Male fischeri digging.

[johnnyev]

I have noticed my male digs a lot. I'm pretty sure he's not eating the substrate. Anyone know if this is normal for a male fischeri, or is it a sign something could be wrong?

 

[ponders]

How hot is the cage? He may be trying to cool down.
Are you sure it's a male?

Can you post pictures? And give us the temps in the cage?

 

[johnnyev]

I will re-check temps tomorrow. All lights out & sleeping at present. Wouldn't have thought it was too hot, as he does bask a fair bit at different times of the day & digs at different times too. Not only later during the day when temps would have climbed, if it was due to that. Only has a small 35w halogen flood.
100% male i believe.
Here's a pic from when i first got him.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/kinyongia-fischeri-multituberculata-136819/

 

[larrodinero]

Nice, he is gorgeous! Don't know why he would be digging! You should answer the questions in the " how to ask for help" thread! It will make it easier for the seniors to help!
I have a female fischer and she is my favorite chameleon! These guys have quite the personalites and are very active!
Yours is definitely a male, here is my girl!

 

[Chase]

I remember there a was a K. multituberculata that everyone thought was male, until she laid eggs. I'm searching for the thread now. I'm not saying you have a female, I just thought it would be interesting.

I'm with Ponders, maybe he is trying to cool off

Chase

 

[johnnyev]

Thanks larrodinero, she is lovely. Only fairly recently started keeping chameleons again, after keeping panthers & veileds for a number of years. Keeping a couple of montane species atm, but my multi is my favourite & as you say quite a character.

Thanks Chase, would be interested in seeing that thread if you can find it.
Trouble i have is, i have half a dozen different digital thermometers & everyone reads a different temp? Originally set up the enclosure, using a digital fridge thermometer with probe & a digital reptile one, side by side. But these still differ by a couple of degrees. And tbh, i havent a clue how accurate any of them are.

 

[johnnyev]

Well i checked the temps this morning. Basking temp was showing between 33C & 28C, depending on which thermometer you trust. So i have dropped bulb down to a 20 watt & now getting a small localised basking temp of 28C.
Ambient temp in enclosure is around 20/22C near the bottom, again, depending on which thermometer i trust. Been back at work today & they are all asleep when i got home, so dont know if he's been digging or not. Though i cant see any soil on his rostral horn, so hoping this has solved the problem. If it is a problem, as he seems really healthy & active. Although he doesn't eat much unless you offer him a morio worm that is.
I'll watch him this weekend & see if its stopped him digging or not.

 

[Chase]

I still can't find that thread, but those temperatures were fairly high. I think the temperature range you have now is good

Chase

 

[johnnyev]

Yes i thought that myself Chase. So using the thermometer that was showing the higher temps, i have dropped it down to 28C.
Thanks for your help.

 

[johnnyev]

Still digging???
Definitely male?

 

[Mike Fisher]

Yeah definitely male. You can actually see his bulge(s) in that last photo.

Not sure why he'd be digging though. Unless the enclosure is warmer than he likes. Or he is trying to tunnel his way out and escape.

 

[leedragon]

but 28 is still hot for them, isnt it?

 

[johnnyev]

Yeah always looked male to me Mike, but must admit i had started to wonder.

Although the basking spot is reading 28C, it's a very small, localised spot. The exo terra is three foot tall & according to the same thermometer is reading 18C at the very bottom. My animals are housed in my converted garage, which is attached to the side of my house. It's quite cold here at present & i don't heat the room at all, only the enclosures. Ambient room temps today were reading 15C, measured using same thermometer. So i'm a bit puzzled Lee.

 

[Chase]

Yeah always looked male to me Mike, but must admit i had started to wonder.

Although the basking spot is reading 28C, it's a very small, localised spot. The exo terra is three foot tall & according to the same thermometer is reading 18C at the very bottom. My animals are housed in my converted garage, which is attached to the side of my house. It's quite cold here at present & i don't heat the room at all, only the enclosures. Ambient room temps today were reading 15C, measured using same thermometer. So i'm a bit puzzled Lee.

Hey Johnny! Well, I found the pictures. They were on Facebook haha! They are not mine, they are Luis' (Luevelvet) (posted with permission). The specimen was thought to be male, but laid eggs!

Chase

 

[Mike Fisher]

That's a very pretty female for sure! I would have guessed young male based on coloration and rostral size, but you can clearly see there are no hemipenes.

 

[Chase]

Mike- that's what we all thought! I still thought it was interesting to see something similar happening so soon after I had read in on Facebook too!

Chase

 

[johnnyev]

Thanks very much for the info/pics Chase (& Luis ). Agree with Mike, regards the bulge & him being male. Can really see it more clearly in person.

It's funny because this weekend, when i was in his enclosure. He came walking down a branch & onto my hand (has done this a couple of times before, just depends on his mood). So i put him on a large (5ft plus) ficus tree i have in a large pot, in the corner of the room to let him free range for a bit. When i went back, around fifteen minutes later, he'd been digging in the pot too? This was evident by the earth on his rostral horn. So still none the wiser, though pretty sure it's not because he's too hot. Ambient room temp at the time was around 16C.

 

[Mike Fisher]

When i went back, around fifteen minutes later, he'd been digging in the pot too?

Here's something for you to check....Do you have isopods or some other insect in the soil that you don't know about? I've got a few that hunt isopods in soil. Do some digging and let us know.

 

[johnnyev]

Hi Mike.
Only know about what i have added as my clean up crew, ie spring tails, some wood lice & a few earth worms too. But as i get some of my soil from the local forest, could contain other critters.

 

[Mike Fisher]

Hi Mike.
Only know about what i have added as my clean up crew, ie spring tails, some wood lice & a few earth worms too. But as i get some of my soil from the local forest, could contain other critters.

He's hunting that stuff.