# Sleeping Chameleon



## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Hello,

Recently got my first chameleon, a baby yehmen about 3" long.
I have read in several places that chameleons never nap during the day, but mine seems to. Not all the time, only every so often. She also seems to settle down for the night at this sort of time of the day every day, before I turn off the UV.
Is this normal?

Thanks
Ben


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## luvcats22 (Apr 24, 2009)

what uv light are you using? and how close can she get?


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## kato (May 12, 2007)

Chameleons generally sleep at night when the lights are out. During the day they either bask under there UV light(5.0 UVB generally) if they want some rays or spot light(60 watt) if they want to warm up or the Chameleon should climb around there enclosure looking for food.

If I was you I would check the lights are right and also that the Chamelon can get close enough to the light source without getting burnt.


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for the quick reply, I have a 5.0 UV strip bulb and a hot spot for her. She can get as close as the likes to the UV and about 6" away from the 60w spot lamp.
Im wondering if its the stress of a new house and stuff, only had her a few days.
She has spent all day today basicly touching the UV lamp though, and I havent seen her hunting today, but the past few days she has.
Thanks


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## scarlet245 (Oct 6, 2009)

it could be the move to a new home they do stress easy and it is early days. is she drinking off her leaves? what is your humidity? it is always best to let them settle in for a week or two just you standing there looking at her close will stress her and mine always go to their bed branch about an hour or so before lights out just to get comfy lol make sure all crix are removed before lights go out too as they little monsters can bite your little girl this will stress her to hope this helps


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## Higgt4 (Apr 25, 2009)

Btolcher said:


> Hello,
> 
> Recently got my first chameleon, a baby yehmen about 3" long.
> I have read in several places that chameleons never nap during the day, but mine seems to. Not all the time, only every so often. She also seems to settle down for the night at this sort of time of the day every day, before I turn off the UV.
> ...


My two year old male is usually in his 'bed' before his lights go out, even more so during the colder time of year, about autumn to spring as a rough guide.
Don't remember him sleeping during the day though.


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

Btolcher said:


> Hello,
> 
> Recently got my first chameleon, a baby yehmen about 3" long.
> I have read in several places that chameleons never nap during the day, but mine seems to. Not all the time, only every so often. She also seems to settle down for the night at this sort of time of the day every day, before I turn off the UV.
> ...


 
What are the temps at the basking spot?
ambient temps?
cool end?
Laura x


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for your feedback.
Not sure she is getting any better, she seems to have been sleeping almost all day today. 
The inclosure I have is a mesh one, about 3 foot heigh. The heat bulb is on a thermostat set at 85F, with the themostat in the middle of the inclosure, the bottom is at around 70F and the top heigher, with 65% humidity.
I mist the inclosure twice dairly, although today is the only time I have seen her activly drinking.
For the past few days I have not seen her activly hunting either and she isnt interested if I hold any infront of her.

Starting to get quite worried now.

Thanks
Ben


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Also she seems to be spending most of her time in the lower parts of the incloser 
Thanks


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## bfol45 (Nov 1, 2009)

I have this SAME exact problem hah everything is exact.. i just bought my veiled chameleon a few days ago and its spending most of its time near the bottom of the enclosure and sleeping a lot in this one branch i have in the cage during the day.. it drinks all the drops of water on the leaves and eats a little but its still making me worried too. i have no idea what could cause this


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

Please try to post pics x


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## bfol45 (Nov 1, 2009)

I will try to get some pictures of it sleeping later when i get home from work


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Ok, fingers crossed the pics have worked:

























Had her out this morning and she is showing no interest in food again, although was dead keen to have some water.

Thanks


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

Do you have your UVb inside the enclosure? Try putting it on the outside.


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

What size food are you feeding her?


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

She looks to be ever so slightly dehydrated to me in the second picture. 

I'd say that although the enclosure is lovely and you've done a fine job, for a 3" baby it may be too large.

Also, I'm assuming you're in the UK. An all mesh enclosure seems good on paper as it has fabulous ventilation, however in our climate it can simply be a very drafty and cold plae to live, the heat coming from your bulb isn't held in by anything and if the rest of your house is cooling down as we progress to winter, things are only getting worse. 

Your heat bulb is set to 85F on the thermostat (these things are never calibrated accurately) but have you measured the temperatures throughout the enclosure with a good quality digital thermometer? The analog dial thermometers are next to useless. It may be that it's colder in there than you think.


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

I'm feeding her crickets and locusts, between 1-1.5cm long.
I have blocked off two sides of the enclosure with bin lines attached on the outside to try and keep the heat in and have just moved the thermometer to middle so I can get a reading there.
This is a pic of her today, as the ones earlier were from yesterday








Thanks


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

Saedcantas said:


> She looks to be ever so slightly dehydrated to me in the second picture.
> 
> I'd say that although the enclosure is lovely and you've done a fine job, for a 3" baby it may be too large.
> 
> ...


 
Very true.
I keep young chams in glass exo terra habitats, little uns arent as good as older chams at regulating their body temps. I use mesh for older chams, but I keep them all in one room, so the temps stay high.
Do you have a glass enclosure you could use while she grows on abit?


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

No I dont have a glass one, I was going to get a glass one but decided a mesh one would be more economical in the long run.
I think your right, she may be too cold, the thermometer in the middle is registering 80F and she has spent all morning up the top near the basking lamp, dark on the side facing it.
What sort of size would you recomend for a cham that size? 30x30x45?


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

That size would be fine, when my first clutch of veileds hatched, i had them in a mesh enclosure and noticed that some would close their eyes and remain dark. Once I had moved them into glass, hey presto, eyes open, nice and green!
Also I have a instant temp gun now, which gives acurate readings straight away, as I had reall trouble with the exo terra thermometers.


