The "why" of night-time humidity

[SueAndHerZoo]

So after a month of reading and researching all I can about chameleons and their care I am still confused by their humidity needs. From all I've seen the misting and humidity is not as vital during the day as it is at night and that the environment should be cooler and wetter while they sleep. That just goes against everything that I would have assumed. Wouldn't you want them to have a WARM, humid daytime temp and if they need it cooler at night, to not have them in a wet environment? I certainly wouldn't want to be cold, dark and damp while sleeping but apparently they do? Am I getting that right?

Thanks in advance for helping me understand, or clarifying if I've mis-read.
Sue

 

[MissSkittles]

So after a month of reading and researching all I can about chameleons and their care I am still confused by their humidity needs. From all I've seen the misting and humidity is not as vital during the day as it is at night and that the environment should be cooler and wetter while they sleep. That just goes against everything that I would have assumed. Wouldn't you want them to have a WARM, humid daytime temp and if they need it cooler at night, to not have them in a wet environment? I certainly wouldn't want to be cold, dark and damp while sleeping but apparently they do? Am I getting that right?

Thanks in advance for helping me understand, or clarifying if I've mis-read.
Sue

Hi. When both temps and humidity are high during the day, there is increased risks for them to develop respiratory infection. Also, we try to maintain them at levels of both which are more natural and comfortable for them. As more is learned about them, our guidelines improve.
In nature, it cools down at night and the air becomes more humid with fog. This helps to hydrate chameleons (and just about all creatures I would assume). While I don’t know the science behind it, chameleons sleep better and it’s more natural to have a cool down period during the night. Check out https://chameleonacademy.com/ and you’ll find the information. There are also podcasts there about it which explain it much clearer than I can. You may also find more info here. https://www.chameleons.info/en/

 

[Kaizen]

So after a month of reading and researching all I can about chameleons and their care I am still confused by their humidity needs. From all I've seen the misting and humidity is not as vital during the day as it is at night and that the environment should be cooler and wetter while they sleep. That just goes against everything that I would have assumed. Wouldn't you want them to have a WARM, humid daytime temp and if they need it cooler at night, to not have them in a wet environment? I certainly wouldn't want to be cold, dark and damp while sleeping but apparently they do? Am I getting that right?

Thanks in advance for helping me understand, or clarifying if I've mis-read.
Sue

I wish I could describe the recent battle royal that occurred about this very subject. Anyways, I’ll try (but fail) to be brief.

A natural humidity cycle—where RH waxes and wanes over a 24 hour period—has been noted by many field researchers. In the wild, humidity is at its highest at night when fog banks permeate the environment—peaking in the early morning. As the sun rises, things dry out, and the RH hits its lowest in mid to late afternoon. After which time, the sun sets, and humidity begins to rise again. So, the thinking is that chameleons are adapted to sleep in cool humid air, from which part of their hydration needs are met: Air at 100% humidity cannot absorb moisture from respiration, so chameleons lose less water when they sleep. It is also suggested that chameleons can absorb water by breathing in air at 100% humidity. In any case, after a night without little to no water loss via respiration, wild chameleons wake up to dew-covered leaves, from which they can drink and top up, so to speak. Then they go about their day, retiring to their humid slumber after sunset. So, if this is how chameleons have evolved to get their water, and we have the ability to mimic this, then why would t we?

So that’s the quick and dirty version of naturalistic hydration. Now, wild theories about daytime misting and RIs are often bandied about, but RIs are far more complicated than that; and what’s more, chameleons lived perfectly healthy RI-free lives for decades before the advent of naturalistic hydration. More reasonably, many people note that their chams don’t like being sprayed during the day. Also, all sides agree that an enclosure needs a dry out period very day in order to avoid mold, root rot, and foot problems. So, the difference really amounts to when we chose to provide humid/moist conditions, and when we provide dry conditions. Naturalistic hydration says humid at night and dry during the day because this most closely resembles nature. Skeptics say moist during the day and dry at night. It should also be noted that a whole bunch of beliefs are untruthfully attributed to moderates in the naturalist camp. For instance, that naturalists hold that fogging should be the sole means of hydration, or that occasional daytime misting is always wrong. Maybe some radicals hold these views, but moderate keepers who practice naturalistic husbandry do not deal in such absolutes or extremes. Obviously I’m slightly biased, so keep that in mind. But that’s the not so short answer.

 

[Kaizen]

Both links represent varying degrees of naturalistic hydration. For an uncharitable dissenting view, just go trolling on FB.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Thank you both - that explains it very well and now it makes a lot more sense to me. And it's reassuring that my confusion was warranted as apparently it's a much-debated topic. I will provide him/her with a humid, moist, cool environment during the evening and let him bask in the warm "sun" all day, or as much as he/she chooses to. Thanks again!
Sue

 

[Kaizen]

Thank you both - that explains it very well and now it makes a lot more sense to me. And it's reassuring that my confusion was warranted as apparently it's a much-debated topic. I will provide him/her with a humid, moist, cool environment during the evening and let him bask in the warm "sun" all day, or as much as he/she chooses to. Thanks again!
Sue

Also, don’t be afraid to keep asking questions! It keeps the experts honest, and dilligent.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Also, don’t be afraid to keep asking questions! It keeps the experts honest, and dilligent.

I hope you don't regret saying that.... I always want to understand the WHY of everything I do. Just following instructions isn't my strong suit - I need to know the reasoning behind it. I am constantly on my computer researching things - it's almost an obsession/hobby. So I will ask - thank you for being there to answer!
Sue

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

So after a month of reading and researching all I can about chameleons and their care I am still confused by their humidity needs. From all I've seen the misting and humidity is not as vital during the day as it is at night and that the environment should be cooler and wetter while they sleep. That just goes against everything that I would have assumed. Wouldn't you want them to have a WARM, humid daytime temp and if they need it cooler at night, to not have them in a wet environment? I certainly wouldn't want to be cold, dark and damp while sleeping but apparently they do? Am I getting that right?

Thanks in advance for helping me understand, or clarifying if I've mis-read.
Sue

"Cold" in Madagascar is the mid-60sF, and panther chameleons can tolerate down into the 50s.

Relative Humidity (RH) is inversely proportional to temperature; IOW, as temps go up, RH drops, and vice versa. So when the temps drop at night, RH automatically rises.

There's also a chicken-egg question at work—which came first, Madagascar's climate or chameleons? The real answer is that the chameleons evolved over ~65M yrs. of Madagascar (and other) climate.

Some people prefer cooler sleeping conditions as well; in fact, as it's generally cooler at night everywhere on the planet, it would seem ALL diurnal creatures sleep in cooler, more humid conditions.

I don't use a fogger because I'm able to achieve nighttime RH with more frequent mistings, but I also mist once at midday, to provide drinking water.

 

[MissSkittles]

I hope you don't regret saying that.... I always want to understand the WHY of everything I do. Just following instructions isn't my strong suit - I need to know the reasoning behind it. I am constantly on my computer researching things - it's almost an obsession/hobby. So I will ask - thank you for being there to answer!
Sue

If you want to know the why’s of chameleon keeping, you’ll love chameleon academy podcasts.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I always want to understand the WHY of everything I do. Just following instructions isn't my strong suit - I need to know the reasoning behind it. I am constantly on my computer researching things - it's almost an obsession/hobby. So I will ask - thank you for being there to answer!
Sue

BRAVO!