Chameleon mad when heat lamp is turned on

[AustinDc1205]

Hi, so we just got a new enclosure for my male juvenile veiled chameleon. The previous one was just a small glass tank that was just temporary while we waited on his actual enclosure to get here (it was being delivered). The new enclosure is the chameleon reptibreeze kit, so a vertical screen enclosure and he has plenty of sticks and leaves to satisfy him. But, now every time we turn on his heat lamp he puffs up, gapes, turns really dark. Just so mad. And I know he is cold, but he just won’t stand the lamp. Not sure what to do. He is fine with the uvb light.

 

[Tkrd69]

What temp at basking branch? @MissSkittles is great

 

[Tkrd69]

It you can post a pic of enclosure including lights

 

[AustinDc1205]

What temp at basking branch?

Right now it’s 77.5 F, but I just turned his heat lamp off a minute ago because he got mad. Without heat lamp and just uvb it will stay about 70-75 ish degrees F. With his heat lamp the temp when it’s fully warm is usually about 85 ish degrees.

 

[AustinDc1205]

It you can post a pic of enclosure including lights

This is his enclosure of right now. The heat lamp is turned off

 

[Morpheo's Mom]

Hi, so we just got a new enclosure for my male juvenile veiled chameleon. The previous one was just a small glass tank that was just temporary while we waited on his actual enclosure to get here (it was being delivered). The new enclosure is the chameleon reptibreeze kit, so a vertical screen enclosure and he has plenty of sticks and leaves to satisfy him. But, now every time we turn on his heat lamp he puffs up, gapes, turns really dark. Just so mad. And I know he is cold, but he just won’t stand the lamp. Not sure what to do. He is fine with the uvb light.

Is he doing it in the morning? Mine does that. Every morning. I think the puffing up is him trying to get as much heat as possible. Going dark- also absorbing heat. The gaping I'm still trying to figure out. Maybe yawning or showing dominance?

 

[AustinDc1205]

Is he doing it in the morning? Mine does that. Every morning. I think the puffing up is him trying to get as much heat as possible. Going dark- also absorbing heat. The gaping I'm still trying to figure out. Maybe yawning or showing dominance?

It’s whenever we try to turn the heat lamp at all. He is definitely not a Morning cham though

 

[AustinDc1205]

Is he doing it in the morning? Mine does that. Every morning. I think the puffing up is him trying to get as much heat as possible. Going dark- also absorbing heat. The gaping I'm still trying to figure out. Maybe yawning or showing dominance?

He gets really dark black and red spots

 

[Jpeff]

You got wrong uvb need t5ho. Hope you didn't get chameleon kit it's all wrong. They call it the kit of death

 

[Tkrd69]

This is his enclosure of right now. The heat lamp is turned off

There are a lot of changes your going to have to make. @Beman is good with explaining this stuff. Me not so good

 

[AustinDc1205]

You got wrong uvb need t5ho. Hope you didn't get chameleon kit it's all wrong

The chameleon kits decorations are straight stupidity like screen/mesh with suction cup decorations- who thought of that I’ll attach a photo of the exact uvb it has

 

[Tkrd69]

Try watching Neptune the chameleon on YouTube his mom is on this site too. It will help explain some.

 

[AustinDc1205]

The chameleon kits decorations are straight stupidity like screen/mesh with suction cup decorations- who thought of that I’ll attach a photo of the exact uvb it has

You got wrong uvb need t5ho. Hope you didn't get chameleon kit it's all wrong. They call it the kit of death

Oh my That kit was so expensive

 

[Tkrd69]

The chameleon kits decorations are straight stupidity like screen/mesh with suction cup decorations- who thought of that I’ll attach a photo of the exact uvb it has

Not your fault they just trying to sell things alot of us done it the first time around we didn't know better. Your at the right place for help

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi! So, I’ve no idea why your little guy is acting like that when his light is turned on, but I do see a lot of changes that need to be made asap. You need plants…live safe and washed plants. Little guy has no shaded areas, few areas to catch a drink off a leaf and nowhere to hide. Next you need the correct uvb. The screw in bulbs can only provide the correct uvb index at a distance of 2-3” away, which is pretty worthless. You need a linear T5HO fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. It needs to be long enough to span the width of your enclosure, no at least 24”. Speaking of enclosure, the current size is ok for your baby, but before you know it baby will be full sized and needing at least a 2x2x4’ enclosure or equivalent. Reading as your posting…chameleons are very expensive animals to get set up properly for…and their vet bills and cost of heartache when not set up properly are even worse.

 

[AustinDc1205]

Not your fault they just trying to sell things alot of us done it the first time around we didn't know better. Your at the right place for help

I did a bunch of research beforehand and so I knew a lot, but then my boyfriends mom wanted to help and surprised us with the kit, and I knew it’s a dumb kit but I obviously couldn’t say anything, and I know If we told her the kit isn’t good for him she’d be super mad and say that y’all don’t know anything and that she researched it blah blah blah. So now I’m at a loss. Also, don’t think the photo attached. The exact light is 5.0 reptisun uvb 13 watt tropical, it’s coiled.

 

[MissSkittles]

This is a chameleon kit sized enclosure that I set up for a baby. I used straightish branches and attached them with fine wire to the enclosure frame corners. Then I was able to use those to attach branches. For plants, I washed and repotted all and just set them in the enclosure. For height, I used a stack of upside down old pots to sit shorter plants on. Once the plants were in place, I was able to add branches around them. The second pic is a full sized enclosure that I used Dragon Ledges to set up https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/

 

[Tkrd69]

Yep coiled no good. I'll bow out now to the experts

 

[MissSkittles]

Along with Neptune the Chameleon’s YouTube videos to learn the basics, this is an awesome place to learn step by step all you need to know and more. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

 

[Beman]

Your baby is not mad... He is warming up... The gaping if he is keeping the mouth open means too hot. If he is opening it for a moment and puffing up he is stretching and warming up the body. Should not be hotter than 80 at the branch. You have to take that temp probe and hook it in below the heat. Typically you have to drop down the branch that goes below the heat bulb to get the right temp.

@MissSkittles has given you some great info. Start reading through every module of the chameleon academy husbandry site.