Screen climbing, and clawing at the doors

[viderosa22]

My 16 month of male panther chameleon first started with walking around the bottom of his cage. I thought he was falling so I brought him to the vet. Bloodwork was fine. He then started to claw at the front corners of the doors. When they open he then proceeds to climb to he end of the open door. I've talked to the vet and we can't figure out what's wrong. Now the last few days he's screen climbing.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - panther chameleon, male, about 16 months, been in my care for 4 months.
Handling - he will cimb out of the cage onto me
Feeding - was feeding 10 dubia roaches daily. Now the past week he has decreased eating and is doing a couple of roaches every other day. calcium (no d3) every feeding, starting to dust with reptivite (with d3) once a month. occasional horn worms and crickets all bugs but loaded.
Supplements - Calcium (no d3) every other day dusting with herpevite 1x a month.
Watering - Misting for 30 seconds 3x an hour. dripper 1-2x a week. Hand Mist occasionally. Never see him drink.
Fecal Description - poops look fairly normal i would say, urates are white with a slight tinge of yellow at the tips. Just did a parasite test at the vet it was normal.
History - Got him Dan's chameleon in NJ in March 2023

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage, 3 sides are vented. It's 3' long 3' high and 18- wide
Lighting - 75 watt uv Basking and t5 hood lamp for uvb. 12 hours on 12 hours off. I go from 8am to 8 pm.
Temperature - 85-95 on the warm side of his cage. 70- 75 on the cooler side of cage.
Humidity - Average 50-70%.
Plants - 3 corn plants, some artificial vines, jungle vines and ladders .
Placement - in bedroom, on top of dresser.
Location - NY, long Island

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! Can you share photos of your chameleon, the enclosure and please be sure to include the lights as well.

It sounds to me like your sweet baby is maybe trying to get out which means there is probably something off with the enclosure. 85 degrees is the max temperature your basking temp should be.

It might be helpful to do a husbandry review, if you will copy the form below and fill it out with your husbandry information we can see if there are other things you can change to help your chameleon be happy in his enclosure.

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 do 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 located?

Current Problem -

 

[Shauna_T]

My 16 month of male panther chameleon first started with walking around the bottom of his cage. I thought he was falling so I brought him to the vet. Bloodwork was fine. He then started to claw at the front corners of the doors. When they open he then proceeds to climb to he end of the open door. I've talked to the vet and we can't figure out what's wrong. Now the last few days he's screen climbing. His Basking is around 85-95 and Humidity ranges from 50-75%

Hi and welcome to the forum, I am not an expert by any means I will be getting my first on the 23rd and I will tag some people that I do know will be able to help you a great deal. But I do know that your basking spot is too high it shouldn't go above 83 to 85. I also think the humidity shouldn't go above 60 during the day but let me get you some better help. They are going to want pics of your baby and enclosure from lights to floor as well just so you know. @Beman @MissSkittles can you give him some help for me please. You will be in great hands with everyone here.

 

[viderosa22]

My 16 month of male panther chameleon first started with walking around the bottom of his cage. I thought he was falling so I brought him to the vet. Bloodwork was fine. He then started to claw at the front corners of the doors. When they open he then proceeds to climb to he end of the open door. I've talked to the vet and we can't figure out what's wrong. Now the last few days he's screen climbing.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - panther chameleon, male, about 16 months, been in my care for 4 months.
Handling - he will cimb out of the cage onto me
Feeding - was feeding 10 dubia roaches daily. Now the past week he has decreased eating and is doing a couple of roaches every other day. calcium (no d3) every feeding, starting to dust with reptivite (with d3) once a month. occasional horn worms and crickets all bugs but loaded.
Supplements - Calcium (no d3) every other day dusting with herpevite 1x a month.
Watering - Misting for 30 seconds 3x an hour. dripper 1-2x a week. Hand Mist occasionally. Never see him drink.
Fecal Description - poops look fairly normal i would say, urates are white with a slight tinge of yellow at the tips. Just did a parasite test at the vet it was normal.
History - Got him Dan's chameleon in NJ in March 2023

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage, 3 sides are vented. It's 3' long 3' high and 18- wide
Lighting - 75 watt uv Basking and t5 hood lamp for uvb. 12 hours on 12 hours off. I go from 8am to 8 pm.
Temperature - 85-95 on the warm side of his cage. 70- 75 on the cooler side of cage.
Humidity - Average 50-70%.
Plants - 3 corn plants, some artificial vines, jungle vines and ladders .
Placement - in bedroom, on top of dresser.
Location - NY, long Island

It will not allow me to upload anything

 

[elizaann2]

It will not allow me to upload anything

Do you mean it won't allow you to upload any photos?

