veiled chameleon colors??

[sophia.correnti]

hi, i’m sophia and i’m new to the forum. i’ve had my veiled for about 2-3 weeks ago and am very prepared of course. i’ve seen many people on here saying their veiled chameleons are always light green. when i hold him, obviously not often, he’s light green, but when he’s in his cage, he’s usually a light green with very prominent dark green spots. also, when he’s hungry, he gets a bit tan. i should also note that he’s about 4-5 months old. is this normal?? thanks so much. i can provide more info if needed.

 

[Serbianchameleon]

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.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Serbianchameleon]

Please fill this up and post it back on this thread. Chameleons dont change colors if they are hungry or not. At least thats what I think...

 

[sophia.correnti]

Please fill this up and post it back on this thread. Chameleons dont change colors if they are hungry or not. At least thats what I think...

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, male, 4-5 months, in my care for about 3 weeks
• Handling - I try not to unless necessary, at most one-two times a week
• Feeding - 10-15 small crickets, daily, gut loading with fruit
• Supplements - usually dust a few times a week (i get them once a week) and use zoomed reptivite with d3 and zoomed repti calcium
• Watering - i have the little dripper, i mist heavily in the morning and slightly in the night. yes, i see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - never been tested for parasites, has white and black poop usually a pretty normal texture and eventually hardens
• History - nothing concerning based on how long i’ve had him

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen cage, don’t know exact dimensions but i believe it’s 18x18x30 or 36 and i’ll update when he grows
• Lighting - i have a zoomed heat lamp and a strip uvb that i turn on when i wake up and turn off about 12 hours later
• Temperature - thermometer to measure temps, usually about 75-78° normal temp, waiting to get a basking area lamp. usually about 65 at night.
• Humidity - i use a hygrometer, i need a new one because it’s not that good so i’m not 100% sure but it’s in a good range from what i’ve seen
• Plants - yes, i have various that don’t have tags at the moment but i researched here before getting them
• Placement - on my floor, window is almost right above it but stays closed. i have a ceiling fan that’s on at night and doesn’t affect temp.
• Location - boston, massachusetts

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about: coloring. always darker green or with tan on part of patterning.

 

[sophia.correnti]

Please fill this up and post it back on this thread. Chameleons dont change colors if they are hungry or not. At least thats what I think...

and here’s a picture from right now.

 

[Serbianchameleon]

That color is pretty normal. Just one thing. How do you mean you will get a basking lamp? You said you have a zoomed heat lamp. And what is strip uvb? Can you post picture of both lamps so I can know are they correct for your chameleon. How much percentage your uvb lamp has? About the color it seems normal but he can be a little bit darker because of temperature, thats because he is trying to absorb heat. 75 is low, you need like 77-78 and basking spot about 84.

 

[sophia.correnti]

That color is pretty normal. Just one thing. How do you mean you will get a basking lamp? You said you have a zoomed heat lamp. And what is strip uvb? Can you post picture of both lamps so I can know are they correct for your chameleon. How much percentage your uvb lamp has? About the color it seems normal but he can be a little bit darker because of temperature, thats because he is trying to absorb heat. 75 is low, you need like 77-78 and basking spot about 84.

Thank you so much. What I meant is that I don’t currently have a basking spot because I don’t have the best heat lamp. I can’t take a picture at the moment, but i can find one online. With the one that shows a double fixture, I took out the UVB one after researching and finding out it isn’t strong enough. That’s not the exact UVB i have but looks somewhat similar.

 

[kinyonga]

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, male, 4-5 months, in my care for about 3 weeks

• Handling - I try not to unless necessary, at most one-two times a week
• Feeding - 10-15 small crickets, daily, gut loading with fruit You should be feeding/gutloading the crickets with. An assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, mustard greens and veggies such as squash, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc and just a very small bit of fruit like pears, apples, melon, berries, etc. It's advisable to use other insects like silkworms, roaches, locusts, BSFL, etc as well.
• Supplements - usually dust a few times a week (i get them once a week) and use zoomed reptivite with d3 and zoomed repti calcium Dusting should be with phos free calcium at all feedings but 4 a month. 2 of those 4 days, 2 weeks apart, one feeding should be dusted with a phos free calcium/D3 powder and the other two feedings with a vitamin powder.
• Watering - i have the little dripper, i mist heavily in the morning and slightly in the night. yes, i see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - never been tested for parasites, has white and black poop usually a pretty normal texture and eventually hardens
• History - nothing concerning based on how long i’ve had him

