"Interesting" chameleon behavior

[ChamNovice]

Well my chameleon has started having some interesting behavior. It started about 4-5 days ago and is still continuing. They both always watch when I walk in and out of the room, but now if I stay in the room for an extended period the one(the one in the avatar) will climb down from his plants, and sit on the floor against the glass so he can see me. He will sit there like a dog sits, butt on the ground and front legs straight. If I leave the room he will climb back into his plant. Come back and stay for a while.... he comes back down. I will try and get some pics, it might be difficult because if I just stand beside his cage he'll go to the top of his plant and wait for me to open the lid, so he can climb onto the lip or my hand.

I didn't like that he was sitting in the floor, so I go over to him and put my hand by him, he'll climb right on and hang out on my arm for a bit. So I put him back in his plant, if I stay in the room, down he comes, if I leave, he'll stay in the plant. If he's sitting on the floor watching me and I go over to his cage, put my hand in his plant, he will climb up the plant then onto me. Same scenario as before with the leaving or staying.

I can also leave his cage top open, he can climb out if he wants, but he won't(I've left it that way for 45 min. before, just to see what he'd do), unless I am staying in the room. If I stay in the room, he climbs onto the top lip,same side as the glass he sits beside when he goes on the floor, and watches me, if I walk over he reaches for my hands..... Hangs on with his back legs, reaches with the front 2 all stretched out, I'm afraid he'll fall, so I always let him grab me.

I try not to handle him to often, but he seems to like when I take him out of his cage when I'm in the room. He doesn't let anyone else touch or pick him up either. I tried to hand him off to my brother so I could do something, his agitated colors started showing and he went the other way down my arm. If he's on me, his eyes will be all over the place looking at everything, but if somone else is in the room with me, one eye will always stay on that other person.
The only problem I have is that if he's sitting on the floor watching me like he does, and his lights go out, he will fall asleep right there. Is that a bad thing? There are no crickets or other feeders that could get to him.

I just thought it was interesting behavior and wanted to share, wondered if anyone else's cham does something similar?? Is this really odd behavior?? I don't know if I should be doing something to correct it or if it's just his personality. I'm used to my other cham not wanting anything to do with me, so this is new. I think I'm going to have to rearrange his cage some maybe add a vine that goes all the way to that side of the cage and see if he chooses that instead of the floor. Please share your thoughts or ideas on this.
He is about 2.5 months old. If you want to see his enclosure, check my thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/just-arrived-baby-veiled-24523/

This thread is not meant to be a health related question or problem I am having. Just sharing information, wanting your thoughts, and perhaps some stories of your own.

 

[jojackson]

Just its personality perhaps. Sleeping where he is when the lights go off probly wont hurt him, but mine seems to have a preferred place to sleep. For this reason I arrange a dimmer lighting to be on for 10-20 mins after his lights go out. Hes usually confortable and sleeping in his spot before its totally dark.

 

[ChamNovice]

Just its personality perhaps. Sleeping where he is when the lights go off probly wont hurt him, but mine seems to have a preferred place to sleep. For this reason I arrange a dimmer lighting to be on for 10-20 mins after his lights go out. Hes usually confortable and sleeping in his spot before its totally dark.

He has never had a "usual" sleeping place, it's always been up in the plants or vines before, but never the same place 2 nights in a row. I could do the dimmer lighting, but if I didn't leave the room, he'd just stay there anyway.

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

glass? you shouldnt have narcotics in plain view of your chameleon..tisk tisk

 

[chameleon97]

Glass

Okay. so you use a glass cage. It probably wont solve your problem, but please get a screen cage.

Cons:

Glass:
Causes Barrier Confusion
Causes Stress b/c of reflection
Can Cause a URI
Usually too small, i have never seen a tall glass cage (I could be wrong, though)
Not enough ventilation
Often gets too hot


Screen:
A bit harder to heat and humidify

Pros:
Glass:
Keeps up humidity

Screen.
Excellent ventilation
Cham can walk on walls
Crix can walk on walls, making prey easier to catch
Uvb can go through screen, not glass

You decide which is better.

 

[ChamNovice]

Okay. so you use a glass cage. It probably wont solve your problem, but please get a screen cage.

Cons:

Glass:
Causes Barrier Confusion
Causes Stress b/c of reflection
Can Cause a URI
Usually too small, i have never seen a tall glass cage (I could be wrong, though)
Not enough ventilation
Often gets too hot


Screen:
A bit harder to heat and humidify

Pros:
Glass:
Keeps up humidity

Screen.
Excellent ventilation
Cham can walk on walls
Crix can walk on walls, making prey easier to catch
Uvb can go through screen, not glass

You decide which is better.

