Falling

Leighqt

Member
Drago keeps falling, has twice landed to the bottom of enclosure, I have temporary padded the bottom, adjusted/ purchased more vines and plants.

He has a firm grip when I hold him. Any ideas
 
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Maybe there aren't enough vines or things to hold onto, maybe the vines you have are too thick for his baby hands, maybe the vines are too slick for him to grip, maybe he has some vitamin deficiency and can't see/coordinate his movements properly, ....

I'd fill out the "How to Ask for Help" sheet just in case, and send a picture of the whole cage.

And if you saw him fall, what was he doing right before he dropped? Was he just sitting there and fell? did he try to reach for something? was he walking and took a wrong step?
 
He keeps trying to turn his body quickly to get his food from his bowl , Have purchased more vines plants, and will be looking at substrates now just in case.
 
Fill out the help form in the mean time. There is something off if he is falling.

Link to the help form is in my signature below.
 
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Drago, Ambilobe, Age approx 7 -8 months
  • Handling - Daily ( ish ) I try to free range him a little
  • Feeding - Mostly crickets (Brown or Black) he enjoys Wax worms as a treat. He gets fed Breakfast about 10 - 12 , then likes to eat again in the evening about 8. I like to watch him eat and when he has had his fill will remove the crickets
  • Supplements - calcium without D3 every feed ( Komodo), Calcium with D3 every Monday ( Exo Terra), Multi Vets every Monday (Komodo)
  • Watering - Dripper on top of cage, plus gets sprayed regularly throughout the day for about 2 mins
  • Fecal Description - Firm in consistency, Black with white.
  • History - Shedding well, moving about well, eating / Drinking well

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Glass with screen mesh for ventilation ( Exo Terra, 60 x 45 x90 cm)
  • Lighting - Komodo All in one D3 Uv basking bulb. 160 w. I intend to purchase a T3 bulb.
  • Temperature - Two Gauges both by Komodo, one is a cheap stick on dial, the other more expensive. Basking spot tend to stay at around 29- 30 c
  • Humidity - I try to keep Humidity between 50 - 70 c , measured using the above gauges.
  • Plants - Live and Plastic
  • Placement - Corner of living room, quiet enough,no vents
  • Location - Wales, UK

Current Problem Drago has fallen twice, no obvious injuries as is moving well and has not fallen since. I have purchased more vines, changed the placement of his feeding bowl. He has a firm grip, does not appear to be in any pain, is climbing well. He does like to hang upside down on the screen mesh ?.

Today I am taking every thing out of enclosure and changing set up with regards to vines now that more have arrived from Amazon, I will also be moving the Humidity Probe to a more central position
 

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Dial back the D3 and multivitamin to every other week rather than every week. Should be used twice per month.

Too much D3 can be harmful for the chameleon. This could be the issue but I am only guessing. Try changing the D3 schedule and keep an eye on the chameleon. If it continues to fall or become lethargic then a vet is needed. Cant hurt to take him for a check up anyway.

Another thing I noticed, one feeding in the morning is better than a feeding at night. Chameleons need time to bask for a few hours to aid their digestion. Depending on when you schedule lights off, evening feedings could cause digestive issues later down the road.
 
Also start cutting back the feeders because of his age. Juveniles 6-12 months of age: 10-12 medium crickets every other day

@Graves923 for my own knowledge is the uvb bulb a compact? I have never seen that brand.
 
I don’t know what it is but I do know it isn’t putting out a wide, dense field of UVB like the T5s do. Based on that alone it’s use should be discontinued. Yes, it is possible it is contributing to his issues...
 
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Drago, Ambilobe, Age approx 7 -8 months
  • Handling - Daily ( ish ) I try to free range him a little
  • Feeding - Mostly crickets (Brown or Black) he enjoys Wax worms as a treat. He gets fed Breakfast about 10 - 12 , then likes to eat again in the evening about 8. I like to watch him eat and when he has had his fill will remove the crickets
  • Supplements - calcium without D3 every feed ( Komodo), Calcium with D3 every Monday ( Exo Terra), Multi Vets every Monday (Komodo)
  • Watering - Dripper on top of cage, plus gets sprayed regularly throughout the day for about 2 mins
  • Fecal Description - Firm in consistency, Black with white.
  • History - Shedding well, moving about well, eating / Drinking well
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Glass with screen mesh for ventilation ( Exo Terra, 60 x 45 x90 cm)
  • Lighting - Komodo All in one D3 Uv basking bulb. 160 w. I intend to purchase a T3 bulb.
  • Temperature - Two Gauges both by Komodo, one is a cheap stick on dial, the other more expensive. Basking spot tend to stay at around 29- 30 c
  • Humidity - I try to keep Humidity between 50 - 70 c , measured using the above gauges.
  • Plants - Live and Plastic
  • Placement - Corner of living room, quiet enough,no vents
  • Location - Wales, UK
Current Problem Drago has fallen twice, no obvious injuries as is moving well and has not fallen since. I have purchased more vines, changed the placement of his feeding bowl. He has a firm grip, does not appear to be in any pain, is climbing well. He does like to hang upside down on the screen mesh ?.

Today I am taking every thing out of enclosure and changing set up with regards to vines now that more have arrived from Amazon, I will also be moving the Humidity Probe to a more central position
That’s a pretty nice looking cage you got there.
 
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