Nighttime Behaviors ...

[Shelby]

Is it weird that two hours after lights out my little baby panther chameleon is still climbing all around his screen cage and hanging upside down on the top?

Usually he's in his "sleeping" spot an hour or two before the lights even go out. Tonight he's still climbing non-stop all up and down the screen enclosure. Is this because he's stressed about something?

 

[Chameleon]

Your panther is probably just tired. Im pretty sure that when they are stressed the won't move around as much. My male veiled does that sometimes, so maybe your cham is just trying to find a comfy spot? Where does he usually sleep?

 

[Prism Chameleons]

When my panthers are not in their sleeping position or near their regular area that they usually sleep every night (almost all my panthers have picked a place that they sleep every night) I give them the hint by just turning off the basking light first and leave the UVB strip light on for a bit. This usually initiates them to realize it is bedtime and they will start to go to "bed" in their sleeping position. By leaving the UVB light on for a few minutes, I have provided them some light to find a position they are comfortable with to sleep in. Almost always, this works like a charm. They get in their sleeping position and then I turn off the UVB lights.

Babies on the other hand, especially if they are housed together in a cage sometime have difficulty finding that "perfect" spot for sleeping. Yet, I do the same with them if they are not all in their cozy position when I turn off the lights. Turn off the basking light, give them a few minutes or more, then turn off the UVB light when they have positioned themselves for sleep. I have had babies decide to sleep all night upside down on the roof as well, even after picking them up and placing them on a branch, they go to the roof anyway . They can sleep like that all night, although I would think as a human, it would be one of the more uncomfortable ways in which to go to dreamland .

 

[Drake]

Yea, mine do that too. But they usually know when its night time outside and are already in their spot. Sometimes they are not, and whenever the lights go out, all you can hear is them racing to their spots. Sometimes they sleep with their to front legs on the back of the cage, like leaning on it without falling...I dunno how to explain it, but they can sleep in some crazy positions.