My 15 month old male veiled chameleon died today he seemed perfectly healthy but when i came home from the school run he appeared to be asleep sat around the bottom of a plant but didn't move since I was concerned so I went in the vivarium to find that he was dead and not asleep! He had no loss of appetite or change in behavior and where he died is also where he usually sleeps! He has a very large enclosure and has a diet of hoppers and veg, he also likes to eat the plants in his viv. Why has this happened? Any help would be very much appreciated!
sadly my male veiled died, y?
- Thread starter samnrio
- Start date
Zubi
Established Member
So sorry for your loss, I can only imagine how devastating that was for you. Could you fill this form out for us it would help with evaluating if something was wrong with your husbandry
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
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?
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
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?
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sorry to hear of your loss. Were all your plants chameleon safe? did you put any new plants in lately? Do you have substrate in the bottom of your cage? From what I have learned chameleons can be sick for awhile but not really show any syptoms until it is too late. I have read on here all too often about "perfectly healthy" chameleons just up and dying. A member lost one the other day because it ate a flukers orange cube. They did an autopsy to confirm this. Has he been outside and could he have eaten any bugs that were wild? Just trying to present some possible scenerios as the cause of death.
Thank you for the kind words! The viv is huge I could get in it myself its half glass half mesh, the plants are the ones the books tell you, ficus benjamina and another type but these have all been replaced at weekend from my local garden centre and pet centre, I have substrate in the bottom coco husk I think its called this was advised by the reptile centre when I bought my chameleon, I use a dusting powder for my bugs and I also have a calcium spray, mhe was on 5th hoppers and would go through around 10 in 2days, I have 2 uv bulbs on the viv which I've changed 6 monthly as advised by pet centre and a red heat bulb all by exo terra.
I have had him since around 12 week old, his viv is is situated in the cornee of my lounge great place to sit and watch him from my sofa but away from people passing his viv constantly, he was very shy and doesn't like to be handled, so very rarely has human contact.
Thanks
Sam
I have had him since around 12 week old, his viv is is situated in the cornee of my lounge great place to sit and watch him from my sofa but away from people passing his viv constantly, he was very shy and doesn't like to be handled, so very rarely has human contact.
Thanks
Sam
Zubi
Established Member
He could have eaten and choked on some of the substrate, I also think two uvbs is a little too much, but im not too sure. Yes but definitely no substrate in a chameleon cage because if they shoot at a locust thats on the substrate, he could have eaten the substrate on accident and died
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
So you just changed these plants out then from the garden centre this weekend? You mean before or after he passed away?
Did you wash them thoroughly so they were free of pesiticides? We dont recommend red heat bulbs, but white instead. I doubt that had anything to do with his death though. Was the coco husk small enough pieces that he could injest? Did you let your feeders run loose or cup feed? The reason I ask and why we say no substrate is cause when they shoot for prey they could get pieces of substrate in their mouth.
Did you wash them thoroughly so they were free of pesiticides? We dont recommend red heat bulbs, but white instead. I doubt that had anything to do with his death though. Was the coco husk small enough pieces that he could injest? Did you let your feeders run loose or cup feed? The reason I ask and why we say no substrate is cause when they shoot for prey they could get pieces of substrate in their mouth.
The plant were changed two days previous, and were washed. The substrate was the kind advised by the reptile center when I got him and it has a big pic of a veiled on the front its like the bits on the outside of a coconut and powdery, I originally had a white heat bulb, but was told that it should be a red one, as for the uv I had the exo terra canopy with two bulb fixings on an exo terra viv when he was a lot smaller and as he grew I got a bigger viv! Also I let the feeders run loose! Everything I've done was told to me by the reptile centre but I know they are not always right and sometimes contradict each other.
He was originally bought by my ex partner but shortly after we split and he wasn't interested in him so I made him part of my family, I went out bought books seeked advice and learnt as much as I could so I could take good care of him, and i am so sad he has gone!
Is there a way of finding out what has actually caused his death?
Thanks
Sam
He was originally bought by my ex partner but shortly after we split and he wasn't interested in him so I made him part of my family, I went out bought books seeked advice and learnt as much as I could so I could take good care of him, and i am so sad he has gone!
Is there a way of finding out what has actually caused his death?
Thanks
Sam
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
We don't know that most likely it was the substrate as there are many known (and sometimes unknown) reasons why they die. Really a necropsy(autopsy) would have to be performed. I don't know anything about how long you can wait until after they have passed, plus I am sure the vet is not gonna do it for free. The other member who lost his Carpet cham last week was a vet and did his own and was kind enough to share it with us. His name is Dr O and if you search the threads you can see it. there are pictures, so if you don't like stuff like that or it bothers you then I would advise not to. But his cham like I said had eaten a flukers orange cube and it impacted the chameleon. He would have never known why unless he did the necropsy.
