Bottom cage temps?

Hi guys! Still researching for my first chameleon here and was wondering if temps in the mid to high seventies at the bottom of the cage is too hot. I have a heated hobby room in my shop and was thinking of putting the cage in there(the wife doesn't want it in the house). I have good temps in the winter but have a more difficult time keeping the temps below 75 ish in the summer. Just worried about his ability to thermoregulate at those temps. Thanks a bunch!

dainironfoot said:

Hi guys! Still researching for my first chameleon here and was wondering if temps in the mid to high seventies at the bottom of the cage is too hot. I have a heated hobby room in my shop and was thinking of putting the cage in there(the wife doesn't want it in the house). I have good temps in the winter but have a more difficult time keeping the temps below 75 ish in the summer. Just worried about his ability to thermoregulate at those temps. Thanks a bunch!

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You can always turn off the basking light during the day if the room gets too warm (use a timer to provide a morning warm up but turn the light off ad mid day if necessary), but my concern would be the night time temps. Chams need a temp drop of at least 10 degrees at night...and no visible light either. And, if the room is constantly that warm you'll need to monitor the cage humidity carefully. It could end up being too dry.

dainironfoot said:

Hi guys! Still researching for my first chameleon here and was wondering if temps in the mid to high seventies at the bottom of the cage is too hot. I have a heated hobby room in my shop and was thinking of putting the cage in there(the wife doesn't want it in the house). I have good temps in the winter but have a more difficult time keeping the temps below 75 ish in the summer. Just worried about his ability to thermoregulate at those temps. Thanks a bunch!

Click to expand...

How tall is your cage? I have 4 foot cages with plants in them. The temp in the upper part of the cages is in the mid 80's to upper 80's. I keep the plants trimmed to give a nice canopy above the lower parts of the cages. The temps there during summer and in the daytime are high 70's. This gives them area to go cool off or heat up at will. I have plant lights, UV lights and Basking Lamps on timer so at night they all go off, we go upstairs to sleep and keep the A/C at 74 over night in the Summer.

Thanx for the replies guys, my cage is four feet tall. Rush2112, so it sounds like you don't really have a huge ambient temp drop at night, if I'm understanding correctly? I kept hearing that you needed at least a 10 degree night drop but I just got an air conditioner installed in that room and could easily set it to 74 for the night temp. Thanx,

dainironfoot said:

Thanx for the replies guys, my cage is four feet tall. Rush2112, so it sounds like you don't really have a huge ambient temp drop at night, if I'm understanding correctly? I kept hearing that you needed at least a 10 degree night drop but I just got an air conditioner installed in that room and could easily set it to 74 for the night temp. Thanx,

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dainironfoot,
10 degree drop at night is correct. They move throughout the cage all day but the max temp (unless directly under the basking lamp) mine see during the day is high 80's. So, a drop to 74ish at night gives them 10+ degree drop.

Great! Thank you so much for the help.