It's a Long Way Down

[OACham]

Recently our male has been a lot more clumsy than normal. He's always been really brave reaching for objects that are WAY too far out of his reach and ends up falling, or just using his tail for it's purpose...

But lately he's been falling from the sides of his cage. It's a screen enclosure (the ones the Kammers sell) and it happens two or three times a day, sometimes more. The only thing my husband and I can figure is that his toes are getting too thick and can't grasp the wires well enough, but could there be another reason? Any suggestions would be appreciated! It's sad to hear him fall, and he likes climbing so much!!

 

[millionsofchameleons]

one of my chams used to climb alot and started falling. turned out his nail wore down so he couldnt hold on anymore. i added alot more vines and such for him to climb on which has fix his issue. maybe that will help you?

 

[jannb]

Vines and branches are important to have in the cage. I don't like to see them hanging on the screen. Their nails can also get caught in the screen and pull the nail out sometimes causing an infection. How old is your cham? Could it be MBD? That could also cause them to fall. What type of lighting and supplements are you using? Jann

 

[Brad Ramsey]

A lot of people line the interior of their cages with the larger rubberized screen.
They have it at Home Depot and Lowe's ... I don't really know what to call it.

-Brad

 

[OACham]

Hehe I WISH we had a Lowe's or Home Depot here, we're kind of in the middle-of-nowhere-town in North Dak.
Don't get me wrong, we have PLENTY of vines and plants for him to crawl on, but he always goes for the sides! He's only 9 months old, and we use the bulbs that we got from the Kammers, plus natural sunlight a couple times a week. I don't think it's MBD....
All his nails are there (just checked) and they seem plenty long, and he has a great grip. Maybe he's just too confident lol he is a male, afterall..

 

[Jeremy l]

my panther does the same thing. hes very adiment about wanting out. he dosent like his cage, he likes being out on the pothos ivy or trees in my house, or on my shoulder. if i put him in the cage he crawls around for a bit on the vines and the scheffelera but then he wants back out and he makes his rounds on the cage screen. i have tried everything to get him to stop, but i guess he just wants out with me.

 

[OACham]

my panther does the same thing. hes very adiment about wanting out. he dosent like his cage, he likes being out on the pothos ivy or trees in my house, or on my shoulder. if i put him in the cage he crawls around for a bit on the vines and the scheffelera but then he wants back out and he makes his rounds on the cage screen. i have tried everything to get him to stop, but i guess he just wants out with me.

Heck yeah! He's so friendly, he always gets grumpy when we put him back. Most will frown upon our actions as their owners we should "know what's best", but we can't help what they want! I'd much rather have a happy handled chameleon, than a grumpy caged cham.

 

[Jeremy l]

i leave mine out inthe ivy overnight from time to time and let him sleep out in the house he dosent go any where except for that darm ivy and scheffelera tree. thats his favorite spot. like now he is asleep in that ivy. in the mornings when i go to work i'll put him back in his cage and he hates me.

 

[kinyonga]

Can you post a picture of him please?

 

[Jeremy l]

as we speak asleep in the ivy

 

[Masterkazoom]

My cham seems to be great at falling down as well - he sometimes tries to climb the meshed upside of the cage, and he almost always fails and lands on a plant.

 

[OACham]

Can you post a picture of him please?

Not sure if that was for me....

This is a couple of weeks ago, I'll work on getting a more recent picture.