Chameleons are some of the most exciting pets one could have owing to their rather unique characteristics, ranging from the speedy tongue-lashing of targets to changing color based on temperature.
Chameleons can turn into nearly any color to regulate their body temperature. They can’t generate their body heat or change colors to signal their emotions and intentions to other chameleons or as a sign of illness.
Why is my chameleon brown? If your chameleon has recently been staying in a brown color, it would be helpful to know why your chameleon is being such and whether you would need to do something about it.
What happens when a chameleon turns brown?
Why is my chameleon brown, and what happens when they turn brown? A chameleon can turn brown due to the following reasons below:
Your Chameleon feeling agitated or depressed
A chameleon will turn into a dark shade, brown, or brown if they feel threatened or depressed. Chameleons naturally react to a sure sign of danger by changing their colors to evade whatever might threaten them.
Does your Chameleon is turning brown? Learn Why are My Chameleon Brown 5 Important Facts.
Your Chameleon might be sick
While chameleons are good at hiding their pain, they will still change their color according to the sort of medical condition they might be having as a way to try and frantically maintain their body temperatures.
Check this article to learn How to Tell if a Chameleon is Dying, Learn if Your Chameleon is Sick.
Your Chameleon are basking
Why is my chameleon brown? A chameleon may also turn brown to absorb the sunlight or light from a basking bulb. Hence if your chameleon is turning brown while basking, this is entirely normal behavior and essential for their safe absorption of the lights.
Your Chameleon are in brumation
A chameleon will also turn brown while under brumation; brumation is an act of hibernation by chameleons. Brumation is specifically done when a chameleon goes through a cold temperature; during this period, they may stop eating, moving, and doing any activity while remaining brown for most periods.
Your Chameleon might be in cold
Chameleons are usually cold-blooded, so they may turn a shade of brown or brown if they become too cold. If the cage your chameleon currently is in has insufficient temperature regulation, then your chameleon may remain brown as a way to deal with the cold.
It is essential in these cases to look for the stressors, your UVB bulb setup, and how you are keeping your chameleon overall, along with their diet.
If your chameleon remains brown for a prolonged period, it might be a good idea to take them to an animal vet and check them for medical conditions to rule out this possibility.
What colors do chameleons turn when they are dying?
Why is my chameleon brown, and what color do they turn when dying? A chameleon being brown can be expected in most cases, but a chameleon can turn into a different color when dying.
A dying chameleon will gradually lose their color and turn into a darker shade as its health declines; essentially, a chameleon will either be dull colored or extremely dark color or even brown in some cases.
A chameleon, therefore, turning dark slowly is a sign that they are slowly dying and are also anxious about this.
This can happen for various reasons, such as Metabolic Bone Disease, which is acquired through a glaring lack of calcium, through extreme stress as chameleons are unable to handle it, and a chameleon turning orange can also be a sign of dehydration.
If your chameleon shows the following signs, it is essential to try and hydrate them and get them the proper vitamin and calcium supplements, the last resort being force-feeding them if they refuse to take the supplements.
Conclusion
Why is my chameleon brown, and should I be worried? In most cases, a chameleon turning brown isn’t a sign of a dangerous medical condition as it indicates more or less their way of dealing with the temperature/stress.
It is still essential to take your chameleon to a vet every once in a while to ensure they haven’t fallen ill, especially if they stop taking their diet for weeks altogether.
