Over the past few weeks I have seen my male veiled basking under his lamp, almost black, and gaping his mouth. He has only done this a few times. Most of the time he is his usually happy green/yellow. His basking spot is about 105F. It looked to me like he was too hot, but why wouldn't he move out from under the light if he was. Is this normal?
Open Mouth Basking?
- Thread starter zwhitman
- Start date
chambabysitter1
New Member
What wattage is the bulb? You need to get a lower one, or raise it up higher from the cage.
Check for burns.
Check for burns.
ciafardo 4
New Member
95 f for an adult veiled is perfect as long as there is a temp gradient to mid 70's
I am not baking him. He has a huge gradient to hang out in. Directly under the hotest spot can get up over 100. He has lots of favorite perches at other temps (down to about 70) and he usually uses those. Since he was dark he obviously was trying to really elevate his body temp. I was just intrigued by the gaping. I have seen desert lizards and some freshwater turtles gape while basking but never noticed a cham do it like that.
cushcameleon
New Member
When chameleons gape, it normally means something is wrong with either their environment or their own health. As previous members have said, the current basking temperature you have him at is way too hot. Even though you have a suitable gradient, it does not mean it is acceptable to have higher than normal basking temperatures. Chameleons can and do easily burn themselves, because they are unable to properly tell how far they should space themselves from heat sources. Please follow the advice of the other members, they do indeed know what they are talking about. Your job as a chameleon keeper is to raise a healthy pet and prevent risk, not promote it.
toddmkeller
Avid Member
heres what I gotta say!
I think you are about right on... The opening of the mouth while basking it him thermoregulating. I would say that he may be getting a bit warm for his comfort zone and that is why he is having to regulate his temp down a bit by opening his mouth. You are probably safe keeping you basking surface temp (on his skin) at 100 deg or a wee bit higher, but for safetys sake I keep mine a wee bit lower. I adjust it by changing the wattage of the bulb and not the distance of the lamp (I like to lay mine right up on the top of the cage)
Unless you feel there is a reason to keep his basking temp at over 100 I would lower it just a bit, he will get plenty warm at 95-100 surface temp.
See ya,
Todd
I think you are about right on... The opening of the mouth while basking it him thermoregulating. I would say that he may be getting a bit warm for his comfort zone and that is why he is having to regulate his temp down a bit by opening his mouth. You are probably safe keeping you basking surface temp (on his skin) at 100 deg or a wee bit higher, but for safetys sake I keep mine a wee bit lower. I adjust it by changing the wattage of the bulb and not the distance of the lamp (I like to lay mine right up on the top of the cage)
Unless you feel there is a reason to keep his basking temp at over 100 I would lower it just a bit, he will get plenty warm at 95-100 surface temp.
See ya,
Todd
GooglezNvincent
New Member
Agreed! chams cant freeze to death at 95 lol better safe then burnt.
CHAMaDdIcT
New Member
thats weird that he turned black 
normally they turn black to raise their temp, but like cushchameleon said, when a chameleon gapes, something is wrong
normally they turn black to raise their temp, but like cushchameleon said, when a chameleon gapes, something is wrong 
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sometimes my chams would bask until they gaped, but often because the rest of the cage was a bit cool in the morning. The pattern would be...move under the basking light once it comes on, turn one side to the heat and darken their skin to speed up absorb rate. As they reach "operating temp" start to gape, and then move farther away from the heat. If the cham gapes and THEN moves out of the heat that's good. If he just sits there dark or aping and doesn't move away to cool down, it could be that the thermal gradient in the rest of the cage is a little too cool.
How old is your cham? Babies are pretty useless at moving themselves out the heat and usually just sit there, even if it's far too hot, gaping is usually a way of expelling heat. My cham used to almost constantly bask when he was a nipper, now he's a year old and he hardly basks much at all, he spends most of his time in the middle parts of his cage. Your temps are too hot, 95 is really the hottest it should go. Try moving the bulb higher, failing that get a lower wattage bulb.