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

How long would you say she would be able to stay in a smaller inclosure like that? In two minds as the next size up 45x45x60 would last her longer but isnt alot smaller than the current one, although the crickets wont be able to climb up the sides and get away from her.
Thanks
Ben


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

Some people have kept chams in glass enclosures the whole of their lives without complaint. Get the next size up and when she is big enough you can move her into the mesh one again. You can check her poos and urates more easily in glass enclosures and like you say, the crickets are easier to catch!
Temps are also alot more stable in a glass enclosure. Keep the bottom free of substrate for now, to make it easier for her to find crickets, if you prefere to use substrate, you can always add it later once she has had a few sheds etc and is bigger
laura x


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Been out a brought her a new viv, a glass 45x45x60cm one. She is not responding at all anymore though, just keeping her eyes shut and doing nothing. I have tried offering her water but she is not interested, not looking too good


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

oh my goodness, is she in the new viv?


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## moody232002 (Jan 5, 2009)

it could be too hot for her,babies don't need as hot temps as older chams. Try and bring it down to around 80 degrees and see how she responds.
She looks a bit dehydrated in one of the pics,what colour are her urates?
try misting her enclosure three times a day with lukewarm water,Mine loves to be sprayed but i'm not sure i'd do that with her.

mabey try getting her some fruit flies while she is still so young.

Sleeping during the day isn't a good sign,but it could be something as simple as unhappy husbandry.

Have you got a herp vet near you that could do a feacal test for parasites? not to panic you but i am an avid campaigner for these as i lost my beloved missy to this and hate to think of other people losing such great creatures.

good luck and i hope things get better

keep us posted


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Well I installed her in her new viv last night and she seems to have perked up a bit today, still some sleeping but some activity too, just a waiting game now I think.

Thanks for your help everyone


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

This is her this morning, looking a bit more awake again but still havent seen her hunting. She has done a few fresh poos though which I guess means she must have been eating


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

awww, is she still spending time with her eyes closed? what are the temps now?


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## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

I haven't read through the whole thread but only just selective read some of the posts here. Can I suggest you that it's not only the temp ( too hot or too cold) that could cuase the chameleon close her eyes during the day time.

What have you been feeding her, how do you gut load the live food and how do you give calcium to your cham? There might be some other causes besides the set up.


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

felix93 said:


> I haven't read through the whole thread but only just selective read some of the posts here. Can I suggest you that it's not only the temp ( too hot or too cold) that could cuase the chameleon close her eyes during the day time.
> 
> What have you been feeding her, how do you gut load the live food and how do you give calcium to your cham? There might be some other causes besides the set up.


true, could be linked to vitamin a,lack of or excess of.


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

I think the new viv should certainly help matters, but I agree, you should also look at the other possible causes such as diet and supplimentation


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Btolcher said:


> This is her this morning, looking a bit more awake again but still havent seen her hunting. She has done a few fresh poos though which I guess means she must have been eating
> image


Hiya,

She's looking more dehydrated than ever in this picture. 
I agree it would be good to have a good look at your overall husbandry and make sure you haven't picked up anything erroneous from shops etc!


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Not good news this morning, after it was looking like she was getting a bit better she has had a major turn for the worse.
She is barely responding at all now, and has gotten very weak, going to try finding a vet


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

She has just died


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## ESAB (May 22, 2009)

I am so so sorry for your loss, I have been watching this thread hoping that there would be some good news, i havent input as I am still learning about chams myself, big hugs to you :grouphug: RIP little one xx


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

OMG. Im so sorry I couldnt have helped more! jees. I think you did everything you could for the wee girl, im so sorry this has happened. big hugs
Laura xxxxxxx


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## moody232002 (Jan 5, 2009)

such a sad outcome, small babies are hard to care for especially if you are inexperience(not saying you are/was)
i learned from my mistakes my very first cham was only a month old and i lost him within two weeks.
hugs to you i know it hurts when you lose them.you did your best and don't let it put you off,i unfortunaty lost two (second one to a worm infestation that was missed)before i got Mista and he is flourishing every day. i've had him nine months now and i got him slightly older than solo and missy(4 months).The joy he brings to my life is amazing.


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## Chameleoco (Jul 10, 2009)

P.M'd you x


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Thank you for your kind words everyone


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

Just been to the pet shop where I got her from to see if they might know why she died and they offered me a replacement one free of charge. This one is a little smaller but has a bit more bulk to her, she was the livelyest one out of the bunch, so fingers crossed for this time.


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## lgscas0708 (Oct 12, 2009)

sorry to hear about the first baby cham, they are lovely little things but do seem rather difficult to keep and with certain no-nothing garden centres coff coff "baytree spalding" giving you all the wrong advice and selling you all the wrong equip ie. wrong compacts and only reccomended nutrobol no calci dust ect. 
you do start off in the completely wrong direction,

HOWEVER with sites like this and people like chameleoco on hand to offer advice and help all the way things do seem to get better, as last week our little baby seemed like he was hanging on by a thread however is now hunting away and seeming happier and healthier than ever and has just finished his first shed since we got him  a picture of our BUD the day we got him, and good luck with the lil girl,


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## moody232002 (Jan 5, 2009)

good lock with the new baby,keep us posted on progress:2thumb:


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

I'm really sorry for you having lost your new pet 

However I feel that we effectively watched your chameleon slip into dehydration via pictures, every picture showed a more dangerously dehydrated baby chameleon and that problem doesn't seem to have been focussed on.

Dehydration is the biggest killer of baby and juvenile chameleons, keep us updated on the progress of your new chameleon and pay close attention to the temperatures throughout your viv, lets work together to make sure this doesn't happen again


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## Btolcher (Oct 28, 2009)

This one is seeming much more healthy, really activly eating and drinking and very lively


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