As a chameleon owner, you’ve likely seen your pet exhibit some strange behaviors. One of the most common is finding them hanging upside down in their enclosure. This seemingly bizarre pose can be alarming if you don’t understand why they do it Don’t worry – there are several logical reasons for this upside down position. Keep reading to find out why your chameleon hangs upside down and what you can do about it.
It’s More Common in Young Chameleons
The age of your chameleon plays a big role in how often they hang upside down. Hanging upside down is most common in baby and juvenile chameleons under one year old. As they grow into adulthood the frequency of this behavior decreases dramatically.
Young chameleons have a strong natural inclination to hang upside down. They feel secure and comfortable in this position. It allows them to easily survey their surroundings and watch for food or threats. The uneven weight distribution helps strengthen their grip and tail muscles. Their light body weight also makes inversion easy for hatchlings and juveniles.
If your hanging chameleon is under a year old, there’s a good chance age is the reason. As long as they can right themselves, have a good appetite, and seem active, inversion is nothing to worry about in youngsters.
Basking in the Glow of UV Light
Chameleons require high levels of UVB light to remain healthy. Without enough UVB radiation, they can develop metabolic bone disease from calcium deficiencies.
To soak up as much UVB as possible, chameleons will hang upside down very close to the UV bulb. The inverted posture exposes their back and sides fully to the light. This allows maximum UV absorption in their basking spot.
Pay attention to where your chameleon hangs upside down. If it’s right under the UV bulb, light absorption is likely the reason. Make sure the bulb is strong enough and changed frequently. Providing a quality UVB source prevents inversion due to deficiency.
Feeling Insecure in the Habitat
Chameleons are arboreal lizards that live high up in trees. When housed in enclosures with insufficient climbing space and foliage, they feel insecure and stressed. Common signs of insecurity include hanging upside down along the sides of the tank and attempting to climb out.
To remedy this, provide ample vertical climbing space and plants for hiding and cover. Add vines, branches, and live or silk plants throughout the enclosure. This mimics their natural habitat and makes them feel safe and comfortable. Reduce open areas since chameleons view them as vulnerable exposure.
Once their habitat is dense enough, you’ll notice less inverted hanging along the walls. Make sure to monitor plants daily for safety and replace them as needed. Proper habitat alterations can eliminate stress-related inversion.
Searching for a Mate
During breeding season, male chameleons become singularly focused on finding females. They frequently hang upside down along the upper walls of the enclosure searching for potential mates.
Bright mating colors and increased activity levels usually accompany this mating-related positioning. To limit injuries from abrasion on mesh lids, provide climbing branches near the top. Also use a tall enclosure with smooth sides and closely monitor the chameleon’s body for any wounds.
This mating season stress is temporary. Ensure proper habitat adjustments to let your casanova search safely. Keep other environmental factors optimal until breeding urges have passed.
Gravid Females Seeking Egg Laying Sites
When gravid with eggs, female chameleons grow restless while searching for suitable laying sites. Hanging upside down along the walls is common as they scout for digging locations.
Providing a deep laying bin filled with potting soil gives gravid females an ideal egg deposition site. This prevents unsafe digging in the enclosure substrate. Laying bins should be available at all times to give them a familiar, secure spot when gravid.
Monitor for other signs of gravidity like decreased appetite, shape changes, and material deposition for lure building. If you believe she is gravid, ensure the laying bin is ready to provide both comfort and safety.
Regulating Body Temperature
Chameleons are ectothermic reptiles that rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. Improper temperatures often cause them to hang upside down near heat lamps or in shaded areas.
A chameleon hanging upside down directly under a basking bulb is likely too cold. Provide sufficient warmth with an overhead incandescent bulb, under tank heater, or ceramic heat emitter. Measure temps with a digital thermometer at basking sites and make adjustments as needed.
They may also invert in shady areas if the habitat is too warm. Ensure the ambient temperature isn’t too high and there are cooler areas out of direct light. Proper heating is vital for health, digestion, and immunity.
When to Be Concerned
While inversion is normal chameleon behavior, there are times to worry. Contact an exotic veterinarian if the chameleon seems unable to right itself, lacks a righting reflex, falls frequently, or has balance issues. These signs could indicate a serious health problem requiring immediate treatment.
