Screen climbing baby panther

[Norbert]

I’ve had my panther chameleon for about 4 days now. The first 2 days he didn’t climb the screen. Day 3 and 4 he keeps climbing to top of the cage under his heat lamp. The thermometer at his basking branch is 85 degrees F which seems hot enough. I was wondering if he’s climbing because it’s not warm enough or if he’s just stressed being in a new home? I know it’s normal for baby chameleons to climb the screen the first week or so but I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t due to the heat being too cool? The breeder suggested a basking temp of 90 degrees but I went with 85 since he is only 3.5 months. He’s been eating fine 12-15 small insects a day and I’ve only seen him drink once but his droppings look normal with a brown part and white part. Everything else looks fine he crawls on all his branches and vines and even goes to his sleeping spot each night before lights go out.

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

Mine likes to do the same thing, guess it's a baby thing lol. As long as it isn't too hot up there to where he burns his feet, then I wouldn't worry, I fixed my enclosure to where he cant get up there any more just because he gets scared when I walk in and has fell.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

Yeah 90 is too hot for a baby IMO 83 to 85 should be fine and don't you worry! He will VERY soon outgrow the ability to climb the screen and get frustrated

 

[Norbert]

Mine likes to do the same thing, guess it's a baby thing lol. As long as it isn't too hot up there to where he burns his feet, then I wouldn't worry, I fixed my enclosure to where he cant get up there any more just because he gets scared when I walk in and has fell.

Okay thank you. Yea when I come in he crawls down really fast like I caught him doing something haha. I got scared he would fall so I put a stick in there away from the heat lamp for him to climb down safely when he’s done being crazy. He seems to use it as a last resort.

 

[Norbert]

Yeah 90 is too hot for a baby IMO 83 to 85 should be fine and don't you worry! He will VERY soon outgrow the ability to climb the screen and get frustrated

Okay thank you! I know it’s normal for them to climb when they’re babies but still stressful to come in the room to him dangling upside down by his feet.

 

[salty dog]

all mine climb and some sleep on the screen... normal

 

[Norbert]

Okay thank you. My first Cham so I had nothing to compare it to

 

[Thompson]

I think if he's pacing around the cage a lot weeks after he's been moved to his new cage, this points toward an issue where he doesn't feel secure in his new habitat. All my chams screen climbed initially and then stopped once they settled in. The occasional screen climbing isn't an issue its persistent screen climbing.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I’ve had my panther chameleon for about 4 days now. The first 2 days he didn’t climb the screen. Day 3 and 4 he keeps climbing to top of the cage under his heat lamp.

I've had mine about 3 mo. now, and he still loves climbing along the screened ceiling—it's his chameleon superhighway. Today he just hung under the basking bulb with his head dangling down (doesn't usually). Tried to get a pic, but he spooked—I think he may see the camera lens as a giant predator eye or something.

The breeder suggested a basking temp of 90 degrees but I went with 85 since he is only 3.5 months.

My breeder recommended 85 @ 3 mo. I have a gradient of high 70s to 85 set up, and he seems to like it a bit cooler.

He tends to ignore the basking area in favor of locations higher up in his trees.

 

[Norbert]

I think if he's pacing around the cage a lot weeks after he's been moved to his new cage, this points toward an issue where he doesn't feel secure in his new habitat. All my chams screen climbed initially and then stopped once they settled in. The occasional screen climbing isn't an issue its persistent screen climbing.

Thanks I’ll keep an eye out over the next few weeks. It was also really cold one day and warm the next outside as we move to spring time, so one day we had heat on in the house and the other was AC so I think that confused him. I have a dyson in the room to control his ambient temps specifically and covered the vent. He hasn’t climbed today yet so far.

 

[Norbert]

I've had mine about 3 mo. now, and he still loves climbing along the screened ceiling—it's his chameleon superhighway. Today he just hung under the basking bulb with his head dangling down (doesn't usually). Tried to get a pic, but he spooked—I think he may see the camera lens as a giant predator eye or something.


My breeder recommended 85 @ 3 mo. I have a gradient of high 70s to 85 set up, and he seems to like it a bit cooler.

He tends to ignore the basking area in favor of locations higher up in his trees.

I tried playing around with the ambient temps to see if he preferred cooler around 70 and he started basking more and climbing, so I keep it at 72 now and he seems content and basks casually.
Mine also isn’t a fan of the camera haha I try to sneak a pic when I go to hand mist since I’m already in there and he just stands super still. But he’ll take a bug when offered after so I think he’s becoming more used to it. I think I got the hungriest Chameleon too he never refuses a chance to eat even since day one.

 

[Tawannapc]

I was working out and while laying on my back I seen my guy on his uvb moving. I thought he was mocking me. He's about 3 months now