If you read my other thread you'll know why I use a glass cage currently. He will be switched to a 18"x18"x36" screen cage in about 2 months. The top isn't glass on the current one, it's an exoterra 18x18x18. Probably not in that pic on that thread I linked though, it's a 10g with screen top. I don't have feeders running around, he is cup fed. This is not a "problem" I am having, and trying to correct, just an interesting sort of behavior he has started to do when I am around for longer time periods. If you look at a couple of my other threads I've started by going to my profile, you can see the adult sized cage I built. I understand the differences, but it's easier for me to provide exactly what is needed for a juvinile cham in an exoterra until about 4-5 months. I see you have posted in another thread recently about using glass as well.... and then an edit... I'm glad you're trying to spread some good commonly accepted methods for husbandry, people need good advice, but maybe asking questions before posting pros and cons, may allow you to help a person in a better manner in the future.
There are plenty of people that do use glass even for adult vieleds, normally for colder climates, there is no certain set in stone rules for raising these animals, we all do what works best for us and creates an environment that tries to meet all the chameleons needs, we will never be able to exactly replicate nature. Thank you for your input though.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Andrew

Hopefully he will continue to have this great personality and enjoy your company.
We don't handle the chameleons much here but there are always people around the babies (especially with our boys interest in the chameleons) so he was definitely used to having not only his siblings, but us around a lot.
As he grows older he will probably get more independent and want to be left alone ... or maybe not.
It will be interesting to see what happens.

-Brad

 

[chams1]

As for his behavior around you, could just be that he likes you. Seriously though - my male Nosey Be that I've had for a few years actually prefers to be held or ride around on my shoulder or head as opposed to being "locked up". When he's in his cage and he knows I'm around, he will stand on a vine with his front "paws" on the screen as if to say "Let me out!" When he is on my shoulder or or climbing on my shirt, he will rest his face on mine as if he's giving me kisses. And yet some of my other chams see me as the grim reaper! As we all know, they each have different personalities.

 

[ChamNovice]

Andrew

Hopefully he will continue to have this great personality and enjoy your company.
We don't handle the chameleons much here but there are always people around the babies (especially with our boys interest in the chameleons) so he was definitely used to having not only his siblings, but us around a lot.
As he grows older he will probably get more independent and want to be left alone ... or maybe not.
It will be interesting to see what happens.

-Brad

Thanks, I was kind of hoping you'd see and reply to this thread. It would be great if he keeps this personality of his. He doesn't see to mind other people being around like you were saying, but he doesn't want to be touched or held by anyone else. I try not to handle him much either, I just don't like that he was sitting on the floor, so I get him out....

As for his behavior around you, could just be that he likes you. Seriously though - my male Nosey Be that I've had for a few years actually prefers to be held or ride around on my shoulder or head as opposed to being "locked up". When he's in his cage and he knows I'm around, he will stand on a vine with his front "paws" on the screen as if to say "Let me out!" When he is on my shoulder or or climbing on my shirt, he will rest his face on mine as if he's giving me kisses. And yet some of my other chams see me as the grim reaper! As we all know, they each have different personalities.

I guess he may like me, never really thought of reptiles as an animal that would like a certain person/people. I know birds can be very particular about who they do and do not want around or be touched by. His behavior kind of reminded me of that though.

Thank you for your replies, and if anyone else has any thought or stories, go ahead and share them.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I know birds can be very particular about who they do and do not want around or be touched by. His behavior kind of reminded me of that though.

It's interesting that you say that as I have always said keeping chameleons is much more like keeping parrots than it is like keeping reptiles.

-Brad

 

[SoCaliSon]

Given the enclosure is providing everything he needs, I don't think it is anything to worry about. My Veiled Lombardi started showing this sort of behavior after he warmed up to me (and after he learned their are ladies in the midst). His cage is a castle, and he is happy in there most of the time, but now and then I will look over and he will be at the front of the cage, or sometimes on the floor like you say, with two hands on the screen asking to come out. Open the cage and out he comes. There are times where he wants nothing to do with me, and times when he feels like coming out... and he does let me know. Just be careful because you always want to be making double sure it is not something in their environment they are unhappy with.

