Why is our panther chameleon sleeping on the bottom of enclosure?

[Liucy311]

Hello! I am new to the forum and hoping to get some help since its too late to call any reptile stores or pet stores. Kyle and I have filled out Merlin's info below. Thank you!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Nosy Be/Ambilobe, M, about 4-5 months. Been under our care for merely a month.
• Handling - Once to move him from old cage to ex terra terrarium
• Feeding - Medium sized crickets? 15 every other day with 8 pm feeding time.
• Supplements - Calcium shaken with crickets during every feeding. Brand Minor All Calcium.
• Watering - Plant Leaf Dripper and Exo Terra Monsoon and spray bottle if needed. We setup auto misting system to schedule watering 4 times day for 16-18 seconds. He does drink from plants but I think out presence is stressing him out lately.
• Fecal Description - Brown and white, solid. Merlin, our little man has not been tested for parasites but we only have fed him crickets from reptile store.
• History - Lived in a screen cage prior to ex terra terrarium. Not too much history was provided.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Our enclosure is glass made from Exo Terra. It has a screen on top and the dimensions are 24x18x36.
• Lighting - Repti sun, UVB/LED light. Lights automatically turn on at 7:30 AM and turn off at 8 PM daily.
• Temperature - Not sure how to answer temperature range (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp is 74. During the day it stays around 85-87 We have been measuring temps by thermometer.
• Humidity - Humidity ranges from 50-80 by using a hydrometer.We also installed a computer fan to regulate moisture/humidity levels. The fan turns on every 7 times day/15 minutes each time.
• Plants - Yes we have a ficus, pathos, fern and another bromeliad.
• Placement - Our cage is located in our living room out of traffic area. It stands about 60" from floor to top of cage.
• Location - Phoenix, Arizona

Current Problem - The problem is we noticed Merlin was on the bottom of cage. At first it didn't seem as he was sleeping until we woke him and he moved back up to his normal spot to sleep. His limbs, eyes, body, etc all seemed ok. We also noticed he was shedding and this is the first time he has shed since we've had him. We just haven't seen any information regarding this issue. He doesn't look like he has RI but maybe dehydrated? Please advise!! Thank you!

 

[Liucy311]

Here is a picture of our enclosure

 

[HUBSonDUBS]

You say you feed him at 8pm???? I hope you mean 8am? I'd get him back into a larger SCREEN cage. Do you have a heat source for him at all or just the led lights?

 

[brownie64]

Is he sleeping during the day? because if he is not I would say he just got caught away from his normal sleeping area, and just went to sleep. If he isn't wanting to stay at the bottom, or sleeping during the day I think he is fine. Yes the heat range is basking to the bottom. He needs a gradient that is about 90 degrease at basking, to around 70 degrease ambient, to around the 60's at the bottom. or at night.

 

[Alexander1]

Is he going down there to sleep? Or is he going there during the day?

 

[ridgebax1]

Yes it all depends on when he is sleeping. If it is during the day that can indicate an illness. If he goes there to sleep at night I would let him sleep where he wants. My cham changes his sleeping spots frequently. I am concerned about the enclosure. Generally for a cham you want to avoid an all glass enclosure. One side and the top should be screen to allow for good air circulation. Also I would consider a larger cage 24x24x48 is the minimum for an adult male. Also are you sure it is a male? Females will go to the bottom to look for a place to lay eggs, which they will need to do whether they have been bred or not. Kind of like a hen, they lay eggs regardless of fertilization. I know you said the age is 4-5 months which is a bit young for egg laying but is it possible the cham is older than that? I would also feed daily if it truly is that young. Juvenile chams can eat quite a lot so I would let him/her have as much as it wants. You could also offer different types of bugs. Horn, silk, butter and phoenix worms are all good soft bodied insects. They have a good nutritional make up as well as helping with hydration due to the high moisture content. Good luck with the Monsoon. I had three of them within a year's time as they constantly broke because the circuitry is not waterproof. They have a great guarantee and replaced my machines without issue but it got old fast. I got an aquazamp but they are no longer in business and as far as I can tell Mist King is very reliable.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Only a guess here, There is a chance based on what you've said and shown that when combined with your region he might be going to the bottom of the cage to cool off. You need a better gradient possibly. Look into a dragon strand cage, I'm not found of the glass cage angle either.

 

[broderp]

You say you feed him at 8pm???? I hope you mean 8am? I'd get him back into a larger SCREEN cage. Do you have a heat source for him at all or just the led lights?

I agree, 8pm is not a good time, as they will need heat to aid in digestion. If you feed him at night then he may not properly digest food. A far as the screen cage, I disagree. There has been an age old battle over terrariums vs. screen cages. Search this web site. There is nothing wrong with a terrarium that allows proper air flow. I have the same one as you do. It is about the smallest size acceptable for some Chams if you read the info here on the forum. Going to a screen cage will increase your work in maintaining temps and humidity. Just my opinion...

I would also recommend removing any standing water source and adding more horizontal and or diagonal branches for your little guy to climb and perch on at different levels.

 

[Liucy311]

You say you feed him at 8pm???? I hope you mean 8am? I'd get him back into a larger SCREEN cage. Do you have a heat source for him at all or just the led lights?

Sorry for not being punctual and responding. We are new to this and keep trying to find time to reply! I so appreciate everyone's help! So, we have been feeding at night because that is when we are both home from work. We have been buying crickets merely everyday. We certainly have heat source for our little man. He has the LED and we also have an additional bulb for heating.

 

[Liucy311]

Is he sleeping during the day? because if he is not I would say he just got caught away from his normal sleeping area, and just went to sleep. If he isn't wanting to stay at the bottom, or sleeping during the day I think he is fine. Yes the heat range is basking to the bottom. He needs a gradient that is about 90 degrease at basking, to around 70 degrease ambient, to around the 60's at the bottom. or at night.

Thank you! Since this post, he has not slept at the bottom again. I think it was just a weird night and we caught him camping on the ground. He was shedding so we heard sometime a little moisture helps them. His terrarium's temp is gradient.

 

[Liucy311]

Yes it all depends on when he is sleeping. If it is during the day that can indicate an illness. If he goes there to sleep at night I would let him sleep where he wants. My cham changes his sleeping spots frequently. I am concerned about the enclosure. Generally for a cham you want to avoid an all glass enclosure. One side and the top should be screen to allow for good air circulation. Also I would consider a larger cage 24x24x48 is the minimum for an adult male. Also are you sure it is a male? Females will go to the bottom to look for a place to lay eggs, which they will need to do whether they have been bred or not. Kind of like a hen, they lay eggs regardless of fertilization. I know you said the age is 4-5 months which is a bit young for egg laying but is it possible the cham is older than that? I would also feed daily if it truly is that young. Juvenile chams can eat quite a lot so I would let him/her have as much as it wants. You could also offer different types of bugs. Horn, silk, butter and phoenix worms are all good soft bodied insects. They have a good nutritional make up as well as helping with hydration due to the high moisture content. Good luck with the Monsoon. I had three of them within a year's time as they constantly broke because the circuitry is not waterproof. They have a great guarantee and replaced my machines without issue but it got old fast. I got an aquazamp but they are no longer in business and as far as I can tell Mist King is very reliable.

Thanks for the feedback on everything! I'll keep in mind about mist king as well. We definitely have a male and a female now. They are in different cages at the moment. We are prepping new terrarium for her. Additionally, our glass enclosure is ventilated, has fans and screen top. His home is better than mine!