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen cage, don’t know exact dimensions but i believe it’s 18x18x30 or 36 and i’ll update when he grows
• Lighting - i have a zoomed heat lamp and a strip uvb that i turn on when i wake up and turn off about 12 hours later What UVB light do you use?.The most often recommended is the long liner tube reptisun 5.0. You can use a regular household incandescent bulb of a eat the that produces the appropriate basking temperature. (Low 80's for now.)
• Temperature - thermometer to measure temps, usually about 75-78° normal temp, waiting to get a basking area lamp. usually about 65 at night. See above.
• Humidity - i use a hygrometer, i need a new one because it’s not that good so i’m not 100% sure but it’s in a good range from what i’ve seen
• Plants - yes, i have various that don’t have tags at the moment but i researched here before getting them
• Placement - on my floor, window is almost right above it but stays closed. i have a ceiling fan that’s on at night and doesn’t affect temp. The cage should be higher and not near a window to prevent cold winter drafts.
• Location - boston, massachusetts

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about: coloring. always darker green or with tan on part of patterning.
they change color and patterns with mood and darken or lighten also when warm or cold.


You said..."I don’t currently have a basking spot because I don’t have the best heat lamp. I can’t take a picture at the moment, but i can find one online. With the one that shows a double fixture, I took out the UVB one after researching and finding out it isn’t strong enough. That’s not the exact UVB i have but looks somewhat similar"...please see what I said above. Make sure the basking light is high enough above the cage that it won't burn the chameleon yet puts the basking temperature in the right range. To test this...hold your hand at the closest. Point inside the cage possible. If you feel uncomfortable/hot with your hand there then it's too close.

Hope this helps!

 

[sophia.correnti]

Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, male, 4-5 months, in my care for about 3 weeks

• Handling - I try not to unless necessary, at most one-two times a week
• Feeding - 10-15 small crickets, daily, gut loading with fruit You should be feeding/gutloading the crickets with. An assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, mustard greens and veggies such as squash, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc and just a very small bit of fruit like pears, apples, melon, berries, etc. It's advisable to use other insects like silkworms, roaches, locusts, BSFL, etc as well.
• Supplements - usually dust a few times a week (i get them once a week) and use zoomed reptivite with d3 and zoomed repti calcium Dusting should be with phos free calcium at all feedings but 4 a month. 2 of those 4 days, 2 weeks apart, one feeding should be dusted with a phos free calcium/D3 powder and the other two feedings with a vitamin powder.
• Watering - i have the little dripper, i mist heavily in the morning and slightly in the night. yes, i see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - never been tested for parasites, has white and black poop usually a pretty normal texture and eventually hardens
• History - nothing concerning based on how long i’ve had him

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen cage, don’t know exact dimensions but i believe it’s 18x18x30 or 36 and i’ll update when he grows
• Lighting - i have a zoomed heat lamp and a strip uvb that i turn on when i wake up and turn off about 12 hours later What UVB light do you use?.The most often recommended is the long liner tube reptisun 5.0. You can use a regular household incandescent bulb of a eat the that produces the appropriate basking temperature. (Low 80's for now.)
• Temperature - thermometer to measure temps, usually about 75-78° normal temp, waiting to get a basking area lamp. usually about 65 at night. See above.
• Humidity - i use a hygrometer, i need a new one because it’s not that good so i’m not 100% sure but it’s in a good range from what i’ve seen
• Plants - yes, i have various that don’t have tags at the moment but i researched here before getting them
• Placement - on my floor, window is almost right above it but stays closed. i have a ceiling fan that’s on at night and doesn’t affect temp. The cage should be higher and not near a window to prevent cold winter drafts.
• Location - boston, massachusetts

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about: coloring. always darker green or with tan on part of patterning.
they change color and patterns with mood and darken or lighten also when warm or cold.


You said..."I don’t currently have a basking spot because I don’t have the best heat lamp. I can’t take a picture at the moment, but i can find one online. With the one that shows a double fixture, I took out the UVB one after researching and finding out it isn’t strong enough. That’s not the exact UVB i have but looks somewhat similar"...please see what I said above. Make sure the basking light is high enough above the cage that it won't burn the chameleon yet puts the basking temperature in the right range. To test this...hold your hand at the closest. Point inside the cage possible. If you feel uncomfortable/hot with your hand there then it's too close.

Hope this helps!

thank you so much. this is really helpful.