Is belly resting normal?

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

Hello! I recently rescued a 5 month old veiled chameleon! I notice he sometimes rests his little belly on the vines and branches in his basking spot. I took him to the vet and they said he didn’t have any signs of MBD, and he is quite strong and active. I give him the calcium and supplements he needs while also providing a large array of insects to eat. I just wanted a clear answer to see if this was normal, or if it’s a sign of something I’m doing wrong, or his health is declining. I’m an overly obsessive and worried new Cham mom!

 

[NashansCamos]

Hello! I recently rescued a 5 month old veiled chameleon! I notice he sometimes rests his little belly on the vines and branches in his basking spot. I took him to the vet and they said he didn’t have any signs of MBD, and he is quite strong and active. I give him the calcium and supplements he needs while also providing a large array of insects to eat. I just wanted a clear answer to see if this was normal, or if it’s a sign of something I’m doing wrong, or his health is declining. I’m an overly obsessive and worried new Cham mom!

photos?

 

[Mace]

Wait that’s not normal....? ? my cham does that quite often I thought he was just chillen soaking up that UVB. Mine is 4 months old.

 

[NashansCamos]

if the op could attach photos that would help.

 

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

photos?

 

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

if the op could attach photos that would help.

he is a rescue and I haven’t had him for long, I’m worried his previous owners didn’t take Proper care Of him

 

[Hydra_cosplay]

Can you fill copy and paste and fill out one of these forms please ? thanks!

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 location

This can help us to deduct if there's a problem with your enclosures husbandry and what not.

 

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

Wait that’s not normal....? ? my cham does that quite often I thought he was just chillen soaking up that UVB. Mine is 4 months old.

I think it could be normal, I just haven’t found a clear answer! Mine is a rescue and I’m just worried his previous owners didn’t take proper care of him. Here is a pic

 

[NashansCamos]

It looks like he may be basking, can you please fill out the health form above. just copy and paste it and fill it out thanks.

 

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

Can you fill copy and paste and fill out one of these forms please ? thanks!

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male, veiled, approx 5-6 months old. He’s been in my care for two weeks. He was a rescue.
Handling - I’ve only handled him 3 times, to clean his cage his previous owners left disgusting, for a vet appointment, and to clean his cage yesterday.
Feeding - I feed him 3-4 crickets twice a day, with BSFL, Mealworms (very few), waxworms (very few), hornworms (at least one every other meal, super worms (only once, he doesn’t like them). I feed the crickets sweet potato and collard greens as well as flukers gel water and flukers orange cube (both left over from previous owners) and I sprinkle calcium on the collard greens and potato but only a little bit. I feed him twice a day, the vet said he looked a little small, however we don’t know his age. This is why I have waxworms and mealworms.
Supplements - I use the multi vitamin by exo terra twice a month, repticalcium with D3 twice a month, repticalcium without D3 every other day (I feed him twice a day, so he gets extra calcium once every 4 feeds, 4-5 crickets are dusted) but I also feed him a lot of BSFL (2-3 every feed) and those have a large amount of calcium.
Watering - he has a waterfall that I clean every other day without fail, I also hand mist him and he has an automatic mister. When his home is misted it is soaked, dripping with reptisafe-treated water. I have seen him drinking from the leaves and waterfall.
Fecal Description - Lightish brown, and his urine is mainly white (twice I have seen it a tiny bit light yellow) and to my knowledge he has never been treated for parasites.
History - He is a rescue, he is quite active during the day but when he basks he rests on his belly

