Sleep hours

[Johnny909]

Hello eveyone,

My cham cage is on a timer from 7:15am to 7:00 pm, his enclosure is very large and has alot of bush so he can hide when he wishes.

I noticed that he heads off to bed early, towards 6:15pm he usually goes to the same little branch and curls up his tail but keeps his eyes open until the light shuts off...

Does this sound about right? Should I have the light shut off earlier? Anyone think that Chameleons could be wired to follow outside light?

John

 

[cambech]

sounds right. My kids all head off to bed about 1 hour before the lights go out. If you change the lights out time, he'll most likely still head off to bed an hour early once he adjusts.

 

[Johnny909]

hey thanks,

Good to know

 

[Debbie61]

Silas usually gets in his sleep spot about 1 hour or so before lights out and then he usually doesn't sleep until I head off to bed.

 

[carol5208]

Silas usually gets in his sleep spot about 1 hour or so before lights out and then he usually doesn't sleep until I head off to bed.

Debbie is your cham exposed to any light in the room that would be keeping him awake? I cover my chams cage with a blanket at night so he is not distracted from the computer. If I do not cover the cage and it is not completely dark he will sit in the sleeping postion all night long like that with his eyes open. Shortly after I cover the cage, I peek in there and he is fast asleep!

 

[cicke]

I go 12h uptime and 12h sleep, works perfectly and that is what i've been recommended by every pet store and breeder i've talked to (on my veiled that is)

 

[Cainschams]

I change the light cycles to match what is going on outside. It is much more natural for them. Their needs change from season to season and they do not get a straight 12 on 12 off in the wild. They also do not get the same amount of water or food in particular seasons. Personally I feel your chameleon will have a longer life simulating seasons rather than the 12 on 12 hour off light cycle, 3 mistings a day and the same amount of bugs that is unbearably parroted on the forums. This is in fact a must for some of the harder chameleons to breed. Without these seasonal cues they will not breed. Veileds and panthers breed like rabbits without it but just because they will breed without seasonal cues does not mean they will not benefit health wise from them.

 

[lisa h]

Mine follows the light outside regardless of what her enclosure light is doing. This time of year she goes to bed earlier, so when she's got her eyes closed and tail curled up I shut the light off.

 

[carol5208]

Mine follows the light outside regardless of what her enclosure light is doing. This time of year she goes to bed earlier, so when she's got her eyes closed and tail curled up I shut the light off.

I agree with you Lisa, my cham used to go to his branch at about 7 and then with the time change starts at about 6 or realier, so as soon as I see him get ready I shut the lights off too.

 

[Johnny909]

Hmm, interesting, i am thinking of goig the natural way, right now we get 7:30 to 5:00 here in quebec, it just feels weird having him already asleep when i get hone ... Il never see him during the winter months

 

[lisa h]

Hmm, interesting, i am thinking of goig the natural way, right now we get 7:30 to 5:00 here in quebec, it just feels weird having him already asleep when i get hone ... Il never see him during the winter months

Same here. Mid December she was going to sleep at 4:30! Now she's up a bit longer, but it seems such a short day for her. Oh well, it's her choice, not mine LOL Summer will be here in no time and she'll be staying up til 8:00!

 

[DeviousMike]

I do 6AM-6PM lights on. Since I've moved my guys to adult sized cages that have bigger plants, they seem to move down to their sleeping areas a little sooner. I opened up the blinds so they can see as much sunlight as possible but they're usually in their spots 1-2 hours before sundown. The room is a little cooler too so that may attribute to their laziness.

 

[lisa h]

We don't have a timer, but my husband turns their lights on at 6:30. Everyone is long asleep by then at this time of year, so when I see closed eyes and a curled tail the light goes off. It's 3:42 pm here now, and she's already heading down the branches. Btw, I use "they" and "she", because I shut off pygmy lights when I do the Werner's. Most of the time I can't see the pygs, so I don't know if they're sleeping or not.

 

[Daughty]

as everyone else has said, my chameleons wake up call is bout 830 am. but sometimes he's usually awake before then, and normally i'll have to start headin to be round 9pm. i have to heat lamps and the repti bulb also. So what i normally do is shut down the two heat lamps first so he gets the idea its getting dark. Then usually i'll shut off his repti bulb 30-60 mins after those. Generall he's asleep before i get to shutting that off.