Five foot fall?

[camille]

I was cleaning Camille's terrarium last night and had her in her usual hibiscus on my dresser. My dresser is a chest drawer which stands about 5 feet tall. I was in the other room cleaning and came back into my bedroom to check on her to find that she wasn't in her hibiscus. I immediately freaked. She wasn't anywhere on top of the dresser. I spent about 15 mmins tearing apart my bedroom, finally finding Camille clung to the side of my laundry basket, about a foot off the ground.

Unless she climbed down the drapes which fall directly beside the dresser, the only way down is to fall. She seems fine. No obvious signs of injuries, but I'm worried. She's acting a little odd, but she was placed back into her terrarium after I had rearranged it and added a few things as well. She would be acting a little odd anyway, due to those changes. So I don't know how to read her behavior.

My question is, has anyone had a similar experience? Can chameleons take such a fall with no injury?

Thanks.

 

[summoner12]

I was cleaning Camille's terrarium last night and had her in her usual hibiscus on my dresser. My dresser is a chest drawer which stands about 5 feet tall. I was in the other room cleaning and came back into my bedroom to check on her to find that she wasn't in her hibiscus. I immediately freaked. She wasn't anywhere on top of the dresser. I spent about 15 mmins tearing apart my bedroom, finally finding Camille clung to the side of my laundry basket, about a foot off the ground.

Unless she climbed down the drapes which fall directly beside the dresser, the only way down is to fall. She seems fine. No obvious signs of injuries, but I'm worried. She's acting a little odd, but she was placed back into her terrarium after I had rearranged it and added a few things as well. She would be acting a little odd anyway, due to those changes. So I don't know how to read her behavior.

My question is, has anyone had a similar experience? Can chameleons take such a fall with no injury?

Thanks.

It depends on what they hit when they land.... My female veiled Caddie was on my hand and slipped.... her feet are small and don't grip around my fingers too well. She landed kinda hard on the edge of a cricket bin and then the floor. She was stunned for a second just kinda looking around like 'what the hell just happened?!' and i gently picked her up and inspected her. She didn't have any issues that I could tell and started to calm down. I put her away and shes been fine the last few days.

Do you have carpet on the floor? if she fell straight down hitting the floor I think she will be ok as long as she didn't land weird. They do live in trees... so they are expected to fall sometime or another... just depends on what they hit on the way down.

If you don't see her limping or acting really strange she is most likely fine.

 

[chambabysitter1]

I would assume since they are arboreal, that nature has built them to stand a fall or two.

But, like Kevin said, it is probably more dependent on the surface that she fell on.

The first time Chameleo bit me, I reeled my hand back so hard he went flying along with it. The velocity of my hand whipping back sent him a good 4 feet to the side of the bed.

He was definitely confused how he ended up there in such a short amount of time. But I gave him a quick visual scan, gently poked his legs and ribs and he seemed fine.

That was a couple months ago, he is fine today!

Anyways, I can't speak from knowledge, but as a tree dweller, one would think they could take a spill or two.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

When we brought Hugo home, he did his (favoured) drop and dash. problem was I was holding him and he landed on a hardwood floor with a huge splat. We rushed him straight to the vets who said he was fine (I didn't handle him for two months after!) and that their rib cages are built to withstand that as they use the 'drop and dash' as a form of escape. If it looks like there are no broken bones, could be a case of shock and changes to the cage. I think if there was any real damage you would know pretty soon. If it's been a few days you should be ok.

 

[Syn]

There's two possible situations here:

1. Your chameleon fell on it's stomach, braced for impact (almost turned his stomach into a parachute-type shape) and hit the floor with his ribs. The ribs are strong and made for stuff like this.

2. Your chameleon fell on its back or side, may have potential injuries, and could get a little beat up.

Watch for any strange behavior or parts of its body getting black. If it fell on its back and broke its spine, it could cause discoloration on the part of the break, and all the way to the tail, and there could potentially be organ failure if it's really bad.

Then again, it could have just crawled down, plain and simple.

Wishing for the best,
Syn

 

[SoCaliSon]

I have seen cahms take some pretty bad falls and not be phased by them... Just keep an eye on her movement.

Kevin: I don't know if I told you... But Caddie actually went through a superman stage when I had her... She would literally leap into the the air from your arm like she thought she could fly, at the most random moments. lol
I could catch her most of time, but once of twice she "flew" all the way to the ground. Has she gotten any more gracefull with her dismount?

 

[summoner12]

I have seen cahms take some pretty bad falls and not be phased by them... Just keep an eye on her movement.

Kevin: I don't know if I told you... But Caddie actually went through a superman stage when I had her... She would literally leap into the the air from your arm like she thought she could fly, at the most random moments. lol
I could catch her most of time, but once of twice she "flew" all the way to the ground. Has she gotten any more gracefull with her dismount?

lol well this wasn't a planned jump.. this was a 'WHOOPS! I lost grip cause kevin has fat fingers' she just kinda looked around like 'WOW! UH.......ooookkkaaaayyyy' I held her and she was just hanging out. I did notice before her fall that she has a couple of bumps on her ribs on her left side and I thought 'hmm maybe she used to jump a lot or has fallen in her cage....' lol I guess she was a jumper. It doesn't seem to bother her if they are spots where she broke her ribs.

She is still a hunger freak.. as i open the cage she is locked and loaded following each hand as I unzip the cage...... she is a PIG!


back on topic... I think the cham will be fine from a 5' fall. She could have climbed down too... they are good climbers.