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, 18” by 18” by 36” (I am currently in the middle of building him a cage 48” width, 76” height, and 36” depth (with two 10” drawers at the bottom and 6” legs. He is one lucky guy!! )
Lighting - what the previous owners have left us were 3 domes (I’m assuming from zoomed starter kit) his UVB bulb is the same one they had (not sure the brand or strength) I just bought him a UVB bar shaped light for his new enclosure but he hasn’t used it yet. His UVA bulb is a 100 watt daytime blue heat bulb by thrive and he has a red nighttime heat bulb that I only turn on if my house gets too cold (it’s a backup for nighttime, I haven’t used it)
Temperature - his basking spot reaches about 90 degrees, his cage is about 75-85 degrees. I use a temperature probe to measure. Lowest overnight temp is 70 degrees.
Humidity - Humidity stays between 50 and 60% I maintain by constant misting, keeping a bit of substrate (coconut husk), and lining the two sides of the screen that are in the corner with a tapestry (he can’t reach it it is outside of his cage, helps keep moisture in) and in his cage I always have a hygrometer and thermometer.
Plants - Currently just fake plants (what his previous owners left him) I am in the process of putting live plants in his new enclosure and I did an extensive amount of research!)
Placement - My cage is on a dresser, the height of it reaches about 6.5 feet up (highest thing in my room) I actually covered my air vent (the half that was pointing towards him) with cardstock and ductape!
Location - I live in Wilmington NC!

another thing to add, I do not smoke, especially not near him, I don’t light any candles in the same room, I don’t use disinfectant when I clean his cage, he isn't away from his lights for more than 1 hour, he sleeps peacefully, the room is typically quiet and I am the only person that really comes in here.

I am worried about belly resting and his coloration throughout the day (he is always some sort of brown) and he lays on his belly when basking

 

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

Can you fill copy and paste and fill out one of these forms please ? thanks!

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 location

This can help us to deduct if there's a problem with your enclosures husbandry and what not.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male, veiled, approx 5-6 months old. He’s been in my care for two weeks. He was a rescue.
Handling - I’ve only handled him 3 times, to clean his cage his previous owners left disgusting, for a vet appointment, and to clean his cage yesterday.
Feeding - I feed him 3-4 crickets twice a day, with BSFL, Mealworms (very few), waxworms (very few), hornworms (at least one every other meal, super worms (only once, he doesn’t like them). I feed the crickets sweet potato and collard greens as well as flukers gel water and flukers orange cube (both left over from previous owners) and I sprinkle calcium on the collard greens and potato but only a little bit. I feed him twice a day, the vet said he looked a little small, however we don’t know his age. This is why I have waxworms and mealworms.
Supplements - I use the multi vitamin by exo terra twice a month, repticalcium with D3 twice a month, repticalcium without D3 every other day (I feed him twice a day, so he gets extra calcium once every 4 feeds, 4-5 crickets are dusted) but I also feed him a lot of BSFL (2-3 every feed) and those have a large amount of calcium.
Watering - he has a waterfall that I clean every other day without fail, I also hand mist him and he has an automatic mister. When his home is misted it is soaked, dripping with reptisafe-treated water. I have seen him drinking from the leaves and waterfall.
Fecal Description - Lightish brown, and his urine is mainly white (twice I have seen it a tiny bit light yellow) and to my knowledge he has never been treated for parasites.
History - He is a rescue, he is quite active during the day but when he basks he rests on his belly

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, 18” by 18” by 36” (I am currently in the middle of building him a cage 48” width, 76” height, and 36” depth (with two 10” drawers at the bottom and 6” legs. He is one lucky guy!! )
Lighting - what the previous owners have left us were 3 domes (I’m assuming from zoomed starter kit) his UVB bulb is the same one they had (not sure the brand or strength) I just bought him a UVB bar shaped light for his new enclosure but he hasn’t used it yet. His UVA bulb is a 100 watt daytime blue heat bulb by thrive and he has a red nighttime heat bulb that I only turn on if my house gets too cold (it’s a backup for nighttime, I haven’t used it)
Temperature - his basking spot reaches about 90 degrees, his cage is about 75-85 degrees. I use a temperature probe to measure. Lowest overnight temp is 70 degrees.
Humidity - Humidity stays between 50 and 60% I maintain by constant misting, keeping a bit of substrate (coconut husk), and lining the two sides of the screen that are in the corner with a tapestry (he can’t reach it it is outside of his cage, helps keep moisture in) and in his cage I always have a hygrometer and thermometer.
Plants - Currently just fake plants (what his previous owners left him) I am in the process of putting live plants in his new enclosure and I did an extensive amount of research!)
Placement - My cage is on a dresser, the height of it reaches about 6.5 feet up (highest thing in my room) I actually covered my air vent (the half that was pointing towards him) with cardstock and ductape!
Location - I live in Wilmington NC!

another thing to add, I do not smoke, especially not near him, I don’t light any candles in the same room, I don’t use disinfectant when I clean his cage, he isn't away from his lights for more than 1 hour, he sleeps peacefully, the room is typically quiet and I am the only person that really comes in here.