 

[viderosa22]

Do you mean it won't allow you to upload any photos?

Yes, no photos or videos are able to be uploaded

 

[elizaann2]

Give me a few minutes while I go over your husbandry

 

[viderosa22]

My 16 month of male panther chameleon first started with walking around the bottom of his cage. I thought he was falling so I brought him to the vet. Bloodwork was fine. He then started to claw at the front corners of the doors. When they open he then proceeds to climb to he end of the open door. I've talked to the vet and we can't figure out what's wrong. Now the last few days he's screen climbing.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - panther chameleon, male, about 16 months, been in my care for 4 months.
Handling - he will cimb out of the cage onto me
Feeding - was feeding 10 dubia roaches daily. Now the past week he has decreased eating and is doing a couple of roaches every other day. calcium (no d3) every feeding, starting to dust with reptivite (with d3) once a month. occasional horn worms and crickets all bugs but loaded.
Supplements - Calcium (no d3) every other day dusting with herpevite 1x a month.
Watering - Misting for 30 seconds 3x an hour. dripper 1-2x a week. Hand Mist occasionally. Never see him drink.
Fecal Description - poops look fairly normal i would say, urates are white with a slight tinge of yellow at the tips. Just did a parasite test at the vet it was normal.
History - Got him Dan's chameleon in NJ in March 2023

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage, 3 sides are vented. It's 3' long 3' high and 18- wide
Lighting - 75 watt uv Basking and t5 hood lamp for uvb. 12 hours on 12 hours off. I go from 8am to 8 pm.
Temperature - 85-95 on the warm side of his cage. 70- 75 on the cooler side of cage.
Humidity - Average 50-70%.
Plants - 3 corn plants, some artificial vines, jungle vines and ladders .
Placement - in bedroom, on top of dresser.
Location - NY, long Island

 

[elizaann2]

Please see my answers in red

Your Chameleon - panther chameleon, male, about 16 months, been in my care for 4 months.
Handling - he will cimb out of the cage onto me
Feeding - was feeding 10 dubia roaches daily. Now the past week he has decreased eating and is doing a couple of roaches every other day. calcium (no d3) every feeding, starting to dust with reptivite (with d3) once a month. occasional horn worms and crickets all bugs but loaded. You will want to feed your adult panther 3-5 feeders every other day. My feeding schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-5 feeders. Saturdays are my treat bug day (see the attached photo for good staple feeders & treat bugs). What do your bugs eat? You'll want to gut load them so they are healthy for your chameleon, I've attached a document with some good gut loading options for you.
Supplements - Calcium (no d3) every other day dusting with herpevite 1x a month. Dust with calcium w/o d3 on every feeding. I am not familiar with herptevite @Beman, can you share some knowledge on this supplement?
Watering - Misting for 30 seconds 3x an hour. dripper 1-2x a week. Hand Mist occasionally. Never see him drink. Perfect!!
Fecal Description - poops look fairly normal i would say, urates are white with a slight tinge of yellow at the tips. Just did a parasite test at the vet it was normal. Fantastic!! We track hydration and health through the poop, sounds like you are doing great here!
History - Got him Dan's chameleon in NJ in March 2023

