No basking light? HELP!

Hi everyone!

I am new here, and bought a 6-month-old male Jemen chameleon yesterday. For as long as I can remember I was under the impression that a chameleon needed a basking light because it couldn't regulate its own temperature.

Yesterday, when purchasing the chameleon and all the necessary items, the salesman only gave me a UV light. This morning I realized this was wrong, and so I went to go get a basking light for him. The same salesperson told me:

- I didn't need a basking light because the chameleon would definitely burn to death
- I didn't need a UV light either
- he didn't sell me a UV light yesterday, but rather the 'Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb' by Zoomed.

Now, obviously the Zoomed light is a UV light, because it clearly mentions that it 'provides UVA (which, in my opinion, and according to Wikipedia, is Ultraviolet A). In Jemen, the temperatures are generally quite high, so that's why I figured I needed the basking light (if the average temperature would be 0 degrees Celsius, I probably wouldn't need one).

I am wondering: have I been an idiot for the past twenty years, or has this salesperson completely misinformed me?

Currently, I am using:
- a Zoomed Repti Basking Spot Lamp 60W
- Zoomed Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp
- a distance of 7.9 inches from the wired cage and a total of 23.6 inches from where the chameleon sits
- the temperature at the top of the branches is currently 77 degrees Fahrenheit / 25 degrees Celsius

Have any of you ever heard of a chameleon that didn't need a basking light?

More importantly, am I doing it right this way? (I'm going to further adjust the lamp so it is farther from the terrarium walls, and make it so that the chameleon can sit higher up in the branches.

Thank you for any tips you can give me!

You need UVB.
You don't need a "basking" light, but a normal light bulb will do just fine for a "basking area"

Your chameleon can and will burn it self sometimes, if it's too hot. My veiled before we rescued him the owner left a spot that was way to hot for the little guy and he got some serious burns. His back and spines seem a little "melted" now. That's why you just make sure it's not too hot for them!

Kmw said:

You need UVB.
You don't need a "basking" light, but a normal light bulb will do just fine for a "basking area"

Your chameleon can and will burn it self sometimes, if it's too hot. My veiled before we rescued him the owner left a spot that was way to hot for the little guy and he got some serious burns. His back and spines seem a little "melted" now. That's why you just make sure it's not too hot for them!

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Thanks for the tip! I feel that the UVA light isn't getting warm enough, in fact, is doesn't go anywhere above room temperature.

Do you think it is still okay to use the basking light at an appropriate distance? What temperatures do you use?

flypdoink said:

Thanks for the tip! I feel that the UVA light isn't getting warm enough, in fact, is doesn't go anywhere above room temperature.

Do you think it is still okay to use the basking light at an appropriate distance? What temperatures do you use?

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Basking lights still work just fine, but as far as heat goes your just paying 5x the price for something a simple household bulb will do.

Your little one is 6 months old, correct?
Both my chameleons I got at a year+, so i'm not very experienced with the young ones.

But I found this! https://www.chameleonforums.com/complete-veiled-care-sheet-52325/
"Sub-Adult – Adult Male(5-12 months old) – 82-85 degrees Fahrenheit"

Now that's just for basking temp, rest of the cage should be cooler so she can regulate if she gets too warm.

What did you name her?

This is our veiled, he's a year and a half. But you can see on him where he got burned - poor guy.

Super important not to let it get too hot, that doesn't look like it was very fun!

Kmw said:

Basking lights still work just fine, but as far as heat goes your just paying 5x the price for something a simple household bulb will do.

Your little one is 6 months old, correct?
Both my chameleons I got at a year+, so i'm not very experienced with the young ones.

But I found this! https://www.chameleonforums.com/complete-veiled-care-sheet-52325/
"Sub-Adult – Adult Male(5-12 months old) – 82-85 degrees Fahrenheit"

Now that's just for basking temp, rest of the cage should be cooler so she can regulate if she gets too warm.

What did you name her?

