Chameleon walking around her cage excessively

[faith.j.p]

I have an adult female chameleon named Smiley. I’ve had Smiley for about 4 months now and when we got her she was still a juvenile. She’s been going to the bottom of her cage, walking around the floor a bit then climbs up the sides and repeats. What does this mean? I know she’s not looking for a place to lay eggs because I have a laying bin for her and I put it in there for a few days and all she did was poop in it ?.She also recently has been going to the bottom of her cage and scratching at the screen because she wants to come out so I open the door and take her out. But ever since she started doing this she’s been excessive with it. For example I took her out of her cage this morning after she started scratching the screen and then a bit later I took her outside and she’s STILL scratching at the screen door to come out. And the more I think about it ever since I got her she’s always moved around a lot and gone on the floor of her cage. Like I specifically remember when I first got her she went to the bottom of her cage and plowed the substrate with her crest. Like literally put her head in the soil and plowed it and made a lil mountain. So is this just Smileys personality? Is she just weird? Or is there something else going on?

 

[Pearl Fields]

She could be receptive, if this isn’t normal behavior. Or she could be unhappy with her cage, but if this is new behavior, I would suspect receptive

 

[NashansCamos]

Hello, I would recommend you get rid of that substrate at the bottom because all it does is grow bacteria unless it's bio-active. Can we see photos of her whole enclosure? Sometimes it means that they don't like their enclosure and there can be improvements made so they do like it

Also I think she is receptive

 

[Beman]

I have an adult female chameleon named Smiley. I’ve had Smiley for about 4 months now and when we got her she was still a juvenile. She’s been going to the bottom of her cage, walking around the floor a bit then climbs up the sides and repeats. What does this mean? I know she’s not looking for a place to lay eggs because I have a laying bin for her and I put it in there for a few days and all she did was poop in it ?.She also recently has been going to the bottom of her cage and scratching at the screen because she wants to come out so I open the door and take her out. But ever since she started doing this she’s been excessive with it. For example I took her out of her cage this morning after she started scratching the screen and then a bit later I took her outside and she’s STILL scratching at the screen door to come out. And the more I think about it ever since I got her she’s always moved around a lot and gone on the floor of her cage. Like I specifically remember when I first got her she went to the bottom of her cage and plowed the substrate with her crest. Like literally put her head in the soil and plowed it and made a lil mountain. So is this just Smileys personality? Is she just weird? Or is there something else going on?

She looks hefty. So did you remove the lay bin? The bottom of the enclosure should not have anything unless it is fully bioactive. Also who is in the cage across from her that she has a view of?

Per her laying. Here is info on that as well. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video.77225/

This husbandry program will give you in depth correct information. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
And your species specific info. https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

 

[faith.j.p]

Hello, I would recommend you get rid of that substrate at the bottom because all it does is grow bacteria unless it's bio-active. Can we see photos of her whole enclosure? Sometimes it means that they don't like their enclosure and there can be improvements made so they do like it

Also I think she is receptive

I just got rid of the substrate and yes, here is a picture of the entire enclosure:

 

[faith.j.p]

She looks hefty. So did you remove the lay bin? The bottom of the enclosure should not have anything unless it is fully bioactive. Also who is in the cage across from her that she has a view of?

Per her laying. Here is info on that as well. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video.77225/

This husbandry program will give you in depth correct information. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
And your species specific info. https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

She isn’t pregnant I swear, I’ve felt her belly for eggs she’s just fat ?. And yes I have removed the laying bin, I had it in her cage for about 3-4 days and she didt even go in it (It’s 14in by 14in with 12inches of soil). And I just removed the substrate at the bottom of her cage, and the cage across from hers is a cage belonging to my baby female chameleon Tulip.

 

[NashansCamos]

She isn’t pregnant I swear, I’ve felt her belly for eggs she’s just fat ?. And yes I have removed the laying bin, I had it in her cage for about 3-4 days and she didt even go in it (It’s 14in by 14in with 12inches of soil). And I just removed the substrate at the bottom of her cage, and the cage across from hers is a cage belonging to my baby female chameleon Tulip.

trust me she looks gravid and ready to lay anytime in the next month. put the laybin back in. I have a female veiled who shows those exact patterns when gravid. sometimes you cant feel the eggs

 

[Beman]

She isn’t pregnant I swear, I’ve felt her belly for eggs she’s just fat ?. And yes I have removed the laying bin, I had it in her cage for about 3-4 days and she didt even go in it (It’s 14in by 14in with 12inches of soil). And I just removed the substrate at the bottom of her cage, and the cage across from hers is a cage belonging to my baby female chameleon Tulip.

The lay bin should be a permanent part of her enclosure so she is used to it being there when she is ready. She is not just fat... She is not showing any signs of being fat in her casque... This leads me to believe that she is either receptive or getting close to being ready to lay and is gravid. Without the proper place to lay she will get egg bound. The enclosure is not set up properly for her. Branches should be horizontal and using any kind of tape in a cage to secure stuff is very dangerous. I am more concerned of potential for MBD with her because her access to UVB is reduced with how low the branches are. Having it so that the chams can see each other will just stress them out also.

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[NashansCamos]

Branches should be horizontal and using any kind of tape in a cage to secure stuff is very dangerous. I am more concerned of potential for MBD with her because her access to UVB is reduced with how low the branches are.

Yes this is absolutely true instead of tape, use zip ties which are much safer and actually better than tape. Also she should have 1 main basking stick 9 inches away from her uvb IF its a proper uvb bulb(t5).

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