 

[ChamNovice]

Given the enclosure is providing everything he needs, I don't think it is anything to worry about. My Veiled Lombardi started showing this sort of behavior after he warmed up to me (and after he learned their are ladies in the midst). His cage is a castle, and he is happy in there most of the time, but now and then I will look over and he will be at the front of the cage, or sometimes on the floor like you say, with two hands on the screen asking to come out. Open the cage and out he comes. There are times where he wants nothing to do with me, and times when he feels like coming out... and he does let me know. Just be careful because you always want to be making double sure it is not something in their environment they are unhappy with.

That was my concern the first couple days so I started watching him more closely, that's when I started seeing that it only occured when I stayed in my room in a location he couldn't see me from in any of his normal places.

 

[Metric]

Something similar happened to me, Whenever i was in the room, my cham would start heading for the glass and would go to the bottom of the enclosure and place his hands right about the black lining of air holes.

This would only happen when i entered the room. When I'd open his enclosure, he would jump out onto my hand.

I figured out it was the glass, he was getting barrier confusion and would see his reflection at times which stressed him out, and i also think heat wasn't dispersing enough with the glass walls which could explain why I'd find my cham on the bottom sometimes.

I recently got a 2x2x4 all screen from lllreptiles and he loves it, he's constantly a brighter colour and explores the whole cage (climbing the walls and roof) but never goes to the bottom.

I think a my cham just loves to free range, he's a male veiled, and in his old enclosure was all glass (except the top) this is the exact one.

You may not be having the same problem, but like you said you're getting a screen one in 2 months, I wouldn't be surprised if your Cham changes these behaviors.

just my 2 cents

 

[jojothefirst]

That was my concern the first couple days so I started watching him more closely, that's when I started seeing that it only occured when I stayed in my room in a location he couldn't see me from in any of his normal places.

Both my chams like to come out onto are hands.
They both often start scratching at the viv door but more so when the wife comes close.
They always seem to do the same thing aswell, we put them on the settee and they climb from that onto the other sette, walk to the other side, then turn around and come back to us to be put back in there viv!
And they both allways sleep in the same place and go there around the same time!!!
Very strange, but cool!

 

[ChamNovice]

Something similar happened to me, Whenever i was in the room, my cham would start heading for the glass and would go to the bottom of the enclosure and place his hands right about the black lining of air holes.

This would only happen when i entered the room. When I'd open his enclosure, he would jump out onto my hand.

I figured out it was the glass, he was getting barrier confusion and would see his reflection at times which stressed him out, and i also think heat wasn't dispersing enough with the glass walls which could explain why I'd find my cham on the bottom sometimes.

I recently got a 2x2x4 all screen from lllreptiles and he loves it, he's constantly a brighter colour and explores the whole cage (climbing the walls and roof) but never goes to the bottom.

I think a my cham just loves to free range, he's a male veiled, and in his old enclosure was all glass (except the top) this is the exact one.

You may not be having the same problem, but like you said you're getting a screen one in 2 months, I wouldn't be surprised if your Cham changes these behaviors.

just my 2 cents

That is pretty much exactly the enclosure he is in now. I don't consider what he is doing a "problem" he was only sitting on the floor because there were no vines or plants that reached that side of his enclosure(which I have fixed now, knowing he does this). He does not go down there any other time. If he was on the floor a lot of the time I would be concerned, but this is not the case. He has never "pawed" at the glass or anything like that, he just sits, just like a dog would sit and likes to see where I am. He seems to be very aware of his boundaries and where he can and cannot see me from inside his little area, depending on where I am in the room as stated before.

That was my concern the first couple days so I started watching him more closely, that's when I started seeing that it only occured when I stayed in my room in a location he couldn't see me from in any of his normal places.

His coloration almost never changes from his relaxed colors, unless there is someone else in the room besides me trying to get close to him. He pretty much looks the same all day as when he is sleeping. I already have the screen cage, and I dont believe it is a boundary confusion "problem", so hopefully his personality stays like it is, I know I can only hope for that though.......

 

[ChamNovice]

Both my chams like to come out onto are hands.
They both often start scratching at the viv door but more so when the wife comes close.
They always seem to do the same thing aswell, we put them on the settee and they climb from that onto the other sette, walk to the other side, then turn around and come back to us to be put back in there viv!
And they both allways sleep in the same place and go there around the same time!!!
Very strange, but cool!

Thank you for sharing, are there any other interesting cham behaviors anyone else wants to share? I like hearing how different each chams personality is, and the little quirky things they do.

 

[chameleon97]

Sorry!! I didnt see that it was only 2.5 months!!! Man, I'd better start reading these threads better

 

[ChamNovice]

Sorry!! I didnt see that it was only 2.5 months!!! Man, I'd better start reading these threads better

Not a problem, the opening post is a bit long worded.