Gaping under basking light

[smuckleness]

Lately my chameleon Smooches likes to climb right up under her basking light and gape. There is plenty of cooler space in her enclosure and plenty of branches/vines to get there. Is there another explanation for the gaping? I know she doesn't drink enough water but I'm not sure how to fix it, or whether it might be a factor in this behavior.


Your Chameleon
Female veiled, probably almost 2 years old. I've had her since May 2013.
Handling
Approximately once a week for cleaning + trips outside.
Feeding
Fifteen large crickets every other day plus occasional mealworms. Crickets get Fluker's cricket diet + various vegetables.
Supplements
Crickets are calcium dusted every other feeding, no D3 but she does get fifteen minutes of actual sunlight about once a week per vet recommendation.
Watering:
Dripper runs at about 1 drop every 2 seconds and I spray down the whole cage with a garden sprayer several times daily. She has always hated the sprayer and ignores the dripper when I'm around; I rarely see her drink.
Fecal Description
Does tend toward orangey urates. Never parasite tested.
History
Most recent vet visit was May 2014. Smooches has never produced eggs.

Cage Type
18x18x36 Reptibreeze.
Lighting
10.0 Reptisun tube UVB, basking bulb (unsure of wattage), plus an LED for added visible light. All are on a 12/12 hour timer.
Temperature
~75 at the bottom, ~88-90 right below the basking light according to thermometers. Overnight temp is about 75 as well.
Humidity
Hygrometer shows 30% on up to 60% when spraying.
Plants
One big pothos, which she tries her best to eat faster than it can grow.
Placement
Cage is on wire shelf maybe 3.5' off the floor in the office (so top of the cage would be 6.5' from floor). We're almost always sitting at the desk in the evening but not a lot of traffic per se. No nearby air vents.
Location
Atlanta.

 

[unknown91]

10.0 might be too much for a chameleon

 

[Lpsouth1978]

10.0 might be too much for a chameleon

I use 10.0 on all of my chameleons with no ill effects. The ReptiSun 10.0 is only slightly stronger than an Arcadia 6%. My lights are about 4 inches above the cage and the screen of the cage filters a good deal out. If there is adequate space and plenty of places to hide when needed, a 10.0 should work fine. After all, how can a 10.0 possibly be too much when the sun provides WAY more UVB than we could ever dream of providing with a bulb.

I don't know why she is gaping under the basking light if everything is as you said. I would try lowering the basking temps a little and see how she reacts. If she is basking, then she needs something up there. When was the UVB bulb last replaced? If the bulb is 6 months or older, maybe she is having to stay up there not for heat, but in order to get the UVB she needs. Reptisun bulbs need to be replaced every 6 months, whereas Arcadia bulbs are every year.

 

[NHenn]

If she is gaping while basking and only doing it while she is basking, 99% she is too hot and lowing your basking temps should make her stop gaping.

As for UVB, I don't agree with some of the above items. There is a lot more that goes into UVB than just a bulb. First off, are we talking about a T8 10.0 bulb or a T5 10.0 bulb? That makes a huge difference! Second, what type of fixture is that bulb in as different fixtures have different reflectors and different bulb patterns which all affect UVB rays and how they are directed into the cage.

For example, a T8 10.0 bulb in a single fixture with a good reflector will measure a lot less than a T5 6% Arcadia in a similar fixture. However, throw that T5 6% in a double fixture and you will get about the same readings.

To answer the question of how can a 10.0 possibly be too much when the sun provides more, again it isn't about the bulb at all. It is about the setup in which that bulb is being used. If it is a shorter cage and there is little to no shade for the chameleon to get out of the rays, yes a 10.0 is way too much for that cage. Throw the same bulb and fixture in a heavily planted cage that is 4' tall and maybe a 10.0 isn't enough.

Hope this helps shed some light (lol) on this subject.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

To answer the question of how can a 10.0 possibly be too much when the sun provides more, again it isn't about the bulb at all. It is about the setup in which that bulb is being used. If it is a shorter cage and there is little to no shade for the chameleon to get out of the rays, yes a 10.0 is way too much for that cage. Throw the same bulb and fixture in a heavily planted cage that is 4' tall and maybe a 10.0 isn't enough.

Agreed, this I why I said "if there is enough space, and plenty of places to hide". I use a 10.0 on my little 18x18x24 cage, however it is a T8 in a fixture without a reflector sitting on the cage. For my 24x24x48 cages I use T5's in quality fixtures with decent reflectors.

Every situation is different, so simply saying that a 10.0 is too much, with limited information, is a jump. By that same respect my saying that a 10.0 is fine, was also unfounded given the limited info I had available to me.

 

[unknown91]

so if i have 60cm(L) X 40cm(W) X 1M(H) - 23.6(L) X 15.7(W) X 40(H) is a 5.0, 26W and a normal house light bulb for basking (50W used) too little ?

 

[smuckleness]

T8, single fixture, no reflector, plenty of shade/hiding places in the (18x18x36) cage. Bulb is only a couple of weeks old.

I'll try lowering the temps and see if she stops.