what does it mean when a cham...?

erik775

Established Member
my 3 month old cham was basking today and was opening his mouth when he was basking is that bad or could there be some thing wrong with him...or is that normal???oh yeah and whats a good basking temp for the little guy???oh yeah and whats a good basking temp for the little guy ???liddy from KAMMERFLAGE KREATIONS where i got him from told me from 95 to 100 should be his basking temp???thats not too hot is it...???
 
The basking for most babies should be around 80* or so, not the typical 85*ish. The reason he was keeping his mouth open is because he is too hot. What ist he temp at now and what bulb are you using?
 
Erik I also got my cham from Kammerflage and they sold me a high wattage bulb with my cage and all the other stuff. I totally respect the Kammers and they obviously know what they are doing. I did however, lower the wattage due to my cham opeing his mouth while basking sometimes. It was weird because when he was really little he would bask and it would not bother him and as he got bigger he was gaping so I changed it to a 45 or maybe it is a 60 and never had another problem
 
Erik I also got my cham from Kammerflage and they sold me a high wattage bulb with my cage and all the other stuff. I totally respect the Kammers and they obviously know what they are doing. I did however, lower the wattage due to my cham opeing his mouth while basking sometimes. It was weird because when he was really little he would bask and it would not bother him and as he got bigger he was gaping so I changed it to a 45 or maybe it is a 60 and never had another problem

so should i lower it or keep it the same...yeah liddy is a very nice person...
 
If he is gaping, then I would lower it. Try like 5 degrees or so and see if that helps, if not go lower until you see him comfortably basking without opening his mouth. He is only 3 months so that is young and the basking temps should be lower than for adults obviously.
 
so should i lower it or keep it the same...yeah liddy is a very nice person...

You could change it, or lower the basking spot a few inches, that way you can keep the same bulb, but your cham won't gape. I've had to do it before, and it is an easy fix.

LPR08
 
I think you're better off erring on the side of cool. I know people have this equation of "reptiles = Heat!" in their minds, but these are not desert dwellers for the most part. If it were me, I would drop that bulb to a 40w and have a 25w standing in reserve just in case you need it. As has been mentioned, the little ones really don't want to be hot. 80F is probably as hot as it needs to get.
 
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