Bed Early?

[ChamOh]

My chameleon decided to go to bed about 45 minutes before his lights turn off tonight...Is this abnormal behavior?

typically, if he's not doing a lap around his cage, he's in his basking area on his basking stick. He never hangs out in the plant I have for him much besides at night. Tonight he went into the plant, tail curled, and waited for the lights to go out, although he wasn't really sleeping.

3 month old panther in my care for 1 week.

 

[ChamOh]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Panther, Male, 3 months, in my care for one week

* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
haven't yet

* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
"Small" crickets, approx 12 per day in the morning, gut loading crix with Zilla Cricket and Insect Food and providing them with water crystals.

* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Reptical, Reptical w/ D3, Reptivite. Schedule from breeder which is a rotating schedule, which consists of two weeks. Week one: calcium, none, calcium, vitamins, calcium, none, calcium. Week Two: Vitamins, calcium, none, calcium, vitamins, calcium, none. Calcium w/ D3 is used instead of regular calcium once or twice a month.

* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Drip ststem and misting. Mist two to three times per day. I used 1/2 of a water bottle which causes a humidity spike in the 70-80 percent range. I occasionally see him drinking. There is also a drainage system i built in to collect run off water--it's the jug below the cage. I wish I would see him drinking from the dripper--he occasionally goes to it like he wants to drink but just watches the drops fall--he lunges at each drop sometimes as if he wants to catch them, but they fall too fast. I'm trying to move it around to see it there he likes a location better, but not luck so far. I would have it drip right onto the plant, but I think It may drown the plant from water all the time. I use distilled water.


* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Brown and white. Consistency unknown. Not tested yet for bugs.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
screen 18x18x20

* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
retisun 5.0 linear tube, 34 watt incandescent house bulb. 12 hrs on, 12 off.

* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Floor is around 70 degrees, basking around 80, ambient around 70, over night around 67, top of cage is around 97. Using cheap temperature strip thing. and zoo med thermometer too.

* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
room humidity is as bad as 20 percent. Cage stays around thirty when dry, after misting spikes up to 80 and stays humid. Back and 1/3 of sides of cage are enclosed with aquarium background that helps keep humidity in cage.


* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? schefflera

* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Bedroom, I do use an air purifier about 8 feet from cage that makes some upward airflow. Bottom of cage is about 3 ft off the ground.

* Location - Where are you geographically located? Eastern Pennsylvania.

 

[jamncristian]

distilled water isnt very good for any animal because it lacs minerals etc. it will pull away minerals from the body. eventually it can kill someone so i suggest spring water

 

[pssh]

Some get ready for bed an hour or so early and just chill out.

Sounds like a lot of vitamins, most only use them once a month, I'd cut back a bit. When gut loading you should be using greens like collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, endive, and escarole. You should also use other fruits and veggies like apples, oranges, papaya, squash, sweet peppers, yams, and carrots. You should also use a dry gutload which can be bought or made.

Do you have a tube that goes from the dripper to the inside of the cage? If you dont, I bet he'd really appreciate it if you added one.

Why is it so hot at night? the 67 temp is fine, but 97 is not! Also try adding some shower curtain to two or three sides to up humidity. Is it possible that that air humidifier is drying out the cage? Try turning it off/moving it and see how that goes.

 

[ChamOh]

Some get ready for bed an hour or so early and just chill out.

Sounds like a lot of vitamins, most only use them once a month, I'd cut back a bit. When gut loading you should be using greens like collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, endive, and escarole. You should also use other fruits and veggies like apples, oranges, papaya, squash, sweet peppers, yams, and carrots. You should also use a dry gutload which can be bought or made.

Do you have a tube that goes from the dripper to the inside of the cage? If you dont, I bet he'd really appreciate it if you added one.

Why is it so hot at night? the 67 temp is fine, but 97 is not! Also try adding some shower curtain to two or three sides to up humidity. Is it possible that that air humidifier is drying out the cage? Try turning it off/moving it and see how that goes.

Thanks for the advice pssh! I know I need to be gut loading better, it's something I want to research right away. the theory is dry gut load all the time, then the good stuff (greens, fruit) a few hours before you feed the feeders off to the cham, right?

yes, i have a tube running from dripper into the cage.

It's only 97 degrees at the very top of the cage, directly under the basking light. this is higher than the basking zone. at night there is no extra heat and the ambient is 67 degrees.

Also very good advice on the distilled!! I had no idea. Going to get spring water right away! Spicket water is good too if I let it sit overnight correct?

 

[jeanjacket812]

My baby has bedded down early one time. It always gets ready for bed about half an hour early but last week it fell out with the lights on. Anyways i dont think it is anything unusual.

 

[pssh]

Why is it 97 at night though? You dont need a night time heat source at all if the ambient is 67.

I leave veggies and dry gutload in with my bugs all the time so they are always full of good things.

 

[ChamOh]

sorry pssh I see why you think that--it's just my wording is misleading. there is no heat at night and the top definitely isnt 97 degrees at night. I have to fix the wording. It's only 97 during the day with lights on, directly under bulb

thanks again for the good advice.

 

[pssh]

Oh, and he can't easily reach that spot correct? Dont want any burns.

 

[ChamOh]

Oh, and he can't easily reach that spot correct? Dont want any burns.

Yeah I was worried about this originally--and it's still a concern. He can only get there if he climbs on the top of the cage upside down. he will do this occasionally, but he never hangs out like that. He usually only climbs like that to avoid me when I'm poking around in his cage and then comes back down when I get out of the cage. Do you think this is okay?

btw, the bulb is in a deep dome 5.5 inch fixture.

 

[pssh]

Well, I would just raise the dome higher up from the screen if you're worried at all.

 

[ChamOh]

Okay--Tonight he has bedded down 2 1/2 hours early! Is thisokay?? His lights are on for 12.5 hours a day and off 11.5.