Angry Female Panther

[Alize_725]

Hi so I adopted my panther from petco in August at the time she was 4-5 months at the time and She loved being handled and always wanted to roam around, she loved belly scratches and rubbing her ontop of her nose. Honestly she sweetest female panther you could ever meet.

About once or twice a month We take her out side to her to get some natural sunlight and we walk to my mothers house cause my brother loved to visit her at my house and I would sometimes bring her over to there house I made sure she was never stressed about it, angry or unhappy and she was just happy to be out side all the time she loved it we always bring her cage Incase but she’s mainly on our shoulder or hand. She’s now 10-11 months old and when we took her out side to go to my mothers house like we normally do and she seemed different she Seemed a bit off but she was ok once we got out side we to go her house and as soon as we got in she was extremely aggressive, hissing loudly, whipping her head, making her self really big and tall and biting she bit my fiancé twice. She has never acted like this she’s never gotten big before either I called my vet he said give her some space and put a sheet over her cage to calm down and regularly feed her I did that for a week and I took the sheet off her cage she seemed fine until I opened her cage to feed her she got big and hissed and I didn’t put my hand inside her cage or near her I just opened the 2 latches and she started to hiss it’s been about 2 weeks since then and she’s still acting the same way. She has a mesh cage I feed her every other day 15 medium and large crickets mixed and she always has constant water from her dripper. I just wanna know if this is a bad sign or if it’s just a faze ik they go thought there teen years but I was told when she hit a year it would happen not this early but I don’t know this started happeneing when she was 8-9months old and she’s now 10-11 months old

Any tips would be highly appreciated cause she even gets big and protected when we pass her cage I have a large laying bin at the bottom of her cage full of dirt Incase and there’s vines and sticks in it so she can climb out cause she used to go to the bottom but ever since I put the big she hasn’t gone to the bottom I thought she was agressive cause she had to lay eggs but she hasn’t done anything (and we have never mated her) please help

 

[SharpShooter]

It sounds like something really scared her last time out and she's terrified of it happening again.

You may have thought everything was fine before but you may have missed some subtle signs that she wasn't happy about the situation.

In general, chams are a look and don't touch animal and every cham has a different personality. That often changes as they mature and mostly they turn more defensive.

I never handle my female unless 100% necessary, she hates it, is scared and so stressed. She tolerates me working in her enclosure and will take food from my hand, just not being touched. So I simply accept that that's the way it is. It doesn't matter what the human wants in this relationship, the animal must always be allowed to set the rules.

Take time and very slowly, very slowly, try to regain her trust and never be tempted to push to hard.

My male is so orientated around me, he's like a puppy. It may sound cute but that also brings its challenges. They are so massively different in character.

I also see a dual dome light and no sign of a proper linear UVB sources. You may want to check out the care sheets as your husbandry may also be off.

 

[Kiraral]

She may be growing up. Often times younger chameleons can seem more social and friendly, and then that fades as they mature. May also be related to where she is in her cycle. Seconding the concern re: uvb.

 

[Alize_725]

i have the uvb light in the same lamp that’s on her cage it’s a double bulb lamp I just shut it off at night or around 11pm 12am cause ik she likes it a bit darker at that time but when I wake up at 9-11am I turn it back on
And ok this helped a lot thank you cause yesterday night she fell well she didn’t fall she likes to climb on the mesh and loosen her grip so she slides down I thought there was something wrong with her but she kept climbing back up and doing it so I asked the vet and he said that may be her just having fun so I said ok but there’s a little space between the laying box and the cage while we were out I’ve been trying to find plants to fill the space but she looked stuck even tho she was capeable of going up the branch that I keep down there in case that happens so I opened the bottom of the cage and picked her up with my cotton hat and she kept trying to bite me and started whipping her head violently so I put her back on her branch

 

[Kiraral]

You’re going to want a linear uvb, preferably t5ho. It’s a long tube. The coils that fit in those domes do not provide uvb last a few inches, so your chams health suffers. I order my t5ho bulbs online as my local stores (like most areas) do not sell them. She should really be on a consistent 12 hours of light 12 hours of dark schedule that matches with when the sun is out. Falling could be a result of the lighting issue, but it’s hard to give an educated opinion without the full questionnaire filled out. Timers are quite affordable and make this 12/12 schedule easy, I know I couldn’t accomplish it without them! Glad she is getting some natural sunlight, I wish I could get mine outside more.

 

[Beman]

i have the uvb light in the same lamp that’s on her cage it’s a double bulb lamp I just shut it off at night or around 11pm 12am cause ik she likes it a bit darker at that time but when I wake up at 9-11am I turn it back on
And ok this helped a lot thank you cause yesterday night she fell well she didn’t fall she likes to climb on the mesh and loosen her grip so she slides down I thought there was something wrong with her but she kept climbing back up and doing it so I asked the vet and he said that may be her just having fun so I said ok but there’s a little space between the laying box and the cage while we were out I’ve been trying to find plants to fill the space but she looked stuck even tho she was capeable of going up the branch that I keep down there in case that happens so I opened the bottom of the cage and picked her up with my cotton hat and she kept trying to bite me and started whipping her head violently so I put her back on her branch

As already stated your providing the wrong UVB lighting. Compact bulbs do not produce the right amounts of light. Lack of the correct lighting leads to MBD and other issues. Falls are associated with MBD as well. Need to get that corrected asap.

If you want your husbandry looked at for other items that could be off please fill out the form in complete detail.
Chameleon Info:

• 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.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[SharpShooter]

i have the uvb light in the same lamp that’s on her cage it’s a double bulb lamp I just shut it off at night or around 11pm 12am cause ik she likes it a bit darker at that time but when I wake up at 9-11am I turn it back on
And ok this helped a lot thank you cause yesterday night she fell well she didn’t fall she likes to climb on the mesh and loosen her grip so she slides down I thought there was something wrong with her but she kept climbing back up and doing it so I asked the vet and he said that may be her just having fun so I said ok but there’s a little space between the laying box and the cage while we were out I’ve been trying to find plants to fill the space but she looked stuck even tho she was capeable of going up the branch that I keep down there in case that happens so I opened the bottom of the cage and picked her up with my cotton hat and she kept trying to bite me and started whipping her head violently so I put her back on her branch

There are definitely a number of things going on here. Your husbandry is definitely off and if the UVB is wrong, it's hard to imagine you're doing everything else right. Lights are 12 on, 12 off for example.

Please complete the form below so others can point you in the right direction if anything needs to change. Also make a start on ensuring the enclosure is safe for her. No where for her to get stuck for example.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/