Also monitor appetite closely when a chameleon hangs upside down frequently. Loss of appetite often accompanies illness or injury. Note any changes in their regular eating habits.
Use common sense when observing your inverted chameleon. As long as they seem comfortable, show normal behaviors, and have no falling issues, they are likely just exhibiting natural behavior. Relax and enjoy the show!
Encouraging Natural Behaviors
Chameleons entertain us with their acrobatics, stunning colors, and animated eyes. While an inverted chameleon may seem perplexing, it’s important to understand the reasons behind this behavior.
Make simple adjustments like added climbing space, ample foliage, appropriate lighting, and proper heating to meet their needs. This encourages normal behavior and prevents stress or illness. Get to know your pet’s unique quirks and optimize their habitat accordingly. A healthy, thriving chameleon will naturally exhibit fascinating behaviors that awe and amuse us. Just sit back and enjoy the show!
Introducing Your Chameleon To Its New Cage
It is normal for your chameleon to be restless for the first couple of days in a new cage. Your chameleon is spending this time exploring the limits of their new home. During this time you will see behavior that would normally signal trouble such as climbing the sides of the cage and hanging upside down from the top. The normal pattern is one or two days of restless pacing and exploring and then settling in. If your chameleon continues to pace and be restless after two days then there may be something bothering him. It will be then that it is time to re-evaluate each condition and study his behavior.
This female Jackson’s Chameleon is restlessly walking the top screen when she was placed in this new cage. She has an outdoor cage and just needs to come in for a little while due to the cold. Although Jackson’s are able to overwinter outdoors in coastal California, I brought all my pregnant females indoors. The cages are sparse, but fulfill the basics of the Forest Edge 4+4. I am housing them in Dragon Strand Medium Wide Breeder series cages which are 22″ wide x 17″ deep x 30″ high. Although smaller than recommended they work because they have three solid sides and so actually provide more security than a larger screen cage. Two of the four settled in without and issue. The other two are nervously pacing the cage. The difference? The nervous ones are on the bottom shelf of the rack while the content ones are at the top of the rack. Height makes all the difference in the world! So, my next steps are to see if the bottom row chameleons settle in over the next 24-36 hours. If not then I need to set up a second rack where they can be on the top held.
This is one of the two female Jackson’s Chameleons on the top row. She displayed no nervousness or screen walking. The cage set-up was identical. The only difference was that her cage was on the top half of the rack. Position of the cage is important!
Is Your Chameleon Hydrated?
Dialing in the hydration cycle is one of your most important jobs. You set up your hydration cycle and then look for feedback as to how well the chameleon is hydration.
A well hydrated chameleon will act indifferently to water, the poop will be a moist “biscuit”, and the urates will have 50% or less orange color.
If you chameleon rushes to water, produces dehydrated poop or orange urates then there is a problem and the solution is to increase the water availability. But do not confuse the reflexive drinking of a chameleon in a shower or direct misting as gulping water. Drinking is a normal reaction to having water by their mouths whether the are thirsty or not.
This poop is telling me that my chameleon is well hydrated. The orange in the urates is 50% or less and the overall appearance is moist. Although the mucousy type appearance has me watching for other issues. But dehydration is not one of them.
I am concerned about this chameleon and overhauled his hydration system. The poop appears dry and the urates are almost all orange. This is not cause for panic, but a quick change of his hydration is in order. I reviewed both hs fogging and misting schedule and include a dripping session in the afternoon as a backup. That he did not drink desperately with the dripper let me know that this was not a serious dehydration. His poops after the hydration change were more satisfactory.
The Real Reason Your Chameleon Keeps Hanging Upside Down
FAQ
What are the signs of a sick chameleon?
A sick chameleon will appear pale and colorless. It’s ability to blend in with surrounding colors will be compromised. It may try to match adjacent colors, but it’s efforts will result in sporadic blinking on and off, much like a light bulb just before it goes out.
How to fix chameleon prolapse?
You don’t need to go to a vet to fix a prolapse. All you need is a q-tip and keeping it moist and gently push it back inside. A prolapse happens due to the animal being dehydrated.
Why is my chameleon hanging from the top of the cage?
Temperature Regulation
The special case of hanging from the top of the cage is often due to the chameleon trying to get closer to the warmth of the light.