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i have some q's about the pygmy leaf chams i got the other day....... i got two, and i had them in a 10 gallon with plants etc...but when i misted them, one of them did the strangest thing....he started twisting and moving side to side, he had its eyes closed, and every couple min. gasped for breath...it was so loud that i could her it trough the glass. Later, i found him dead . the smaller one is fine and i have seen it drink consintenly.i havent seen them eat exept for one time, but i know they are eating because the crix are gone and they are alive. But how in the name of god do you sex them? (or it)
thanx again!

anthony

i have some q's about the pygmy leaf chams i got the other day.......

who did you get them from? Have you contacted them?

i got two, and i had them in a 10 gallon with plants etc...but when i misted them, one of them did the strangest thing....he started twisting and moving side to side, he had its eyes closed, and every couple min. gasped for breath...it was so loud that i could her it trough the glass.

Are you spraying directly on them or onto the plants so they can drink from it? I don't know if it is possible but maybe it did the equivalent of "drowning" as if he was trying to shake the water from his nose and/or mouth. They are sooo tiny I doubt it would take much But I would certainly contact the breeder. How big are they? What are you feeding them (what size crix)?

Later, i found him dead . the smaller one is fine and i have seen it drink consintenly.i havent seen them eat exept for one time, but i know they are eating because the crix are gone and they are alive.

But how in the name of god do you sex them? (or it)

I had the breeder sex them before I got them and he was 95% sure that my one guy is a guy. It would be the same as any other by the hemipenal bump but obviously it's pretty tough when they are so small.

Well, that's my two cents and hopefully Bill or Carlton (or someone) who has more experience will chime in and can give you more specific advice on what may have happened.

I am sorry that it happened at all

lele

Anthony-

Well from everything I have read about the pygmy chameleons, they like to lick water off the sides of the glass/acrylic and not so much the leafs. How long where you misting them? Chameleons do react when they are getting mist, and most don't like the water getting on them, so they will rock side to side (mimicking a leaf blowing in the wind) trying to get away from the direct mist, and will shut there eyes because they don't want the water getting in them. It sounds like you possibly drowned the one that died or stressed him out so much he died. The big chameleons like panther, veiled, and so on have small nostrils, just think how small the nose is on the pygmy chameleon, and a water drop may have collected in it or on it causing him to gasp for breath, and if you continued to spray him, he could not drink the water fast enough. So I am not saying don't mist your chameleons, but when you do mist you have to be some what careful, and dont mist them directly. Also if you just got him, he could have already had problems you were not aware and was stressed out causing death. Just my thought! As for sexing the females are larger and the males have a bulge on there tail. It is never 100% but the more you have to compare to the more accurate you will be. Hope this helps!
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John
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