Questions for the Newbie..
- Thread starter jenstar
- Start date
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
No lights at night. Chams see most of the visible spectrum and a night light will keep it from sleeping well. They need at least a 10 degree drop in temp at night as well. Unless your room is going to get below 60 F at night you won't need additional heat.
For day you need 2 types of lighting. For basking heat any regular white household bulb will work. To determine the wattage of the bulb you need, set the cage and the basking perch up and measure the temperature at the basking perch when the light is on. It should not be hotter than 80-85 F or your cham could be burned. You can move the bulb closer or farther away to get the temp you need. The cage should have a gradient of temperature...warmest under the basking spot, cooler elsewhere. The light should be on for about 12 hours. Chams also need a source of UVB light to help metabolize Vit D3 and calcium correctly. The ReptiGlo bulb will work for that. Change the bulb every 4 months.
Sounds as if you need to do some reading on cham care. Check out the sticky threads on this forum and the resources pages for good basic cham care and ask any more questions, OK?
jenstar
New Member
ok, thank you, i went and read that.. and the breeder said she would supply me with a care sheet when i picked him up.
another question, how do i know how the temp is at night? with it getting close to winter, temps will go down as we don't blare the heat all the time. are those temps you said above really cold or would it be warm to me but freezing for him?
another question, how do i know how the temp is at night? with it getting close to winter, temps will go down as we don't blare the heat all the time. are those temps you said above really cold or would it be warm to me but freezing for him?
JaxyGirl
Avid Member
Also, I would suggest putting your light schedule on a timer for the 12 hr duration. You can pick up cheap ones at home depot or walmart.
It's fine if the cage gets down to 60-65 degrees at night. Anything lower then that you can add a ceramic heater for warmth. Don't use a heat bulb because it gives off light and chams like it dark when they sleep.
You should fill out the how to ask for help form below. It will give members a chance to check out your setup and husbandry. That way if any changes need to be made we can catch it on the beginning which will allow your cham to live a happy and health life. It only takes a couple of mins and it's really worth it!
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
There are fairly simple recording thermometers that will "remember" the lowest or hottest temp measured over a specific amount of time. Or, you could test the temp with a space heater set to only come on at a specific low setting (like 65F). If the heater never comes on, it didn't get below 65. Even if the room did dip below this once in a while it won't kill a cham. If you expect a really cold night you can always drape a blanket over the cage to buffer the cage temporarily. As long as your cham has the chance to warm up normally each day and digest its' food it should be OK.
