Anyone else’s Panther sleep like this?

[Correlophus]

I have a 1.5 year old female panther chameleon that sleeps and lounges with a back leg (or both) dangling. I noticed her doing this a month or two ago. Since then I’ve switched the layout of her enclosure and have provided a little more enrichment time when I can. She is my first ever chameleon too.

Cage: 18x18x36
Humidity: 40-50 (I live in Michigan it’s very dry right now and hard to maintain humidity levels between day and night, she gets misted daily to help with moisture)
Basking temp: she likes it at 82
Room temp: 70
Cham: 1.5 year old female panther
Diet: 2-4 dubias (depending on size) every other day with calcium w/o d3 every feeding. Vitamins are given twice a month. Every once in a while I will get her a horn worm or some soldier fly larvae as a treat.


Her appetite is fine, her grip strength is fine, poops are good and has no issue climbing around. She is missing part of her tail, unknown circumstance, so she’s a little extra clumsy. I changed her original stick out for a bendable (softer) vine, as I was worried her little feet were bugging her. I gently put pressure on her leg joints and, aside from her general attitude, she didn’t seem to be bothered. Maybe she’s just weird?

She’s also not in her pajamas here and her tail isn’t curled, this is usually how she lounges during the day too. I’ve started noticing that more.

Any info I’ve read on this topic says “if they’re acting normal, no need to stress.”

At night I put a little curtain over the front of her cage so we don’t wake each other up with our lights. I’m a second shift worker and am home at midnight… her lights wake me up and mine, her.

As I was typing this I noticed she does move her little leggies while she sleeps. I assume for balance.

Any feedback is appreciated ❤

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. That is unusual if she dangles her feet during the day often too. What kind of uvb are you using and what supplements? Can you post a pic of the entire enclosure?

 

[Correlophus]

Hi. That is unusual if she dangles her feet during the day often too. What kind of uvb are you using and what supplements? Can you post a pic of the entire enclosure?

So I believe she has a 100UVB bulb, I can’t remember off the top of my head. Usually I check it before I purchase a new one. Her supplements are pictured as well. I feel I should also clarify that she is a pet, not a breeder

The two enclosure photos are the best I have on hand. It is not bio active as I cannot afford to do that or, due to my living conditions, am not capable. The yellow stick in the more direct photo has been switched out with the soft bendy vine.

Supplements and UVB were approved by my vet, I brought them all with for a checkup when I first brought her home.

 

[MissSkittles]

Are you giving any other source of vitamin D3? I do see that the Fluker’s has 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 which I think is adequate and can be considered a combo multivitamin/D3. @SteveH let me bug you for a change and get your opinion on the Fluker’s. Product info here. https://flukerfarms.com/reptile-vitamin/
I’m afraid what I see for uvb is the screw in type bulb. Unfortunately those only provide the uvb level your chameleon needs at a 2-3” distance. Essentially, unless your pretty girl is literally right under the bulb, she isn’t getting any uvb. Because of this, she’s most likely on her way to developing metabolic bone disease (mbd). This is most definitely something that could cause her to be dangling her back legs. It’s even possible that she may have either muscle weakness or a broken leg bone. Chams are masters at hiding that anything is wrong with them until it’s almost too late. She needs a linear T5 fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Although some have said that ReptiSun has improved, the last I knew the bulbs lasted only 6 months while Arcadia is good for a year. Usually the fixture will come with a bulb and you’ll just have to make sure the strength is correct. PetSmart is the only chain store that carries T5’s and they sell Arcadia. Expect to spend about $70 for the fixture either in a store or on line (adding shipping). You may get lucky and be able to find a T5 fixture second hand on something like Craig’s List or Facebook marketplace. Then you just need the bulb, which is about $20. I’m guessing she hasn’t laid eggs yet. Having correct uvb is essential to preventing problems forming and laying the eggs. It’s very possible that the reason that she’s been fine up until recently is because she is starting to produce some eggs and they are taking the calcium from her bones. I don’t see a lay bin in her enclosure. It’s a good idea to keep one permanently in to avoid guessing when she’s in need of it.
Bioactive is nice, but not for everyone and that’s perfectly fine. I would suggest swapping out the artificial plants for some safe live ones as you can though. Pothos are wonderful additions for chams. It would be super nice for her to have a larger enclosure, such as a 2x2x4’ too and I hope you’ll set that as a goal.

 

[SteveH]

Are you giving any other source of vitamin D3? I do see that the Fluker’s has 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 which I think is adequate and can be considered a combo multivitamin/D3. @SteveH let me bug you for a change and get your opinion on the Fluker’s. Product info here. https://flukerfarms.com/reptile-vitamin/
I’m afraid what I see for uvb is the screw in type bulb. Unfortunately those only provide the uvb level your chameleon needs at a 2-3” distance. Essentially, unless your pretty girl is literally right under the bulb, she isn’t getting any uvb. Because of this, she’s most likely on her way to developing metabolic bone disease (mbd). This is most definitely something that could cause her to be dangling her back legs. It’s even possible that she may have either muscle weakness or a broken leg bone. Chams are masters at hiding that anything is wrong with them until it’s almost too late. She needs a linear T5 fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Although some have said that ReptiSun has improved, the last I knew the bulbs lasted only 6 months while Arcadia is good for a year. Usually the fixture will come with a bulb and you’ll just have to make sure the strength is correct. PetSmart is the only chain store that carries T5’s and they sell Arcadia. Expect to spend about $70 for the fixture either in a store or on line (adding shipping). You may get lucky and be able to find a T5 fixture second hand on something like Craig’s List or Facebook marketplace. Then you just need the bulb, which is about $20. I’m guessing she hasn’t laid eggs yet. Having correct uvb is essential to preventing problems forming and laying the eggs. It’s very possible that the reason that she’s been fine up until recently is because she is starting to produce some eggs and they are taking the calcium from her bones. I don’t see a lay bin in her enclosure. It’s a good idea to keep one permanently in to avoid guessing when she’s in need of it.
Bioactive is nice, but not for everyone and that’s perfectly fine. I would suggest swapping out the artificial plants for some safe live ones as you can though. Pothos are wonderful additions for chams. It would be super nice for her to have a larger enclosure, such as a 2x2x4’ too and I hope you’ll set that as a goal.

Excellent comment, I have never used Fluker's and I have never heard anything good about their supplements. For vitamins I am happy with RepashyLoD. I highly recommend getting a T5 fixture that has a reflector and one of the uvb bulbs that have been mentioned. ProT5 fixtures by Arcadia are what I use on all my enclosures. A 24x24x48 minimum enclosure with live plants would also be a plus. I just got off of work and tired and will reread this after I get some sleep

 

[Brad]

Do you see her dangling her legs during the day? When did she last lay eggs?

That behavior would have me a bit concerned. If you have a good reptile vet I would consider a quick visit.

 

[Kekepania]

I 100% agree with MissSkittles & SteveH! I couldn’t have said it better myself! I would also make a vet appointment, when you can & tell them your thoughts & concerns. If you want to try someone different then your current vet, check out this website & find another vet near you. https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 … not all reptile vets have chameleon experience so don’t be afraid to ask them how much experience they have with chameleons when you call. I called 3 places before I found my vet! I lucked out too! Their live-in-office pet was a veiled chameleon & only 20 minutes away from me!