Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Tonight when I got home from work I found my male digging in his plant. Soil everywhere, and now his lights are out and he's still digging. Any idea from anybody as to what is going on here? I've never heard of it happening and I'm absolutely positive he's a male(can't mistake him for a her!) Thanks anybody!

It has been said that chameleons when in need of particular vitamins will eat dirt. It could also be that he was possibly over heated...but you said he is doing even with his lights off....hmm not real sure..

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0.2 Chameleo Chameleo Calyptratus
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.2.0 Dead Chameleons

I have no idea, but you said you are positive it is a male. Not that I don't believe you, but are you REALLY sure? Is that foot spur there? How old is he?

Brian's comment about them looking for nutrients is true, but usually they will just shoot at things. I cannot imagine why a veiled would be doing this....hope someone else answers soon! :-/
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Definately has the spurs and I've probably had him since...june? maybe july? It's now the next day, and he's still digging, but also sleeping too. Not a constant sleep either, just now and then while digging. Crazy stuff.

Forgot to tell his age! I believe he was probably about 2-3 months old when purchased back in june or july.

how big is his cage? He should be in a 2x2x4 (minimum) by this age. Have you made any changes recently? plants? lighting? does he have new disturbances (cat, dog, excess activity, etc.) that he may be trying to get away from? Does he have lots of dense foliage so he can feel secure? Even if there has been a seemingly minor change it may be major to him.

These are all guesses on my part and maybe someone who has experienced this will reply.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

His cage is 2x2x4, but he has had some health troubles over the past however many months, but had seemed to have gotten over it. There haven't been any changes to his enviroment, with the exception of his ficus, which he has been "tearing" the leaves of off. He's also been munching on the leaves a lot more recently and eating less live food. A little bit ago he came out to bask, then went back down to the hole he dug. I went to go take a temp reading of everything only to find out my batteries ran out on my digital therm., so I need to find my other one. This all seems so odd.

I've decided to go ahead and take him to the vet. I'm bringing him in today, but they are closed tomorrow so i won't know anything for sure until thursday. Wish me luck

if he is eating the leaves I would offer him some greens and veggies (Kale, squash) Is he pooping OK? Ficus are safe in small amounts, but if he eats excess he can get contatc dermatitis and/or sores in his mouth. Is this plant new? did you repot? wash well to remove any pesticide residue? Sorry, just thinking of any possibilities. Is there something IN the soil he maybe trying to get to? Though I cannot imagine what.

If you are goign to the vet I would bring a fresh poop so a fecal can be done while you're there. Maybe you can talk to the vet on the phone to see if s/he even thinks the visit will help.

hmmmm.....
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

I've offered veggies before but he's never taken them before so I stopped. The plant was repotted and washed and everything. He did poop right before I took him in, which was the main reason I took him in. His poop was a brown green red runny mixture, and it definately scared me a lot, so I knew right away I had to get him in there. Thanks for the help and the concern

sometimes they don't begin eating veggies until they are sub-adult or adult. So maybe you can try again.

Please let us know what the vet says. I hope he is OK!! Will be thinking of you two
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

If he is eatting more leaves than crickets etc he is looking for more water. This may be way off, and ive never heard of anything like this before, but perhaps he is doing something like a dog.... or pig and digging into the earth to cool off when over heated...Now like I said I have never known any veiled chameleon to do this.

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0.2 Chameleo Chameleo Calyptratus
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.2.0 Dead Chameleons

The overheating ran through my mind first thing, but I finally got a reading on his basking spot, and thats around 87, and the rest of the cage is 77-80(I took temps in multiple spots. I also thought about him possibly looking for water, but he's been really good recently about drinking and I almost always see him do it right after I mist his cage. I guess on Thursday I'll have a clear answer as to what happened....

Hello , If I remember right you are from the Cinci area right.If you dont mind me asking which vet are you taking him to?Is he well hydrated?Have you tried to take him out while he is doing this? I sometimes think when one of my chams are doing something they dont usually do taking them out kinda in simple words gets thier mind off what they were doing Iknow that sounds wierd but just something I would try.If you do take him out notice how he acts. Does he act diferent than he usualy does under normal circumstances.Note any behavior diferences like exta agressive,to placid,lathargic,,,etc.Please keep us updated on what the vet has to say.I would really like to see what he is doing could you send a pic of him in action.I personally have not heard of this even the vitamin idea and the dehydration idea work but just to me seems a little unlikely .Also you said he had probs when he was yonger by any chance were they neuralogical? Hope all turnes out ok keep us posted
kevin
chameleon76

Yeah I'm in Cincy, I took him to Dr. Dahlhausen(sp?). He is normally hydrated but the past couple days he's just been acting really really weird(not drinking as much, not eating as much, DIGGING HOLES!). I thought about trying to distract him, but I didn't want to stress him either. When I would go over and check on him while he was digging he would stop for a second, then go back to digging like nothing happened. Also in the couple of days leading up to the digging he was seemingly getting a little lazy, and I would occasionally catch him sleeping during the day, but it would only last a little bit before he would be back to normal. Will definately keep everyone updated. Thanks for the support and help everyone!

Hello, yea i have been to dr dulhausen on several ocations he is top notch I also live about 3/4 of a mile from him well good luck and keep us posted
kevin
chameleon76