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage, 3 sides are vented. It's 3' long 3' high and 18- wide. This is a little small for him. The minimum recommend size for a male panther is a 2x2x4 foot enclosure. This kit here is an example of the minimum size you need for your boy.
Lighting - 75 watt uv Basking and t5 hood lamp for uvb. 12 hours on 12 hours off. I go from 8am to 8 pm. Fantastic! What is your UVB %? How far is your UVB from your basking branch?
Temperature - 85-95 on the warm side of his cage. 70- 75 on the cooler side of cage. As mentioned earlier, anything above 85 degrees is too hot for your little guy. Basking temp you want to be 80-85 degrees. Your ambient temps you want a range around 78 degrees to 72 degrees.
Humidity - Average 50-70%. 50% is great for the day time, 70% during the day is a little high. At night you want a humidity levels to be higher like 80-100%.
Plants - 3 corn plants, some artificial vines, jungle vines and ladders . This is tough without any visuals of your enclosure. You want LOTS of coverage for your boy. I am not sure if the corn plants are providing enough coverage for your guy. I'll attach a photo of my panther's enclosure to give you an example. You want the top area of the enclosure open so he can get his heat and UVB, the middle of the enclosure to be heavily planted so he can feel secure and hide if he needs to and the bottom clear so you can track his poop easily. I am also not sure if corn plants are recommended for chameleons, I've attached a document with recommended plants that we know are safe to use. With the vines, make sure they do not have the mossy stuff on them, this has been known to break off and be ingested or particles can get in their eyes. You can always get sticks from outside to use. Just make sure they are not from sap producing trees. You'll want to clean them with soap and hot water and at least let them dry outside in the sun before putting them in your enclosure
Placement - in bedroom, on top of dresser. How high up is the top branch of your boys enclosure? You'll want him to be able to perch up above you, hight = safety for chameleons so this is very important. Lastly, is the room he is in a high traffic area? Are there any fans going around? Do doors open often? Any other pets around?
Location - NY, long Island

Keep trying to post pictures of your enclosure, the visual will be super helpful for us to help you best! You should be able to click on "Attach files" and attach a picture that way. Let us know if you need more info to do this

@Beman @MissSkittles @kinyonga - did I miss anything? What would you add to this feedback?

 

[geegeecham]

Thermo regulation problems. Thats my take . Try cooling it down a bit.
My panthers climb screens when they get heat stressed.

 

[Andrew1283]

Viderosa22 wrote, “Watering - Misting for 30 seconds 3x an hour. dripper 1-2x a week. Hand Mist occasionally.”

Elizaann2 wrote, “Perfect!!”

Viderosa22, do you mean that every 20 minutes your mister kicks on for 30 seconds? That’s A LOT of watering. I mist right before lights go out for the night and right before they turn on in the morning. Sometimes I mist at lunch time. It’s all hand misting so I make sure everything gets soaked and check for poops or anything that’s awry. The mist king is used when I go on vacations.

Your guy may be getting misted into oblivion.

You need to use a dripper every day. Make it a slow drip that hits a few leaves on the way down. Live pothos plants are great for this.

 

[elizaann2]

Viderosa22 wrote, “Watering - Misting for 30 seconds 3x an hour. dripper 1-2x a week. Hand Mist occasionally.”

Elizaann2 wrote, “Perfect!!”

Viderosa22, do you mean that every 20 minutes your mister kicks on for 30 seconds? That’s A LOT of watering. I mist right before lights go out for the night and right before they turn on in the morning. Sometimes I mist at lunch time. It’s all hand misting so I make sure everything gets soaked and check for poops or anything that’s awry. The mist king is used when I go on vacations.

Your guy may be getting misted into oblivion.

You need to use a dripper every day. Make it a slow drip that hits a few leaves on the way down. Live pothos plants are great for this.

Nice catch thanks!!

 

[MissSkittles]

herpevite 1x a month.

Herptivite is ok, but it should be given one feeding every other week. Also, it does not contain any vitamin D3 and the vitamin A is proformed and the jury is still out if chams are able to actually utilize that form. If you have ReptiVite with D3, the only other supplement you need is the phosphorus free calcium without D3. The calcium without D at every feeding and then use the ReptiVite with D3 one feeding every other month. That’s all - easy peasy, lemon breezy.
@Andrew1283 already advised about misting. We all do things differently and as our unique situations require. I see mid day misting vs using a dripper as an either/or and not everyone‘s chams will need that. The keeper who has that ideal cool night in the 60’s and is able to get their night humidity all the way to 100% isn’t going to need more than just the lights on/off misting.
Your daytime humidity is good as the ideal for panthers is between 50-70%.
The corn plants are a type of dracanae and are safe. The leaves are great for chameleons to drink off and hide beneath. Not as great for climbing, but that’s why it’s good to have a variety of plants and always include the beloved pothos. I think most of us have tried the plastic plants. They can look nice and fill gaps, but live plants are always nicest. I attach my fake plants to my doors to give my chams a bit more privacy. For branches and vines, just keep in mind that empty space is of no use to your guy. I recently redid a couple of enclosures and I put a crazy amount of branches in. Once I got the plants and chameleon in, I realized I needed way more. Males will patrol their enclosures, so give some nice paths for that. That may stop or reduce the screen climbing...or it may not. My male panther was always at the door to come out and climbing the screen. I put branches where he preferred to climb and he still was on the screen. Generally, a chameleon that is wanting out of their enclosure is a chameleon that is unhappy in it. However, every now and then the sweet oddball happens who actually just wants to hang out with their human. Your enclosure is a bit on the small side. You could get away with the 3’ tall as the 3’ width compensates. However, the 18” depth kind of negates that. I’d really like to see some pics of your enclosure and your chameleon. Often pics show something that words don’t.

