Toes turning black

[Lingling]

Tonight when I came home from work I took out Huxley to see his new colors since his shed today. Noticed some new yellows and blues, but most suprising was the black - on his toes. On two of his feet, left front and back, the tips of his toes are really dark, nearly black. The rest of him was normal colors, and he was relaxed. It just doesn't seem quite right.


Anyone know what this could be? Should I be worried about it? Today is the first time I've seen it.

 

[carol5208]

that is weird. Could he have reached up and burned his toes on the screen under the basking light maybe?

 

[Lingling]

that is weird. Could he have reached up and burned his toes on the screen under the basking light maybe?

You know what... that's a really good possibility. And it would make a lot of sense, since I just moved him into a new cage and put on a new basking lamp last night. He's a cage crawler, likes to climb the walls and top sometimes. I just touched the screen under his lamp and it's hot!

He's actually been without a heat lamp for awhile because my room was so warm, always about 80 (even though it's winter in chicago...?). I'm glad you mentioned that. It doesn't really look like a burn, but that would make sense. My first concern was that maybe the skin on his toes hasn't been coming off with the rest of his shed. That's what it looked like to me, but it would just be weird for it to turn black overnight if that was the case.

I'll raise his lamp off the screen a couple inches.

 

[carol5208]

Maybe someone else on here has shared the same experience and can give you some insight on that. With what you said though, it could be possible about the burn. It is weird how it just came on all the sudden.

 

[Lingling]

I've never had problems putting my basking lamps on the screen before.... not even with this cham when he was using one. My veiled used to hang on the screen right under the lamp on occasion. As much as I'd hate the little guy's toes to be burned, I'd rather it be a burn than something more serious... I hope that's what it is.

 

[carol5208]

I know what you mean. When my cham was smaller and would hang on the top as soon as he would reach under the basking light he would immediately let go cause he knew it was hot. I was always freaking out and afraid he was gonna fall or get burned when he did that but his toes never turned black either. It is something I have never seen before and it would be nice to know if there is someone else out there that has had the same thing happen so we can know exactly what it is.

 

[laurie]

I was going to say it might be retained shed on his toes but I think Carol is correct, it does sound and look more like a burn.

 

[Lingling]

I was going to say it might be retained shed on his toes but I think Carol is correct, it does sound and look more like a burn.

I have never noticed any retained shed on his toes, tail, or elsewhere. He always sheds completely in a single day. I'm also leaning toward burn, thanks to Carol's suggestion.

Is there anything I should do to treat the burn? I feel bad for the little guy