Baby Chameleon hanging under UV lamp

[mswilly]

My baby panther chameleon is hanging under is UV lamp quite a bit....I know this is normal for them to explore, but I am concerned he is going to get burned because he spends so much time up there. I have both my lights off of the top of the cage with clamps, but they're only about 3-4 inches away from them and I'm not sure how to prop them up any higher and I don't want to short him on UV/heat. Is he okay or does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do?

 

[AlecWade]

If your chameleon is still adjusting he may just be stressing a bit and that's why he's hanging up top. Young chameleons tend to do this a lot. Make sure you have plenty of foliage and climbing vines all the way towards the top of the enclosure.

Make sure that the temperature of your basking spot is ideal. He may not be getting enough heat anywhere else in his cage and that's why he's clinging towards the top of the cage. What sort of UV light are you using? Most UV lights are pretty low wattage and won't produce enough heat to burn your chameleon as long as it's not too close to the top.

 

[mswilly]

His basking spot is between 80 and 90F all the time, and I'm using a Repti-glo 5.0 UVB bulb and a regular 40 watt house bulb for heat. Neither of the lights are directly on top of my cage, but it just concerns me that hes up there so much!

 

[AlecWade]

That sounds fine. He's probably just young and frightened. Again make sure he has some good coverage towards the top and plenty of good options to bask on in a normal manner lol. As long as he can't be burned just let him be and he will eventually realize that there are more comfortable options other than the top screen. My chameleon will still occasionally try to climb the top but once they get a bit heavier it will become harder for them to do so.