Is this normal or healthy?

[SangrelX]

Ok... My little guy is doing good with a few minor exceptions

1. He is on a cricket strike and only eats mealies.... I am going to track down some silkworms though since I know they can be a substitute diet.

I will intermix crickets and silkies and occasional mealies with his diet
so I can fix that one


2. See pictures Below

https://picasaweb.google.com/102475220097254872974/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCNiT_8Ogsfe8wgE#

The last 2 photos in that album
he seems to do this daily right under the uvb light
he will wander around right under it showing black colors. sometimes he sits still sometimes he just walks back and fourth under it?

What in the world is he doing and is this normal? Is this just a curious chameleon or is something potentially wrong medically?

 

[snipeusa14]

i dont see anything wrong with him but you should add more "highways"(sticks) across the upper part of the cage so he can bask upright not upside down,lol my cage has couple sticks in different level's away from it so they can get just the right amount just add more sticks uptop and you should be fine good luck wit the little guy

 

[camimom]

I would like to point out, that even with thousands of highways, they can and will still bask upside down.
My baby cage was so full of plants and highways, it toook me 20 minutes to find him, and he still hung upside down.

 

[snipeusa14]

it still helps to have more

 

[camimom]

it still helps to have more

Oh absolutely.
Its even more fun figuring out highways when you are free ranging.

 

[SangrelX]

i should have taken more pics of his basking area and such -- he has the ability to go to many many levels and temperature zones ranging from 70 - 90 at highest point now

so he has the ability to bask in heat and hide in shade
he regulates and keeps his own temperature at 78.8-80.0 constant -- only time his body temp drops below that range is night time which is normal (I take his skin temp with a IR thermometer)

He seems happy he just acts funny climbing upside down under the UVB Light and turns Black

the black is what scared me a bit Black is what Stress/scared OR to absorb more heat?
can he potentially be turning black while directly under the UVB to absorb higher amounts of UVB and the radiant heat from the bulb?

even if its an ok behavior its still something im curious to understand

 

[camimom]

Black is they are too cold and want to warm up, or are stressed.
Dont worry about climbing upside down.
How old is your uvb bulb?
most replace them after 6 months of usage.

 

[SangrelX]

uvb is 2 months old
and his skin temp is still around 80 -- i dont suspect cold
and im not sure why he would show stressed colors when he climbs to that light and does this to himself lol..

when he climbs down to the basking spot he turns back to his normal greens and is fine... he will stroll around the cage showing normal green too.. its only when he climbs right under that uvb that he turns black

he wont even turn black when I stress him by moving him around and such lol

 

[camimom]

uvb is 2 months old
and his skin temp is still around 80 -- i dont suspect cold
and im not sure why he would show stressed colors when he climbs to that light and does this to himself lol..

when he climbs down to the basking spot he turns back to his normal greens and is fine... he will stroll around the cage showing normal green too.. its only when he climbs right under that uvb that he turns black

he wont even turn black when I stress him by moving him around and such lol

Well then.. hes a cham, they are odd?
not sure.

 

[SangrelX]

im going to chock it up to he is a young cham and they are indeed ODD!!

lol