UVB vs the sun

[Anilr16]

Okay being that the sun is obviously more stronger/efficent than a uvb bulb, Ive heard from a local certified reptile only pet store (pet bazaar) that you can take your Cham out in the sun for about 2-3 hours a day and they will have enough Uv for the night. True?
Apparently 1 hour of the sun's UV is equal to 6 hours under a UV bulb?

 

[nick barta]

Okay being that the sun is obviously more stronger/efficent than a uvb bulb, Ive heard from a local certified reptile only pet store (pet bazaar) that you can take your Cham out in the sun for about 2-3 hours a day and they will have enough Uv for the night. True?
Apparently 1 hour of the sun's UV is equal to 6 hours under a UV bulb?

Wonder what a "certified" reptile store is?!

There are too many variables in both the UVB indoor cage, and the varying UVB from the sun in an outdoor enclosure. The type of screen between the Cham and the UVB or "direct" sunlight also makes a huge difference. Clouds greatly reduce UVB. Where the Cham rests in relation to the UVB bulb is a large factor. Where the Cham rests in the outdoor enclosure in relation to the sun exposure affects the UVB absorption.

IMHO, the more a Cham gets natural sunlight, the better. Of course, the Cham must be able to get out of direct sunlight with shading areas, but natural sunlight is a preferred method.

The person who made this statement to you could do more research and learn not to make statements presented as facts, when it is really only a (poor) opinion!

Nick

 

[Anilr16]

Just wondering because sometimes I take out my cham for some hours of sunlight on my hand. and his screen is not tkat small, the holes are slightly big letting enough air and light in etc.

 

[jannb]

I do BOTH. I try to take my guys outside everyday if the weather permits BUT they still have thie UVB lights on inside. Jann

 

[Jerm]

You must live near me, I go to Pet Bazaar occasionally, when I run of crickets between orders. They seem to be the only ones in town that sell pinheads. I move my pardalis outside full time as soon as the weather permits which was about 2 to 3 months ago. I only bring them in during long periods of rain or during severe storms. The weather here is perfect for them, I lived in Kansas about 6 years ago and hated the fact that my chameleons had to be indoors most of the year due to the cold weather. Why pay for the electric of using an artificial light when we have what we are trying to replicate for free everyday. I hate it in the winter when I have to bring them indoors under artificial light, they are never as colorful or active during that time. You just have to give them a large enough enclosure outside so that they can bask when they want and move to shade when they want. Since they prefer the edge of the forest in the wild, I place mine along the edge of a treeline which is shade for part of the day and sun for most of the day if they want to be in it. They also have live plants to hide in and behind. This is why I don't keep montane species anymore here in Florida, I can't put them outside very often because of the heat.

 

[Anilr16]

Well nice to meet you Jerm!
Yeah, I keep montane species
Rudis so far, but i can only take them out in the 70's-low 80's or they start to stress out.
But yeah, pet bazzar is HIGHLY trustable compared to places like Petsmart and Petland.

 

[Jerm]

Well nice to meet you Jerm!
Yeah, I keep montane species
Rudis so far, but i can only take them out in the 70's-low 80's or they start to stress out.
But yeah, pet bazzar is HIGHLY trustable compared to places like Petsmart and Petland.

Pet Bazaar is pretty cool, they always give me extra crickets. If I go to Petco or Petsmart they count them out and half the time there aren't even as many as i asked for. I used to keep rudis, I love those guys. If I had the room I would still have them but i am overloaded with dart frogs, panther chameleon and a bunch of other projects. Check out this photo, this female had 11 babies the day before I took this picture and they were all the size of the one in front of her. It's amazing that they are so much bigger than panthers at birth, but they don't get near as large when full grown.

 

[Anilr16]

Jeremy!
Thats such a great post!
Do I have to seperte the babies immediately?(my female is gravid)
i see yours are hangin with the mom. any tips on what i should do as far when she drops with the young???
Thanks alot!

 

[Jerm]

Jeremy!
Thats such a great post!
Do I have to seperte the babies immediately?(my female is gravid)
i see yours are hangin with the mom. any tips on what i should do as far when she drops with the young???
Thanks alot!

Didn't mean to change the subject, but I didn't keep them together, just put them together for a photo for size comparison. I love the way that this one turned out. I would seperate them asap, I have never witnessed them eating their own babies but I wouldn't chance it. Just make sure that the babies stay cool and keep the humidity up with multiple mistings. I used 10 gallon tanks with spagnum moss in the bottom, and little vines and branches for them.

 

[Anilr16]

Okay okay, how long will i be able to keep the little ones in the ten??
and will pinhead crickets be fine for them(from pet bazaar)? or must i use flies?
i hear flies are great for the young ones but idk..i think it would be difficult to keep a culture. and messy. and flies everywhere...?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Okay being that the sun is obviously more stronger/efficent than a uvb bulb, Ive heard from a local certified reptile only pet store (pet bazaar) that you can take your Cham out in the sun for about 2-3 hours a day and they will have enough Uv for the night. True?
Apparently 1 hour of the sun's UV is equal to 6 hours under a UV bulb?

If your chameleon has a few hours of real outdoors sunlight every day, it may well be sufficient. But I encourage you to have a UVB light on when its indoors during the day anyhow. Just like I add a little dietary D3 to my indoor chameleons diet, even though I have UBV tubes. They (hopefully) have the option of being away from the UVB if they dont need it, but they dont have the option of telling you to turn on lights if they need more.

 

[Anilr16]

Oh yes. Both my Cham have a UVB bulb.
I was just wondering considering i would feel alot safer knowing they were getting a good amount of UV in case the bulb wasnt enough..
just to ensure their health, because i would never want a cham to suffer from lighting issues let alone any at all

 

[GooglezNvincent]

Pet Bazaar is pretty cool, they always give me extra crickets. If I go to Petco or Petsmart they count them out and half the time there aren't even as many as i asked for. I used to keep rudis, I love those guys. If I had the room I would still have them but i am overloaded with dart frogs, panther chameleon and a bunch of other projects. Check out this photo, this female had 11 babies the day before I took this picture and they were all the size of the one in front of her. It's amazing that they are so much bigger than panthers at birth, but they don't get near as large when full grown.

HA HA HA mama looks hungry!

 

[Jerm]

Okay okay, how long will i be able to keep the little ones in the ten??
and will pinhead crickets be fine for them(from pet bazaar)? or must i use flies?
i hear flies are great for the young ones but idk..i think it would be difficult to keep a culture. and messy. and flies everywhere...?

Depending on how many babies that you have, I would keep maybe 3 together in a 10 until they are a few months old or until you notice them being territorial (hissing or puffing at each other), which means that they are stressing each other out. Some people think that rudis are ok to live in groups and actually have been seen sleeping in groups so they may be ok for longer, i'm just stating a general rule for baby chams. Pinheads are actually a little small if they are true pinheads, use week old. I keep around 15 to 20 fruitfly cultures going at all times since I have so many dartfrogs so I don't see them as being difficult or messy, I think that they are cleaner than crickets and easier to keep than pinheads, but small crickets can be gutloaded and fruitflies can't. I would say primarily crickets occasionally fruitflies for variation. Maybe try some of the tiny mealworms that they sell now too.

 

[Anilr16]

Okay Jerm, you think sternfeldi sell good?

 

[Dunnigan]

Pet Bazaar defiantly hooks it up on the crickets...I go in and get 5 dozen and i get almost 10...it crazy...

I just started putting my cages out on my porch in the mornings (I hvae an east facing porch so they good good sun between 8-11ish).People in my apartment complex look at me funny when i have my big screen cages on my porch in the mornings!