Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Everyday(give or take half an hour) at 4:30, my 3 month olf panther goes down the ficus tree and curls up his tail and doesnt move. I have interpreted this as his wanting to sleep so I turn off the heat and uv bulb at about 5:00. Then, I go in 10 min later and hs little eyes are closed and he's asleep. Is this normal? Is this him telling me" hey, turn off the lights and let me sleep"? I really don't know when he wakes up since im never up before 8:00 in the morning, so i have someone else turn on the lights. Thanks
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A truly wise man will always be humbled.

he could just be resting. Don't know exactly though but if he does that and his eyes are closed something is wrong. Just because he does that doesn't mean you have to turn out the lights. turn them out at around 8-8:30 and turn them back on at the same time in the morning
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1.0 veiled chameleons(Rocket)

>>he could just be resting. Don't know exactly though but if he does that and his eyes are closed something is wrong. Just because he does that doesn't mean you have to turn out the lights. turn them out at around 8-8:30 and turn them back on at the same time in the morning
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>>1.0 veiled chameleons(Rocket)

Oh wait, I think I gave the wrong impression. He doesnt close his eyes and sleep UNTIL I turn out the lights. Until then(at about 4-5 p.m.), he will just find a spot in the cage, curl up his tail, and just kind of rest. I will leave the lights on longer tomorrow to see if he starts moving but I think I did that once and once he's curled (his tail that is), he's pretty much done for the day. Mind you, he is moderately active(for a cham) and definitly does not stay in one place(he moves all over) until he curls. He also seems to have eating in "binges" when he'll go 3 or 4 days without eating much then pig out. Thanks for all the help.
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A truly wise man will always be humbled.

>>>>he could just be resting. Don't know exactly though but if he does that and his eyes are closed something is wrong. Just because he does that doesn't mean you have to turn out the lights. turn them out at around 8-8:30 and turn them back on at the same time in the morning
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>>>>1.0 veiled chameleons(Rocket)
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>>Oh wait, I think I gave the wrong impression. He doesnt close his eyes and sleep UNTIL I turn out the lights. Until then(at about 4-5 p.m.), he will just find a spot in the cage, curl up his tail, and just kind of rest. I will leave the lights on longer tomorrow to see if he starts moving but I think I did that once and once he's curled (his tail that is), he's pretty much done for the day. Mind you, he is moderately active(for a cham) and definitly does not stay in one place(he moves all over) until he curls. He also seems to have eating in "binges" when he'll go 3 or 4 days without eating much then pig out. Thanks for all the help.
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Chamlver or anyone else, any thoughts???????????
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A truly wise man will always be humbled.

don't know about the food thing. He might be on a hunger strike not wanting to eat crix and then he gets hungry so he eats a lot. try puting in some horn worms and silkies in there and h should get exited and eat normally
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1.0 veiled chameleons(Rocket)

>>don't know about the food thing. He might be on a hunger strike not wanting to eat crix and then he gets hungry so he eats a lot. try puting in some horn worms and silkies in there and h should get exited and eat normally
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>>1.0 veiled chameleons(Rocket)

What about the sleep thing? How do you chams let you know when they want to sleep? Do they do the curl tail thing and not move? The hornworms and silkies are a little big for a 1 1/2 inch(svl) panther aren't they? Oh, I should tell you that I got him on 11/26 so he is still relatively new. He does not appear to be losing weight and infact, i have noticed that he has gotten bigger.
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A truly wise man will always be humbled.

We too have a beautiful Panther that we bought when he was 3 months old. It took him a while to get use to our daily routine, but he did. He is just under 2 years old now, happy and healthy. Keep in mind that depending on where you live he may be affected by the change in the weather and that the days are a lot shorter, if he is able to see outside and it is dark that could be why he may want to go to sleep at 5 in the afternoon. Please remember that Cham's do not normally take naps during the day, this could be a sign that something is not right in his cage or he could be sick. I would suggust spending some time with him and trying to learn his habits and body language. Get up when the sun comes up and see if he starts to wake up too. Try little by little extening the time that his lights are on. We have ours on a timer, they go on at 7am and off at 8pm. Also our Panther was and still is a very picky and irregular eater. He would also go a few days not eating and then eat a lot. Since your Cham is so small I would try baby silkworms, they would be tiny enough for him and a nice treat. Good Luck!
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Scott & Mary Ann
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1 panther chams
2 jackson cham
2 leapord gecko
1 cat
1 dog

Everyone take a deep breath.....ahhhhh. Now that's better. OK, to start your Panther sounds perfectly normal. That is his sleeping position (tail curled up, and roosting in a safe spot). Unless he is not eating at all, sleeps a bunch during the day (active hours), and is losing weight I wouldn't waste another minute with anxiety. I don't think anything is wrong with him by the sounds of it. Remember, they all have their own personalities and will do things differently. My Panthers would do the same thing you describe and roost an hour or so before lights out. I just maintained a normal a normal light cycle and let them roost when they want....-

>>Everyone take a deep breath.....ahhhhh. Now that's better. OK, to start your Panther sounds perfectly normal. That is his sleeping position (tail curled up, and roosting in a safe spot). Unless he is not eating at all, sleeps a bunch during the day (active hours), and is losing weight I wouldn't waste another minute with anxiety. I don't think anything is wrong with him by the sounds of it. Remember, they all have their own personalities and will do things differently. My Panthers would do the same thing you describe and roost an hour or so before lights out. I just maintained a normal a normal light cycle and let them roost when they want....-

He is in a south facing room so he can see outside when it gets dark. It's good to hear that my panther is not the only one doing these "binge" eats. Also, he does not sleep or curl his tail at all during the day(until he roosts at about 4-5 p.m.). If he does not seem interested in food for the day, should i take the crix out and try again the next day? Thanks for all the help.
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A truly wise man will always be humbled.

Taking the crickets out is a good idea. Chameleons are pretty clever for lizards and will grow bored with the same food items if that is all they are offered. Silkworms, Lobster Roaches should be rotated with the crickets to keep him interested.