Sleeping location..

G

gsurfn

New Member
I went to check on Crash my panther chameleon and he was sleeping at the bottom of the cage. On the glass at the bottom, tail rolled up and everything. This doesn't seem normal to me. I woke him up to see if he was ok and he climb back up to the top of the cage, although he was not happy at all that I woke him. Is this something to be concerned about, or am I just being paranoid?

He has shown no signs of being sick, eating atleast 12 crickets a day, and seems very healthy. His poops have looked a little bit harder but I think thats because I have been giving him phoenix worms every day. I will be cutting back on those now. I gutload my crickets and am starting to dust the crickets. Any help would be appreciated.
 
From what you're saying he sounds fine. It's very tiresome to climb up a cage, so perhaps he's just power-napping. You try climbing a completely vertical cage and then we'll see how tired you are.
 
honestly, i don't think it's very hard or overly tiring for a chameleon to climb; it's what they were built to do.

I have no idea if that's something to be worried about though. I know it would concern me somewhat, but that doesn't mean much. sorry...
 
AlexPalmer said:
From what you're saying he sounds fine. It's very tiresome to climb up a cage, so perhaps he's just power-napping. You try climbing a completely vertical cage and then we'll see how tired you are.
Click to expand...

What? Chams don't power nap, they are designed to climb :confused:

How long have you had your cham? I only ask as I see you are new to the forum. Sometimes mine get caught out of their sleeping spots when the lights go out and will settle down in some strange postions and locations. If he has not been in his enclosure long he may still be getting used to the light schedule and enclosure.

It wouldn't hurt to fill in the sticky or post a photo of him and his enclosure.

Its ok to be an overly worried first time cham owner.....I think we have all been there at some point :)
 
Last edited:
gsurfn said:
I went to check on Crash my panther chameleon and he was sleeping at the bottom of the cage. On the glass at the bottom, tail rolled up and everything. This doesn't seem normal to me. I woke him up to see if he was ok and he climb back up to the top of the cage, although he was not happy at all that I woke him. Is this something to be concerned about, or am I just being paranoid?

He has shown no signs of being sick, eating atleast 12 crickets a day, and seems very healthy. His poops have looked a little bit harder but I think thats because I have been giving him phoenix worms every day. I will be cutting back on those now. I gutload my crickets and am starting to dust the crickets. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...


If it happens often, I'd be concerned. But once? No.... I remember that about a week after I bought my first chameleon my husband--who goes downstairs first--commented that he slept exactly the same on the ground as he did in a tree...all curled up with the cool chameleon tail thing...we've never seen him sleep on the ground again.
 
Mine has slept on the ground too... I wish someone has an idea what that means because it's bothering me. Is your chameleon ever on the ground while it's awake?
 
AlexPalmer said:
From what you're saying he sounds fine. It's very tiresome to climb up a cage, so perhaps he's just power-napping. You try climbing a completely vertical cage and then we'll see how tired you are.
Click to expand...

That would be like telling me to flap my arms and fly 30 miles like a bird. We aren't built the same way for the same thing. Tell a fish to walk a mile and see if he has as much energy as we humans do after the same activity.
 
I don't think it's a problem if it doesn't happen all the time, maybe he was hanging low on the branch when he was asleep and slipped off? :confused: lol
You never know with chameleons... I guess if it starts happening alot more often and he starts spending all his time at the bottom of the cage then maybe you should worry more!
 
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-my-set-up-37434/ -- there are pictures of my cage there. I never see him on the ground during the day (although it is tax season and I am at work for 12 hours a day.) The only time I see him near the bottom is when he goes behind that foliage I have set up on the left hand side of the cage. He usually holds onto the screen behind the leaves. I had to work from home a couple of days last week and I got to keep an eye on him for pretty much 2 straight days and he ate a ridiculous amount of food. He usually spent most of his time in the basking area or towards the top of the cage...going towards the bottom seldomly (i'm guessing to cool off a bit). I was feeding him crickets (12+ a day) and putting 6-7 phoenix worms in his cup a day. He pretty much cleans the cage out of food everyday, especially the worms...they go first. I'm thinking that I really need to cut back on the worms...any opinions?
 
gsurfn said:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-my-set-up-37434/ -- there are pictures of my cage there. I never see him on the ground during the day (although it is tax season and I am at work for 12 hours a day.) The only time I see him near the bottom is when he goes behind that foliage I have set up on the left hand side of the cage. He usually holds onto the screen behind the leaves. I had to work from home a couple of days last week and I got to keep an eye on him for pretty much 2 straight days and he ate a ridiculous amount of food. He usually spent most of his time in the basking area or towards the top of the cage...going towards the bottom seldomly (i'm guessing to cool off a bit). I was feeding him crickets (12+ a day) and putting 6-7 phoenix worms in his cup a day. He pretty much cleans the cage out of food everyday, especially the worms...they go first. I'm thinking that I really need to cut back on the worms...any opinions?
Click to expand...

If its a one time occurrence then he should be fine. If you have been observing him for the last few days and he has been up the top basking etc and just coming down to cool off. They do explore their territory.

What is your light schedule on him?
 
I think he's fine.
Your enclosure is good and everything you put in that post sounds ok.
Maybe just check that his temps at the basking spot aren't too high...
I think you're being that over protective parent :p but that doesn't hurt in the case of a chameleon!
 
His light schedule is 12 hours on 12 hours off. Lights go on at 10 am and off at 10 pm. This is so I can atleast see him when I get home from tax season. I moved his basking branch down a little bit. The basking area is roughly 83 degrees. I'm just really worried about keeping the humidity up. I have really tried everything. I think my next step might be to buy a mist king and put shower curtains on the sides of the cage. I really didn't want to do the shower curtains with fear of bacteria/aesthetics. But I will do what I can to keep him healthy.
 
I got home today at 830 and he was showing his relaxed colors and was actually quite active. I put in a couple of crickets (he ate the 10 I put in there this morning) and watched him eat them immediately. His poops look ok too so I'm starting to think I was just being paranoid. He looks really good. Just wanted the best for him!
 
gsurfn said:
I got home today at 830 and he was showing his relaxed colors and was actually quite active. I put in a couple of crickets (he ate the 10 I put in there this morning) and watched him eat them immediately. His poops look ok too so I'm starting to think I was just being paranoid. He looks really good. Just wanted the best for him!
Click to expand...

Thats great! :D

Just a side note....don't feed him too late at night before his lights go off as he needs time to bask to digest his food. Feeding in the am and up to early afternoon would be better for him :)
 
sometimes they go to sleep in weird places but if its every time he goes to sleep there is most likely to be something wrong.
Im not sure if thats any help x
 
Sounds like the lights went off. Keith was quite amusing when I first got him, he'd obviously be walking around and 'boom' lights out. I caught him upside down on a branch once. I started fading lights out one by one and he now gets the oppurtunity to find his favourite spot for sleeping. UV lights off first, then basking light and then the room lights. The basking light is good because it continues to glow in the dark for an hour after lights off so he can find his way to sleep spot when the lights go out.
 
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