 

[Andrew1283]

With regard to handling, Viderosa22 wrote, “he will cimb out of the cage onto me”

How often are you handling your chameleon and how long do you hold him?

I say cut the misting sessions down and stop handling him for a few weeks so he can relax.

If you play loud music or the floor shakes that can spook them too.

 

[Beman]

Supplements - Calcium (no d3) every other day dusting with herpevite 1x a month. Dust with calcium w/o d3 on every feeding. I am not familiar with herptevite @Beman, can you share some knowledge on this supplement?

Herptivite is a multivitamin without preformed vitamin A or D3. They use beta carotene instead. So with this one your not getting the vitamin A or D3 they need. And it has not been proven that they can convert the beta carotene to usable vitamin A in the body.

The calcium without D at every feeding and then use the ReptiVite with D3 one feeding every other month.

Note because I believe this was a typo. @viderosa22 You will want to use the calcium without D3 at all feedings and then you want to use reptivite with D3 one feeding every other week not month. This way the reptivite is being used 2 times a month. I do this on the 1st and the 15th since that is easier for me to remember.

 

[absolutbill]

Completely aside from husbandry, 16 months is about the age where he's going to be looking for a lady friend, so that could also contribute to his restlessness. I'd address the other concerns here first but it's something to keep in mind. Good luck!

 

[Andrew1283]

I thought of this post today.

I was sitting at my desk and heard a baby bird squawk. It was Tony standing down on the floor of his enclosure, holding onto the screen and staring down at my dog, who was asleep on the floor. Not puffed up, not dark, not puffed up or flashing his battle colors. Just normal Tony. I reached in, and he let me scoop him up, and I brought him to a tree for supervised basking. Probably one of the most adorable things I’ve seen/heard him do. The last time he went to the bottom like this I brought him outside for supervised basking so maybe we have a habit forming.

I just want to add he’s shown consistent interest in movement outside his enclosure. He watches everyone doing everything and takes a seat on the middle branch with his face against the screen. It’s weird.
But then he will run and hide when I open the screen….. It’s very unnatural for chams to be that bold and exposed.

 

[MissSkittles]

I was sitting at my desk and heard a baby bird squawk. It was Tony

He squawked!? That is super rare! Are you sure it was him?
That’s wonderful that he was so chill about wanting to come out. Yes, it sounds adorable too! Chameleons are very curious and nothing misses their attention with their googly eyes rotating all the time. I tend to sit on the floor in front of my enclosures when I’m doing things in their room and I always have a rapt audience...especially when I’m cleaning bug bins.

 

[Andrew1283]

He squawked!? That is super rare! Are you sure it was him?
That’s wonderful that he was so chill about wanting to come out. Yes, it sounds adorable too! Chameleons are very curious and nothing misses their attention with their googly eyes rotating all the time. I tend to sit on the floor in front of my enclosures when I’m doing things in their room and I always have a rapt audience...especially when I’m cleaning bug bins.

It was him alright. He had his mouth open slightly when I snapped the pic. I have heard hisses before. This was more prolonged and had a faint tone to it. And he was staring at the dog when he did it. Maybe he’s in love? Lol!

I watch Neptune the Chameleon’s videos and all of her chameleons appear to be very nosey when she’s taking videos. They’re probably thinking where’s my food but I think they are smarter than just that. I think when they are well fed and their needs are all met, they do get curious about the world and explore a bit. A lot of animals do.

 

[Andrew1283]

My baby buddy.