Little guy is always dark

[Red Bishop]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Ambilobe Panther, male?, 3 months?. 1 week
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? 1 time since purchase to move things around the cage.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Fruit flies, pinhead crickets. Crickets gut loaded with Rep-Cal cricket food. Cup feeding 10 - 20/day.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Rep-Cal no/D3 every day. Repto Cal w/D3 and Reptolife plus once each with plans on 2x per month each.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? drip cup, DYI mist king type system with Mist King nozzle. 3 x per day / 5 minutes each
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Brown with white tip.
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No.
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? Screen, 18 x 18 x 36
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? ReptiGlo 5.0 tube / 25w basking bulb
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Overnight min: 66F, normal: 72-74F, Basking: 81-83F. Digital thermometers
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? 45% low - around 60% after misting. Digital humidity gage
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Yes, Draceana
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? In dining room. Traffic only when the kids go into the sun room. Top of the cage is 6' from floor.
Location - Where are you geographically located? Delaware

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. Stays dark pretty much all day. Is that normal at this age?

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/RedBishop13/IMAG0036.jpg
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/RedBishop13/IMAG0035.jpg
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/RedBishop13/IMAG0033.jpg

 

[stevie]

no thats not normal , i think thats he's not happy your terra is really not good , more branches more twigs an defenatly more plants he's young so he like's to hide himself get your terra fixed up and i think you will see an emprovemend
grts

 

[ShortStack]

no thats not normal , i think thats he's not happy your terra is really not good , more branches more twigs an defenatly more plants he's young so he like's to hide himself get your terra fixed up and i think you will see an emprovemend
grts

Actually.. yes ... its pretty normal for the littles ones to stay relatively darker...

 

[ShortStack]

Removed

 

[Red Bishop]

Do you recommend more at the top or more at the bottom? My setup seems similar to most pics of seen on the site. There is 3 horizontal sticks, a couple of plastic vines that he climbs on, the smallest biovine going back and forth a couple of times and the dracaena that is about 2-1/2' tall.

Not saying you're wrong. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want some input and putting more things in is easy.

Any other input from anyone else? Any agreement or otherwise with Stevie's recommendation?

 

[Damus]

How long have you had the little guy?! he might still be getting used to his enclosure. And i agree that you could use some more vines and stuff on the lower to mid parts of your cage, Your plant has leaves in these areas, but they might not be very stable making him feel unsure about his next move. Also, where in the room is the cage? is it in a high traffic area with people walking by often, or sitting next to the TV or something where they feel like they are always being watched, if so you might want to move the cage to somewhere more secluded where he feels like he can do his own thing without anyone watching. Hope this helps.

 

[Red Bishop]

I have had him for a week.

The cage is in a corner of the dining room near a door to the sun room. My kids do go into the sun room to play and watch tv. The dining room is open to the kitchen so there is more traffic there that he may be seeing. I do have another room that nobody really goes into, so I may have to move him down there if it's beneficial.

I will get more vines and stuff for the middle tomorrow.

 

[DavidBuchan]

For my input I'd only say maybe he'd like more leafiness (up top, and around the basking area). Other than that possibility I'd assume he is just taking time to get used to a new home. If it lasts two weeks then start to be concerned

 

[Red Bishop]

Thank you for the additional input David.

 

[EvilLost]

I would agree with more "leafiness", perhaps buy a 2nd shorter plant to place next to your current one.

I would say especially near where your feeder cup is, it seems like an exposed area while feeding; might want to leaf that up a little too.



In terms of traffic, I keep my chameleon in the center of my living room next to my computer desk; my house isn't loud but we do watch tv / etc. He has been quite happy....I think the traffic issue is more with "direct noise" than with overall noise (in other words, are your kids screaming/etc as they run past his cage, perhaps while playing? i doubt the background kitchen noise is a problem)

 

[ataraxia]

some tips for young ones.

1_ put cage as high in the room as possible.
2_smaller cage.
3_lots of foliage
4_although many on here have different opinions on basking spots on young ones. you can go by your breeders temps. at 3 months i personally set them on the lower side to what i would for an adult. in your case 87-88*.
5_leave him be for a few days straight. literally do your business and leave.


as long as he is eatting he will come around eventually on his own.

 

[Red Bishop]

Thank you EvilLost and ataraxia. I will be adding more around the basking and feeding spot tomorrow. As far as the noise, there really isn't any in the kitchen or the kids going to the sun room. More movement than noise.

 

[jawz101]

Lol. I just have to point this out: the walls are purple ... and he's a freakin chameleon. Might need some more green in there that he can get to. I put some adhesive hooks on the glass and get some fake foliage over to where he can get