Senegal Chameleon Named Carl Dreams of Africa

So i recently purchased a Senegal Chameleon from a man that I planned to buy a savannah monitor from. I ended up coming home with both but he is in a repti breeze enclosure, not a very small one but not huge either. Recently he has been spending a lot of time at the bottom of his cage walking back and forth seemingly trying to find a way out. whenever i open the cage he will climb right on me. I usually put him on an artificial vine that is on my curtain rod by my window. He will climb down the vine and walk back and forth rubbing his nose on the glass, obviously wanting to go outside. I take him out occasionally but not for too long and its usually in his enclosure to get some real sunlight. Is it bad for him to be constantly trying to get out of his cage and out the window? because he will do it for hours and I just end out taking him out of his cage every day. My local reptile shop said that as long as i keep an eye on him, this is alright. Im just a little concerned about his stress. Is this going to be harmful for him?

 

Maybe you should post more details about his set-up. Exactly how big is his cage?

 

18x18x36. It has artificial foliage in it with paper towels on the bottom instead of substrate. Do you think I should try a live plant?

 

Sometimes they are reacting to reflections in the glass, which can be stressful if they think it's another cham.

I'd say keep him away from glass/reflective surfaces or cover the window (inside) with some paper and see if he calms down.

Does he have enough foliage in the enclosure for him to climb and hide in? (I don't think it really matters, real or fake) Maybe he feels too exposed (?)

 

Here are some pictures. Its set up the same way it was when I got it, minus a ghetto rigged waterfall. I took that out because I know its not a reliable source of fresh water because of bacteria. I was thinking maybe he just needs a little change in his habitat?

 

Is that coil UVB bulb? Don't those cause eye problems? (Or is that just a myth?)

 

The coil bulbs only seem to have a problem if they are higher than a 5.0

Can you add more foliage draping down to the bottom? You can get super cheap foliage at craft stores, walmart, the dollar store, etc...

A live plant wouldn't be a bad idea though, it would help with humidity.

 

Yeah that makes sense. Ive also heard that the coil UVB bulbs cause eye problems but never heard any actual cases or anything that proved it true. If anyone could tell me why or show me something to help understand if this is true or not, I will switch to the UVB tube. Ill add some more foliage to the bottom and see how it turns out. thanks!

 

we have had members here using the 10.0 bulb and then having bearded dragons not being able to open their eyes, and then upon switching to a different bulb, the dragon regains sight. Hope that helps.

We have had many people use the 5.0 bulb with no problems.

 

Ah alright. I do have the 5.0 so thanks for giving me an example. I think I found out one reason why my Senegal chameleon has been acting weird. I took him out today and he immediately gripped my finger really hard and was trying to mate with my hand. It took me a while to get him off! I feel sorry for the female chameleon cause those claws would hurt! Looks like ill be searching for a healthy female soon! Do you guys think some of his strange attitude may have to do with him reaching sexual maturity?

 

I have always put live plants in my cham cages because they hold moisture better, grow with the cham, and they bring up the humidity. I definitely wouldnt say that it is a necessity but I think that it would be better for your cham. artifical or real plant...you should still wash both of them before you put them in

 

HA! Mating season. Yeah, that will make him want to get out and wander. He's looking for love!

 

lol yeah, looks like ill be looking for a mate for him! any ideas where to get a female senegal? Preferably one that is not wc and is sexually mature. Though that would probably be hard to find..but its better to wait for the best options to pop up than to go and buy a wild caught female with parasites. The fact that its wild caught consent really bother me, as long as she's healthy. I asked my reptile shop to keep an eye out for a healthy female and they said they would. Any other ideas?

 

He doesn't NEED a female.... unless you want to deal with eggs and babies.

 

Yeah I would definitely quarantine her. I don't mind dealing with the babies. As long as I get an air conditioned shed I can put all my animals in. Anyone know the lifespan of Senegals? i heard its not too long

 

Im sad to announce that my Senegal Chameleon recently died I wasn't sure what was wrong with him, though I have a hunch that it was stress and parasites. I did not want to spend the money on a necropsy in order to find the cause. He will be missed!

 

sorry to hear it