in here a miss?

Thanks

 

[carol5208]

Did he have colors showing before you got him? Some show colors later than others. Often times, it takes them awhile to settle in to their new homes and they may be dark from stress. Give him some time, and he will should come around. Your set up seems fine.

 

[ir0k]

Ya i mean. He was a light tan color when i got him. But maybe i over exagerrated a bit. Like right now he is a lighter tan color. But i think he is more dark brown then light tan. Im not concerned about colors right away. His throat area is red when he puffs up. I saw him puff up alot when he was shedding recently.


I will also admit ive held him at night when its lights out and im watching tv and his color is very nice light tan. I think your right, he might just be getting used to his new home.
Thanks again

 

[camimom]

What is your actual basking temperature at his basking spot?

 

[carol5208]

Sometimes if they are cold, they will be dark also. That is why Camimom asked what your basking temp is, but I am assuming that is the 88 degrees you stated and that would be just fine to keep him warm. Keep us updated on his progress. Oh, and most chameleons get lighter and show some of their prettiest colors when they sleep. So what you are seeing is normal for him to lighten up at night.

 

[Iluvheidi]

sounds like you got a female. but thats just they way it sounds to me. do you have any pictures? They do take time to settle in but tan sounds like a ambi female.

 

[Iluvheidi]

any pictures yet? im curious to see your little one.

 

[ir0k]

hey, i do have pics. I just took them this morning. I apologize for not responding back to other replies. Yes my best basking spot is around 88 degrees, bottom of cage is around 73-75 degrees.







This pic still shows some shedding going on buts its around the little plate on the head. Seems like a tough spot to get that skin off eh?


also I apologize for picture quality, its with a iPhone

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[fluxlizard]

I was thinking the same thing. Also babies are just brown for a while before their colors come in, so depending on size, color could be normal...

OH I see you just posted a piccy now. That is normal color for both sexes for that size.

 

[ir0k]

thanks for the reply flux, honestly she usually lightens up quite a bit when I hold her, i'll have to catch her in her darker mood and get a pic then post it. today while taking those pics I saw couple bands of green on her stomach area.

her throat area, almost looks like a gullet area when she puffs out has red in it, but only when she puffs out. anyways.

Thanks for the reply, i'll get a more darker pic up soon. it just might be her trying to warm up like a previous poster said, it just had me a little worried at first.

i'll try and see if I cant get a photo album together on here as I've taken a few pics recently. might be better them flooding the boards with my threads

thanks again