Female veild chameleon sleep schedule backwards

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Gladys is a little over a year old, and is usually the little explorer. For about a week now, Gladys has been sleeping at like 4 or 5 o'clock instead of her usual 8 or 9 o'clock. I have been watching her really closely, and she's been awake at night. I usually feed her around 6, but she's sleeping by then! Even with her day light on. I have to wake her up and try to get her to eat which really stresses her out. I started leaving about 2 or so crickets in there, and she appears to be hunting them at night. Her eyes are not sunken in, and when she is awake she's acting okay. Still drinking water and eating if I can feed her while she's awake, or if I wake her up without totally making her angry. I feed her crickets and cover them with powder without d3 every time I feed her except for the few times I use the powder with d3. I feed the crickets fluckers. Her day light is I think 50 watt or 75 I can't remember, but her cage is usally around 70-80 degrees and at night it's like 65. I mist her cage at least 2 times a day and she drinks right from the spray bottle like twice a week. On days she doesn't drink from the bottle I watch her and make sure she licks the leaves. Most of the time she eats a good amount of crickets, but since she's been crabby from me waking her, she only eats like 4 or 5. I'm really worried she's sick, but like I said before, her eyes are not sunk and she still adventures but at weird times. Could her night light be too hot now that the weather is getting warmer? I'm looking at her now and she's watching the cricket I left in there for her fully awake. It's one in the morning. She's my whole world I even have a tattoo of her. I'd take her to a vet but I don't want to put her though such a stressful ordeal if she doesn't have to.

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

This is a picture of the supplements I use

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

This is the cage she's had her whole life also! I keep a towel on the bottom that I change out once it's dirty. Two seperate lamps for night and day sit on top.

 

[oneillchameleons]

Chameleons should never have any lights on at night. They need complete darkness to sleep. Do you have a UVB bulb?

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Chameleons should never have any lights on at night. They need complete darkness to sleep. Do you have a UVB bulb?

It's a red light not a regular light. The appropriate light for night time.

 

[kiwilulu]

Again, there is no need for a light at night. There is no light "appropriate for the night"

 

[alphakenc]

Gladys is a night owl cham,so u need to help her to get back in track....try feed her early....what time do you wake up personally????u will have to get up early and bring her breakfast even when she still in bed,be on time every morning..attract her attention...maybe dance in front of her...
This way she can eat early in the morning n stop hunting at night,easy fix curfew time for her.

 

[kinyonga]

If you turn the lights off at night and things don't change then you will know it's not the light bothering your chameleon. thank

 

[Andee]

That cage is much too small for a full grown female chameleon. She should have a 2ftx2ftx4ft cage just so you can fit her laying bin in it.

 

[oneillchameleons]

Chameleons can see the infrared spectrum and need complete darkness and preferably a few degrees drop in temp at night. Again do you have a UVB bulb or basking bulb?

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Gladys is a night owl cham,so u need to help her to get back in track....try feed her early....what time do you wake up personally????u will have to get up early and bring her breakfast even when she still in bed,be on time every morning..attract her attention...maybe dance in front of her...
This way she can eat early in the morning n stop hunting at night,easy fix curfew time for her.

Hi! I put her light on at about 7-7:30 in the morning. I'll try feeding her in the morning now to get her up and about. Do you think I should get her up earlier?

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

That cage is much too small for a full grown female chameleon. She should have a 2ftx2ftx4ft cage just so you can fit her laying bin in it.

She's a little small still I'm not positive if she's a runt or if she's still growing. She is a year old though. When she was a baby and even now she has a big appetite, so I know it's not from her not eating enough. I've been working on finding her a bigger cage but she has a lot of room to roam around at the moment

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Again, there is no need for a light at night. There is no light "appropriate for the night"

The breader I got her from, a vet I took my last chameleon to, and on many chameleon care websites told me to get a red light for night time. I live in IL and it get very cold here.

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Chameleons can see the infrared spectrum and need complete darkness and preferably a few degrees drop in temp at night. Again do you have a UVB bulb or basking bulb?

I believe it's a uv bulb I don't remember though I don't have the box anymore. If that's not right I can go out and buy a new one today

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Gladys is a night owl cham,so u need to help her to get back in track....try feed her early....what time do you wake up personally????u will have to get up early and bring her breakfast even when she still in bed,be on time every morning..attract her attention...maybe dance in front of her...
This way she can eat early in the morning n stop hunting at night,easy fix curfew time for her.

Also I usally feed her one big meal a day. I usally let her eat until she doesn't want anymore. But I don't let her go crazy either lol. She usally does not like eating again after that. Should I split it up and do a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon? Or keep it one large meal?

 

[R.H]

U should really feed in the a.m early the better, so the afternoon she can bask and digest all food intake.
I tend to feed 6/8 med crickets around 8 a.m ( lights come on at 7 automatically) and at lunch time silk worms ( when I have them)!!

enclosure should be completely black at night , if u need a heat source at night id use ceramic bulb with no glow.

I'm pretty sure if u have this in place ur cham will get into a good rountine of day and night.
my cham has light 7am untill 9.00pm then 9.00p.m until 7.00a.m complete darkness.

my baby will tend to go find her sleepin place about 1-2 hours before she goes to sleep.

 

[kiwilulu]

I believe it's a uv bulb I don't remember though I don't have the box anymore. If that's not right I can go out and buy a new one today

Well, I will leave it up to you about the infrared light. I invite you to read the care sheets in this forum that recommend no lights at night, and that is the standard for all the experienced chameleon keepers in here.
You say that the nights can get cold but say that the temp is 65. Chams can -and actually need, a decrease in temperature at night.
About the UV light, this is CRUCIAL. You really need to check if you have a UVB bulb. Not having one is a sure path to bad health problems (outlined in the care sheets)

 

[alphakenc]

Hi! I put her light on at about 7-7:30 in the morning. I'll try feeding her in the morning now to get her up and about. Do you think I should get her up earlier?

Mist her as soon the light is on then let her bask in the light and proceed to feed her after.

 

[alphakenc]

Also I usally feed her one big meal a day. I usally let her eat until she doesn't want anymore. But I don't let her go crazy either lol. She usally does not like eating again after that. Should I split it up and do a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon? Or keep it one large meal?

Its all up to u,if she is cup feeding then u can leave some more feeders in the cup later.

 

[Chameleonwhisperer]

Well, I will leave it up to you about the infrared light. I invite you to read the care sheets in this forum that recommend no lights at night, and that is the standard for all the experienced chameleon keepers in here.
You say that the nights can get cold but say that the temp is 65. Chams can -and actually need, a decrease in temperature at night.
About the UV light, this is CRUCIAL. You really need to check if you have a UVB bulb. Not having one is a sure path to bad health problems (outlined in the care sheets)

I'm like 90% sure it's a uvb bulb but I'll go buy a new one just in case. I will read that care sheet though. It's just that my bedroom where her cage is is in the basement. Extra cold. It would probably get below 65 if I did not have the light. Like I said before, at night it gets about 65-70 in there. I know it's bad to get heating rocks because they can burn themselves, but how about if I put a heating pad under her cage or on the side somewhere at night? Is that a possible solution? I just don't want her to get sick from being too cold.