Young Jacksons Basking Temp Needs

StephDay

Member
Hello community!

Everyone has been so helpful so far getting my first chameleon all set up. I just received the little bugger, and I had a quick question regarding his basking temp.

Chameleon: 6-7 month old male Jacksons
Humidity: steady at 40-50 during the day, up at night with cool mist humidifier.
Temps: 60- low 70s from bottom to top.
Lights: reptisun T5 UVB light that stretches the whole cage from front to back in the middle of the cage. It is as close to the 40w heat lamp in the corner as I can get it.
Water: automatic mister 4 times a day and a dripper in the corner across from the basking light. Poops are all white with just a tiny tip of orange. I gave him a shower yesterday so we will see what it looks like today.

He is about 6 months old, so I was told to keep the basking temp below 80. Currently, at his basking spot under the heat lamp it fluctuates between 78 and 81. His basking spot is probably 10-12 inches from the actual bulb. I cannot find a way to make it any cooler other than to keep moving the branches down, at which point I will have lost half of the height of the cage.

My question is this. When he sits under the heat lamp he begins gaping, so I turn the lamp off, and he closes his mouth. Do I need the heat lamp for a Jacksons at this age? Can he digest fine at temps in the low 70s?

@JacksJill this is probably a question for you.

Thanks in advance!
 
I don't run my basking lamps constantly except during the winter if I need it. You can have them on for 30 minutes-off for 30 minutes all day long or just most of the afternoon. In short runs it shouldn't heat up too much. In fact I schedule mine to be off during misting sessions and it doesn't come on first thing and is off last hour of light. They tend to like more heat than they actually need. At 9 mos. to a year he can handle 80˚F.
 
I don't run my basking lamps constantly except during the winter if I need it. You can have them on for 30 minutes-off for 30 minutes all day long or just most of the afternoon. In short runs it shouldn't heat up too much. In fact I schedule mine to be off during misting sessions and it doesn't come on first thing and is off last hour of light. They tend to like more heat than they actually need. At 9 mos. to a year he can handle 80˚F.

You rock!
I run mine similarly on 2 hrs after first light, off 1 hr before dark like you said. When a good afternoon temp is reached my basking lites turn off when there done with their morning warm up basking session then back on a few hrs before sunset . I like the off during misting sessions I'll incorporate that into my scheduling as they always seem to drink after the basking lite shuts off I will set misting to in between basking. If I ever see a cham venting I kill the basking light rite away.
 
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It seems more natural that if it is raining there wouldn't be any bright sunlight. I'm also trying to avoid high humidity concurrent with higher temperature.
 
It seems more natural that if it is raining there wouldn't be any bright sunlight. I'm also trying to avoid high humidity concurrent with higher temperature.
My humidity was getting way to high and the substrate wasn't drying thoroughly so I incorporated a fan during the middle of the day. High noon. And open all the windows in that room. Mother nature makes it look sooo easy :)
 
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