Not sure if this is norm or not??

[Shimpy45]

My charm sometimes sitts up top of the cage on one of the verios ropes ran back and forth throw out his cage and he will sit there with his mouth open not like he would to he was going to bite but just like he might be thirsty or somthing of that sourt is that a sign of dehydration or is he just chillin bc he likes his new cage...

 

[Miss Lily]

Is he sitting right under his basking light when he does that? If so the temp maybe too hot for him. How old is he and what are the temps?

 

[jamncristian]

my cham opened his mouth yesterday like that and was probably looking for water because he was dehydrated so i took him out of his cage and noticed his grip was weak so i hand watered him for a long time and made sure he swallowed and held him under a heat lamp. after that i gave I hand fed him a couple giant meal worms as a treat

take him outside his cage and check if his grip is as strong as usual

 

[chameleonneeds]

OK he could just be too hot, what wattage of heatp lamp or you using and how far away from the bulb is he when under it?
That would explain the mouth opening thing.

If he is walking around alot and you sa he is in a new cage then hes just exploring, nothing to worry about.

But we need to know the temperature at basking spot to clarify thing

 

[Shimpy45]

This is a pic of the top of the cage that is a 125 wat heat lamp two 60 wat house light bulbs and 1 100 wat bulb for lighting it the one on the left the firthist from the cage.

[/IMG]This is a pic of the right side of the cage with one 60 watt house bulb in it for lighting in the bottom of the cage.

And last but least this is Zem he is about 7 months old now from what i found out from you guys...

[/IMG] if you need anymore pics of his cage just check it out here http://s585.photobucket.com/albums/ss299/Shimpy45/Zems%20Cage/

 

[justjumpit621]

125 watt heat lamp seems WAY too hot for a veiled chameleon, mine is a 60 watt and it's still too hot. Do you have a digital thermometer in with him? What is the temperature at the basking spot?

 

[panthercham]

Why so many lights?

What are those temperatures in there? I should say you are cooking him and he is way too hot.

Can you fill out this so we can get a better overall picture

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
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?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Also have you read this? Its great for all chameleon keepers

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

 

[justjumpit621]

what they said lol

 

[Shimpy45]

No not yet just one of those ones that you would hang in your house in there right now i know i need to go get a Digi theom real soon but its actuly funny you say the heat lamp is two hot bc it actully just burnt out last night and i replaced it with a 60watt till i get to go to a pet store but i figured that big one would be good considering that my cage is 3'X3'X6'? but if you say its two high then what do you think would be better to use considering the size of that cage its big takes up like 1/8 of my living room lol but i like it so it stays lol...

 

[justjumpit621]

The temp should be about 85-90 degrees in the basking spot and the temps should lower as you go down the cage. Don't worry about heating the rest of the cage as long as your house is around 70 degrees. there should be a good temperature gradient in the cage so he can thermoregulate.

 

[jojackson]

Way too hot and no thermal gradient (warm at top-cool at bottom).
Ditch all but one 60watt heat light (you dont want one on the side).
A thermal gradient allows your lizard to move into areas of varying temperature to warm up and cool down as it requires. The large hot light on the side means the whole cage is warm and your lizard dosent have a cooler spot to escape to, just like you hit the shade on a hot day.

If you need it brighter, try using a flourescent compact (power saver) bulb which has a much lower wattage and barely any excess heat.
You want your basking temp around 88-90f maximum. For a female about 80f.
What is the tube ballast ontop? This could hold a 5.0 UV tube which your lizard needs.

Sitting with the mouth open (gaping) is a sure sign of too high temperature. Reptiles cannot sweat like us to cool down, (no sweat glands) instead they gape, opening the mouth causes moisture inside to evaporate and cools the lizards blood via vessels in the lining of the mouth.

 

[justjumpit621]

and are you sure it is male? Males have little "spurs" or spikes on their back feet where their heel would be.

 

[jessica]

What jojackson said! All those lights he is probley roasting in there!

 

[Shimpy45]

Why so many lights?

What are those temperatures in there? I should say you are cooking him and he is way too hot.

Can you fill out this so we can get a better overall picture

Cage Info:
Cage Type - It is wood framing with pet recomended black fiberglass coaded mesh on all four sides and mesh coaded aluminum on the top and bottom with a 2 tarps on the floor as of now to catch water and drainig the cage it self is 3'X3'X6'.
Lighting - 1 100 watt, 2 60 watt, 1 40 watt house light bulbs, 1 2ft. UVB 5.0 rept. glow fluresent the kind all you guys use and the schedule is 12 on 12 off.
Temperature - I have 3 home hanging wall thermometers i know i need digital working on it. but it is 95 at the top 86 middle 84 at the bottom i keep my house around 74 and i would say considering my heat lamp just burnt out its around 80-83 at night considering i turn the heat up at night due to missing heat bulb as of now
Humidity -Not sure what the humity lvls are dont have anything to messure that yet but i do mist him down real good in the morning and eva and night for 5 min and it by a hand mister that i fill with warm/hot water
Plants - I use 2 live plants as of now one is a majisty palm tree and the other is a hanging pothis plant the rest is just twine rope running places for a viny walking passige way.
Placement - Its places in the far right corner of my living room there is a AC unit that normily runs most of the time on fan/low there isn't much ever happening at my house so there isnt to much traffic the top of the cage is about 6 feet from the floor tall.
Location - Irwin PA, 15642

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled Charm, Male, 6 months old, been in my care for about 1 month now.
Handling - Ever now and then in the mornings for about 1 hour and every night for about 1-3 hours
Feeding - He eats 8-12 adult crickets per day and 1-4 waxworms they get gutloaded throw feeding trofs in the cricket cage there is one with gutload oats from the petstore one is filled with freshly cut up fruits and veggi. mostly strawberrys and banana and colad green then one is filled with flickers thurst quentcher gell stuff and the other with water.
Supplements - I dust the 8-12 crickets with Cal without D2 every day and i dust 4 with Cal D3 once a month and 5 with Muiti Vitamens twice a month
Watering - I use a Hand misting bottle i use warm/hot water i mist 3 times a day once in the morn once in the eva and once in the night about 1 hour befor i turn off the lights for the night and it is about 5min per misting and no i never see him drink he wont hand drink from a eye droper nether but i do think he drinks i just never catch him??
Fecal Description - His poop is semi wet/slimy when it comes out with a pretty much all white with tiny bit of yellow in it looks pretty good so far. never been tested for perisites.
History - N/A
Current Problem - He opens his mouth sometimes when just chilling in his cage "When i see this i fill up his waterbottle and do 1 adishonal misting for about 2-5 min just to wet down the cage for him

Also have you read this? Its great for all chameleon keepers

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

ya i have read this.

 

[Shimpy45]

Here is a better over all pic.

[/IMG]

 

[Shimpy45]

Yes Zem is a male here is a pic to prove it.

[/IMG]

 

[panthercham]

ya i have read this.

Glad you read it

Its hard being a new cham owner, when I first got mine I did everything wrong from waterfalls to bark substrate I learnt a lot from this forum....

It might be a good idea to reread it though as if you had read it thoroughly you wouldnt have had so many lights and such high wattage.

 

[mwebb]

All those lights

Suprised he isn't Veild jerky with all that heat. Just need one basking light. Might want to run your liner tube long way for better coverage.