Screen climbing question and please critique my setup

werecat

Established Member
Hi All, So my husband and I just brought home our first chameleon 2 weeks ago. He is a male, Nosy Be panther and is about 16 weeks old. He is settling in pretty well although still quite scared of us. He's eating and drinking well and acts pretty normal for the most part, but in the past few days I've caught him climbing on the screen of his cage. I know this is normal for babies, but is this ok for an adult to be doing? Should I be concerned? He is on the smaller side for an adult, but I just don't want him to get hurt. The first time I caught him doing this there seemed to be no reason. The second time he seemed to be trying to reach the water drops that form under his Raindome (even though there are more conventional methods for him to reach these). The third time he seemed to be hunting for crickets. They tend to hide in the upper corners of the cage and this is where he was nosing around. Please give me your opinions. Is this just a normal part of him exploring his new environment or is there some other cause? Also, I've posted pictures of our setup. Please critique and let me know if there's anything we can improve. The first picture does not include the Raindome which he now has. (I don't know how to make the photos display vertically sorry.)
 

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So is he 16 weeks old, or an adult?
because that picture you showed is an adult nosey.

How big is the cage?

Its normal for chams to explore new home, but that cage looks super small for a panther that big.

Adults need a 2x2x4 ft cage. and a lot more foliage.
 
Hello!

Is he 16 WEEKS old 16 months? I assume you meant 16 months old because he doesn't look like a 16 week old!

The cage is a little small for him, what size is it? 4x2x2 is the standard minimum for an adult panther

Chameleons like to climb and an adult climbing the screen is normal. I would recommend moving him to a larger enclosure though(maybe a custom?).

Congrats on the new addition, he looks really nice!
 
Yes, we do want to move him to a larger cage. The current is 24"x16"x30". We are just trying to find a stand and a spot that will work for the larger cage. We were hoping this one would last for a couple of months.
 
Not at 16 months old it wont last.

Hes too big for that cage.

That's why hes climbing everywhere in that cage.

Hes too big and too cramped.
 
Not at 16 months old it wont last.

Hes too big for that cage.

That's why hes climbing everywhere in that cage.

Hes too big and too cramped.

Yes this is why my male veiled kept trying to escape and climbed all around the cage it was too small. :) Just get him into the new cage and then find the stand later.
 
Yes. But I make sure not to stand over the cage to look for him or stare at him from above because it makes him uneasy and is considered a threat.

He does fine on the floor because he still has more space but keep in mind I will have a cabinet for him once we get the thinset home (hardibacker cabinet to prevent any type of rotting from drainage :)).
 
I see. Ya, our guy is pretty spooked by us right now... Not sure he'd like being on the floor but we can try it.
 
I see. Ya, our guy is pretty spooked by us right now... Not sure he'd like being on the floor but we can try it.

Ah if he is spooked then just avoid being in close proximity with the cage on the floor. If you need to go near him, just kneel down and open the door to feed him.

That is what I did because I still don't want to stand over the cage
 
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