How long to veils sleep ?

[TiffanyMariexo]

This little guy is my world !! Every night at about 11 I bring him out for a bit to say goodnight. After 20 minutes he snuggles right in and goes to sleep lol. Its actually a hassle getting him back in his cage, he keeps trying to climb back into my hand to sleep. So he sparked the curosity of how long do they sleep every night ??? The picture is a little blurry and he had a full day of peeling a coat, but still he is so sweet sleeping I had to share !

 

[showjet95]

Before you get slammed on here by other members, I wouldnt suggest doing what youre doing. They should be left in their cage for the night to sleep with ALL of the lights off and no distractions from other light sources like the tv. What time do the lights come on and go off each day and can you post a pic of the set up?

 

[TiffanyMariexo]

Lights go off at 1130, he has his own room actually so no distractions. Also when I go in to pick him up he is wide awake. When he does a little exploring and whatnot he curls up and sleeps.

 

[showjet95]

What time do they come on? A chameleon should never just go into your hand and fall asleep, that is not normal healthy chameleon behavior. What do you feed him? What supplements do you use/how often? what type of lighting does he have? and how do you water him and how often?

 

[TiffanyMariexo]

He has been handled in captivity since birth. I usually turn the lights back on about 10 am . Mind you his heat lamp is always on due to the fact that its winter. He has lots of water. Mister, and dripper. He even drinks infront of me . He is only two months so his main diet consists of crickets. He gets a horned worm once a month. He has his set up and everything fine. We set it up with the assistance and approval of reptile rays. So his habitat and everything is fine. Plenty of room and airflow. He is just used to being held and when he is tired he will doze off. I am just wondering how long do they typically sleep for ??

 

[TiffanyMariexo]

Also once I notice this I put him back in his home and he sleeps all night, practically where I left him.

 

[showjet95]

There should be NO light on during the night. Most species of chameleons actually benefit from having a drop in temps at night. The night time temp should not be the same as their day time temps. When I had my pair of veileds they took it down to 45 degrees at night for weeks at a time with no ill affects, and were perfectly healthy. Eliminate the night light. I would also suggest getting a timer so the lights go on and off at regular intervals, around 12 hours on and 12 hours off would be good. Pet stores arent always, and are often thee worst places to get advice on chameleons from...unfortunately. This is the best place so Im glad you posted.

 

[TiffanyMariexo]

We have the red light on for warmth ? Do they sleep a 12 hour interval ? I just worry about him getting cold. Reptile Rays is a canadian repitile musuem and reptile expert. We pretty much spent 1200 plus getting his complete set up perfect. He seems to go to bed the same time every night. After 1130.

 

[showjet95]

$1200 on a set up for a veiled? Im sorry, but you got insanely ripped off. People sell beautiful cb lines of veileds for around $100 each, sometimes even less. Everything else you would need for a proper set up would come no where near that amount.
I have ALL of my chameleons outside tonight and it will be around 45 degrees and they will all be just fine, and I keep extremely rare species if that gives you some added comfort Do not feel sorry for your chameleon getting too cold, he will be just fine. A significant night time temp drop is good for them. Get rid of the night light. Just make sure he has proper UV lighting during the day, and get him out in the sun as much as possible.

 

[TiffanyMariexo]

No no no, lol 1200 for his cage and happy home. He only cost 150 for himself. We got a big tax refund and pratically spoiled him ! Just for the sake of being able to give him a kick ass home and I actually just turned off the light, your not the first person to tell me this actually , plus the apartment should be warm enough. I absolutley adore my chameleon and feel like the crazy protective mother. That's why I signed up on here in the first place ! But thanks for the advice. He slept away from the basking area too so its not like he was soaking up the warmth to sleep. We got him a huge cage so when he's bigger we wouldn't have to do a big move as well

 

[showjet95]

Post some pics of the set up. I would love to see it.

 

[TiffanyMariexo]

For sure. Since I went to turn of his light and woke him up by accident I don't want to disturb him anymore. Ill get some tomorrow.

 

[showjet95]

I didnt mean take pics now lol, when you get a chance...

 

[lancaster0861]

I think what they are saying is that it is not normal for any chameleon to come out on someones hand and fall asleep. Even if its been handled in captivity all its life. Unless it is sick or maybe its dark when your holding it. Or maybe its sleep is disturbed to the point where its passing out late at night, I'm not sure if even that is possible. I think most everyone's chameleon that was born in captivity had been held/handled since it was a baby and falling asleep is not normals with theirs. Unless its been pulled out while sleeping or sick or its dark when ur holding i dont think thats normal. I would look into it to even if it is to be on the safe side.

 

[GabeCastro]

Welcome to the forums!

You've already got tons of help from showjet95. But to add a few things, I agree 100% with what he told you.

