Moody cham

[RandellTheCham]

hey guys i understand its most likey completely normal. But my 4month chameleon has taken a dislike to me these last three days.

He used to take food out of my hand without question and climbed up onto me if i had food.

Recently he wont take food out of my hand unless its cup'd or with tongs. He shows his f%*$ off colours and is acting like when i first got him ive had him almost 2months. Is this normal? Have i done something? I dont spend alot of time with him. I spend about 1hour aday.

Heres pictures

 

[Decadancin]

Could be a combination of not seeing you often and then not being accustomed to you as much, and also could just be at that age where he is becoming more territorial and defensive about his space.

 

[Peachypink]

Just out of curiosity....I only see one light on him. Do you have a UVB AND a heat lamp?

 

[RandellTheCham]

Just out of curiosity....I only see one light on him. Do you have a UVB AND a heat lamp?

Its an all in one lamp

 

[Peachypink]

I would do a little research on that. Especially for a juvenile cham having an all in one bulb is hard to regulate. They get really hot so you have to put it farther away and in turn then you are putting the UVB farther away thus they are getting less UVB. I think it is better to have separate bulbs that way he has a better range for UVB and if they can choose to get under the UBV and away from the basking spot a bit. If he can only get UVB while basking then I don't think he is getting enough.

 

[PJK]

I would do a little research on that. Especially for a juvenile cham having an all in one bulb is hard to regulate. They get really hot so you have to put it farther away and in turn then you are putting the UVB farther away thus they are getting less UVB. I think it is better to have separate bulbs that way he has a better range for UVB and if they can choose to get under the UBV and away from the basking spot a bit. If he can only get UVB while basking then I don't think he is getting enough.

He's using an MVB. Its a little trickier because it gets so hot, but it will do the job as long as he can keep it from getting too hot. Looks like a good distance away. When I was a kid, that's all we had, and never had any problems. They get a bad name because some people just use them too close and burn their animals, but people seem to do the same with incandescent bulbs so as long as he regulates the temp well, it can be used with great success. Also a good MVB will put out more than enough UVB, and its easier to create cover with only one light source. European hobbyist still use them a lot I believe.

 

[RandellTheCham]

I have a thermostate which tells me the temp and it's currently at 80

 

[Angelwolf]

Most likely, he is just turning into a "grown up" grump. Male chams will often become more territorial around this age, because they are beginning to mature, so it's time for them to establish their own territory for breeding/mating/competition for food and life in general. It's just their instinct, and for some reason, it's a particularly strong one in male veileds.

 

[Peachypink]

He's using an MVB. Its a little trickier because it gets so hot, but it will do the job as long as he can keep it from getting too hot. Looks like a good distance away. When I was a kid, that's all we had, and never had any problems. They get a bad name because some people just use them too close and burn their animals, but people seem to do the same with incandescent bulbs so as long as he regulates the temp well, it can be used with great success. Also a good MVB will put out more than enough UVB, and its easier to create cover with only one light source. European hobbyist still use them a lot I believe.

Thanks for the info on these, PJK. I can not speak with authority on these because I have never used them but I was going off of what I have read myself. All opinion of others too. That's why I suggested researching into it more. My main concern would be that they don't seem to create and actual basking "spot". When the lamp is pulled back then the heat is more spread out. That means that there is not a spot that is in the UVB but away from the heat. Also it would make it where the whole top of the cage is basking temps and there is nowhere in the higher part of the cage to escape the heat.