Madagascar Weather

[KYchamguy]

Hey everybody,

I was wondering if there is a website or literature available about the season temps/duration for Madagascar...or if anyone can give input.
Reason being that for my panther eggs I want to simulate the diapause phase as close as I can to natural. I figure that to start incubation at 76 or so degrees for 6 weeks and then slowly drop the temps to 68 or so for 6 weeks and then slowly raise temps back to around 76 degrees. This has been my method, just wondering if this closely resembles the madagascar seasons?

Any input on this subject would be greatly appreciated Thanks!!!

 

[DGray]

there was a thread that touched on the topic just a little while ago here. Luevelvet has done some work on this - follow the link in his post.

 

[Chameleonboy]

To incubate your eggs simply just stuff them in your closet and come back in 6 months to 25 healthy curious babies walking around. Easy as 1,2,3.

-Clemonde

 

[Dooley1]

Yes, forget diapause...

 

[Todnedo]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/eggs-incubation-questions-20735/

 

[mwebb]

Temp

Hey everybody,

I was wondering if there is a website or literature available about the season temps/duration for Madagascar...or if anyone can give input.
Reason being that for my panther eggs I want to simulate the diapause phase as close as I can to natural. I figure that to start incubation at 76 or so degrees for 6 weeks and then slowly drop the temps to 68 or so for 6 weeks and then slowly raise temps back to around 76 degrees. This has been my method, just wondering if this closely resembles the madagascar seasons?

Any input on this subject would be greatly appreciated Thanks!!!

wouldn't you need to know the average temp for 6 to 8 inches under gruond to simulate the incubation temp ? Not ambeint out side temp.

 

[Carlton]

Ambient temps (as used for typical weather websites) aren't usually measured at the ground surface or just under. The ground is actually very stable compared to the air at least under rainforest canopies where a panther might lay. Lots of panther eggs are successfully hatched using the "closet" method.

 

[Kent67]

Well, controlling the temps the way you've outlined should work fine, as well as the "closet" method. The short cool-period you outlined is shorter than would occur in Madagascar but do you want to have a diapause twice as long just to mimic nature? Could be fun and an interesting challenge to do it. Here's a good weather site with a lot of real time information from a lot of Malagasy areas. http://www.foreca.com/Africa/Madagascar/browse

 

[KYchamguy]

Well, controlling the temps the way you've outlined should work fine, as well as the "closet" method. The short cool-period you outlined is shorter than would occur in Madagascar but do you want to have a diapause twice as long just to mimic nature? Could be fun and an interesting challenge to do it. Here's a good weather site with a lot of real time information from a lot of Malagasy areas. http://www.foreca.com/Africa/Madagascar/browse

Thanks, (great link), this will give me all the info I need .. I appreciate it!

 

[lampshade]

Surprisingly it snows in madagascar and dips into the 30's. And still panthers thrive. Quite interesting.

 

[KYchamguy]

Yeah, someone told me that mid to southern Florida weather is quite similar to that of Madagascar! What yall think?

 

[Kent67]

Surprisingly it snows in madagascar and dips into the 30's. And still panthers thrive. Quite interesting.

That most definitely does NOT happen where the panthers are. They are coastal lowland inhabitants and don't experience temperatures any lower than the mid 60's.

 

[Ange]

You can try theweathernetwork.com and then click international cities.

 

[graydon]

Yeah, someone told me that mid to southern Florida weather is quite similar to that of Madagascar! What yall think?

Yes you are correct. The temps were near identical in the summer.

 

[tkilgour]

This post is very interesting to me. Not exactly for incubation purposes, but because I am interested in the weather the panthers deal with. I am preparing to transition my chameleons outside for a couple months this summer when the weather permits. I just worry about some pop up T-storms and overnight lows.

http://www.foreca.com/

I noticed by searching this site they say in Ambilobe the lows are about 72-74 deg. F. this time of year, and they get heavy T-storms regularly. Therefore, several months in the summer our weather is similar. However, how cool does it get during the winter months there? I ask because some nights can be low 60s here and some days can be low to upper 90s. So how much temp. fluctuation can Furcifer pardalis handle?

