I hate when he climbs himself

[Picasso123]

is it normal for Panthers to think their arms are branches too? He loses his grip sometimes on dowels and he hangs from his forearms. Then he uses his back legs to climb his forearms and get back on. I wanna install a safety net!

 

[DavidBuchan]

is it normal for Panthers to think their arms are branches too? He loses his grip sometimes on dowels and he hangs from his forearms. Then he uses his back legs to climb his forearms and get back on. I wanna install a safety net!

Not normal, I'm afraid, if it happens often. Can you fill out the form?


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.


Pictures are helpful

 

[Picasso123]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Panther for 4 mths.
Handling - He's shy
Feeding - Super worms and crickets.
Supplements - reptivite and repcal with d3.
Watering - Mist King 90secs every 3hrs between 9-9. Yes I see him drink.
Fecal Description - Looked fine last one I saw.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 2x2x4 screen cage
Lighting - 100w powersun bulb
Temperature - Middle is 74-77
Humidity - 60-70
Plants - ficus, Hibiscus, pythos.
Placement - Near a window in my office.
Location - CT

Current Problem - He thinks his body parts are climbable. Now he's holding on to a dowel upside down and one arm is holding on to the other.

 

[DavidBuchan]

How old is he? How often do you give the Calcium powder, and how often the d3? How many crickets? What's your cricket gutload?
I'm asking because falling and climbing himself can be the first signs of mbd......do you have recent pics?

 

[Captain Creola]

My panther does that also,sometimes...- I think they are just not the best climbers..

 

[Picasso123]

He hits the sun now but I give him d3 powder twice a week. Reptivite 1 a week.

he's almost 10mths.

7-8 crickets which eat carrots, romaine and red peppers.

He doesn't fall he loses his grip sometimes on the dowels. He does fall when tyring to go from side to the top of the screen at times. He can't get his back end up enough.


6-27 ( little cage is gone)

July 7th

 

[DavidBuchan]

He hits the sun now but I give him d3 powder twice a week. Reptivite 1 a week.

he's almost 10mths.

7-8 crickets which eat carrots, romaine and red peppers.

He doesn't fall he loses his grip sometimes on the dowels. He does fall when tyring to go from side to the top of the screen at times. He can't get his back end up enough.

You give plain Calcium powder only once a week? The usual dusting schedule is plain Calcium every day, with added d3 twice a month - The dowels look a bit too big for him, maybe that's all it is.....

 

[panthercham]

You give plain Calcium powder only once a week? The usual dusting schedule is plain Calcium every day, with added d3 twice a month - The dowels look a bit too big for him, maybe that's all it is.....

Agreed!

Also those dowels are big and also very smooth which means he cant get a good grip on them. That may explain why he is on the side of his cage a lot.

If you continue to use them rough them up with some sandpaper a bit. They can get very slippery especially after misting or replace them with vines or branches...he should have a variety of different widths anyway.

 

[Elizadolots]

Maybe hit the garden store and buy a couple of packages of these:

You'll be able to create all sorts of vines. I tend to think they should have a way to climb all the way from the top to the bottom without using the side of the cage. That doesn't mean they might not still use the side of the cage, but they should have the option to avoid it.

 

[Picasso123]

You give plain Calcium powder only once a week? The usual dusting schedule is plain Calcium every day, with added d3 twice a month - The dowels look a bit too big for him, maybe that's all it is.....

Thats the schedule Screameleons gave me.

 

[Vw fan]

!!!!!

That is what they told me also and from all I read on here I switched to cal w/o d3 Monday-Friday no food saturday and on Sunday I use d3 two Sunday's a month and I use multi vitamin the other two Sunday's ,that seems like the way every one dose it,my charm is 5+ Mounths old,if I am way off please someone chime In and let me know!

 

[ataraxia]

he looks healthy and very pretty. id take the suggestion someone made about more vines and make sure to use appropriate sized vines. id like to see a pics of him doing this. mechanically, i dont understand how he can climb his front legs with his rear legs and regain a proper stance after doing that... judging from your pic i dont think you have anything to worry about personally.

also id use the recommended supplement schedule and make sure to properly gutload your feeders.
calcium phos free every feeding
calcium w/D3 twice a month
herptivite twice a month (i like to use reptivite in place of the herptivite)

check out sandrs's blogs on gutloading.

 

[Zajlol]

Thats the schedule Screameleons gave me.

Yah they gave me that to and then mine got MBD and then died. I ordered a new one from kammers and he's doing fantastic with the new schedule.

 

[DavidBuchan]

. mechanically, i dont understand how he can climb his front legs with his rear legs and regain a proper stance after doing that... judging from your pic i dont think you have anything to worry about personally.

With difficulty....which is why it could be the first sign of something to worry about. I'd like to see pics or vids too, but I've seen it in real life before, so I think I know what the OP means......

 

[ataraxia]

i could be wrong...lets hope he will come up with pics or video.

edit:
just a thought..dowel rods are slick. i have a few limbs from a tree i cant remeber the name of right now. well anyways they are slick as all get out. i usually use these in the photos you see of mine. i know it is a tad bit shameful that i subject them to these but they have a hard time griping these also and have actually fallen off. i can see a healthy cham slipping, having trouble not finding any other options to support himself and use his front legs until he/she finds a suitable position. i see a bunch of these dowels in the pics. so, i imagine he uses these regularly and has troubles with them.

 

[kinyonga]

Does the reptivite have D3 in it?

 

[Elizadolots]

I have smaller, lighter weight chameleons, so maybe it's just my perception, but he looks a bit "puffy" to me...like there might be an edema issue. I don't know.

A vet visit might be in order just to make sure there are no other issues. I can say that when I've had chameleons routinely grabbing their own limbs, it wasn't a good thing. If it happens rarely, it's probably not a concern, but if it's happening enough the owner is making note of it, it's suggestive of a deeper problem, possibly even MBD.

 

[Picasso123]

Does the reptivite have D3 in it?

No just the repcal.

 

[Picasso123]

I have smaller, lighter weight chameleons, so maybe it's just my perception, but he looks a bit "puffy" to me...like there might be an edema issue. I don't know.

A vet visit might be in order just to make sure there are no other issues. I can say that when I've had chameleons routinely grabbing their own limbs, it wasn't a good thing. If it happens rarely, it's probably not a concern, but if it's happening enough the owner is making note of it, it's suggestive of a deeper problem, possibly even MBD.

He grabs his front limbs when he cant find a vine to grab his hind legs on.

 

[PeriTanz]

Tanz does this also. Not too often but i have seen him do it probably five times.