Chameleon hanging out towards the bottom of his cage.

[Big Gulp]

Hi guys/gals.

So I have a 6 month old male panther who will, once or twice a day, head down towards the bottom of the cage and chill. When he does this, he gets much darker than usual...probably because it's cooler down there (low 70's...cooler right after a misting).

Is this normal behavior? He's seems very healthy. Eats like a pig. I never "see" him drinking. His poop looks good, or so I think. His urates is mostly white, with a tad of orange tint near the tip.

Thanks.

• Your Chameleon - Ambilobe Panther, male.
• 
  
• Handling - Usually once every 3 days for 3-5 minutes.
• 
  
• Feeding - Every day. Right now just crickets and dubia roaches. Gonna be getting horned and phoenix worms too. I gutload with Bug Burger, Cricket Crack, mustard and collard greens, apple, carrots, kale.
• Supplements - Repashy Calcium Plus every day.
• 
  
• Watering - Mistking system. Goes off 4 times/day...5 minutes each time. Also a dripper. I barely ever see him drinking, but I'm assuming he is.
• 
  
• Fecal Description - Looks quite solid. The whites are white, with just a hint of orange near the end.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 24x24x48 Reptibreeze screen cage.
• 
  
• Lighting - Quad fixture from Lightyourreptiles (Arcadia). I have the 12% uv bulb (and plant/daylight bulbs). I have the cage high enough off the cage where my uv readings from the Solarmeter are perfect. Also have plenty of shade for him to go to if he wants. For basking I'm using a regular house bulb. Also have a Jungle Dawn Plant Grow spotlight I use every now and then.
• 
  
• Temperature - Basking spot is 85 degrees. Ambient temp in the cage is around 75-80. Bottom gets to be around 70.
• 
  
• Humidity - Humidity is usually around 60% after a misting. Using Mistking system.
• 
  
• Plants - Schefflera Arboricola...and a pothos in the corner.

• Placement - In a spare room. The top of the cage is 68" from the room floor.
• 
  
• Location - Wisconsin

 

[Andee]

I would just assume he is doing it to explore, and/or cool off. I really wouldn't worry unless he is on the actual floor of the cage? He also may just be trying to get away from the lights in general since all of your shade is down farther.

 

[Michelle Maxwell]

Idk why they do that mine will go all the way to the floor of his cage lately. I've been told he's looking for food or cooling off looking for a way out cuz he's bored so maybe one of those is why

 

[Andee]

Usually if males go all the way to the bottom of the floor of the cage (depends on age too). It could rely strongly on hunger yes. I have experienced this with even my older chams who just needed a couple more prey items just because it was warmer. It also depends on what your cage set up is like? Does he have enough shade in general where there are perches available? Is his cage stressful in anyway? Does he have enough perches just anyway? Does he have enough foliage? I would strongly look at your cage setup @Michelle Maxwell because it could be causing it. Then I might wonder if he is having some sort of vitamin deficiency? Falling or weakness is usually the first signs of that. If all of these are not something to be worried about? Then it's likely something not too worry about and very possibly some sort of hormone. But if you have a veiled and are talking about said male veiled? I would worry about him needing some free range time. A lot of veileds don't do well in cages. @Big Gulp If you are worried about lighting or him going down in general? Since usually your lighting setup I definitely would not recommend unless it was heavily planted in the upper regions. I would try filling in with a few plastic/fake plants up in the top area near his lights and see how he does? Unless you have a place that has screening or plastic that blocks out uvb lighting that he can retreat to? Honestly chameleons in captivity are exposed to on going unnatural UVB rays more often than they would be exposed to natural UVB rays in the wild. In my opinion fake lighting (no matter how good the setup is, and arcadia I think is one of the less harnful) is still far more harmful in opinion than any type of natural light. UVB lights can cause all sorts of issues with eyes in my opinion, while sunlight wouldn't do that. Technically chameleons have only a few hours around 4-5 if I am doing my math correct, of peak sun uvb ray hours in the wild, otherwise it is all weaker rays. In captivity they don't get that, and it's harder to get away. Which is why it's very important where you heavy planting is. I always try to make sure there is some shade up top. Especially for my montane species. I wish I had focused more on it for my first chameleon (panther) who is now a senior and having eye issues (though I am not positive as to why these issues have happened).