I am worried about belly resting and his coloration throughout the day (he is always some sort of brown) and he lays on his belly when basking

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. Guess @Hydra_cosplay isn’t around this evening. Putting my feedback in red.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male, veiled, approx 5-6 months old. He’s been in my care for two weeks. He was a rescue.
Handling - I’ve only handled him 3 times, to clean his cage his previous owners left disgusting, for a vet appointment, and to clean his cage yesterday.
Feeding - I feed him 3-4 crickets twice a day, with BSFL, Mealworms (very few), waxworms (very few), hornworms (at least one every other meal, super worms (only once, he doesn’t like them). I feed the crickets sweet potato and collard greens as well as flukers gel water and flukers orange cube (both left over from previous owners) and I sprinkle calcium on the collard greens and potato but only a little bit. I feed him twice a day, the vet said he looked a little small, however we don’t know his age. This is why I have waxworms and mealworms. Not sure about sprinkling calcium on the gutload. You could sprinkle a little bee pollen and/or spirulina though. Attaching feeder & gutload graphics.
Supplements - I use the multi vitamin by exo terra twice a month, repticalcium with D3 twice a month, repticalcium without D3 every other day (I feed him twice a day, so he gets extra calcium once every 4 feeds, 4-5 crickets are dusted) but I also feed him a lot of BSFL (2-3 every feed) and those have a large amount of calcium. You should be feeding just once a day in the morning preferably so he has time to bask and digest. Use the calcium without D3 at every feeding except those that you use the vitamin or D3 on. In a few months you’ll want to cut his feedings down to every other day to prevent obesity.
Watering - he has a waterfall that I clean every other day without fail, I also hand mist him and he has an automatic mister. When his home is misted it is soaked, dripping with reptisafe-treated water. I have seen him drinking from the leaves and waterfall. No waterfalls, no matter how well it’s cleaned imho. Too much risk for bacterial growth. You should be misting around 3 -4 times daily for at least 2 minutes each time.
Fecal Description - Lightish brown, and his urine is mainly white (twice I have seen it a tiny bit light yellow) and to my knowledge he has never been treated for parasites.
History - He is a rescue, he is quite active during the day but when he basks he rests on his belly
I sometimes see my chams resting their bellies while basking. If it’s just occasionally, I don’t see any cause for concern. If he’s always resting on his belly, that may be of concern.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, 18” by 18” by 36” (I am currently in the middle of building him a cage 48” width, 76” height, and 36” depth (with two 10” drawers at the bottom and 6” legs. He is one lucky guy!! ) Nice! He’ll appreciate all that space.
Lighting - what the previous owners have left us were 3 domes (I’m assuming from zoomed starter kit) his UVB bulb is the same one they had (not sure the brand or strength) I just bought him a UVB bar shaped light for his new enclosure but he hasn’t used it yet. His UVA bulb is a 100 watt daytime blue heat bulb by thrive and he has a red nighttime heat bulb that I only turn on if my house gets too cold (it’s a backup for nighttime, I haven’t used it) He needs a linear T5HO with a 5% uvb bulb for proper uvb levels. Colored lights can damage sensitive cham eyes. Best basking bulb to use would be just a plain old fashioned incandescent or a halogen...not LED.
Temperature - his basking spot reaches about 90 degrees, his cage is about 75-85 degrees. I use a temperature probe to measure. Lowest overnight temp is 70 degrees.
Humidity - Humidity stays between 50 and 60% I maintain by constant misting, keeping a bit of substrate (coconut husk), and lining the two sides of the screen that are in the corner with a tapestry (he can’t reach it it is outside of his cage, helps keep moisture in) and in his cage I always have a hygrometer and thermometer. Good. At night they can tolerate temp drops down the the 50’s and 60’s. If it gets colder than that, use a ceramic heat emitter bulb to keep things dark at night.
Plants - Currently just fake plants (what his previous owners left him) I am in the process of putting live plants in his new enclosure and I did an extensive amount of research!) Very good. Get rid of all the fake. My favorite plant is pothos...easy to grow, fast growth of long vines which add extra cham roads, big leaves to drink from and hide under and occasionally a safe snack for our little plant nibblers. I use plants from this list. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
Placement - My cage is on a dresser, the height of it reaches about 6.5 feet up (highest thing in my room) I actually covered my air vent (the half that was pointing towards him) with cardstock and ductape! Good. They feel safest when up high and literally able to look down upon us.
Location - I live in Wilmington NC!
You don’t mention your humidity levels. It is important to monitor them and hygrometers are pretty inexpensive. During the day humidity should be between 30-50%. At night when cool, it can go all the way to 100%. Heat+high humidity = respiratory infection risk.
another thing to add, I do not smoke, especially not near him, I don’t light any candles in the same room, I don’t use disinfectant when I clean his cage, he isn't away from his lights for more than 1 hour, he sleeps peacefully, the room is typically quiet and I am the only person that really comes in here.

