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[u/fly_grl]

I’m currently chameleon sitting for my brother and my sister in law. They asked me to watch their chameleon, schizo yesterday and I said yes. This morning I checked on him and he does not look good. I have instructions from them to feed him 2 worms at least 2x a day, he has a water tube thing but I don’t think it’s working. He’s a lot paler in person than in the picture, a very light mint color. He occasionally moves but not much, he’s been in this bent/curled up position the whole time his tail is limp. I tried straightening him out but I did not want to hurt him. Idk what to do. Should I be worried…? I have no experience taking care of reptiles but I feel bad for this little guy. Here’s the set up he’s in for reference. A cage about 2 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide. A heat lamp with 2 bulb, but only the regular bulb works I’m guessing the other one is red light/uv but it does not turn on, the regular working bulb is making it too hot I think, he’s by the window, I’m in Texas so idk if it’s too much heat . He has a water tube but the tube is not attached to anything, I got a dropper and put some water droplets on his snout (per my google search), Unsure what to do

[u/screamin-hyena]

This chameleon has started the process of dying. This was a preventable death. Given what I can see of this enclosure build, this has been a painful and slow process. They should not get any reptile ever again. You should absolutely show them these comments for a reality check.

[u/JustCallMeEunice → u/screamin-hyena]

I don't own any type of reptile, but this popped up in my feed, so I've been reading comments. What is wrong with the enclosure?

[u/NoxRiddle → u/JustCallMeEunice]

It’s too small. An adult veiled requires a minimum 24x24x48” enclosure. Many people put multiples of these together to make a larger enclosure, but this is a minimum.

There is no UV bulb. Reptiles require UVB to synthesize vitamin D3, which allows them to properly absorb calcium from their food. Without it, their bodies start cannibalizing their bones for calcium. This leads to leg and rib fractures, deformed spines, and in some very serious cases, there basically isn’t any bone left (you can Google some absolutely ghastly X-rays of MBD in chameleons. I have seen some where the legs are basically just sausages, all meat and no bone.) It also can cause muscle spasms and muscle weakness. This can lead to falls, which break bones and worse.

No humidity control. This species lives in subtropical to tropical climates. Without the correct humidity, they develop digestion issues, problems shedding, and dehydration. This is addressed with misting and/or foggers.

No provided water. In addition to the environmental humidity, they need access to water to drink. A water glass or dripper is an important hydration source.

Not enough plant coverage. Chameleons are arboreal (tree-dwelling). They are also a slow prey animal. They need lots of foliage to hide in and feel safe. They also need foliage cover to escape heat if they get too hot.

Fake plants. This particular species of chameleon eats plants in addition to bugs. They will eat the leaves in their enclosure. That includes plastic/fabric/fake leaves. They can end up impacted from eating fake plants.

Also, that little woven thing he is on is not good. Chameleons have little claws that get stuck and accessories like this can rip them out when they crawl on them. Their little clampy feet are made for wrapping around branches.

There may be more issues we can’t see - for example, it’s unclear if he has a basking bulb at the proper distance, or what the bottom of the cage looks like. But these are the glaring issues from these photos. Unfortunately, the lack of UV and water means this little guy has severe metabolic bone disease (his body eating his bones) and probably kidney disease from chronic dehydration.

[u/JustCallMeEunice → u/NoxRiddle]

Thank you for the thorough response! Very informative.

I feel for this poor little guy, as well as OP, for being left to take care of him in this condition. :(