Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a juvenile panther chameleon housed outdoors. He sometimes closes his eyes for no longer then a minute and pauses, then continues climbing. I have noticed he has a couple problem shed spots and I don't know if his eyelids are peeling and he is just having a hrd time. The temps range from high 80's to lower 60's at night. I dust crickets with herptivite and repcal(no D3) each about twice a week. I feed him every day accept for one day which I don't feed which allows for appetite stimulant. He has room for shade in his enclosure and I mist him 2-3 times a day and have a dripper. He is very colorful, very active, and is a has a very big appetite. I have mainly been feeding him crickets but the occasional flies with travel into his cage and be a snack.

All help is much appreciated.

It sounds a bit like low level dehydration. Can you create a really humid area in the cage for him to retreat to? Try creating a shady dense plant area that is cooler, darker and not exposed to wind. Being exposed to breezes and sunlight outdoors might just be drying enough that his eyes are itchy and he's trying to clear them. Unless you are in a tropical location your yard is most likely lower ambient humidity than he would be adapted to (like 90% humidity).

I can add more plants to a corner or something for him to retreat to. i think that would be an excellent idea. But as for more humidity, what do u suggest for raising humidity that much in an outdoor cage? Also, I don't spray him when I mist the cage. I only mist the plants and the vines and he licks the water off. I think this is right but what about helping him with those problem spots he hasn't shed yes. I don't want the cells underneath to die. It has been raining every once and a while here(Indiana) as well and this would be like a "shower", right?

Thanks!

Home improvement stores and catalogs sell porch cooler "misters" that fog a specific area. Basically it is a flexible micro perforated tube that attaches to a garden hose. You can drape it over a part of the cage and run it on a garden hose timer. You wouldn't need a long section, but can create a corner with lots of lush plants, shade, may be a tarp to hold in some humidity, and this mister going off several times a day to keep it humid. I don't have one but I've seen several different types in catalogs. They are not very expensive either.