Hi, I’m hoping someone has some insight or maybe I’m just overthinking….i brought this little girl home last Thursday. She has been drinking and eating no problem. I do catch her up on the top of the enclosure quite often and I think I need to rearrange some things in hopes that she doesn’t continue to climb up there. But i have the XL zoomed repti breeze enclosure. Her basking branch is set at 80 although I hardly see her on it. There have been times where it looks like she is gagging? I’m not sure if she is just stressed, too hot, or something else….she does seem to darken up during the day but at night she is her bright green self (which is normal, I believe?) I don’t know what other information would be helpful but I will gladly provide more if needed. I just feel like everything I try to google points me to a handful of different things.
Please Help
- Thread starter csapaugh
- Start date
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi! 
Do you mean she’s walking upside down on the screen top? That is a pretty normal thing for little ones who can. The main concern is it places her at risk for burns from the lights. Until she’s too big to walk upside down you’ll want to raise the lights off the screen top by a few inches. I use small wire baskets from the dollar store to support the lights…not pretty but works well. You may need to adjust basking area an equal height to compensate.
Do you mean she’s walking upside down on the screen top? That is a pretty normal thing for little ones who can. The main concern is it places her at risk for burns from the lights. Until she’s too big to walk upside down you’ll want to raise the lights off the screen top by a few inches. I use small wire baskets from the dollar store to support the lights…not pretty but works well. You may need to adjust basking area an equal height to compensate.She will be upside down crawling around but right now she is literally just chilling on that top bamboo stick that I have to hold that ladder thing. Surely being under the UVB bulb like that isn’t good? I spent months setting up her enclosure and measured how far to have the stick from the UVB bulb. But I guess I didn’t take into consideration that she would be climbing the sides of the enclosure. Should I move those things so she isn’t prone to just chilling there?Hi!
I’ve just got myself all worked up because this is my first chameleon, first reptile actually. And I felt like I did all this research and thought I was ready and now I feel like I’m being a bad chameleon mom
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
You’re not a bad chameleon Mom…you just have a healthy active little one who is having her fun. Just elevate your lights by a few inches until she becomes too big to walk upside down anymore. Also, we can plan and design and set everything up so perfectly, but the chameleon is going to use their space however they like. All of mine are in double sized enclosures with a good amount of branches, yet I still find them clinging to or walking the screen. One of my panther boys seems to prefer to hang off the screen than sit on the branch just a couple of inches over and below his lights. I’ve added additional branches, (vertical and horizontal) and moved the lights, yet he stills chooses to hang off the screen to bask. 
Just elevate your lights by a few inches until she becomes too big to walk upside down anymore. Also, we can plan and design and set everything up so perfectly, but the chameleon is going to use their space however they like. All of mine are in double sized enclosures with a good amount of branches, yet I still find them clinging to or walking the screen. One of my panther boys seems to prefer to hang off the screen than sit on the branch just a couple of inches over and below his lights. I’ve added additional branches, (vertical and horizontal) and moved the lights, yet he stills chooses to hang off the screen to bask. Thank you for settling my nerves!! Silly little creatures they are! I have raised my uvb bulb, but will still need to raise my basking lamp. I appreciate all the helpYou’re not a bad chameleon Mom…you just have a healthy active little one who is having her fun.
Angle your UVB light. So its not right over the bamboo running at the top on the sides. So it is angled from corner to corner then its focus is across the middle of the cage. She is young and so she is going to climb as high as she can get especially until she settles into the new environment. If you are using a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 or 6% bulb your wanting a 8-9 inch distance from that fixture sitting on the screen to the branches below it. Welcome to the learning curve of cham keeping. In my opinion it was more stressful than being a new mom with a newborn. Good news is that it gets easier the more you learn.
Good news is that it gets easier the more you learn. 
LizardLurkin
Avid Member
When you say "There have been times where it looks like she is gagging", can you describe what that's like?
Chameleons will open their mouths/gape for a few reason; be it in defense, or while in their basking area.
Chameleons will open their mouths/gape for a few reason; be it in defense, or while in their basking area.
Exactly what I was wondering.
I will do my best! So she starts to puff out underneath her neck and then opens her mouth? Nothing ever happens when she does it. I don’t know how else to describe it other than gagging although i don’t think she is actually gagging. I’m so new to this
LizardLurkin
Avid Member
IrohtheVeiled
Established Member
If it makes you feel more at ease, for a first enclosure you did a great job overall
Lighting, cover, and temps are all on point, make the small adjustments mentioned ti compensate for the screen climbing and you’ll be fine
(The only thing that stopped my veiled from screen walking was when I switched to a hybrid enclosure, but you will adapt based on your chams quirks)
Lighting, cover, and temps are all on point, make the small adjustments mentioned ti compensate for the screen climbing and you’ll be fine
(The only thing that stopped my veiled from screen walking was when I switched to a hybrid enclosure, but you will adapt based on your chams quirks)
