Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hes doing it again.
He sits under his basking like with his mouth partly open. he does it when im not in the room or even anywhere near the cage, so hes got me worried that something might be wrong. He is still eating whatever i put infront of him, and when i mist the cage he doesnt seem to want to drink anything. He is still energetic, he doesnt hiss, and his colors are normal, so i dont think it is stress. Temperatures are in the mid 70s, and in the mid 90's under the basking lamp. His mouth and teeth look ok (as far as i know. There doesnt seem to be a buildup of oddly colored fluid, and his teeth are bright white). Anyone else have this sort of thing? Or am i dealing with one ^&%*^% strange lizard?

Jeff

One time he was doing this and sneezed. I am going to attempt a full cage clean tomorrow in case there is somthing in there irritating his nose/throat/lungs.

I suggest raising the heat lamp about 2.5 inches. The intensity could be getting to him evven if the heat isn;t. Doesn't make much sense when you think about it, but I have had similar experiences.
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CANADIAN CHAMELEONS

you might want to hold off on the cage disruption since he is still sort of new to everything. Check his temps again - sorry, don't recall what you use to check but a temp gun is most accurate - you can even check the temp of his skin!

If he is only doing it under his basking light it may be too hot or, as Will said, too close. Cyrus' basking lamp sits right on the screen but it is in a large, ceramic socket dome so the bulb is actually several inches from the screen.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
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I don't think you need to disturb anything. Chams often start gaping right before they decide to move out of the basking spot. They have reached their "operating temp", are getting a bit too warm, and will usually move. As long as he can move out of the heat whenever he wants, he should be fine. I suspect you'll see a pattern. He basks, starts to gape, and the next time you see him he will be somewhere else in the cage. If he were really overheated he would be showing a very pale light coloration.

Hey all,
The basking lamp is 7 inches above him and is going through the mesh of the cage. I also have a setup that allows some airflow directly under the light so it doesnt heat up the mesh. Charle also has places farther from the light if he still wants to bask. I didnt see him doing it today, and yesterday was really warm in the house. Ill check next time the air outside is warm.

Thanks,
Jeff