I am worried about belly resting and his coloration throughout the day (he is always some sort of brown) and he lays on his belly when basking He may be mostly brown for a couple of different reasons. To better absorb heat, they darken. He may be (probably is) unhappy with his current enclosure being too small. Then of course, they aren’t always showing their best flashy colors all of the time. My little male is usually a dull mix of greens and such. When he’s asleep he’s much brighter and when he gets fired up, wow! Gorgeous colors pop! I think once he gets in his larger enclosure, his colors will perk up a bit. One of my females was always mud colored. Day of her vet visit she became bright almost neon green! Once she got into her larger enclosure, she’s always a pretty bright green now.
Hope this all helps. Some great resources (besides the forum) are https://chameleonacademy.com/ Make sure to check out the podcasts too!
and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3n4S2GRkOGfk2U8-xhaw6Q

 

[Kayla.Gavin&Mac!]

Hi. Guess @Hydra_cosplay isn’t around this evening. Putting my feedback in red.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male, veiled, approx 5-6 months old. He’s been in my care for two weeks. He was a rescue.
Handling - I’ve only handled him 3 times, to clean his cage his previous owners left disgusting, for a vet appointment, and to clean his cage yesterday.
Feeding - I feed him 3-4 crickets twice a day, with BSFL, Mealworms (very few), waxworms (very few), hornworms (at least one every other meal, super worms (only once, he doesn’t like them). I feed the crickets sweet potato and collard greens as well as flukers gel water and flukers orange cube (both left over from previous owners) and I sprinkle calcium on the collard greens and potato but only a little bit. I feed him twice a day, the vet said he looked a little small, however we don’t know his age. This is why I have waxworms and mealworms. Not sure about sprinkling calcium on the gutload. You could sprinkle a little bee pollen and/or spirulina though. Attaching feeder & gutload graphics.
Supplements - I use the multi vitamin by exo terra twice a month, repticalcium with D3 twice a month, repticalcium without D3 every other day (I feed him twice a day, so he gets extra calcium once every 4 feeds, 4-5 crickets are dusted) but I also feed him a lot of BSFL (2-3 every feed) and those have a large amount of calcium. You should be feeding just once a day in the morning preferably so he has time to bask and digest. Use the calcium without D3 at every feeding except those that you use the vitamin or D3 on. In a few months you’ll want to cut his feedings down to every other day to prevent obesity.
Watering - he has a waterfall that I clean every other day without fail, I also hand mist him and he has an automatic mister. When his home is misted it is soaked, dripping with reptisafe-treated water. I have seen him drinking from the leaves and waterfall. No waterfalls, no matter how well it’s cleaned imho. Too much risk for bacterial growth. You should be misting around 3 -4 times daily for at least 2 minutes each time.
Fecal Description - Lightish brown, and his urine is mainly white (twice I have seen it a tiny bit light yellow) and to my knowledge he has never been treated for parasites.
History - He is a rescue, he is quite active during the day but when he basks he rests on his belly
I sometimes see my chams resting their bellies while basking. If it’s just occasionally, I don’t see any cause for concern. If he’s always resting on his belly, that may be of concern.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, 18” by 18” by 36” (I am currently in the middle of building him a cage 48” width, 76” height, and 36” depth (with two 10” drawers at the bottom and 6” legs. He is one lucky guy!! ) Nice! He’ll appreciate all that space.
