Fake sleeping?

[Kyla.s]

I have a veiled chameleon. I’ve had him for almost a month and he still gets mad when you try to handle him-so I don’t. But today I had to clean his enclosure and I didn’t want to take him out so I just did it with him in there. He went to hide and when I went to check up on him he was asleep. But now he’s awake. So I think he was fake sleeping. Is that normal? It completely freaked me out.

 

[Prince of Duval]

I have a veiled chameleon. I’ve had him for almost a month and he still gets mad when you try to handle him-so I don’t. But today I had to clean his enclosure and I didn’t want to take him out so I just did it with him in there. He went to hide and when I went to check up on him he was asleep. But now he’s awake. So I think he was fake sleeping. Is that normal? It completely freaked me out.

Sometimes they can act this way due to stress. I would fill out the how to ask for help form to make sure there’s not something bigger going on.

 

[Prince of Duval]

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.

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Please Note:
1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Kyla.s]

Your Chameleon - Male, Veiled chameleon. Not sure how old but still juvenile.
How long has it been in your care?- About 3 weeks
Handling - Only maybe 3 times in the 3 weeks.
Feeding - Mostly super worms and crickets. Sometimes horn worms for taming. He eats at 11 am everyday. About 6 medium crickets or 4-5 super worms. Gut loaded with new fruits and vegetables every night at 10:30.
Supplements - repticalcium with D3 2 times a week. And no D3 every other day.
Watering - I always have a big dropper going. He knows where it is. I still mist almost 8-10 times a day 4 oz. each time for 5 minutes. I always watch him drink to make sure he’s drinking.
Fecal Description - Almost always bright white. Maybe 3 times he’s has yellow urate. But he has big poop too. He’s never been tested for parasites.
History - He’s very lazy but does explore a lot. I don’t have a humidifier because he hated it but I still keep his cage at about 70% humidity with a 85-90 degree Fahrenheit basking spot.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen with a towel outside of one corner to help with humidity. 18x18x36
Lighting - basking a uvb dome that comes in the reptile starter kit. I do have a linear uvb but I don’t have a hood so I can’t use it yet. Lights got on at around 7am and turn off at 6:30pm
Temperature - Basking is about 88f. Kid cage is maybe 80f. And bottom is about 75f. At night it’s about 75-80f. I have the thermometer from the kit.
Humidity - I try to keep it around 50-70 through the day. It sometimes gets down for 40. Plants. Big dripper on always and misting. Thermostat in the cage.
Plants - I have one dwarf umbrella plant and mostly plastic plants.
Placement - the cage is in the corner of the room infront of the closet. There’s stand up fan that doesn’t really reach there there are air vents that somewhat reach there but I keep the thermostat at 78f. Dogs aren’t allowed in the room anymore. Just me and my boyfriend but our bathroom is about 9 feet away from the age so we do walk by but not close to the cage. He’s on a tall ikea dresser. Maybe about 4ish feet tall?
Location - Las Vegas, Nevada

Current Problems- he faked sleeping once while I was in there cleaning his cage. And how to help with humidity.

 

[Prince of Duval]

Handling - I would keep to a minimum or not at all at this point until he becomes more acclimated or comfortable with you.
Feeding - Superworms should be given as a treat and not as a staple feeder. Crickets, while they can be given as a staple feeder, are not the most nutritious of feeder insects and must be gutloaded and supplemented accordingly. As a juvenile, they should be feeding as much as they want. I feed my juvenile a combination of crickets and roach nymphs and he eats around 15 each day.
Supplements- while this is somewhat of a grey area and everyone does things a little differently, you should generally be dusting feeders with calcium at every feeding, calcium with D3 twice a month, and a multivitamin twice a month.
Cage - start looking for a bigger cage soon. He will need a 2x2x4 or something comparable in the next few months.
Lighting - get the linear fixture ASAP. The dome light with the compact UVB bulb Is no good.

Check out the Chameleon Academy Website/Podcast (formerly the Chameleon Breeder Podcast) for lots of good info. Here’s an episode on making the chameleon kit work until you get a better setup.
https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/132-making-the-chameleon-kit-work/

All of this will help reduce any stress he may be feeling. Getting a cage with a few solid walls can help hold humidity or using a shower curtain in the meantime. Dragon Strand makes some great cages that can help.

 

[Kyla.s]

Handling - I would keep to a minimum or not at all at this point until he becomes more acclimated or comfortable with you.
Feeding - Superworms should be given as a treat and not as a staple feeder. Crickets, while they can be given as a staple feeder, are not the most nutritious of feeder insects and must be gutloaded and supplemented accordingly. As a juvenile, they should be feeding as much as they want. I feed my juvenile a combination of crickets and roach nymphs and he eats around 15 each day.
Supplements- while this is somewhat of a grey area and everyone does things a little differently, you should generally be dusting feeders with calcium at every feeding, calcium with D3 twice a month, and a multivitamin twice a month.
Cage - start looking for a bigger cage soon. He will need a 2x2x4 or something comparable in the next few months.
Lighting - get the linear fixture ASAP. The dome light with the compact UVB bulb Is no good.

Check out the Chameleon Academy Website/Podcast (formerly the Chameleon Breeder Podcast) for lots of good info. Here’s an episode on making the chameleon kit work until you get a better setup.
https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/132-making-the-chameleon-kit-work/

All of this will help reduce any stress he may be feeling. Getting a cage with a few solid walls can help hold humidity or using a shower curtain in the meantime. Dragon Strand makes some great cages that can help.

thank you. I normal don’t do just worms but I didn’t have crickets. I justordered the hood for the linear bulb. I need to find an enclosure but most places are either sold out or out of budget. Also would you recommend keeping the heating bulb of the duo dome or get a whole new one-if so, which one?

 

[Prince of Duval]

thank you. I normal don’t do just worms but I didn’t have crickets. I justordered the hood for the linear bulb. I need to find an enclosure but most places are either sold out or out of budget. Also would you recommend keeping the heating bulb of the duo dome or get a whole new one-if so, which one?

Most people just use a normal bulb. As long as it’s not a colored bulb and it’s getting the temps you need without risk of burning your cham, it should be fine.

 

[nightanole]

Mine will "fake sleep" if i offer them a feeder they dont want to eat. "If i cant see it, its not really there"