Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey im new to this forum and had a quick question about my new veiled's movements. He seems to "hesitate" (best word i can use to describe it)a lot when climbing on branches. Is this normal for chameleons? I'm wondering if he's maybe just stressed out or something because i just got him about two or three Days ago. Set-up is perfect and the chameleon is about 5 months old now. Branches are a good size for him to grasp on to (3/8". Each time he takes a step he goes back and forth with his leg about 3-5 times before he makes his grab. Just was wondering if this is normal behavior or do i just have a strange chameleon, lol...
Regards,
Mike

Its perfectly normal! Its thought to be an imitation of leaves swaying in the wind...but when they do it in captivity it just looks strange.

Good, because i was beginning to wonder if i got stuck with a retarded chameleon or something . Other than that he seems otherwise healthy; so i'm pretty lucky there considering he was a mail-order purchase. Just thought of one other thing thats on my mind though. Does it mean anything particular when they open their mouth? Mine has been doing that since i got it; not a lot...maybe once or twice a day. Is that a sign of hunger? Or could it be stress-related? I'm going to stop guessing and leave it to someone who's got a bit more experience under their belt,, so to speak.
Best Regards,
Mike

Gaping can be caused by something simple like overheating or not wanting you to be so close to it or it can be the result of something more serious like a respiratory infection.

If its a respiratory infection, the chameleon might also be wheezing and have excess mucus in its mouth....and should be seen by a vet.

If the gaping is caused by being too hot, you can find out by turning off the heat light for a few minutes which should cool the cage and make him stop. Is he sitting under the heat light when he does this gaping?

If its because he doesn't want you in his space, you can determine this by watching him in such a way that he can't see you and see if he gapes when you aren't in site. One more thought, can he see you or himself in any reflective surfaces (mirrors or glass) around his cage? Can he see another chameleon or animal? Does he show aggressive posture along with this gaping?

I'm hoping that this gaping will not be anything serious!

Yeah i'm not sure what it is he's trying to tell me. I do have a 100 watt basking bulb in my clamp lamp, but my enclosure is of relatively good size (3'x2'x4') especially for the size chameleon i have right now (5 month old-7 inches.) Plus, the temp at the highest basking spot he can sit at only reaches a high of 91 degrees. I've been hoping it'd get higher by continued use but thats not the case. Btw, i keep my lights on a 12/12 cycle. So i don't think it's the heat that's doing it, although i've only seen him do it while on that side of the cage.

I do tend to get pretty close to my cage when viewing. This is partly due to his small size...and i also just want to see how much he's changing colors, because pretty soon he'll be getting his adult colors. This could be why he's gaping. He does also puff up his body and hiss shortly after. I'm thinking this is a sign that he feels threatened and wants to protect himself by making himself as big and dangerous as possible? I've never had more than 3 people view him at once, and i make sure they don't make any sudden movements and such.

I'm not sure aobut the respiratory problem...i hope he doesn't have one! I don't see any signs of excess mucus, but then again this is my first chameleon and i don't exactly know what excess implies. Is it dripping? No. Do i notice it? No. So i guess that's good a good sign. I will read more about respiratory problems now that you've mentioned it though. Just want to rule out for sure. (live in small town and can't find a good herp vet at the moment...still looking.)

I do have two 10 gallon fish tanks about 2 or 3 feet across from his cage. Not sure if he'd be able to see his reflection in those or not. Their not directly across, but there is a possiblity of that now that i think about it. If worse comes to worse, i could always move my saltwater and freshwater to a different location. But they just work so nicely where they are right now (for me.)

Thank you soo much for all the suggestions and help.
Take care,
Mike

If he is only doing the gaping when he's on the warm side of the cage, it could be that he's just hot. Since its a baby/young one, it can overheat faster than an adult due to the smaller body size...so I generally don't let the basking site for babies get to be more than 84F or so.

You said..."He does also puff up his body and hiss shortly after. I'm thinking this is a sign that he feels threatened and wants to protect himself by making himself as big and dangerous as possible?"...you are right....that is what he's doing!

Regarding your questions about respiratory problems...I can't really tell you what the mucus would be like since I've never seen it myself...only read/heard about it. I did have one Meller's with a severe respiratory problem, but when he came to me it was so obvious that I didn't even have to check for mucus. I can't be sure that yours doesn't have a respiratory problem...I'm not a vet...but I expect that he's gaping from the other possibilities we discussed.

You said you "can't find a good herp vet at the moment"...its not the easiest thing to do even if you live in a big town...but I'd keep on looking if I were you...just so you have one available when there is a need.

How big are the fish? Chameleon's do have good eyesite. Try putting something between the fish and the chameleon so that he can't see them or the tanks for a day or so and see if it makes any difference in his gaping.

You are welcome for the suggestions! I know what a worry it can be keeping chameleons. I've had chameleons for over 15 years now and they still worry me!

Thanks Kinyonga, but isn't 5 months old considered reaching adulthood? I thought 6 months was the mark of adulthood (adult colors become more apparent.) In retrospect, yeah...he's pretty young, but he IS ALMOST an adult so i would think that no longer qualifies him as a "baby". Anyways, that isn't very relevant anyways because the gaping has not been an issue of late. For the past couple days i haven't seen him do it at all. Granted ive been a little busier, but for some reason feel he's adjusting better now. He's got quite the appetite and LOVES hunting for the crickets i throw in there for him. It's fun to watch him stretch and bend in ways i didnt think possible for him! I suppose he is a teenager though so he's still got that "youth energy/spunk" inside him. I can't get a good picture out, (my camera stinks) but once i do i'll post it on here for you guys and gals. He's starting to show colors in the slightest form...i mean he's still pretty much green but i can see the stripes and dots starting to show through. It won't be long until i have a beatiful reptile. I think hes beautifull right now!
My fish arent big at all...i have a pajama cardinal in my saltwater and a striped angel and some tetras in my fw. Big disaster with saltwater tank a few months back, but i won't get into that! That's a whole 'nother post and basically its just a sad story. Oh yeah, i don't think he can see most my fish though because his "active area" is away from the fish tanks. So i Should be fine there but you're right if it does become a problem i'll have to consider a diff. location.
Sorry this post is lengthy, its 3 a.m. and i can't sleep.
Best regards,
Mike (oh so tired mike that can't sleep mike.)

Again, you are welcome!

5 months is approaching adulthood if the chameleon is growing quickly....and its his body size that's important regarding my comment.

Glad to hear that he's not gaping any more! Good to hear that he's eating well too! Looking forward to seeing a picture!

Do you know that veileds will eat plants, veggies, fruit, greens, etc. once they are mature? (This is why its important to put non-toxic plants in chameleon cages.)

I'm glad to hear that he's starting to show his colors! They can be very beautiful!

I've heard that saltwater tanks are not the easiest things to get going...so you are doing well to have one set up now! Sorry to hear that you had trouble at first.

You said...."its 3 a.m. and i can't sleep"...I have that problem too! Take care!