Lighting - what the previous owners have left us were 3 domes (I’m assuming from zoomed starter kit) his UVB bulb is the same one they had (not sure the brand or strength) I just bought him a UVB bar shaped light for his new enclosure but he hasn’t used it yet. His UVA bulb is a 100 watt daytime blue heat bulb by thrive and he has a red nighttime heat bulb that I only turn on if my house gets too cold (it’s a backup for nighttime, I haven’t used it) He needs a linear T5HO with a 5% uvb bulb for proper uvb levels. Colored lights can damage sensitive cham eyes. Best basking bulb to use would be just a plain old fashioned incandescent or a halogen...not LED.
Temperature - his basking spot reaches about 90 degrees, his cage is about 75-85 degrees. I use a temperature probe to measure. Lowest overnight temp is 70 degrees.
Humidity - Humidity stays between 50 and 60% I maintain by constant misting, keeping a bit of substrate (coconut husk), and lining the two sides of the screen that are in the corner with a tapestry (he can’t reach it it is outside of his cage, helps keep moisture in) and in his cage I always have a hygrometer and thermometer. Good. At night they can tolerate temp drops down the the 50’s and 60’s. If it gets colder than that, use a ceramic heat emitter bulb to keep things dark at night.
Plants - Currently just fake plants (what his previous owners left him) I am in the process of putting live plants in his new enclosure and I did an extensive amount of research!) Very good. Get rid of all the fake. My favorite plant is pothos...easy to grow, fast growth of long vines which add extra cham roads, big leaves to drink from and hide under and occasionally a safe snack for our little plant nibblers. I use plants from this list. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
Placement - My cage is on a dresser, the height of it reaches about 6.5 feet up (highest thing in my room) I actually covered my air vent (the half that was pointing towards him) with cardstock and ductape! Good. They feel safest when up high and literally able to look down upon us.
Location - I live in Wilmington NC!
You don’t mention your humidity levels. It is important to monitor them and hygrometers are pretty inexpensive. During the day humidity should be between 30-50%. At night when cool, it can go all the way to 100%. Heat+high humidity = respiratory infection risk.
another thing to add, I do not smoke, especially not near him, I don’t light any candles in the same room, I don’t use disinfectant when I clean his cage, he isn't away from his lights for more than 1 hour, he sleeps peacefully, the room is typically quiet and I am the only person that really comes in here.

I am worried about belly resting and his coloration throughout the day (he is always some sort of brown) and he lays on his belly when basking He may be mostly brown for a couple of different reasons. To better absorb heat, they darken. He may be (probably is) unhappy with his current enclosure being too small. Then of course, they aren’t always showing their best flashy colors all of the time. My little male is usually a dull mix of greens and such. When he’s asleep he’s much brighter and when he gets fired up, wow! Gorgeous colors pop! I think once he gets in his larger enclosure, his colors will perk up a bit. One of my females was always mud colored. Day of her vet visit she became bright almost neon green! Once she got into her larger enclosure, she’s always a pretty bright green now.
Hope this all helps. Some great resources (besides the forum) are https://chameleonacademy.com/ Make sure to check out the podcasts too!
and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3n4S2GRkOGfk2U8-xhaw6Q
View attachment 275349View attachment 275350

Thankyou so so so much for the feedback!!! I will definitely make some changes!!! I’m glad I’m not doing anything drastically wrong! And the humidity stays around 40%-50% during the day and goes to about 80% at night! Thankyou again that makes me feel so much better knowing the little things!!! First time cham parenting is difficult!!!