# 4 month old veiled chameleon is brown during the day and green when he's sleeping



## Thedudenelsonmandela (Sep 12, 2011)

Hello I got my first veiled chameleon 3 days ago he's a 4 months old low end piebald my question is as I'm new to this is when I piked him ip he was happy friendly and green, however since I have got Jim in my 2/2/4 foot viv he's been brown in colour all day every day hes eating climbing and very alert, I have noticed he's a loverly green at night time when he sleeps is this normal? And could it be a new surroundings thing? I hope someone can help put my mind at rest cheers


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## trudib (Jul 24, 2011)

I have no idea with chams but beardies changed color when cold threatened or stressed or indeed shedding. Sounds like maybe he is a little stressed though, should also check temps etc, should be info for that on chams on the lizard care sheets i wouldn't have a clue what there temps are sorry


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## mattsdad1701 (Feb 24, 2011)

My Yemen goes dark when he is angry or stressed but soon settles. Maybe he is just a grumpy sod like mine!!!!!


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## Thedudenelsonmandela (Sep 12, 2011)

That's a loverly beardy, I've noticed he goes a loverly green around an hour before sleep and stays green when sleeping. It's just during the day he's a grey or brown colour, he also goes green abit if I get him out and let him walk on my hands and arms and shoulder haha I hope he does settle and become a more chilled colour, he won't eat from my hand yet been trying everyday


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## Gemmatony10 (Oct 13, 2010)

His eating will be patchy till he settle's in, I wouldnt worry about it, he will eat when he's hungry :2thumb:

Check your temps, and your enclosure is wayyyy to big, I tend to keep babies in a medium sized exo untill they are about 6 months, as they get very insecure if the enclosure is too large.

I recently took on a baby veiled that was not doing so good. Straight away I down sized his tank to a 45x45x45 exo terra, put it in my viv room where its nice and quiet, and down sized his food as well, as he was being fed med-large locust. Checked his temp/humidity etc, and pretty much just left him to it for a few weeks.

He has now been re-homed, and all it took was a few little tweek's here and there, and giving the little guy some space.

Try not to handle him for about 2 weeks, he will get used to your hands coming in and out his tank for misting/spot cleaning ect, but right now he sounds like he needs left alone for a while to settle. 

I know chameleons are so stresssfull to own, and its not easy to resist the urge to take a peek and make sure he's okay, but remember chams practicaly have eyes on the back of there heads, and he will see you :lol2: , they dont like being watched.

I would put him in the quietest room of your house downsize his enclosure, or try and make it smaller somehow and leave him alone for a while, and almost certain you will have a happy little chappy in a few days time :2thumb:


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## Higgt4 (Apr 25, 2009)

Thedudenelsonmandela said:


> , however since I have got Jim in my 2/2/4 foot viv he's been brown in colour all day every day hes eating climbing and very alert, I have noticed he's a loverly green at night time when he sleeps is this normal?


Where is his new enclosure, is it on the floor?
My yemen was a bit unhappy with his mesh enclosure when he moved in, and I realised it was because it was on the floor, after it was put on a table, he was higher up and felt more secure looking down on us
: victory:


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## Thedudenelsonmandela (Sep 12, 2011)

Hi thanks for all the great advice the enclosure is on a 2 foot High table however he is in the corner of my livingroom in a high traffic area I will leave him alone exept for feeding ect, i would love to follow your advice to a tee but I don't have the funds at the mo to transfer him to a smaller enclosure  temps are all ok and uv I'm sure he's eating well as the locusts are going down and the veg I'm gonna see if I can move the enclosure to my bedroom and shut the door and leave him alone, plus I think if I did move to another smaller tank would this worrie him more because he's got a nice bed time spot where he goes every night and turns green so I know he's comfortable there... Again thanks for all the great advice I will try sort a little move tonight


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

think he might be cold?
normally chams go dark when unhappy or cold


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## Thedudenelsonmandela (Sep 12, 2011)

Temps are ok and he's happy green at night I will see


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## Higgt4 (Apr 25, 2009)

I put my 12 week old panther straight into his adult enclosure (2x2x4) and he's fine, plenty cover incase he wants to hide, sometimes takes a few minutes to find him though
he'll get more confident as he settles in and knows his way around his house
: victory:


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## Thedudenelsonmandela (Sep 12, 2011)

*Dark chameleon*

Hi still no change I've changed the uv to 5.0 and given him some privacy and hes still a grumpy git!! Apart from when the lights go out and he's sleeping he's green and orange loverly colour, I just don't no what too do!??


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## Higgt4 (Apr 25, 2009)

Have you any pics of his enclosure?


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## Asha_Lou-x (Aug 16, 2011)

Seems like your worrying like me! I habe the same problem!! Ive had my 6 mnth old nosy be 3 days today he was lovely and bright and i have transferred him to a new viv and he has gone like a light brown colour, but when he sleep he goes colourful, im panicking like mad as im a first time chamelemummy!!


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## Thedudenelsonmandela (Sep 12, 2011)

Hi it's been a week and one day since I got him I've changed the uv from 10.0 to 5.0 and given him some more privacy from me and noticed he dosnt like my dog so he now can't see him thanks to abit of 2x4 wood sheet and he's becoming more green throughout the day  happy times


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## Gemmatony10 (Oct 13, 2010)

Thats great news :2thumb:. 

If you husbandary is correct, then is just a process of going through the little things and finding out which is upsetting your chameleon, and im just advising from my from personal experience :blush:. I for the life of me could not figure out what was wrong with my baby panther when I 1st got her, never did I think that is was the fact that she could see my baby corn snake, from all the way across the room.

I keep all my vivs (if they are glass) with the sides covered with sticky back paper (the kind that looks like fake wood) so my chams dont get even the slightest peek at each other, or my other reps, as it does stress them out considerably, and it also blocks out alot of movement of which ever room they are in.

I understand that downsizing is not an option for some people, im just lucky that I have a few spare exo's that are set aside for my veiled eggs when they hatch in a few months time. Even blocking of some of the viv with bits of scrap wood to make the space smaller would do, I know its not great to look at but would do the trick for now :2thumb:

As your little one grows, he will become accustomed to moment and noise, and will get to know your family, and tolerate the faces at the viv, and will hopefully be able to take pride of place back in your livingroom, where you can watch him all day long :flrt::flrt::flrt:


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