Meet Atlas Orion, My First Ambilobe Panther Chameleon

[Atlas.Orion]

Hi everyone!

I'm Chris from Seattle. I recently brought home my first Ambilobe panther chameleon, Atlas Orion (Atlas, for short).

I've been spending a lot of time reading through this forum, Chameleon Academy, and watching educational videos from experienced keepers, comparing information from multiple sources because I really want to build solid husbandry habits from the beginning. I know there are often different opinions on chameleon care, so I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind recommendations rather than just memorizing a checklist.

Atlas is just under 7 months old and has a healthy appetite for Dubia and red runner roaches, with the occasional super worm... If he's feeling it...

I've attached a couple of photos of Atlas and his enclosure. I don't think I have ever been so in love with a lizard in my entire life!

I bought a semi-decked out enclosure directly from the breeder at the reptile show (I wanted the best chance of getting an enclosure set up as soon as possible instead of starting from scratch), added a misting system and fogger, and appropriate lights, but I do admit it is still a work in progress as I plan on adding more live plants over the next couple of weeks to create additional cover and climbing opportunities.

I'm looking forward to learning from everyone here, continuing to improve Atlas's home, and hopefully sharing his progress along the way. Thanks for having us!

 

[GrannyK]

Welcome to the forum!! Looks like you are off to a good start and Atlas is a handsome guy! When your lights and new plants come in it will be looking great. I would throw a few more sticks in as well, they love exploring at times. Do make sure there is a stick running the entire length under the uvb light fixture so he can absorb anywhere he decides to lay up there. I can’t tell by the pic if there’s one there or not so just making sure.

 

[Atlas.Orion]

Welcome to the forum!! Looks like you are off to a good start and Atlas is a handsome guy! When your lights and new plants come in it will be looking great. I would throw a few more sticks in as well, they love exploring at times. Do make sure there is a stick running the entire length under the uvb light fixture so he can absorb anywhere he decides to lay up there. I can’t tell by the pic if there’s one there or not so just making sure.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!


I also realized I accidentally uploaded an older picture of the enclosure before I finished installing the lighting, so here’s the current setup.


Right now I have a horizontal branch across the front of the enclosure with the basking light over one side of it. There’s also a diagonal branch that runs from the upper back down toward the lower front, and I’ve positioned the UVB fixture diagonally so it runs from the front left to the back right. It seems to provide pretty good coverage across the enclosure and gives Atlas several different places to hang out throughout the day.


One thing I’m still evaluating is the basking light placement. My probe thermometer, which sits on the front branch, routinely reads around 90°F at branch level, so I know Atlas’s back is probably getting a bit warmer than that when he’s basking. I’m considering moving the basking light over the rear diagonal branch instead, since it would create a broader temperature gradient and give him more options for choosing his preferred basking spot.


I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have experience with a similar setup. (sorry for the long post!)