New Chameleon

Wendy1313

New Member
Hello All,

I have been researching a lot on chameleons. I decided to get one. Never had one before. I bought the set up first. I have not gotten my chameleon yet. I want to make sure the environment is perfect first. My question is... What is the best basking light to use? The one that was provided about 6" away from the light it is only 80°. I will not get my chameleon until home is perfect. BTW it is a screen cage and the chameleon is a baby, not a hatchling. Thanks for the input.
 
Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!

For years I'be used a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that produces the basking temperature you need for the breed of chameleon you get.

If you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread near the top of the health forum we can check things out for you.
 
Thank you for the input. I will be getting a veiled chameleon. What should the temp be @ basking spot? In my research I have found between 85° & 95°. That is a big range and I want him/her to be comfy and not burn. Thank you.
 
Thank you for the input. I will be getting a veiled chameleon. What should the temp be @ basking spot? In my research I have found between 85° & 95°. That is a big range and I want him/her to be comfy and not burn. Thank you.

90 days + you can use a "house bulb" to heat an "area" to mid 80's. Around 8 months old you can switch to a directional halogen wide flood for a "basking" area that is in that 85-95 zone. If you want to split hairs, females maybe kept a bit cooler, and males a bit warmer. But considering outdoor temps mid day can easily be 85-95 with no sun, having an indoor basking area in those temp ranges shouldnt be a problem. If you get too much above 95, the narrow beam may produce a hot spot that will burn the tops of their head/back.


On the other hand i have to "cook" my tegu. Its basking zone is 2ft long with 130f on the hot side and 100f on the "cool" side, zero burns :)
 
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