My Chameleon Has His Mouth Open Most of the Day. General Info.

[dendon]

I am new with taking care of chameleons but my little guy Phil hasn't been eating today and has been basking. His mouth has been open for a while and I don't know if it is anything serious. I read from a different site that chameleons do this when they want to regulate their body temperature, but his cage (screen) is at about 85 degrees. I don't know for sure since I have only had him for a week (he is about five or six weeks old). Any thoughts about this would be great.

Any other information for me as far as some other basic knowledge for my chameleon would be awesome! I did read a Q&A on here so I saw all of that. But information is information so I'd love getting any advice.

 

[SaintJimmy]

it is to regulate temperature but it means he is too hot.

i would lower his basking branch or lift up the basking light.

that should do it

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. What kind of chameleon do you have? What are you using to measure the temps? If they are to hot they will open their mouth. I have a blog attached below for new keepers of panthers and veileds. The second link has more detailed info and care sheets for multiply species of chameleons.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

 

[dendon]

He is a veiled chameleon and is about five or so weeks old, I don't really know because he was a surprise Christmas present from my gf. It is kind of weird because he will look my direction and open his mouth. He has looked at a cricket I've put in there and he doensn't show interest, even though he hasn't eaten much all day. I did get him to drink water from my squirt bottle, but that's about it. I've been spraying his cage about every hour or hour and a half.

I have an Acurite gauge in there to measure the temperature and it is hanging about six inches lower than his bowl, which is where he is now. But based on how I have observed him moving around he looks like he is kind of out of it. I am probably wrong but he was weak enough to almost fall out of the bowl where there wasn't anything to grab onto, so I had to kind of guide him.

Am I being paranoid? I just don't want my little guy to have anything serious... He is my first exclusive pet and I really want to give the absolute best.

Sidenote: Yesterday he did eat a fairly large cricket for his size, and that's why I'm wondering about the respiratory issue.

 

[Carlton]

He is a veiled chameleon and is about five or so weeks old, I don't really know because he was a surprise Christmas present from my gf. It is kind of weird because he will look my direction and open his mouth. He has looked at a cricket I've put in there and he doensn't show interest, even though he hasn't eaten much all day. I did get him to drink water from my squirt bottle, but that's about it. I've been spraying his cage about every hour or hour and a half.

I have an Acurite gauge in there to measure the temperature and it is hanging about six inches lower than his bowl, which is where he is now. But based on how I have observed him moving around he looks like he is kind of out of it. I am probably wrong but he was weak enough to almost fall out of the bowl where there wasn't anything to grab onto, so I had to kind of guide him.

Am I being paranoid? I just don't want my little guy to have anything serious... He is my first exclusive pet and I really want to give the absolute best.

Sidenote: Yesterday he did eat a fairly large cricket for his size, and that's why I'm wondering about the respiratory issue.

If he starts gaping after he's been basking a while and then moves away from the heat, he was regulating his body temp.

If he's eating and drinking he isn't sick. If he's sitting quietly under the basking lamp most of the day, not eating or drinking or noticing much going on around him, AND sitting with his mouth open, taking big gulps of air, tipping his head straight up, with a lot of mucus in his mouth he has a respiratory infection.

Some chams gape at intruders too. He's trying to threaten you.

 

[dendon]

If he starts gaping after he's been basking a while and then moves away from the heat, he was regulating his body temp.

If he's eating and drinking he isn't sick. If he's sitting quietly under the basking lamp most of the day, not eating or drinking or noticing much going on around him, AND sitting with his mouth open, taking big gulps of air, tipping his head straight up, with a lot of mucus in his mouth he has a respiratory infection.

Some chams gape at intruders too. He's trying to threaten you.

I don't know if there was any mucus around his mouth, it looked as though there wasn't anything blocking his airway. But I may not have had a good enough view. He did drink a little but did not eat. He drank very little, I only was able to give him some drops from the bottle.

If he may have a respiratory infection is there something I can buy or should I get him to a vet? I am in a small college town but I think we have an animal hospital, if I should take him.

As for trying to threaten me, he could be doing just that. But when I was just watching him and not trying to interact (spraying the cage, putting a cricket in, etc.) he was still basking with his mouth open, under the light.

 

[Carlton]

I don't know if there was any mucus around his mouth, it looked as though there wasn't anything blocking his airway. But I may not have had a good enough view. He did drink a little but did not eat. He drank very little, I only was able to give him some drops from the bottle.

If he may have a respiratory infection is there something I can buy or should I get him to a vet? I am in a small college town but I think we have an animal hospital, if I should take him.

As for trying to threaten me, he could be doing just that. But when I was just watching him and not trying to interact (spraying the cage, putting a cricket in, etc.) he was still basking with his mouth open, under the light.

He just doesn't sound sick to me. I think he's thermoregulating. Gaping while basking is normal. If he was showing very light pale coloration most of the time (even when not basking) he might be too hot.

If you think he's sick you will need a vet to prescribe an antibiotic. But really, pay attention to WHEN he gapes and when he doesn't. If he is gaping constantly all the time (basking or not) I'd be concerned.

 

[carol5208]

you say his screen cage is about 85 degrees...is that the ambient temp of the whole cage or just the basking area under the light? Because if it is the cage temp, then the basking will be much higher. Also, you mentioned something about a bowl. What do you have that for? If it is to catch water, be very careful for he can fall into it and drown.

 

[dendon]

carol5208:

The gauge is under the lamp so it will probably be a little colder in the cage. I am making sure the readings elsewhere aren't too low for the day as of now.

The bowl I mentioned was about his feeding bowl. My girlfriend cut the bottom of a liter of soda (only the bottom six inches), washed it, put duct tape on the edge so he doesn't get hurt, and poked holes in the grooves. It is suspended by some of the screening under the lamp. I moved the lamp so he can go there if he doesn't want to be too warm.

I put crickets and very small cut up vegetables with calcium dust in there for him to eat. He isn't into the vegetables as much now and lately he doesn't seem to notice the crickets with the calcium. He still hasn't eaten as of Sunday night.

Carlton:

I think he is fine, I have checked on him periodically throughout the day, in between classes, and he hasn't made any sign of opening his mouth frequently. I think you were right that he was just thermoregulating.

I would expect nothing less for getting antibiotics for chams, but I think he will be alright. He may be stressed because we did have to move a couple things around, so he would have more room to move. He does have a corner he likes so he is there now, out of the lamp.