 

[Big Gulp]

Thanks for the replies.

I do need more shade up top. I'm hoping the the plants start filling in more quickly.

And he isn't on the floor, and hasn't fallen to the bottom. He'll just follow a branch down that extends to the floor and hangs out near there for a bit.

 

[Andee]

Thanks for the replies.

I do need more shade up top. I'm hoping the the plants start filling in more quickly.

And he isn't on the floor, and hasn't fallen to the bottom. He'll just follow a branch down that extends to the floor and hangs out near there for a bit.

Seems pretty normal to me then. He is traversing his territory and just cooling off/avoiding lights. Nothing really to worry about in my opinion unless he start showing actual illness.

 

[Michelle Maxwell]

Usually if males go all the way to the bottom of the floor of the cage (depends on age too). It could rely strongly on hunger yes. I have experienced this with even my older chams who just needed a couple more prey items just because it was warmer. It also depends on what your cage set up is like? Does he have enough shade in general where there are perches available? Is his cage stressful in anyway? Does he have enough perches just anyway? Does he have enough foliage? I would strongly look at your cage setup @Michelle Maxwell because it could be causing it. Then I might wonder if he is having some sort of vitamin deficiency? Falling or weakness is usually the first signs of that. If all of these are not something to be worried about? Then it's likely something not too worry about and very possibly some sort of hormone. But if you have a veiled and are talking about said male veiled? I would worry about him needing some free range time. A lot of veileds don't do well in cages. @Big Gulp If you are worried about lighting or him going down in general? Since usually your lighting setup I definitely would not recommend unless it was heavily planted in the upper regions. I would try filling in with a few plastic/fake plants up in the top area near his lights and see how he does? Unless you have a place that has screening or plastic that blocks out uvb lighting that he can retreat to? Honestly chameleons in captivity are exposed to on going unnatural UVB rays more often than they would be exposed to natural UVB rays in the wild. In my opinion fake lighting (no matter how good the setup is, and arcadia I think is one of the less harnful) is still far more harmful in opinion than any type of natural light. UVB lights can cause all sorts of issues with eyes in my opinion, while sunlight wouldn't do that. Technically chameleons have only a few hours around 4-5 if I am doing my math correct, of peak sun uvb ray hours in the wild, otherwise it is all weaker rays. In captivity they don't get that, and it's harder to get away. Which is why it's very important where you heavy planting is. I always try to make sure there is some shade up top. Especially for my montane species. I wish I had focused more on it for my first chameleon (panther) who is now a senior and having eye issues (though I am not positive as to why these issues have happened).

Is there a way to pm I'm not trying to still someone else's post

 

[Andee]

Can totally pm me. Click on my user name I think? Or the icon? One of those XD and then click the start a conversation? Give me the filled out health form, and a couple pics of your set up and your veiled or boy you are having issues with ^^

 

[Big Gulp]

Is there a way to pm I'm not trying to still someone else's post

You can post in here...that's fine.

 

[msroka]

I’m glad this was addressed and I’m happy to see this as the first post during my google search on the topic. After reading all the replies it just seems like it’s normal for panthers to hang out at the bottom from time to time. Mine will go down to the bottom of his cage and sit on a vine under fake foliage for 30 minutes-1hr and then climb back up around 1pm, but when he goes down around 3-330pm then he will usually stay down there for the remaining of the night before going to bed. That’s what concerns me the most. My lights turn on at 7am and turn off at 8pm. He’s usually in his sleeping spot well before then, around 330pm. Does this seem normal to you guys?