Chameleon Keeps Falling

[Lauren6]

Hello!
My chameleon has always loved climbing and seems to be such a daredevil type, hahaha. But lately I’ve been more concerned because now that he’s an adult, his feet don’t fit through the mesh of the cage. Instead of climbing nicely on it like he used to, he slips off and falls to the bottom of the cage, sometimes hitting branches on the way down.
We are going to try putting more vines and things to climb on the side so he has something to grab, but I just wanted to post and ask about it after reading some other posts about chams falling a bunch. He seems healthy, but the other threads I read worry me a bit.
I would assume he would learn that climbing on the wall isn’t a good idea like how he learns that when I put his food bowl in is when he gets to eat.
I’ll include a picture of him if y’all notice anything in particular I should look into, but hopefully it’s just him being a little bit of a dum dum.

 

[Beman]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. It could be something as simple as he can not grip the screen now that he is larger or something related to his husbandry.

If you fill out this form with as much detail as possible and post pics of his enclosure lights down then we can make sure that the husbandry is not an issue.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

--------------

Please Note:

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

 

[Lauren6]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. It could be something as simple as he can not grip the screen now that he is larger or something related to his husbandry.

If you fill out this form with as much detail as possible and post pics of his enclosure lights down then we can make sure that the husbandry is not an issue.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

--------------

Please Note:

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

Alrighty! I’ll add more info to the post!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

This happens to a lot of panthers as they outgrow their ability to grip screens, they have short claws especially compared to adult veilds.

I’m assuming all the MBD talk is what’s causing you concern after reading those other threads, and it’s a valid concern. But if you see no shaky feet/legs when he walks or tongue issues I see no need for a vet.

Covering the screens with more climbing options usually solves this problem, but a husbandry review can’t hurt either.

 

[Beman]

Alrighty! I’ll add more info to the post!

@Brodybreaux25 is here to help you. I will step out of the thread now. Good luck.

 

[Lauren6]

Additional info:
*Your Cham: Ambilobe Panther, male, 2 years, been in care for 1 1/2 Years
*Handling: Handled recently every day, first 1 1/2 years wasn’t much handling
*Feeding: I follow the guidelines of feeding on this forum, feeding crickets, super worms, sometimes hornworms, silkworms, waxworms, etc.. gut-loaded with my extra sugar glider veggies & fruit
*Supplements: Fluker’s Calcium with & without D3 & Rep-Cal multivitamin. I follow the guidelines on this forum for supplements.
*Watering: Misting system, dripper, & pressurized spray bottle. Conditioned with Reptisafe
*Fecal Description: Good poops, never been tested for parasites
*History: From Kammerflage Kreations
~~~
*Cage Type: 2x2x4 Mesh Dragonstrand
*Lighting: Reptisun 10.0 UVB replaced every 6 months, 18”
CHE (can’t remember the wattage, something like 100? but temperatures are great with a gradient)
*Temperature: gradient created with CHE, lowest overnight temp probably 65. We’re from a warmer, humid climate and his cage is in a warmer room. I measure with stick-on temp gage
*Humidity: I honestly stopped checking because my climate is always in the perfect humidity indoors, I mist the cage to keep it consistent. Measured with stick-on humidity gage
*Plants: Pothos. I used to have many more, but I killed most of them ? Likely from overwatering. Now I have my own collection in a separate room I let him climb on with supervision. All are non-toxic
*Placement: Cage is in a nice, warm room in the house. It’s an office room, so usually quiet & people are in and out. It’s on a ~2 ft stand.
*Location: I’m from Houston, TX

 

[Lauren6]

This happens to a lot of panthers as they outgrow their ability to grip screens, they have short claws especially compared to adult veilds.

I’m assuming all the MBD talk is what’s causing you concern after reading those other threads, and it’s a valid concern. But if you see no shaky feet/legs when he walks or tongue issues I see no need for a vet.

Covering the screens with more climbing options usually solves this problem, but a husbandry review can’t hurt either.

Thank you!! Yep you read my mind! He has tight grips and is all around healthy, so this helps! I’ll def get more vines, they are so so pretty anyway! But I also just commented a husbandry review in case?

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Looks good, mind posting a detailed overview of supplements to be extra safe?

 

[CasqueAbove]

Thank you!! Yep you read my mind! ❤ He has tight grips and is all around healthy, so this helps! I’ll def get more vines, they are so so pretty anyway! But I also just commented a husbandry review in case?

I have seen people use small garden trellis to put over screen

 

[Lauren6]

I have seen people use small garden trellis to put over screen

Love that idea!!!

 

[Lauren6]

Looks good, mind posting a detailed overview of supplements to be extra safe?

Looks good, mind posting a detailed overview of supplements to be extra safe?

I do a dusting where the feeders look covered, but powder isn't falling off and they don't look like little powdered donuts. One day a week I give the powder without D3 and the multivitamin, alternating between those each week. I give the D3 the rest of the days he's fed. Here's pictures of the supplements I use:
(Running low on calcium w/o D3, so if ya'll have a better brand to recommend that would be awesome timing

 

[Gingero]

So you actually have the opposite supplement schedule than what is recommended. Should be calcium WITHOUT D3 6 days/week and on the 7th day alternate between a multivitamin and calcium WITH D3.

 

[Lauren6]

So you actually have the opposite supplement schedule than what is recommended. Should be calcium WITHOUT D3 6 days/week and on the 7th day alternate between a multivitamin and calcium WITH D3.

Oh ?‍ I’m sorry, that’s what I meant. I do mostly without D3. I think all the names confused me for a bit there hahaha!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

This is why I asked, easy to make mistakes with such complex husbandry.

 

[Lauren6]

This is why I asked, easy to make mistakes with such complex husbandry.

What is my mistake? ?

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Nothing, I was just recognizing how easy it is to misinterpret messages or data over the net.