Weird Observation...

[Manda509]

So the other night i was reading or i should say pretending to read my textbook in bed and was really watching my 2yr old vailed, Jango, just kickin it around in his cage. I started to think about how i have never seen him with his tale all curled up, sometimes he will have maybe the last inch to inch and a half lightly curled but i have never seen it curled up very much at all like i see lots of chams doing in pics on this forum. Is this normal? is he just not comfortable yet? (i have only had him since Xmas) Any ideas please let me know. He seems to be doing well as far as health goes, no problems there but im worried maybe he is just not "happy" for some reason.

 

[ChameleonNerd]

although i never learned what the tail often being curled or often not being curled means, i do know that plenty of chams don't often have their tail rolled all the way up. some do a half roll, some just roll the end, some roll all the way up.

rolling and un-rolling i do know could be a sexual sign right before mating. keeping it outright and not rolled at all, could be a defensive sign.. but i have also seen chameleons roll their tail up all the way when being defensive

 

[BeBoSON]

I've only seen my cham do it when its time to go to sleep. Then pretty much the only time I've seen any chams do it.

 

[ChameleonNerd]

actually, now that i think of it, my cham started doing it more and more as she got older

 

[Elizadolots]

I think it is a grown up chameleon thing. I've had one of mine since he was little (not sure of the age, he was "the runt" and tiny, but I thought he was 7 months old...and he was tiny) and he used to sleep with the most artistic tail patterns you can imagine (he's a Fischer's and has a really long tail)...he'd have double loops or a long straight tail with a little tight loop at the bottom...all sorts of things...now, he wraps that thing up tight for the night.

 

[Solid Snake]

Along with using it as an appendage, they roll unroll the tail to maintain balance. They center there balance at nite so they dont fall! They get all bunched up and roll in the tail as a counter weight. All chams are different and at different stages of growth will need different tail positions

 

[saintarv]

My panther only does it at night when he's sleeping.

 

[Aussie]

My 1 month old cham curls his up tight every time he sleeps, it's adorable haha http://www.aandersonphoto.com/Other/Roger/20925075_S8SGCt#!i=1664701298&k=34Rthpx

 

[Robyrango]

My Panther always did, since he was 3/4 month old but just when is bed time..

 

[camimom]

My opinion, and this is JUST my OPINION, is that as the chams get older, and get bigger, they will roll their tails up at night to make themselves seem smaller.
In the wild, when they sleep is when they are most vulnerable to attack, so by rolling the tail close to the body, it makes them seem smaller, and it prevents injury to the tail if something were to try to attack them as the tail can help with balance.

Now, as for your cham, I have had my male veiled since he was 2 weeks old. He did not start rolling his tail until he was about 5-6 months old.
So, I think as someone else said, its just a sign of maturity.
As long as the tail does not appear injured, and he can still use it, then I would not worry.

 

[Manda509]

thanks

thanks everybody for the quick responses, i was just wondering.
i know he is perfectly healthy and probably happy, but i know he will be much happier next week when all the new stuff for the setup arrives. He moves it and uses it just fine was just wondering about the roll up, come to think of it he prolly does it at night but i cant see it, he is super ninja hider at night, always in the same corner but very hidden.

 

[Carlton]

My adult wc verrucosus never coiled his tail that I remember. He seemed to forget where he left it much of the time. Some species coil and uncoil their tails as part of their territorial display too.

 

[TyggyToo]

When really good photographers get a pic of their cham with the tails all coiled, you can be sure they used clothes pins and sealing wax.

Not to be taken seriously,
Tyg