What time is bedtime?

[krbshappy71]

Hi there! I have Swyft, 1.5 yr old panther chameleon, I've been told he looks like a Nosy Be. (see my album pictures if you like)

I turn on his lights at 6 a.m. Normally I was turning off his cage lights at 9 p.m. as that is the time my hedgehogs wake up for play time. However lately Swyft has been enjoying lots of free time in the evenings on his new tree, a Schefflera that is sitting 4 feet high on a stand. He climbs all over it up and down and really seems happy. My problem is he is falling asleep on it way up high and doesn't want to come off it. When I do get him down, he is asleep on my arm, I wake him again as I'm putting him in his cage, and he is like a slumbering baby. I'm having to stick him right on the branch and make sure he has a good hold because he's so sleepy.

Am I disturbing him way too much doing this? Would it be better to put him away earlier rather than moving him so much once he has tried to fall asleep?

He doesn't fight me, he's too drowsy. I just slowly undo each foot and put it on my arm/hand and support him with my other hand so he doesn't fall off. Its so cute and sweet looking but at the same time, I don't like being woken up and moved and I was worried about interrupting sleep patterns.

What would you consider normal waking hours for a chameleon? He didn't use to "go to bed" this early so I'm attributing it to his new increased activity. (he has play time from about 5 p.m until 9 p.m and is falling asleep about 8 p.m)

Thanks for any input!

 

[Elizadolots]

I have my Fischer's on a "12 on, 12 off" schedule. I don't think it's critical that it be that.

If it were me, I'd try turning his lights out at 7. That's not 12 hours, but it's about an hour before you say he's falling asleep. To me, it seems they fight going to sleep in the light so you want to give them darkness before they need to go to sleep.

I might be off on that, but I know most here advocate something close to/or the 12/12 schedule.

 

[jastate09]

They wake up when the sun comes ups and go to sleep when the sun sets.

 

[lisa h]

I try to keep mine on a natural light cycle, mostly because they can see the window from the enclosure. In the summer they'll go to bed around 8, but in the winter when it gets dark early, they might go around 6 even if their lights are still on.

 

[Olimpia]

I just moved my guys into their own room with a large window, so I have their lights set up like before (7 - 7) but now they get to wake up and sleep with natural light. The sun comes up a little and that eases them awake before the bright lights come on. And likewise with the night, their lights go off at 7 and the sunset eases them into darkness. My guys are really used to this schedule, so by 6:30 or so they are ready and comfy in their typical sleeping spots. They'll sit there looking around and such until lights go off.

Some people let their chameleons fall asleep on their freerange and simply move them back to their cages in the morning. That's not a problem as long as the free range is in a safe place, somewhere where it doesn't matter if he decides to get off the tree. Or you could just move him back to his cage before he goes to sleep. I think those are probably your two best options, since it's probably annoying to be moved around when trying to sleep

 

[lpatroske]

New to all of this

I just received my cage and once it is set up will be getting a male Veiled. I am trying to read as much as I can here on the forum, so I don't do anything wrong. I have never owned a reptile, so "what was I thinking?", just kidding I think I should be OK. From most of what I have read so far, they don't like being handled. Of course I would like to interact with Pablo (my grandkids named him already). When you are talking about "free ranging", are you actually just letting the cham run around the house?