Basement question

[Rhino]

So I've been wanting a panther chameleon for many months, but I wanted to wait to the dead of winter to see just how cold my basement got and if it's ok for a chameleon to survive. I have rock iguanas and bearded dragons in my basement, but the humidity isn't as important for them and quite honestly they are not as fragile as chameleons. I have been keeping the outside temperature on a daily basis and marking the temperature in my basement as well to see what the difference is. The coldest my basement has been is 60 degrees, so with the proper lighting I do not think that is an issue. However, the humidity has dropped to 20% during the winter.

My question is, if using a misting system (I have never used one of these before), can a chameleon survive the cold winter in my basement?

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

I think a misting system some live plants and a basking light near the misted leaves it should raise the humidity alot if nothing else u can put a humidifire in the room but get the cool mist one due to the warm mist creats bacteria
o and might want to make sure the chameleon cage isnt overlooking other lizards can cause stress and kill ur chameleon

 

[bridgofaith]

If that is the lowest overnight temp, then it is fine. If it gets lower than 50, you can always use a ceramic heat bulb. It will provide heat with no light. As for humidity, you may need to increase your mistings during the winter months to accomodate the decreased levels.

 

[pssh]

Is 60 a night temp? If it drops below 55 (adult panther) then get a space heater. If you get a veiled they can handle temps as low as 50 (and even lower, though I dont recommend it.) Babies need as temp of 60 or higher.

There are several ways to raise humidity. Just do a search.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

you can also get a cheap humidifier from meijers or home depot for like $30 if you can't get the humidity up with extra mistings and lots of live plants. I have one I use to up the humidity for shedding chams. they seem to shed alot quicker when I use it. Even the adults shed in 48hrs or less when using extra mistings and having the humidifier on for 30 mins at a time. Also if you put thn sheets on 3 sides of the cage you can help hold in humidity longer. If you plan on getting a chameleon anyways you could buy your setup now with the plants and everything and mist by hand and see if it stays humid enough. It may take a little bit but I'm sure you will be able to work it out. I'm in michigan and the average house humidity is like 20% here too. My house is a steady 50% because we don't run heat and only use a wood burning stove though. It helps keep the humid air circulating without it leaving. We tried the heat one day and the humidity dropped very low, however I was able to maintain a 50% ambient, which is lower than average, with extra mistings an such. It was just alot of extra work for me since I hand mist and hand feed just about all of the chams. Good luck.




Justin

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

you can also get a cheap humidifier from meijers or home depot for like $30 if you can't get the humidity up with extra mistings and lots of live plants. I have one I use to up the humidity for shedding chams. they seem to shed alot quicker when I use it. Even the adults shed in 48hrs or less when using extra mistings and having the humidifier on for 30 mins at a time. Also if you put thn sheets on 3 sides of the cage you can help hold in humidity longer. If you plan on getting a chameleon anyways you could buy your setup now with the plants and everything and mist by hand and see if it stays humid enough. It may take a little bit but I'm sure you will be able to work it out. I'm in michigan and the average house humidity is like 20% here too. My house is a steady 50% because we don't run heat and only use a wood burning stove though. It helps keep the humid air circulating without it leaving. We tried the heat one day and the humidity dropped very low, however I was able to maintain a 50% ambient, which is lower than average, with extra mistings an such. It was just alot of extra work for me since I hand mist and hand feed just about all of the chams. Good luck.




Justin

you ever see what the humidity reaches if u put a pan of water on wood stove

 

[Rhino]

I think a misting system some live plants and a basking light near the misted leaves it should raise the humidity alot if nothing else u can put a humidifire in the room but get the cool mist one due to the warm mist creats bacteria
o and might want to make sure the chameleon cage isnt overlooking other lizards can cause stress and kill ur chameleon

Not to worry, the cham will be in a corner far from the other lizards. I figured even the sight of the bearded dragons would stress the cham to dangerous levels. The iguanas have their own closet, so the cham will never catch sight of them.

Thanks everyone for the quick responses.

 

[thealissa]

Expensive Humidifier

I have a GermGuardian Humidifier which is quite expensive, but definitely worth it. No filters to change, everything stays nice and clean. I've had mine for a few months now, and have had zero problems with it. You can also change the level of humidity for whatever size room you have. Also, it can go up to 72 hours before it needs more water. Lastly, it has a warm/cool mist option, which is nice to be able to choose.

I bought mine at Costco, so it was a bit cheaper than what the website says.

 

[Rhino]

Thanks looks like a great investment. Thanks for the info.