Veiled Chameleon Color

davidgman

New Member
i have a young (maybe 2 1/2 - 3 month old i’m not sure) veiled chameleon i’ve had him for about 2 weeks, and i made sure i followed all the necessary requirements to keep him healthy, but his color seems a bit odd. it could just be a mixture of the basking lighting and the brown hammock, or brown background. but when he’s on his vines/leaves he’s a nice neutral green. he eats a lot, but i don’t see him drinking often, and i know he specifically does not like when i spray the cage, he almost always runs the second i start spraying it. the cage is 2x2x4 i keep a basking temp at about 90-94, a base temp at high 70s, a night temp of low 70s. i keep the humidity at about 45-60%. i feel i’ve done a really good job keeping care of him, and giving him a good home, but his color just throws me off a bit. if anybody is smarter than me about young veiled male chameleon colors let me know if this is a worry some color or not. (btw he rarely gets small dark brown or almost black dots all around him when me or my brother approach’s the cage, i also give him his personal space by never picking him up or messing with him.
 

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i have a young (maybe 2 1/2 - 3 month old i’m not sure) veiled chameleon i’ve had him for about 2 weeks, and i made sure i followed all the necessary requirements to keep him healthy, but his color seems a bit odd. it could just be a mixture of the basking lighting and the brown hammock, or brown background. but when he’s on his vines/leaves he’s a nice neutral green. he eats a lot, but i don’t see him drinking often, and i know he specifically does not like when i spray the cage, he almost always runs the second i start spraying it. the cage is 2x2x4 i keep a basking temp at about 90-94, a base temp at high 70s, a night temp of low 70s. i keep the humidity at about 45-60%. i feel i’ve done a really good job keeping care of him, and giving him a good home, but his color just throws me off a bit. if anybody is smarter than me about young veiled male chameleon colors let me know if this is a worry some color or not. (btw he rarely gets small dark brown or almost black dots all around him when me or my brother approach’s the cage, i also give him his personal space by never picking him up or messing with him.
Hi there and welcome to the forum. The temperature is wayyyyy to hot. Needs to be more like 80-82 for that age. Colors can be all over when they are babies.

If you would like us to do a husbandry review to make sure you got the right info for care fill this out in detail. Please post pics of the entire enclosure lighting down.


Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

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Please Note:

  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
  • Your Chameleon - The species, Veiled Chameleon. sex, Male. and age of your chameleon. 3ish months. How long has it been in your care? 2 and a half weeks.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Never, i try to always give him his space.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms. What amount? 10 Crickets and 8 Dubia Roaches, or 10 Crickets and 4 Mealworms. (that’s a total throughout the day) What is the schedule? i feed him 5ish Crickets and 4ish dubia roaches, or 5ish Crickets and 2ish Mealworms in the morning about 45 minutes after lights go on, and again at around 4:00pm. 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.
 

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  • Your Chameleon - The species, Veiled Chameleon. sex, Male. and age of your chameleon. 3ish months. How long has it been in your care? 2 and a half weeks.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Never, i try to always give him his space.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms. What amount? 10 Crickets and 8 Dubia Roaches, or 10 Crickets and 4 Mealworms. (that’s a total throughout the day) What is the schedule? i feed him 5ish Crickets and 4ish dubia roaches, or 5ish Crickets and 2ish Mealworms in the morning about 45 minutes after lights go on, (10:00am) and again at around 4:00pm. How are you gut-loading your feeders? i feed my bugs green bug food, apple, and carrot.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? i dust my Crickets and Mealworms in Repti Calcium with D3 every other day for each feeding, but i don’t rust my Dubia Roaches in anything.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? i have a dripper going through out the day, along side with a humidifier. How often and how long to you mist? i spray the cage down 4-5 times a day, for about 10 seconds each time (i don’t think he likes when i spray the cage because once i start spraying he runs away. Do you see your chameleon drinking? i’ve only seen him drink once or twice within the two weeks he’s been here.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. his Feces are dark brown with white on the end. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No he has not.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. They did not give me any information about the history of this chameleon.

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) Screen cage with Screen on the right, left, front, and top of the cage What are the dimensions? 2ft x 2ft x 4ft.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? i use Flukers Adjustable 100W Basking light. and Zilla 15W 18” SlimLine Tropica Fixture 25 UVB T8 Flourescent Bulb What is your daily lighting schedule? i turn them on at 9:30am-9:30pm
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)?cage floor is mid-high 70s and basking spot is now at 85. Lowest overnight temp? whole cage is about low 70s at night. How do you measure these temps? i use a thermometer.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? humidity stays at 50-60 throughout the day. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? i mainly use a humidifier, but i also have a dripper going all day and i spray the cage 4-5 times a day. What do you use to measure humidity? a hygrometer
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? i am not yet but i am planning on getting one.
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? it is in the corner of my room. Is it near any fans, yes a standing fan is in the other corner pointing away from the cage. air vents, there is a air vent pointing perpendicular to the cage on the other side of the room. or high traffic areas? people are in my room but don’t mess with him. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? the cage is on the floor until i get a desk for it, and the top of it is chest level.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? i’m in Southern California.