 

[graydon]

This post is very interesting to me. Not exactly for incubation purposes, but because I am interested in the weather the panthers deal with. I am preparing to transition my chameleons outside for a couple months this summer when the weather permits. I just worry about some pop up T-storms and overnight lows.

http://www.foreca.com/

I noticed by searching this site they say in Ambilobe the lows are about 72-74 deg. F. this time of year, and they get heavy T-storms regularly. Therefore, several months in the summer our weather is similar. However, how cool does it get during the winter months there? I ask because some nights can be low 60s here and some days can be low to upper 90s. So how much temp. fluctuation can Furcifer pardalis handle?

Ive seen highs of 101 degrees f. in Ambilobe. Ive also seen low's into the 50's. I really doubt they can tolerate anything colder.

 

[Kent67]

Ive seen highs of 101 degrees f. in Ambilobe. Ive also seen low's into the 50's. I really doubt they can tolerate anything colder.

According to weatherbase.com, the lowest temp recorded in Ambilobe in the last 10 years was 56 degrees F. But, the average low temps are still in the mid-60s during their winters over those 10 years, as I said before. Those same cold, winter months have average daytime high temperatures of 88F, also. I would not assume panthers even occasionally experience anything into the 50's, but when, on rare occasion it does happen, it does not last as long as one of our winters here and it most likely does have a negative effect on weak individuals.

 

[tkilgour]

According to weatherbase.com, the lowest temp recorded in Ambilobe in the last 10 years was 56 degrees F. But, the average low temps are still in the mid-60s during their winters over those 10 years, as I said before. Those same cold, winter months have average daytime high temperatures of 88F, also. I would not assume panthers even occasionally experience anything into the 50's, but when, on rare occasion it does happen, it does not last as long as one of our winters here and it most likely does have a negative effect on weak individuals.

Kent, I notice in Ambanja now the day time highs are low to mid 90s. If a couple days a week in the summer our weather hits this same temp. will it have a negative effect on healthy panthers? (the animals will have adequate shade to get out of the direct sun.)

http://www.foreca.com/Madagascar/Ambanja

 

[Cainschams]

Kent, I notice in Ambanja now the day time highs are low to mid 90s. If a couple days a week in the summer our weather hit this same temp. will it have a negative effect on healthy panthers? (provided the animals have adequate shade to get out of the direct sun.)

http://www.foreca.com/Madagascar/Ambanja

I would leave my adults outside in Maryland all summer long as long as it didnt get much past 95. They had nice big outside enclosures packed with plants for shade and also a nice tree that blocked afternoon sun. I would water them in the morning, the secretary (The shop is 30 ft from me) would water them at noon and I would come back and give them long waterings in the afternoon. The secretary knew what to look for, as I versed her on the signs of overheating, and I only saw one time my male seemed somewhat heat stressed. Very light background (yellow) and super red bars. Although the bars were not washed out. Healthy animal, mid day waterings, and shade, I think you would be safe going to 95. I wouldnt go much higher though.

 

[tkilgour]

I would leave my adults outside in Maryland all summer long as long as it didnt get much past 95. They had nice big outside enclosures packed with plants for shade and also a nice tree that blocked afternoon sun. I would water them in the morning, the secretary (The shop is 30 ft from me) would water them at noon and I would come back and give them long waterings in the afternoon. The secretary knew what to look for, as I versed her on the signs of overheating, and I only saw one time my male seemed somewhat heat stressed. Very light background (yellow) and super red bars. Although the bars were not washed out. Healthy animal, mid day waterings, and shade, I think you would be safe going to 95. I wouldnt go much higher though.

Okay, so the days when we hit 95 - 100f they go inside. What about when our temps are 85f but with the heat index it feels 100? Is this something to consider also?