I recently got a 9 month old female veiled. She was in a 20 gallon aquarium , so I built a 24x24x42 screen enclosure using aluminum screen. Now she is climbing to the top closer to the basking lamp . The temp at the highest branch is 80 degrees. Do you guys think she is trying to get higher because the temp is not sufficient on the branches? Or maybe she is just a climber? Any suggestions? Btw I am using a regular 90 watt incandescent bulb , not one from the pet store.
Basking hot enough?
- Thread starter C0347
- Start date
fluxlizard
Avid Member
OK, so this situation kind of depends on how you want to care for your lizard.
My veileds are given as much heat as they want and the choice to move out of it if they want. Veileds crave high temperatures, are exposed to high temperatures in nature and given the choice, veileds select very warm basking sites (95-100 degrees +).
However, the flip side of things-
Many pet owners here on the forums choose to limit the amount of heat their veileds recieve in order to try and shut off the reproductive system or slow it down and extend the lifespan of their female veiled chameleon.
If that is your goal, your female will still crave the heat, but it is a craving that will always be denied.
So depending on how you want to look at it, your basking temp of 80 is either a good or a bad thing and giving in to her natural desire for a warmer basking site as found in nature is either a good thing or a bad thing.
Either way- if the basking temp is only 80 on her closest branch, she is not "just a climber".
A word of caution about heat for anyone who read my comments here- high temps need to be provided in a true thermal gradient, with lots of gradually provided options for temperature range which the lizard can move through. The air needs to be warmed gradually, not a high temperature in a single spot on a couple of branches and a cold temperature everywhere else.
We see thermal burns on veileds pretty often here on the forums. Especially the casque. I haven't ever had this happen with mine in 20 years. IMO this is caused by a heat craving lizard in a cold terrarium trying to get cozy with the light. A lizard selects basking based on it's coor temperature- a hot spot in a cool terrarium means the skin will warm up much faster than the lizard's core, resulting in burned skin. A properly provided thermal gradient rather than a hot spot will help prevent this problem.
My veileds are given as much heat as they want and the choice to move out of it if they want. Veileds crave high temperatures, are exposed to high temperatures in nature and given the choice, veileds select very warm basking sites (95-100 degrees +).
However, the flip side of things-
Many pet owners here on the forums choose to limit the amount of heat their veileds recieve in order to try and shut off the reproductive system or slow it down and extend the lifespan of their female veiled chameleon.
If that is your goal, your female will still crave the heat, but it is a craving that will always be denied.
So depending on how you want to look at it, your basking temp of 80 is either a good or a bad thing and giving in to her natural desire for a warmer basking site as found in nature is either a good thing or a bad thing.
Either way- if the basking temp is only 80 on her closest branch, she is not "just a climber".
A word of caution about heat for anyone who read my comments here- high temps need to be provided in a true thermal gradient, with lots of gradually provided options for temperature range which the lizard can move through. The air needs to be warmed gradually, not a high temperature in a single spot on a couple of branches and a cold temperature everywhere else.
We see thermal burns on veileds pretty often here on the forums. Especially the casque. I haven't ever had this happen with mine in 20 years. IMO this is caused by a heat craving lizard in a cold terrarium trying to get cozy with the light. A lizard selects basking based on it's coor temperature- a hot spot in a cool terrarium means the skin will warm up much faster than the lizard's core, resulting in burned skin. A properly provided thermal gradient rather than a hot spot will help prevent this problem.
CLP
New Member
Excellent points Flux (IMHO). And I agree totally. Having just acquired a female, I have been struggling with these exact issues. Do I give her the heat she craves (knowing the consequential reproductive/life span issues) or follow the general recommendations on this forum to keep her cooler.
Anyhow, I'm not here to hijack the post, so let me say I agree, she may very well just be seeking the heat, and it is your call as to whether or not to give it to her. She may also be a climber too
Just be careful that if she hangs from the screen directly under the basking light, that she can't burn herself.
Anyhow, I'm not here to hijack the post, so let me say I agree, she may very well just be seeking the heat, and it is your call as to whether or not to give it to her. She may also be a climber too
Just be careful that if she hangs from the screen directly under the basking light, that she can't burn herself.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
What are you using to check your temps? I am one of those people that keeps my chams a little cooler but if she's 9 months old I would recommend keeping her in the low 80's. I keep my adult females at 82 or 83 and sometimes outside they get a little warmer.
