chameleon not moving

maggiec

New Member
when i woke up this morning i checked on him and fed him and he was fine. i came back into my room a few hours later and found him laying in the back corner. he was super dark and not moving. he’s moved his head a little bit since then, but won’t move his tail or body. what do you think could’ve happened? is he gonna be ok?

i feed him black soldier fly larvae, abt 7 every other day and sometimes more. he’s a veiled chameleon and little over a year old. i have an automatic mister and i hand spray it when his cage looks dry. he has two heat bulbs bc his cage is big, and one uvb linear bulb. his poop looks good and his pee is white/cream so i didn’t think anything was wrong with him. he looked pretty healthy until just now.

should i just leave him there? he’s been moving a little bit but is still super dark and hasn’t moved his tail or the back of his body
 

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those sticks were already on the ground, but i think he might have fallen. do you think he’ll be ok if i just give him some time?
 
those sticks were already on the ground, but i think he might have fallen. do you think he’ll be ok if i just give him some time?
How friendly is he? Does he allow you to touch him? I would not leave him there if it has been more than 30 minutes. I would make sure he is able to get up and move around.

If he fell you should consider doing a husbandry review to ensure something is not missing in your husbandry and potentially causing a fall.
 
he’s pretty friendly, and he’s also standing up now, so i think i’ll leave him unless he stops moving again. i just don’t want to scare him more than he already is. i don’t know the exact temperature but it’s probably around 70ish degrees. here’s a picture of his enclosure, all of the branches are either screwed in or tightly tied together so none have fallen.
 

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it’s a T8 fixture and the heat bulbs im using are just regular 75 watt incandescent bulbs
For the T8, I would need to know what strength UVB bulb it is... It should be written on the bulb at one end.

There are cage adjustments that should be made. Here is a link to an accurate husbandry program. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

I would recommend you do a husbandry review... Things like feeding only bsfl is not recommended. If you are not supplementing correctly this can have a huge impact on the chameleon. Not having proper temps and correct UVB levels can have a big impact as well. We cover all of this in a husbandry review. If you are interested here is the info below. You will copy and paste the info into your reply and then fill it out with detail so we can give you detailed feedback.


Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • 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?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
 
Poor baby. Looks so miserable. First off you are not feeding him enough and he needs more then just bsfl. You need to add crickets or dubias and horn worms for dehydration super worms etc. He neefs variety to stsy healthy. He is probably still growing. Also get a temp guage and put it at the spot he basks at. It should be 80. Cut the dead palm leaves off and get some hanging plants and hang them from the branches. Also some of your branchres are too thick for him the grasp which is why he might have fallen. Chevk his nails too his hands and feet need to go around the branches to grip if too big he is holding on eith just his nails. and no real grip cause they are spread open. I.rigged up.a platform so set the feeding bowls on as they really dont like.eating at floor.level. they are tree dwellers . also i dont see a water drip.system. these are suggestions i havent seen your answers to the form and beman gives the nest husbandry advice. Include the supllements to.
 
Poor baby. Looks so miserable. First off you are not feeding him enough and he needs more then just bsfl. You need to add crickets or dubias and horn worms for dehydration super worms etc. He neefs variety to stsy healthy. He is probably still growing. Also get a temp guage and put it at the spot he basks at. It should be 80. Cut the dead palm leaves off and get some hanging plants and hang them from the branches. Also some of your branchres are too thick for him the grasp which is why he might have fallen. Chevk his nails too his hands and feet need to go around the branches to grip if too big he is holding on eith just his nails. and no real grip cause they are spread open. I.rigged up.a platform so set the feeding bowls on as they really dont like.eating at floor.level. they are tree dwellers . also i dont see a water drip.system. these are suggestions i havent seen your answers to the form and beman gives the nest husbandry advice. Include the supllements to.
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