So last night I was changing my chameleons water dish that her dripper plant sits in. She was sleeping, and as I put it back in her enclosure she fell off her branch about a foot and a half. I reached in to pick her up and see if she was ok, she sat on my finger and seemed calm, but after a few seconds she puffed up really big, her defensive colours came out and she started hissing at me and lunging at me. I let her sit on my finger for a minute or two thinking she would calm down and relax but she was on high alert so I decided to put her back in the tank and leave her alone. I figured maybe she fell because of dehydration possibly so I sprayed her down, she hissed at the water as it hit her and took about an hour to calm down. I’ve been thinking about it and I think I just scared the crap out of her when she woke up and saw she was on my hand, she did calm down and fall back asleep an hour or so later..I’m just kind of worried. Advice? Should I be concerned??
Weird behavior in my chameleon
- Thread starter Jak-x-
- Start date
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Please post pictures of the enclosure and supplies, and fill out the ask for help form.
Not sure what the ask for help form is, but my chameleon is a about 7-8 months old, her tank is about 2 feet tall, 1.5 feet wide and 2-2.5 feet deep. Full of drift wood, fake vines, fake plants, etc near the bottom and middle of the tank with clear spots for basking at the top. Two individual lamps, one for heat (100 Watts) and one for UVB (spiral light bulb). I’m at work and can’t get a picture right now.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
- 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.
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?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Kinyonga, it’s all the same to me, it’s not an aquarium though.
My chameleon is a female veiled, she’s 7-8 months old and I’ve had her for about 6-7 months.
I handle her on average, about 3 times every 2 weeks, she’s normally pretty tame.
I feed her crickets, and recently started feeding her horned worms. I gut load the crickets with gut load, I have this water gel cube type stuff I feed to the crickets. I use chameleon multi vitamins and calcium mixed in with the gut load.
Originally I was misting her tank 3-5 times a day for about a minute or two, I work long days and I’ve been trying to find alternatives, so I bought a dripper plant and gradually decreased misting. For the past week or so I haven’t misted her at all and I’ve checked her for signs of dehydration, she isn’t showing signs of dehydration at all.
Her poop and pee is normal, brown and white.
I bought her as a hatchling from someone who I’m fairly certain was a meth head. She has been healthy the entire time from what I’ve seen and researched, so I haven’t taken her to a vet as it hasn’t been needed.
The tank is black wire mesh, about 2 feet tall, 1.5 feet wide and 2-2.5 feet deep. She has two individual lamps, one with a 100 watt heat bulb, the other with a spiral UVB bulb. Both are on for 12 hours a day and are controlled by a timer. The temp is about 82-85 F on average. I don’t have a way of measuring humidity so I have no idea about that, but I do check her for signs of dry skin and dehydration as I said above and she isn’t showing any signs so I guess humidity levels are good. I use fake plants and drift wood in her tank. Plants are thickest near the bottom of the tank, gradually thinning out towards the top where she can bask. The tank is currently across the room from an air vent and window. I’m in canada, Alberta.
I just want to make sure my chameleon is ok based on the events mentioned above. She was very very agitated and aggressive, she took about an hour to calm down. All that after a foot and a half fall while she was asleep.
My chameleon is a female veiled, she’s 7-8 months old and I’ve had her for about 6-7 months.
I handle her on average, about 3 times every 2 weeks, she’s normally pretty tame.
I feed her crickets, and recently started feeding her horned worms. I gut load the crickets with gut load, I have this water gel cube type stuff I feed to the crickets. I use chameleon multi vitamins and calcium mixed in with the gut load.
Originally I was misting her tank 3-5 times a day for about a minute or two, I work long days and I’ve been trying to find alternatives, so I bought a dripper plant and gradually decreased misting. For the past week or so I haven’t misted her at all and I’ve checked her for signs of dehydration, she isn’t showing signs of dehydration at all.
Her poop and pee is normal, brown and white.
I bought her as a hatchling from someone who I’m fairly certain was a meth head. She has been healthy the entire time from what I’ve seen and researched, so I haven’t taken her to a vet as it hasn’t been needed.
The tank is black wire mesh, about 2 feet tall, 1.5 feet wide and 2-2.5 feet deep. She has two individual lamps, one with a 100 watt heat bulb, the other with a spiral UVB bulb. Both are on for 12 hours a day and are controlled by a timer. The temp is about 82-85 F on average. I don’t have a way of measuring humidity so I have no idea about that, but I do check her for signs of dry skin and dehydration as I said above and she isn’t showing any signs so I guess humidity levels are good. I use fake plants and drift wood in her tank. Plants are thickest near the bottom of the tank, gradually thinning out towards the top where she can bask. The tank is currently across the room from an air vent and window. I’m in canada, Alberta.
I just want to make sure my chameleon is ok based on the events mentioned above. She was very very agitated and aggressive, she took about an hour to calm down. All that after a foot and a half fall while she was asleep.
Syreptyon
Chameleon Enthusiast
You absolutely must not just stop misting her. Not only is misting used for hydration purposes, but it is essential for her to clean her eyes, maintain humidity levels, and have healthy sheds. You can't tell if the humidity is fine just by how hydrated you think she is... Just go by a hygrometer to measure humidity. They're super affordable, widely available, and a definitive requirement of chameleon ownership. Pics will definitely help us when you get the chance.
You're also going to need to upgrade her enclosure soon. It needs to be at least 4 feet tall by the time she is fully grown
You're also going to need to upgrade her enclosure soon. It needs to be at least 4 feet tall by the time she is fully grown
I do have a taller enclosure, I had her in it originally but she wouldn’t eat in it so I down sized. I’ll be upgrading again in a month or 2 I think.
On a side note from my concern, can you recommend ANY substitute for having to physically water her? I work 12 hour days so I can’t do it on a proper schedule and an auto mister wont work with mesh enclosures without making a huge mess.
On a side note from my concern, can you recommend ANY substitute for having to physically water her? I work 12 hour days so I can’t do it on a proper schedule and an auto mister wont work with mesh enclosures without making a huge mess.
davidjames
Member
For misting, automatic systems are likely not as bad as you think. It is possible to attach a shower curtain on one side of a mesh enclosure if you are worried about a mess. I would also suggest a hygrometer to monitor humidity, they are available for about $15 (CAD) at your local pet store.
As per her health she is likely fine. Chameleons have been known to let go and fall to the ground as a defence mechanism, if startled while sleeping. Though pictures would be useful to ensure there are no visible symptoms of anything, you have a whole community of chameleon enthusiasts at your disposal!
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Tape corrugated plastic on the sides, or put a towel around it. Not having a hygrometer is not good, especially because you live in Canada.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
One problem with your enclosure that I can see is there looks like absolutely no place for your chameleon to get out of the bright light. There should be shaded areas in the cage and there looks like there are none. That light you are using looks extremely bright. She looks ok from the pics. Are you aware to change out your UVB bulb every 6 months???
