keeping cham outside year round

herbie39

New Member
hi everyone! i am new to chameleons. i have a male who is about four months!
im looking into keeping him outside full time. i have seen a lot of positive things about keeping them outside and am considering moving mine.

could y’all share your experiences with keeping them outside and any advice?

for reference, im in florida. im also wondering about placement. i have a covered area i could keep him in or my garage which has a bunch of windows for airflow. or just somewhere thats in direct sunlight? and are there times i should bring him in like during storms or winter? i know the wild ones are thriving in florida but things like that make me nervous.
thank you!
 
Yes they must have lots of foliage and able to bask in sun when they want. Keeping them outside is a great thing if you live in the right area. Like MissSkittles said OP keeps Thiers outside because they live in the right area for it. Central Florida. Even south Florida is good but north Florida does get chilly during winter quite a bit. I've even seen snow in northern Florida a few years back.
 
Yes they must have lots of foliage and able to bask in sun when they want. Keeping them outside is a great thing if you live in the right area. Like MissSkittles said OP keeps Thiers outside because they live in the right area for it. Central Florida. Even south Florida is good but north Florida does get chilly during winter quite a bit. I've even seen snow in northern Florida a few years back.
yes i’m in central florida (tampa area), so we only really get below 50 for a month or two. i was thinking i could hook up a dhp or something to give him extra heat in those cold months and maybe move him more into the sun
 
I’m not sure who on here keeps their veileds outside year round. I know @Beman keeps hers outside sometimes. Since I’ve tagged her maybe she can help although I don’t think she lives in florida
 
Not sure if these will be of any help.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/outdoor-enclosures.183080/#post-1672875
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/outside-in-summer.180307/#post-1670355
I house my male veilds outside and I live in central FL. That enclosure needs to have some cover over it. Even in 82 degree weather with direct sunlight the cage and Cham will heat up pretty quickly. My boys only get about 2hrs of direct/indirect sunlight. Then shade for the rest of the day.
 
Yes a veiled would do great outside. Just make sure the cage can be in shade on hot days, it helps if the cage can be on wheels. The planter box design from chameleon academy works amazing. They do best when facing east and can get about 2 hours of morning sun and then shade the rest of the day.
 
yes i’m in central florida (tampa area), so we only really get below 50 for a month or two. i was thinking i could hook up a dhp or something to give him extra heat in those cold months and maybe move him more into the sun
Veiled chameleons are survivors. Your cham would no doubt survive In central florida. But I would see what Janjan has to say.
 
I keep my boys outside almost 365 days a year but I have a fenced in yard and they are all in the pool enclosure so it’s more protected. I have pvc boards to place over them for shade and to protect them from the rain. A misting system is a necessity especially in the summer time to keep them cool. I bring them in for tropical storms or hurricanes in the summer. If the temp gets in the 40s in the winter I bring them in. If you decide to keep him outside make sure you have a temporary set up in case you have to bring him inside. If you have more questions let me know.
 
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