New Panther Chameleon(~2yrs old) Falling

[derpaderp]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male Ambilobe Panther, ~2 years old, Got him yesterday at a reptile expo from a well known breeder in the area.
Handling - Since I just got him, hes been handled more than he will in a few days when everything is setup. (about an hour a day)
Feeding - 6-8 crickets a day, gut loaded, every morning around 6am they go in the tank
Supplements - Calcium dust from zoo-med daily, vitamin dust twice a week.
Watering - Drip system(homemade), Mist everything in the morning before feeding, when i get home from work(3pm) and before i shut off his lights (8pm) I often see him drinking, straight from the drip or licking the artificial vines/Hibiscus leaves
Fecal Description - I don't know about testing, he pooped yesterday, average brown poop colour with some liquid.
History - Was told from breeder at expo that he was bred before, and they didnt need him anymore for breeding. Also was told hes slightly over weight so only 6-8 crickets a day.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 18x18x36 ReptiBreeze screen aluminum cage. Cardboard on two sides to protect electrical socket from water, and hide him from the Columbian Boa beside him
Lighting - zoo-med bulbs and lighting fixtures, 75 watt basking bulb, 50watt night bulb(isn't on that much cause my room is consistently 75+ in the summer)
Temperature - cage floor 60-70(night-day)lowest would be 60 in the summer. measured with analog thermometers
Humidity - 50% humidity at the base of the tank, 65% around the top. Hibiscus plant and a drip system that runs through the basking spot keep the levels up. Analog hygrometer
Plants - Hibiscus, artificial vines
Placement - The cage is located in my room, with fans going(but faced away from it) to circulate air otherwise my room would reach 90degrees. the cage is on the floor. minimal traffic in the room. the cage is placed beside my boas tank however i put a piece of cardboard between tanks so he would not see him and freak out.
Location - Southern Ontario, Canada

Current Problem - The current problem I'm having is that this is the second day I've had him and hes already fallen 3 times since I've gotten home from work aswell as when i got home he had only eaten half his food. I can understand him not eating as we've just gotten him, but when he is on my fingers his grip seems fine so I don't understand why he falls. ( He only falls when climbing the screen sides)

Attached Pictures are of him at the Expo when I got him, his tank, and his bright yellow colours when he was still with the breeder

 

[camimom]

what expo did yu get him from?

and hes probably falling from the screen cuz hes too big to be crawling on it now.

 

[derpaderp]

I got him at the Toronto Reptile and Aquatic Expo sponsored by Zoo-Med
Breeders were Chameleon Nation (trinitychameleons.com)

I figured he was too big to be on it, but will he ever smarten up and stop? I don't like seeing him fall and possibly hurt himself, only once he caught himself with his tail, he doesn't seem to like to keep it curled like most I've seen.

 

[camimom]

yea he looks over a year old., great pick up btw. good looking guy.

And he will probably learn to stop, but eh who knows.

BTW, your cage is too small for him, he needs a 2x2x4 cage. and you dont need a night light. they need darkness to sleep at night.

I would add more dowel rods, sticks, vines, etc he can grip and crawl on, to stop him from the screen crawling

 

[derpaderp]

Thanks, he was pretty much the only ambilobe at the expo, and he looks awesome :3
The night light gives off hardly any light, and even then I barely have it running because of how hot my room is.
I went with the 18x18x36 cage because he is actually quite a bit smaller than other panthers I've seen, so I figured he would be okay.
I am planning on getting more vines and sticks and such in the near future.
Also, on a side note, it was under my understanding that chameleons shouldnt be handled "too" much, but every time I open the cage door, he practically jumps on to me and then rushes up to my head, so I figure he wants to be out, as he was bred in an outdoor cage for the first year and a half of his life

 

[camimom]

I just went to an expo where they had ambanja girls, one ambanja boy and one ambi boy. it was cool.

No nightlight at all they can do temp drops down to 50 deg F at night.


He may be smaller, but more room is always a good thing.


If he wants out, and doesnt seem stressed its ok.


my panther tries to chew my fingers off if I get to close to him..

 

[sandrachameleon]

He will quite probably continue to fall, and could loose toenails due to the screen. Line the screen with something more sturdy to climb on.

BTW, your cage is too small for him, he needs a 2x2x4 cage. and you dont need a night light. they need darkness to sleep at night. I would add more dowel rods, sticks, vines, etc he can grip and crawl on, to stop him from the screen crawling

Agreed, bigger cage needed.
Agreed, NO NIGHT LIGHT - a healthy adult can go down to 60F at night if needs be. (50F is okay for veiled, but I wouldnt recommend that low for panther)
many analog thermometers are not very accurate - you might like to get a digital. There are cheap combination guages that read both temp and humidity and retain hihgh/low data for under $20 at places like home depot

His rushing out of the cage and climbing up to your head suggests he needs a larger enclosure and that it needs to be placed higher in the room (on a stand so that the top of the cage is at least 6 feet off the ground)

Best not to spray before lights off - branches should dry out before night time.

Consider adding more prey choices than just crickets.

He's nice looking - congrats on getting him!

 

[derpaderp]

He will quite probably continue to fall, and could loose toenails due to the screen. Line the screen with something more sturdy to climb on.

what would you suggest to line the screen with?
and i am looking into a larger screen when my next paycheck comes in, as well I stated before, I have the nightlight just in case it does get below 60, which it won't in the summer so I'm not using it.

 

[Kmw]

Ceramic heat emitters would be better for night temps if needed. Because chameleons need it ti be dark when they sleep.

 

[sandrachameleon]

what would you suggest to line the screen with?

Some people use a pvc coated wire screen (not a mesh), others a plastic pet cage screen. I'm honestly not the best to advise on this, as I choose not to use screen cages.

and i am looking into a larger screen when my next paycheck comes in,

great!

as well I stated before, I have the nightlight just in case it does get below 60, which it won't in the summer so I'm not using it.

sorry - I was skim reading. But when winter comes, it would be better to raise the room temp or use a heat source that doesnt emit light

Ceramic heat emitters would be better for night temps if needed. Because chameleons need it ti be dark when they sleep.

exactly

 

[carol5208]

Welcome to chameleon ownership! He is a beautiful guy! Do you have a UVB light??? If not, you need one!!!

 

[derpaderp]

Welcome to chameleon ownership! He is a beautiful guy! Do you have a UVB light??? If not, you need one!!!

Aha thank you, i have other reptiles (Bearded Dragon, Columbian Boa) but he has been so far the most work and looks to be even more than the other two, I am happy that I have him though. hopefully I can get his cage setup all right so that he stops trying to climb the sides and falls.
Yes i do have a UVA/UVB light, a 5.0 from Exo-Terra ontop of the enclosure.

 

[carol5208]

Aha thank you, i have other reptiles (Bearded Dragon, Columbian Boa) but he has been so far the most work and looks to be even more than the other two, I am happy that I have him though. hopefully I can get his cage setup all right so that he stops trying to climb the sides and falls.
Yes i do have a UVA/UVB light, a 5.0 from Exo-Terra ontop of the enclosure.

ok, just checkin... yes, they do require some work, but you will find it is worth it!