Cams who bask all day - is this normal!

[JulieWoodward]

My cam spends all day under or near the basking lamp, and at night he doesn’t go far from these branches, never really hiding. Is this normal?

 

[Beman]

It is not abnormal depending on the age... What are your cage temps like? How do you have the UVB set up? Can you post a picture of your enclosure?

 

[JulieWoodward]

It is not abnormal depending on the age... What are your cage temps like? How do you have the UVB set up? Can you post a picture of your enclosure?

He’s about 2, I just adopted him from a teenage boy who lost interest. He’s had quite a lot of change in the 1.5 weeks I’ve had him. I just changed his UVB from a 10.0 reptisun to a 6% Arcadia long bulb. And he had normal halogen lights in there before for warmth which I’ve swapped for a basking bulb. When he arrived I couldn’t get his temp about 23 but it’s now 27/28 during the day and 19 at night

 

[Beman]

He’s about 2, I just adopted him from a teenage boy who lost interest. He’s had quite a lot of change in the 1.5 weeks I’ve had him. I just changed his UVB from a 10.0 reptisun to a 6% Arcadia long bulb. And he had normal halogen lights in there before for warmth which I’ve swapped for a basking bulb. When he arrived I couldn’t get his temp about 23 but it’s now 27/28 during the day and 19 at night

So all lights are inside the cage? How are you checking your temps at basking? My worry is that he can get extremely close to that bulb. Thermal burn would be a real risk here.

He is very overweight just in case you were not aware. Do you have other pics of him?

 

[JulieWoodward]

So all lights are inside the cage? How are you checking your temps at basking? My worry is that he can get extremely close to that bulb. Thermal burn would be a real risk here.

He is very overweight just in case you were not aware. Do you have other pics of him?

He can get quite close but he has lots of other places he can perch. I have it set at a maximum of 31, and I have a sensor inside just above the bulb to read temperature. Is he over weight.. oh dear. So these Pics are all over the last week so you’ll see different set ups inside as I’ve been changing things

 

[Beman]

He can get quite close but he has lots of other places he can perch. I have it set at a maximum of 31, and I have a sensor inside just above the bulb to read temperature. Is he over weight.. oh dear. So these Pics are all over the last week so you’ll see different set ups inside as I’ve been changing things

Do you have a screen top? It is quite dangerous to have lights inside. While you have it set to a certain temp this does not stop them from getting far too close and getting a thermal burn.

Yep he is a chunky boy. You can tell in the casque, cheeks, and limbs. So make sure your not feeding more than 2-3 feeders 3 days a week. Need him to drop a little weight.

 

[JulieWoodward]

Thanks. I’ll look in to a screen and reduce his feeds. He’s currently getting 4-5 a day every day, but he doesn’t eat them all every day.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Hi

My cam spends all day under or near the basking lamp, and at night he doesn’t go far from these branches, never really hiding. Is this normal?

Lots of info/discussion about this:
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-environment-length-of-basking-time/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/search/1653131/?q=basking+all+day&c[title_only]=1&o=relevance

While not regular/routine, my cham does this on occasion. Other 'occasionals' are sleeping in a different spot, sleeping out in the open, sleeping upside down hanging from back feet/tail.

"Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't" seems to apply to chams as well.
They're all individuals—all different.

We discussed some of the lighting issues and getting a top screen in your other thread.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/his-one-eye-is-shut.186319/#post-1720477

He’s about 2, I just adopted him from a teenage boy who lost interest. He’s had quite a lot of change in the 1.5 weeks I’ve had him. I just changed his UVB from a 10.0 reptisun to a 6% Arcadia long bulb. And he had normal halogen lights in there before for warmth which I’ve swapped for a basking bulb. When he arrived I couldn’t get his temp about 23 but it’s now 27/28 during the day and 19 at night

Halogens actually make excellent basking bulbs; I'm currently using them for my chameleon and Missus' tortoise. Most of our basking lights (excepting the beardie's) are outside the enclosure, or mounted such that the occupant can't get to them. The beardie falls under the latter category; his basking light is in an aimable recessed eyeball fixture.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/link-for-basking.185425/#post-1709158

Some "basking bulbs" are just regular bulbs they've slapped a picture of a lizard on, and raised the price 400% (or whatever).

If the 'basking bulb' you replaced them with is a spot (vs. flood), there may be a hot spot issue.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/basking-spot.186014/#post-1716135

 

[JulieWoodward]

Lol, your Cham sounds like quite a character, I think I would go in to hear failure if my Cham was hanging his tail so I’m glad to have read this!

Thanks for all the lighting / bulb advice, I’m going to have a look

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Lol, your Cham sounds like quite a character, I think I would go in to hear failure if my Cham was hanging his tail so I’m glad to have read this!

Thanks for all the lighting / bulb advice, I’m going to have a look

He is, but all our animals are.

Chameleons have a truly amazing central nervous system when you think about it. They can control and coordinate:

• Two eyes separately (and make sense of the two fields of view)
• Change colors to suit their whims
• Hunt with the fastest & longest tongue in the animal kingdom
• Reach out and grasp with FIVE appendages

Is it any wonder we find them so enthralling?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I think I would go in to hear failure if my Cham was hanging his tail

Is this any help?

Right after I snapped it, he let go with all 4 feet and reached up to grab the next dowel back.
Not as adept as say... a spider monkey, but they're pretty good! Any time I handle him, if he doesn't have his tail wrapped around my wrist, it's flailing in the air looking for anything else to grab onto.

 

[JulieWoodward]

Is this any help?

View attachment 320266

Right after I snapped it, he let go with all 4 feet and reached up to grab the next dowel back.
Not as adept as say... a spider monkey, but they're pretty good! Any time I handle him, if he doesn't have his tail wrapped around my wrist, it's flailing in the air looking for anything else to grab onto.

Brilliant photo, thanks for taking the time to send it to me. My panther isn’t quite as adept as this but I’m still getting to know him

 

[JulieWoodward]

Is this any help?

View attachment 320266

Right after I snapped it, he let go with all 4 feet and reached up to grab the next dowel back.
Not as adept as say... a spider monkey, but they're pretty good! Any time I handle him, if he doesn't have his tail wrapped around my wrist, it's flailing in the air looking for anything else to grab onto.

P.s he’d beautiful, such lovely blue and reds

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Brilliant photo, thanks for taking the time to send it to me. My panther isn’t quite as adept as this but I’m still getting to know him

S/he will be in short order.

Some say the branches, plants, perches, etc. shouldn't be moved lest it causes stress (with little/nothing to back up that position).

Chameleons don't spend their entire life in one small section of one or two trees—they move around in search of food, safety, greener leaves, and nookie.

I change up my chameleon's enclosure a couple of times a year—usually as the plants grow into (or outgrow) the enclosure. And whenever I do major cleaning once a week or two, I never get things put back exactly the same way they were. I see this as 'habitat enrichment'.

There's (IMO) nothing quite like watching a chameleon figure out how to get where it wants to go, and then executing that path/plan. You can see the wheels turning inside those casked noggins!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

P.s he’d beautiful, such lovely blue and reds

He always looked to me like most of the other male ambilobes, but I'm OK with that, and thank you!