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The burned parts are the brown ones on his legs, am I correct? I'm home all week due to thesis writing, so I'll be keeping an I on the terrarium all day to regulate the temperature accordingly. There is quite an area where the temperature is now 68 Fahrenheit, so between that and the lamp temperature I think we're good now.

He had a funny little stripe that looked a little reddish this morning, but it seems that it's gone now. You can see him in the picture.

We did, in fact, name him. His name is Thomas !

How long have you been keeping chameleons?

Kale's (our veiled)back was melted from the previous owner resting the heat lamp ontop of the cage, the brown on his legs is just his colouring

His back where it's all lumpy and disfigured is what I meant. It's not smooth and rounded like most chameleons.
But when we went to get him he wasn't getting any heat, at all! Brought him home and he just sat in the warmth and wouldn't move.


Thomas is very cute!

I think you want the rest of his cage to be a little higher than that. I think in the mid 70's is what it's supposed to be at.

I got my panther first - at the end of april. So only since then

Kmw said:

This is our veiled, he's a year and a half. But you can see on him where he got burned - poor guy.

Super important not to let it get too hot, that doesn't look like it was very fun!

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Jesus Christ! That looks like it must have hurt like hell! (If they could actually feel it) how was it treated?

That makes LB's burn look like a sunburn! I am very sorry, glad you rescued him!

I don't know, It was all healed before we got him.
It's hard to tell if he felt it or not, it looks like the most painful thing ever! But he obviously sat there long enough to do
some serious damage. (personally if I was burning and melting myself - i'd move, but his cage also wasn't very big)

Thank you, I'm very glad we rescued him too!

Kmw said:

His back where it's all lumpy and disfigured is what I meant. It's not smooth and rounded like most chameleons.
But when we went to get him he wasn't getting any heat, at all! Brought him home and he just sat in the warmth and wouldn't move.


Thomas is very cute!

I think you want the rest of his cage to be a little higher than that. I think in the mid 70's is what it's supposed to be at.

I got my panther first - at the end of april. So only since then

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I love taking care of Thomas, he's quite upbeat, walking around and resting on a twig at times, and seems to walk onto my hand when I hold it in front of the terrarium. I want to tame him so I can actually have a tiny bit of interacting with him, but try to do that only a few minutes and at most once a day.

While I'm enjoying it, I'm quite nervous. The salesperson at the pet store didn't really seem to have an idea of what Jemens really need. He pulled Thomas from a twig quite forcefully at the store, and even tore of a little part of the tail of another one we had been looking at. The poor thing was even bleeding after he did it, and I know it wasn't just excess skin after shedding. I feel that chameleons need to be dealt with in a delicate way, but he didn't really do that. His information doesn't correspond much with 100% of what I read online, in experience reports and tips from serious organizations. Because of this, I don't know whether to feel safe because I built an awesome terrarium with lots of branches and twigs and a good watering system, or unsafe because he could die of almost anything

I hope I'll be able to regain some peace of mind in a few days

Pet stores rarely correspond with what SHOULD be done unfortunately.

And you're not supposed to peel off dry skin from shedding, (it causes bleeding and other problems, like you've seen) just give them extra mistings and it'll fix itself when it's ready!

Veileds are pretty hardy, our guy lived being treated awfully for about a year. (we're taking him to the vet tomorrow, so we'll see just how healthy he is!) I think as long as you provide yours with the best home possible he'll be just fine!

Kmw said:

Pet stores rarely correspond with what SHOULD be done unfortunately.

And you're not supposed to peel off dry skin from shedding, (it causes bleeding and other problems, like you've seen) just give them extra mistings and it'll fix itself when it's ready!

Veileds are pretty hardy, our guy lived being treated awfully for about a year. (we're taking him to the vet tomorrow, so we'll see just how healthy he is!) I think as long as you provide yours with the best home possible he'll be just fine!

