Unexpected Death

[calphalon]

Hey im new to this forum and see a lot of educated people regarding the care for chameleons. I recently purchased my first veiled chameleon from PetSmart along with the following items:

A habitat rainforest kit (http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/habitat_kit_rainforest.php)
Moss that came with the kit for substrate
a UVB Repit-Glo 5.0 bulb
fed it crickets for its diet
used bottle water, not tap
75-85 day time temp / 70-75 night time temp (no night time bulb was used though)

After 3 weeks of owning this little guy, I noticed he wasnt moving much and was starting to sleep constantly, hardly moving at all during this time. I pulled him out and after a few minutes he started doing something that appeared as if he was gagging or trying to throw up or something. After reading other stories, it seems he might have possibly swallowed a piece of bark while trying to get a cricket. He seemed to be healthy before and didnt seem to have much of a problem. But Im unsure as to why it died. I see chameleons can withstand some pretty cold weather so I dont think not having a night time bulb was the problem. It had a bowl of water to drink out of and didnt seem to be parched. Could he have fallen and hurt himself to the point of death? Can anyone give me some insights as to what could have caused this?

 

[ndugan7]

might have been the substrate that he choked on, or it could have been many other issues, aside from the water dish, did he get misted with water everyday? and did you notice him ever drinking water?

 

[calphalon]

I noticed him go down to the bowl and try drinking a bit but i guess im not 100% sure if he was getting a drink although it looked like it. I tried putting ice cubes at the top to drip but he seemed to be confused by it and tried to avoid it. I also didnt mist that much :/ What signs would a chameleon show if it was dehydrated?

 

[laurie]

I noticed him go down to the bowl and try drinking a bit but i guess im not 100% sure if he was getting a drink although it looked like it. I tried putting ice cubes at the top to drip but he seemed to be confused by it and tried to avoid it. I also didnt mist that much :/ What signs would a chameleon show if it was dehydrated?

Hello, where are you located? How old or what size was the veiled? What size terrarium was he in? There are a few things the could be improved on your husbandry. Here is a blog to get you started with your next one.


https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[calphalon]

The cham was about 2 inches (including tail) so it couldnt have been that old. I bought the small terrarium from the link I previously posted, however, everyone has seen those little cages these guy live in at petsmart so compared to that it was a lot bigger.

 

[VeiledKarma]

Not a bad starter terrarium. I used a similar one for a while. However, substrate is a no no. And keeping them wet and hydrated is a huge part of keeping them healthy. Were you using supplements while feeding it? Also very important.

 

[CBPanther]

Glass cages are not ideal, screen are. Provides fresh air so it does not get stagnent

 

[calphalon]

Is carpet the ideal substrate for most? How are you able to keep them moist/humid with a screen cage?

 

[carol5208]

no substrate is best and live plants, dripper, and mistings will help you keep up the humidity. Why do you think he swallowed the bark? Did you see it? We cannot stress enough about not using substrate. I am sure you didn't know, as most of the pet stores have their set ups with the bark chips and sell it to their customers.

 

[calphalon]

I saw him at the bottom around 2-3 times in the last few days and I leave the crickets in the cage so he can eat freely when available. I know some, if not, most of them at the time might have been at the bottom. When it was holding it and it started gagging, it opened its mouth wide open and when I looked down its throat I didnt see anything unusual. But wouldn't a chameleon be able to handle digesting small particles as it would in the wild? Could he have eaten a bad cricket or one that was sick?

 

[Rune]

No. Chams do not swallow bark and stuff in the wild since they live in trees, and not on the ground. And yes, chams can and do get impacted in the wild. But its not as easy as being trapped in a small area full of bark.

 

[carol5208]

We do not know what happens to chameleons in the wild, but I agree with Rune that they are usually higher up in the trees and foilage so they do not have access so much to ground substrate. I am sure there are instances when they eat some type of twig or plant or something, be it accidental or intentional, which causes their death.

 

[kinyonga]

Was it pooping? It could have ingested moss or bark and it created an impaction...which is why its recommended not to have any substrate at all.

You don't mention using any supplements...did you use them? Did you gutload/feed the insects a nutritious diet?

Did you mist the cage? Run a dripper? He may have been avoiding the water from the ice cubes as it was too cold for him.

Is the UVB light a compact, spiral, long linear tube light? Is there any glass or plastic between it and the chameleon? Did it keep its eyes open during the day?

Without a necropsy all we can do is guess at the reason for its death.