Should I be concerned?

[sn0wleopard]

Hi. I am a new chameleon keeper I have a male nosy be panther chameleon that I have had for about 6 months.

For about a week I have not seen him eat anything and there hasn’t been a poo for about that length of time either.

Could some of you more experienced keepers let me know if this is normal and just that he is growing up. Until now he has eaten everyday pretty much without fail.

He is still drinking and behaving normally.

Would appreciate some advice as I’m starting to get a bit worried

 

[nightanole]

If he is finally and adult, eating goes down tremendously. They go from 1 dozen full grown crickets per day, down to a few large feeders a week. Just keep an eye out for hydration.

 

[sn0wleopard]

He will be about 12 months now. He has a auto mister which goes on 3 times throughout the day and I usually do a manual on once or twice depending on how much I am around to do it. He would normally eat 5-10 crickets a day depending how big they are. But he isn’t eating them at the min they just sit there in the enclosure so I have reduced. Normally his poo is mostly white with a tiny dot of orange on the top as well as the brown bit that looks like a slug.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Can you show a picture of your enclosure and his feces? He might just be going through a hunger strike, and why is the lighting look like it is not a white ish color? It is recommended that no colored lights are used.

 

[sn0wleopard]

Lighting is white not sure why picture keeps looking green think it’s just my poor photography skills. There is a white uva/uvb bulb and a red 100w for heat on a dimming thermostat. Enclosure is an exoterra 90x90x45. I can’t show you a feces because he hasn’t done once since I last cleaned out the enclosure.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Lighting is white not sure why picture keeps looking green think it’s just my poor photography skills. There is a white uva/uvb bulb and a red 100w for heat on a dimming thermostat. Enclosure is an exoterra 90x90x45. I can’t show you a feces because he hasn’t done once since I last cleaned out the enclosure.

Red lights are not recommended. What are the temps?

 

[kinyonga]

What's the basking temperature? Has it dropped at all lately?

 

[sn0wleopard]

Um I don’t think so it is around 80f near the top and 65-70f lower down. We are in the middle of a very cold snap so I thought it might have dropped a bit but whenever I look it is still around 80.

Why is red light not good I got this as I wasn’t sure about the ceramic bulbs our house is quite cold a lot of the time which is why I went for the glass terrarium and a high watt heat bulb.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Um I don’t think so it is around 80f near the top and 65-70f lower down. We are in the middle of a very cold snap so I thought it might have dropped a bit but whenever I look it is still around 80.

Why is red light not good I got this as I wasn’t sure about the ceramic bulbs our house is quite cold a lot of the time which is why I went for the glass terrarium and a high watt heat bulb.[/QUOTE/] Red lights are not good, as they emit unnatural colored light which can affect the chameleon. I don't know if it is stress, but you can ask someone else. The temps should be maybe 85 at the basking light.

 

[Chameleomom]

I would suggest a lot more climbing vines

 

[CJ's Exotics]

I would suggest a lot more climbing vines

And foliage.

 

[sn0wleopard]

Ok will get a ceramic bulb next time I go to the shop to stock up on critters.

I have only had the chameleon since July which is when the ficus went in so I am still waiting for it to grow up so should I get some fake vines on the meantime? I just wanted all really plants which is why it is low on foliage at the top.

He ate a few crickets today though and I saw him drinking so hopefully I am just worrying.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Ok will get a ceramic bulb next time I go to the shop to stock up on critters.

I have only had the chameleon since July which is when the ficus went in so I am still waiting for it to grow up so should I get some fake vines on the meantime? I just wanted all really plants which is why it is low on foliage at the top.

He ate a few crickets today though and I saw him drinking so hopefully I am just worrying.

He might just have had a hunger strike. You could put some fake vines in, I use a mixture of natural and fake. Good Luck!!!

 

[kinyonga]

@sn0wleopard said..."Um I don’t think so it is around 80f near the top and 65-70f lower down. We are in the middle of a very cold snap so I thought it might have dropped a bit but whenever I look it is still around 80"...might have dropped enough to make him not hungry.

You said..."Why is red light not good I got this as I wasn’t sure about the ceramic bulbs our house is quite cold a lot of the time which is why I went for the glass terrarium and a high watt heat bulb."...white light is natural....it's thought that they see colors differently so we don't use red.