outdoor

[melonman]

I was wonderin if it was possible to keep chameleons outside in cages year round 24/7

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Depends on the year round temperatures where you live.

 

[KShook]

Agreed! Where do you live and what are the temps like??

 

[melonman]

Umm

I live in cali. La lowesst temp i think would be 50°f woukd be the lowest lowest and it would be jacksons the hottest in the day would be 100°fa but hw would have enough cover and cool spots

 

[KShook]

I don't think the 50's would be a problem..but the 100's most definatley will be. If you could provide enough shade, misters, etc through the day I think he/she would be okay. Do you have some sort of misting system right now or do you hand mist?

 

[melonman]

Umm

I plan on building several cages under a giant tree in my yard i plan on haveing some kind of misting system yes.

 

[KShook]

That's good! You should show us what your doing "with pics" when you start - that would be a nice process from start to finish!

 

[melonman]

Ok

I will but im waitimg for my baby mt.m jacksoniis jacksoniis to outgrow the cages and then the building will begin i will keep in touch with the forums thanks

 

[Chris Jury]

Based on available data (e.g., http://compphys.bio.uci.edu/BENNETT/pubs/155.pdf, http://www.faculty.biol.vt.edu/andrews/pdfs/And_TB08.pdf), lethal temperatures (i.e., lethal within minutes) for a collection of montane species (including Jackson's) are ~104-107 F, and about 3 F higher for a lowland species. However, these same animals begin to experience heat stress at 93-98 F for the montane species and about 2 F higher for the lowland. Preferred body temperatures for these animals are similar across habitats--~85-91 F. I would bring a Jackson's (and many other species) indoors where there is AC at outdoor ambient temperatures above about 85 F, and definitely above 90 F.

IME, young Jackson's are much less tolerant of high temperatures than adults--I'd bring them in above 80 F and avoid ambient temps above 85 F like the plague, while still providing a modest basking light.

From the same work above, critical min temperatures follow a trend similar to the critical max. The lowland species only tolerates down to 46 F whereas most of the montanes can take temps down to 38-42 F, and the alpine species, T. schubotzi, can tolerate as low as 35 F.

cj

 

[Chris Jury]

Also, to be clear, access to full shade is absolutely required for outdoor housing. A chameleon without access to shade could reach a lethal body temperature on a 75 F day. The suns rays easily heat objects (including chameleons) to much high temperatures than ambient. The montane animals use this to their advantage to regularly reach and maintain body temperatures in the mid to upper 80's F even though the ambient temperature in their habitat may be in the 60-70's F.