First of all, chams need to be on a 12 hour light cycle. The average cycle people use is 7am on, 7pm off. Or, sunrise = lights go on, sundown = lights off. Usually in the winter the light cycle is shorter. So 9-10 hours the lights should be on.

ShowJet already explained important facts about their light cycle.

Also no lights for the night. So get rid of those. If you wanna spoil your Cham with lights I suggest you getting an Arcadia light set up with LED grow lights haha.

Handling your chameleon like that is not recommended. Chameleons are somewhat like fish. They're just there to look at and admire. But however you can create a trust bond by letting them come out of their cage onto your hand by themselves. Chameleons get extremely stressed out when handled improperly. It's always best to let you chameleon do his thing in his new home for a good week or two to get used to his environment / home. Falling asleep in your hand is another bad sign.

I have a few questions aswell. What's your chams supplement schedule? And what supplements are you giving him? Are you gut loading your feeder insects? If so with what and what feeders are in your rotation? Any fruits for your Cham? What brand of mister do you have? What's his misting schedule on? What's the ambient temperature in his enclosure? Basking spot temp? Humidty levels?

*Everything in your chams cage has to be perfect for him to live. The littlest things can kill your Cham or get him sick. Basking temps and Humidty levels are extremely important. This helps them shed, digest their food, clean their eyes, etc.Not giving them proper supplements, can result in MBD (metabolic bone disease). Also they can have trouble eating, shooting their tongue, eyes shutting, etc. keeping the night light on can burn your chameleons skin. It can become too dry and won't get enough humidity. I'll ask about more husbandry questions when you upload the picture.

I'm sure the pet store didn't tell you all of this. So I'm glad you found the forums for guidance. You'll get help from members who have been rasing chams for YEARS...I've learned so much since I joined the forums and I'm happy to help others. So please don't take anything I say offensive, I just want to help and make sure you have the proper set up.

-Gabe

 

[jshaffer740]

Two good things to do:

Visit the two links in my signature. The first is this forum's Care Guide. It will give you all sorts of great info on things such as lighting schedule, food, etc.

The second is the Health Form. As others have mentioned, sleeping outside of his enclosure on your hand is atypical. Filling out this form and posting in the health section of the forum can give us an opportunity to look over your husbandry, and determine if anything could be altered/improved. It is a great thing to do after setting up a new enclosure, as there are many knowledgeable people on this forum that can help confirm your setup.

Also, welcome!

 

[sandrachameleon]

just want to add my voice to the choir
I support the suggestion to not handle so much, especially at night when the animal should be in the cage sleeping. I also agree its not typical that a cham would fall asleep while being handled / while outside the cage. I also agree no night light.
If you want to answer all the questions in the "how to ask for help" sticky, Im sure we'd all be happy to provide some pointers for improving the set-up so that you can continue to enjoy your chameleon for a long time.

 

[theebeaner]

Is it bad to have my chameleon on a 14hr daylight and 10 hr night time schedule ??

 

[Ares05]

Uh, yeah you are going to want to have it on a 12hr daylight and 12hr night time cycle. I would start your own thread so your husbandry can be reviewed. Plus, this thread is from 2013.

 

[Hannahllee]

A few things as input. Your baby should have a full 12 hours of sleep.
the winter thing I understand. I have 3 chameleons. During the winter I have to use a night heat lamp for them all. If I don’t then it would be way too cold and they would freeze. I live in upstate New York. During the summer, no. No heat light on at night. But in the winter. They actually look for it.
All chameleons are different. Two of mine, prefer not to be handled. My little girl, would much rather be left alone to just watch and do her thing. My oldest male, prefers to not be handled but like to climb out of his cage himself. Now, my youngest male, he enjoys being handled. His cage door will be open. He will climb out. Roam around. Climb right on me and just hangout. I try to put him up on things. Nope he’s fine with just being on me. Won’t get off until he’s ready. He’s been like that since he was young. He will climb out of his cage and walk right to me. He prefers to sleep outside of his cage up on a certain picture frame (the walls he could climb cause of the texture) or up on top of the window. Same routine every night. But since it’s winter, I will put him in his cage so he doesn’t freeze, especially cause he can not be by the window at night with the freezing cold air.
But my point, all chameleons are different. Some like their human and feel comfortable with them. Most just prefer to be left alone.
Just like people have opinions about access to water. My oldest male has been drinking out of a dish since day 1. Since the day we got him as a baby he drank from a bottle cap. And now has a dish. He drinks from it every morning. Throughout the day. Before bed. My female, no. She won’t. She drinks from a water bottle. And also from a fountain. My youngest male. He likes to drink drips from leaves or a fountain.
but make sure your chameleon has 12 hours of sleep and if it’s cold where you are like it is here then yes use a heat light at night.