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That's good to hear. I cannot stand when people treat animals badly. However, in the case of Thomas I'm not sure yet how I can tell he is not feeling well. A dog or cat would let me know in some way or another than something is wrong, but with the chameleon... I'm trying to look at his limbs and other parts to see if I can find any irregularities, and I check to see if he doesn't close his eyes during the day. Other than that, I 'm not sure yet what to look for. Do you have any tips?

hi and welcome to the forums. Sorry you were misled by the ignorance of a pet shop employee. If you had followed his instructions, your chameleon would have led a slow death. You should let him know that, so he does not give any more incorrect info to other buyers. Tell him about this website. One tip I can give you that can be a sign of sickness is closing their eyes. You might think they are sleeping which is ok during the night but NOT ever during the day. This is usually a sign that they are ill. They could be dehydrated, or it could be a vitamin deficiency or maybe the lights even are bothering the eyes. They are a variety of reasons a chameleon will close its eyes during the day and often times it is because they are ill. Just something to look for. Glad you found this sight and don't worry we will guide you along so you can raise your chameleon happy and healthy! Also sunken eyes are bad as that is usually a sign that your chameleon is dehydrated. EDIT: I see you know about the closing of the eyes,. sorry!

flypdoink said:

That's good to hear. I cannot stand when people treat animals badly. However, in the case of Thomas I'm not sure yet how I can tell he is not feeling well. A dog or cat would let me know in some way or another than something is wrong, but with the chameleon... I'm trying to look at his limbs and other parts to see if I can find any irregularities, and I check to see if he doesn't close his eyes during the day. Other than that, I 'm not sure yet what to look for. Do you have any tips?

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There's a couple things they do to let you know what's wrong. Generally speaking, eyes closed or sleeping during the day, Mouth gaping, orange/yellow urates and sunken eyes are pretty obvious indications something is wrong.

And I know what you mean, I don't know if i'll be able to handle this forum for very long. I get really angry when people treat animals poorly. They chose to keep them, they should make sure they are cared for! But so many people ask for help and then just flat out refuse advice saying they're doing fine anyways. And it realllly ticks me off.

Best adivce I have, is keep an eye on your chameleon and if ANYTHING seems even a little off - google it, and if your still not sure that's what cham forums is for. Better safe than sorry, and most people here would rather answer "silly" questions then let other people's chameleons get sick!

They're really nice here, maybe in some situations too nice. but it makes you feel comfortable enough to be able to ask all the dumb questions knowing you won't get flamed for it.

I already welcomed you on your introduction post, but welcome again!

There is a form in the health clinic section that is invaluable! It is a gathering of all the basic info you need to know about set-up, maintenance and basic health. If you ever take Thomas to the vet, they will need to know the answers to all the same questions. So, I always keep one filled out and updated...

Anyway, if you fill this out (you can just put your answers in right after the questions) then, everyone can see just how you are set up and offer advise on what you need to do to make things better for Thomas and less for you to wonder and worry about


Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?

Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?

Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful

I had a couple of questions from your posts but will wait and see your answers. But, there are much more experienced people on here that can help you out too.

Good Luck! I hope you and Thomas have a happy healthy time together!

Uvb!!

Just wanted to stress that it's UVB light you need. Not UVA - or you can have both too if you prefer, but the UVB is the most important one. Without it, your cham will get sick and die.

Most people use a 5.0 UVB linear tube bulb - allow your cham to bask within 8-10 inches of this bulb. (They get less UVB the farther away they are from the light)

For the heat, many use a 50 Watt basking lamp, or normal house bulb. I have mine on a dimmer so I can control the temperature better. Light fixtures with dimmers are available at most pet stores. Your chameleon should be at least 12inches away from the basking light. If your cham has a habit of climbing his cage walls, you may need to raise the lamp off of the cage.

PantherYemen said:

Just wanted to stress that it's UVB light you need. Not UVA - or you can have both too if you prefer, but the UVB is the most important one. Without it, your cham will get sick and die.

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This thread is over a YEAR old. Why are you bringing this thread back up? Please look at the dates on threads that you are posting about.