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Any problems in general but maybe if his colors are off.
 

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I am going to give feedback in Red bold. :) Let us know if you have questions.

  • Your Chameleon - The species, Veiled Chameleon. sex, Male. and age of your chameleon. 3ish months. How long has it been in your care? 2 and a half weeks.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Never, i try to always give him his space.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms. What amount? 10 Crickets and 8 Dubia Roaches, or 10 Crickets and 4 Mealworms. (that’s a total throughout the day) What is the schedule? i feed him 5ish Crickets and 4ish dubia roaches, or 5ish Crickets and 2ish Mealworms in the morning about 45 minutes after lights go on, (10:00am) and again at around 4:00pm. How are you gut-loading your feeders? i feed my bugs green bug food, apple, and carrot. At his age you should feed in the mornings giving him the day to digest. I would give 12 feeders every day. Not mealworms though. You can feed small superworms though. They are better then mealworms for them. I will post a feeder image for you and a gutloading image.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? i dust my Crickets and Mealworms in Repti Calcium with D3 every other day for each feeding, but i don’t rust my Dubia Roaches in anything. Ok stop this asap. You only dust with calcium WITH D3 two times a month or he can develop D3 toxicity. You need Repti Calcium WITHOUT D3 and reptivite without D3. The schedule would be Calcium WITHOUT D3 at every feeding except 2 times a month you use the calcium WITH D3 and 2 times a month you use the reptivite without D3. These two get rotated week to week say on a Saturday. All feeders should be lightly dusted.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? i have a dripper going through out the day, along side with a humidifier. How often and how long to you mist? i spray the cage down 4-5 times a day, for about 10 seconds each time (i don’t think he likes when i spray the cage because once i start spraying he runs away. Do you see your chameleon drinking? i’ve only seen him drink once or twice within the two weeks he’s been here. They do not like getting wet. You want to mist the plants in the cage for about a minute minimum so they are dripping. This will also give him the opportunity to clean his eyes if he wants to.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. his Feces are dark brown with white on the end. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No he has not. I recommend everyone get a fecal done to ensure there is not a parasite issue.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. They did not give me any information about the history of this chameleon.

Cage Info:


  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) Screen cage with Screen on the right, left, front, and top of the cage What are the dimensions? 2ft x 2ft x 4ft. great
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? i use Flukers Adjustable 100W Basking light. and Zilla 15W 18” SlimLine Tropica Fixture 25 UVB T8 Flourescent Bulb What is your daily lighting schedule? i turn them on at 9:30am-9:30pm You need to get a 24 inch T5HO fixture with a 5.0 or 6% UVB bulb and then the highest basking branch should be 9 inches below for the correct UVB level. The T8's do not put out enough UVB for them. They literally need to be within 5 inches of the bulb to get any UVB. Chams that do not have the correct UVB for D3 conversion develop MBD.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)?cage floor is mid-high 70s and basking spot is now at 85. Lowest overnight temp? whole cage is about low 70s at night. How do you measure these temps? i use a thermometer. ok just make sure he can not get close to the basking bulb. Thermal burns are really bad and happen quite easily if set up is incorrect with high wattage bulbs.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? humidity stays at 50-60 throughout the day. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? i mainly use a humidifier, but i also have a dripper going all day and i spray the cage 4-5 times a day. What do you use to measure humidity? a hygrometer Are you running a humidifier into the cage during the day? If so this should only be used at night when there are no lights and the cage is at its coolest. Otherwise he is at risk for developing a respiratory infection. Daytime humidity should be 30-50% max. night time can be up to 100%
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? i am not yet but i am planning on getting one. Here is a link for plants. Look at the ones that say Veiled tested. https://chameleonacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chameleon-Plants-122819.pdf Live plants are recommended especially for Veileds because they will try to eat the fake ones and that is an impaction risk for them.
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? it is in the corner of my room. Is it near any fans, yes a standing fan is in the other corner pointing away from the cage. air vents, there is a air vent pointing perpendicular to the cage on the other side of the room. or high traffic areas? people are in my room but don’t mess with him. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? the cage is on the floor until i get a desk for it, and the top of it is chest level. ok great.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? i’m in Southern California.
Accurate info and Product links for things I like:

https://chameleonacademy.com/

https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/

https://www.youtube.com/c/NeptunetheChameleon?sub_confirmation=1

www.dragonstrand.com

https://tkchameleons.com/collections/accessories/products/shooting-gallery

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