Emergency Storm Prep

[Benclark]

So I live in an area in New England that is about to get over two feet of snow Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. There is a good chance we will lose power so I am looking for ideas to keep my veiled happy and safe before the storm hits. I have him in a 24X 42-inch screen cage with an automatic mister as well as a basking lamp and two UVB lights, one t8, and a 75-watt bulb.

 

[Beman]

Do you have a hand held misting bottle?

Basically your veiled will be fine. He may be a little more sluggish since there are no lights and it is colder but he will be fine. I would not feed him while you don't have power because he will not be able to digest it if your house is cold. They can easily handle temps down to 50.

When I lost power. I ended up leaving my boy alone. He stayed pretty sleepy but he wanted nothing to do with me when I tried to get him out either.

I tried one day opening curtains. It seemed to frustrate him even more so the next day I left him alone and curtains closed. He stayed tucked in and calmer that day.

 

[Benclark]

Do you have a hand held misting bottle?

Basically your veiled will be fine. He may be a little more sluggish since there are no lights and it is colder but he will be fine. I would not feed him while you don't have power because he will not be able to digest it if your house is cold. They can easily handle temps down to 50.

When I lost power. I ended up leaving my boy alone. He stayed pretty sleepy but he wanted nothing to do with me when I tried to get him out either.

I tried one day opening curtains. It seemed to frustrate him even more so the next day I left him alone and curtains closed. He stayed tucked in and calmer that day.

Thank you so much! That is good to hear! I do have a misting bottle so he should be cool then .

 

[Beman]

Thank you so much! That is good to hear! I do have a misting bottle so he should be cool then .

When you get power back double check all your timers and settings. Some hold and some reset.

Mist in the morning and the evening. And just kinda let him be him. I stressed like crazy and he was perfectly fine.

 

[kinyonga]

@Benclark ...what would the temperature in your house be if the power goes off?

 

[CBee7726]

@Benclark I'm in NE too!
Is it safe to assume that you don't have a generator?
If you have a friend who has one, it might be good to keep in mind in case of emergency, and I've also wondered if vets would be able to provide emergency lodging for your cham in this sort of situation provided they are equipped with a generator (maybe call your vet and ask?). I know that would be highly dependent on how the roads are post power-outtage though, and this is more of a reactive plan vs. proactive. If you are snowed in and can't go anywhere, this kind of becomes a moot point. As @Beman mentioned, a hand mister is likely a basic necessity.

IME, I've had a house drop as low as the 50s during a short-term power outtage (half a day), but depending on duration, temp outside, and how well the house is insulated, it could go even lower than that in some situations. @kinyonga, I can't necessarily predict indoor temp, but the current forecast in NE is ~mid 20s- low 30s F over the next few days. It's not uncommon for the power to go out for over a week. Does this help?

Random question, and I know we don't recommend heat rocks for chams, but what about using things like hand warmers (outside the cage, with a blanket draped over the enclosure for insulation) in these sort of situations? Has anyone done this/would it work?
I just took a quick look online and every portable lantern I'm finding is LED unfortunately- good for light, bad for heat

 

[kinyonga]

I was asking the what the temperature might be because I was going to suggest hand warmers or heat pads that you can buy to keep warm outside....just don't put it somewhere that will burn the feet or other parts of the chameleon.

 

[Benclark]

@Benclark ...what would the temperature in your house be if the power goes off?

it could drop to 45-50 degrees.

 

[Benclark]

@Benclark I'm in NE too!
Is it safe to assume that you don't have a generator?
If you have a friend who has one, it might be good to keep in mind in case of emergency, and I've also wondered if vets would be able to provide emergency lodging for your cham in this sort of situation provided they are equipped with a generator (maybe call your vet and ask?). I know that would be highly dependent on how the roads are post power-outtage though, and this is more of a reactive plan vs. proactive. If you are snowed in and can't go anywhere, this kind of becomes a moot point. As @Beman mentioned, a hand mister is likely a basic necessity.

IME, I've had a house drop as low as the 50s during a short-term power outtage (half a day), but depending on duration, temp outside, and how well the house is insulated, it could go even lower than that in some situations. @kinyonga, I can't necessarily predict indoor temp, but the current forecast in NE is ~mid 20s- low 30s F over the next few days. It's not uncommon for the power to go out for over a week. Does this help?

Random question, and I know we don't recommend heat rocks for chams, but what about using things like hand warmers (outside the cage, with a blanket draped over the enclosure for insulation) in these sort of situations? Has anyone done this/would it work?
I just took a quick look online and every portable lantern I'm finding is LED unfortunately- good for light, bad for heat

Are you getting snow too? I did have a generator but it was stolen back in October and we haven't been able to find one since. Contacting the vet isnt a bad idea so I will give that a try. Thanks for the info!

 

[Benclark]

I was asking the what the temperature might be because I was going to suggest hand warmers or heat pads that you can buy to keep warm outside....just don't put it somewhere that will burn the feet or other parts of the chameleon.

I was asking the what the temperature might be because I was going to suggest hand warmers or heat pads that you can buy to keep warm outside....just don't put it somewhere that will burn the feet or other parts of the chameleon.

I do have a heating pad I used when I used to breed dubia roaches

 

[CBee7726]

Are you getting snow too? I did have a generator but it was stolen back in October and we haven't been able to find one since. Contacting the vet isnt a bad idea so I will give that a try. Thanks for the info!

Yeah we are, I think the current forecast is 1-2ft of snow. It should be an interesting couple of days for sure.

oh man that’s a huge bummer about your generator. People really suck