My Baby Chameleon Jumping Down!Whats Going On?

[ferdiramadh]

Today something strange for me was happened to my little guy. He is panther chameleon 2 months old. Basically I just do some routine stuff - misting.
I use small sprayer for manual misting. That was actually normal thing to do. While I was doing that, I looked to my baby he was on the bottom going to upper of plant.
When he just arrived at the peak of the plant, the color change from pale colors to something that I have never seen before.
Firing so strong with black stripes, red, and green. His body also became flat then under his neck - what do you call this? gular pouch right? - become bigger - spreading with red color.
Then suddenly he jumped! It was about 50 cm I guess.
Fortunately he is still okay. Took a while on the bottom - probably he got shocked. After that he was doing some normal stuff again. Exploring his home, hanging on the cage etc.
I was also a little bit shocked. Never seen this before. At that moment I also checked that there was NO threat at all. I mean No any animal that could threat him even though the cage is in semi outdoor and I have no another pet.

 

[MissSkittles]

Sounds like he got spoked, perhaps from you misting. When they feel threatened and that they have no way out, they will jump as a last ditch effort to escape.

 

[ferdiramadh]

Sounds like he got spoked, perhaps from you misting. When they feel threatened and that they have no way out, they will jump as a last ditch effort to escape.

probably but I guess it must be something else. well, the important thing is he is still okay. thank you miss.

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

probably but I guess it must be something else. well, the important thing is he is still okay. thank you miss.

Can you post a picture of your enclosure, he may not feel safe if there isn't enough plants.

 

[ferdiramadh]

Can you post a picture of your enclosure, he may not feel safe if there isn't enough plants.

I think its enough by now?I mean the branches and leaves and the size of the plant. Even though there is only one plant.

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

View attachment 302550
View attachment 302551

I think its enough by now?I mean the branches and leaves and the size of the plant. Even though there is only one plant.

I think he just got scared.

 

[kinyonga]

Any birds flying over the cage area?

 

[Beman]

The cage is on the ground. If you were standing then you would have been very intimidating. They like being high it gives them a feeling of safety. If your towering above them then your in the position to cause them harm. Even being at eye level is a threat for them. Babies will jump to flee danger. I would put the cage up on a table or build a stand for it.

 

[ferdiramadh]

Any birds flying over the cage area?

I didnt see any birds. Perhaps it was just a stuff that he assumed as a threat.

 

[ferdiramadh]

The cage is on the ground. If you were standing then you would have been very intimidating. They like being high it gives them a feeling of safety. If your towering above them then your in the position to cause them harm. Even being at eye level is a threat for them. Babies will jump to flee danger. I would put the cage up on a table or build a stand for it.

I think I have already know my little guy a quite well, I always do routine stuff like misting, feeding him, or just seeing him around his cage. All that things never make him being intimidated. I say this because when I around his cage, standing or - what do you call? squat right?- he never gets spooked, he stays calm. Perhaps it was just something that made him assuming it was a threat. It could be stuff or maybe animal that I didnt see.

I did ever see some animals around his home. Kind of lizards. Home lizards - what do you call this? gecko? - and forest lizard. Those only two animals that sometimes always come to the cage. Fortunately my chameleon doesnt ever get furstated or being intimidated by them, instead he is like curious, I guess. Well, as you can see on the photo there are tree behind the cage, its strafruit tree by the way. There could be another animals that he saw or on my balcon, there is also some stuff that he though as a threat.
Anyway thank you for the advice.

 

[Beman]

I think I have already know my little guy a quite well, I always do routine stuff like misting, feeding him, or just seeing him around his cage. All that things never make him being intimidated. I say this because when I around his cage, standing or - what do you call? squat right?- he never gets spooked, he stays calm. Perhaps it was just something that made him assuming it was a threat. It could be stuff or maybe animal that I didnt see.

I did ever see some animals around his home. Kind of lizards. Home lizards - what do you call this? gecko? - and forest lizard. Those only two animals that sometimes always come to the cage. Fortunately my chameleon doesnt ever get furstated or being intimidated by them, instead he is like curious, I guess. Well, as you can see on the photo there are tree behind the cage, its strafruit tree by the way. There could be another animals that he saw or on my balcon, there is also some stuff that he though as a threat.
Anyway thank you for the advice.

I think people assume that their chams are fine with them. What people do not understand is the slightest thing can spook them especially when they are young. You wearing a bright color, new tattoo, seeing your other pets, and putting your hand on the cage as you stand back up.

You said you were standing there spraying and he jumped. The most logical thing is it was something having to do with you being there.

I mention the cage because that is something that is a threat for them. They do not like being low. It is not natural for them. Survival instincts are to climb high to get away from predators.

Jumping is a threat/fear reaction. They do not just fling themselves off branches for fun. So identifying the cause is important because this is an easy way for them to hurt themselves. Which is why I recommended lifting that cage. The color display as he climbed back up was him mustering everything he could to tell you to back off.

You are new to the hobby. Learning their natural reactions and behaviors is the hardest part of this hobby when you are new. And as they mature those reactions can change. I would be open to what others are trying to tell you.

 

[ferdiramadh]

I think people assume that their chams are fine with them. What people do not understand is the slightest thing can spook them especially when they are young. You wearing a bright color, new tattoo, seeing your other pets, and putting your hand on the cage as you stand back up.

You said you were standing there spraying and he jumped. The most logical thing is it was something having to do with you being there.

I mention the cage because that is something that is a threat for them. They do not like being low. It is not natural for them. Survival instincts are to climb high to get away from predators.

Jumping is a threat/fear reaction. They do not just fling themselves off branches for fun. So identifying the cause is important because this is an easy way for them to hurt themselves. Which is why I recommended lifting that cage. The color display as he climbed back up was him mustering everything he could to tell you to back off.

You are new to the hobby. Learning their natural reactions and behaviors is the hardest part of this hobby when you are new. And as they mature those reactions can change. I would be open to what others are trying to tell you.

whoa ... master chameleon is here..
thank you for your insightful response sir. I would consider all that.
yeah I thought maybe it was such as threat when I was spraying, but its my routine stuff and I never found him got spooked by me for doing that - also my thought.
well, yeah nobody really knows what happen to my little one only some assumptions here. but you as an experience one now I know all the things that related to something that has happened to my boy.
thank you again sir.

 

[Beman]

whoa ... master chameleon is here..
thank you for your insightful response sir. I would consider all that.
yeah I thought maybe it was such as threat when I was spraying, but its my routine stuff and I never found him got spooked by me for doing that - also my thought.
well, yeah nobody really knows what happen to my little one only some assumptions here. but you as an experience one now I know all the things that related to something that has happened to my boy.
thank you again sir.

I am a woman but your welcome.