# chameleon lying on side



## roy01 (Jul 15, 2011)

can anyone please tell me why my chameleon keeps lying on his side and keeps holding his own legs and when he is put back in the viv he will just fall over and stay there and he also hangs upside down alot but he has no trouble walking on branches ect


----------



## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Check your upper temps, in the import business if we ever saw Chams lying down it was an indicator of the viv being too hot. Cool it down if this is the case.

Other than that always seek a vet first!!!

John


----------



## GAD58Y (May 12, 2008)

this sounds to me like he has mbd,and i would start to look at your uv and your supplement routine.i would also take him for a check up at the vets
what uv bulb/tube are you using?
what supplements are you using?

graeme


----------



## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

No idea on chams, but dont some species 'play dead'? Wonder if something could be spooking it.


----------



## nicola729 (Mar 6, 2010)

This is a friend of mine there are two uv strips lights in there and the temps are all fine hes happily walking around the viv and basking and happily sits on your hand fine when hes out its just as soon as hes put back in he grabs his own feet and falls to his side he also does this if put on a flat surface? its as though he can only hold branches? his food is being dusted with calcium and all crickets are being coated in cricket dust aswell.


----------



## Taibek (Jul 7, 2011)

nicola729 said:


> This is a friend of mine there are two uv strips lights in there and the temps are all fine hes happily walking around the viv and basking and happily sits on your hand fine when hes out its just as soon as hes put back in he grabs his own feet and falls to his side he also does this if put on a flat surface? its as though he can only hold branches? his food is being dusted with calcium and all crickets are being coated in cricket dust aswell.


 
Any idea when the bulbs were last changed?


----------



## nicola729 (Mar 6, 2010)

about a month ago when they got him


----------



## Taibek (Jul 7, 2011)

nicola729 said:


> about a month ago when they got him


 
I honestly havent got a clue then, it sounds like your set up is fine, 

is it almost like he cant tell the difference between his legs and branches?

Chameleons do let themselves fall as a defensive mechanism, he could be scared of you if he's only doing this when he's in the viv? 

Has he done this since you guys had him?


----------



## nicola729 (Mar 6, 2010)

yeah hes always done it. It is just like he cant tell the difference he just wants to hold on all the time. Its mostly when hes in the viv and ehrn hes out its only when you put him onto a flat surface like the floor sofa etc. So do you think hes just a bit stupid and acting dead as a defence?


----------



## Taibek (Jul 7, 2011)

nicola729 said:


> yeah hes always done it. It is just like he cant tell the difference he just wants to hold on all the time. Its mostly when hes in the viv and ehrn hes out its only when you put him onto a flat surface like the floor sofa etc. So do you think hes just a bit stupid and acting dead as a defence?


Chances are he could just be stressed, when i spray mine he'll often grab his tail by accident, he might just need a bit more time to settle in. Bear in mind, if you've only had him for a month and you're handling him fairly often then he really isnt getting a chance to settle in.

Try covering him and leaving him alone except for spraying feeding etc for a few days .

Chams are un-naturally prone to stress


----------



## nicola729 (Mar 6, 2010)

thanks alot for your help we will try leaving him alone for a while see if he settles in a bit more


----------



## Taibek (Jul 7, 2011)

nicola729 said:


> thanks alot for your help we will try leaving him alone for a while see if he settles in a bit more


If there's no improvement then deffo take him to a vet  

:welcome:


----------



## cherylrandall2010 (Mar 2, 2011)

how old is he? and how long u had him? as i rescued a young cham he was only about 1 1/2 to 2 months old and he already had sighns of MBD because the breeder did noy give any uv from a hatchlin so i boosted his calcium and vit and mins but there was to much damage to this little fella which showed as he started the way you are describing but then started showing in his face as he got bigger and his legs started getting more deformed...but he did not servive i think to much neglect on him dont think the :censor: fed him....but it does sound like MBD so i would get some vit d liquid for him as this will help with absorbsion of calcium and if it is something else it wont hurt him...so its worth a try....i hope he improves soon :flrt:


----------



## nicola729 (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks will give that a go too. He came with the complete setup and have been told hes around 4 years old. My first thought was mbd thinking his legs might have a slight deformity but then i thought the fact that he walks around with no problems on his branches and stuff in the viv? He looks perfect when his in his viv. Do chams also sleep upside down hanging by their tail alot? I was thinking more like stress after reading Taibek's comments yesterday because he hasnt really eaten alot either?


----------



## chameleonjohn (Apr 17, 2008)

can you supply a picture of the cham in his setup ?


----------



## GAD58Y (May 12, 2008)

what type of vitamins are you giving him?


graeme


----------



## nicola729 (Mar 6, 2010)

ill try and get a photo up as soon as possible like i said it belongs to a friend of mine 
thanks for the help though :2thumb:


----------

