Basking Temperatures: Female Veiled Chameleon

[GoodKarma19]

Hi chamily! I know a number of us use lower basking temperatures for female veileds to help in slowing metabolism/decreasing clutch size, and I was wondering what would be considered "too low". General consensus seems to be keeping females between 80-82F, and my current temperatures are just shy of that. Should I bother with an additional heating element of some variety? Or will the slightly cooler winter temperatures not be an issue? Kismet is nearly 4 months old.

To elaborate: I recently moved, and with a new house comes new parameters to work around. The house in general is chillier than my old place (closer to 65F where Kismet's enclosure is located), and while I was able to get achieve 80-82F without a separate heating fixture in my previous home, I'm running closer to 78-80 here in the winter. I only just noticed, as I've fallen out of the habit of checking temps daily, and Kismet will have been exposed to these temperatures for nearly 2 weeks. She doesn't appear to have been aversely affected by the change (that I can immediately tell) beyond basking for a little longer in the morning than she had previously. Appetite, BMs, color, and activity levels are otherwise normal.

Trying to decide how much of a helicopter keeper I'm being right now. Thoughts?

Gonna pull in some of the female veiled keepers! @kinyonga @Kristen Wilkins @JoXie411 @jannb @Brodybreaux25 @Kaizen

 

[jannb]

I would give her at least 82 to 83 for basking but we will see what Lynda says.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

helicopter keeper

ROTFL

80-82

 

[JoXie411]

I’m currently keeping Imelda at 80-82 have have basking on from 0800-1600 and uvb from sunrise to sunset

 

[GoodKarma19]

Thanks everyone! Alright, I'll see what I can do to get the temps up another few degrees. Maybe I can lower the quantum boards a couple inches...? Hmm!

 

[JoXie411]

How hard will it be for you to lower your lights? I know you have a cool rig system to hold the lights

 

[GoodKarma19]

How hard will it be for you to lower your lights? I know you have a cool rig system to hold the lights

It'd be a real pain, cause I can't dim these lights with their current drivers. I'll probably end up grabbing a pair of small dimming fixtures with CHEs. Never ending expenses haha!

 

[kinyonga]

I never went below 80F (and tried to stay between 80 to 82F). I'm not saying it will hurt her...I jjust don't know. What you have to do,is make her environment and feeding so that she doesn't reproduce but you haven't compromised her immune system and I doubt anyone knows exactly where that is yet and likely won't know because every chameleon is different. Sorry I can't give you a better answer.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Hi chamily! I know a number of us use lower basking temperatures for female veileds to help in slowing metabolism/decreasing clutch size, and I was wondering what would be considered "too low". General consensus seems to be keeping females between 80-82F, and my current temperatures are just shy of that. Should I bother with an additional heating element of some variety? Or will the slightly cooler winter temperatures not be an issue? Kismet is nearly 4 months old.

To elaborate: I recently moved, and with a new house comes new parameters to work around. The house in general is chillier than my old place (closer to 65F where Kismet's enclosure is located), and while I was able to get achieve 80-82F without a separate heating fixture in my previous home, I'm running closer to 78-80 here in the winter. I only just noticed, as I've fallen out of the habit of checking temps daily, and Kismet will have been exposed to these temperatures for nearly 2 weeks. She doesn't appear to have been aversely affected by the change (that I can immediately tell) beyond basking for a little longer in the morning than she had previously. Appetite, BMs, color, and activity levels are otherwise normal.

Trying to decide how much of a helicopter keeper I'm being right now. Thoughts?

Gonna pull in some of the female veiled keepers! @kinyonga @Kristen Wilkins @JoXie411 @jannb @Brodybreaux25 @Kaizen

Hi love I have a bit of a gap we top out at 82 summer indoor , Lately winter we are running at 79 . We have no issues with the temps . However I would be concerned with anything lower . Their night temps sit at 66 currently .

 

[GoodKarma19]

I never went below 80F (and tried to stay between 80 to 82F). I'm not saying it will hurt her...I jjust don't know. What you have to do,is make her environment and feeding so that she doesn't reproduce but you haven't compromised her immune system and I doubt anyone knows exactly where that is yet and likely won't know because every chameleon is different. Sorry I can't give you a better answer.

Hi love I have a bit of a gap we rio out at 82 summer indoor , Lately winter we are running at 79 . We have no issues with the temps . However I would be concerned with anything lower . Their night temps sit at 66 currently .

Thank you ladies!! I appreciate the input. I'll pick up a pair of dimmable fixtures with CHE's tomorrow and bump the temps a little. I won't need them once it warms up again, but I don't want to risk anything over the winter!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Thank you ladies!! I appreciate the input. I'll pick up a pair of dimmable fixtures with CHE's tomorrow and bump the temps a little. I won't need them once it warms up again, but I don't want to risk anything over the winter!

The other thing I want to say is I never dropped Frances below 82 , but she was very compromised . Clelia, and phoeb’s are not , I also keep the boys at same temps . They are all in same room .

 

[Kaizen]

Hi chamily! I know a number of us use lower basking temperatures for female veileds to help in slowing metabolism/decreasing clutch size, and I was wondering what would be considered "too low". General consensus seems to be keeping females between 80-82F, and my current temperatures are just shy of that. Should I bother with an additional heating element of some variety? Or will the slightly cooler winter temperatures not be an issue? Kismet is nearly 4 months old.

To elaborate: I recently moved, and with a new house comes new parameters to work around. The house in general is chillier than my old place (closer to 65F where Kismet's enclosure is located), and while I was able to get achieve 80-82F without a separate heating fixture in my previous home, I'm running closer to 78-80 here in the winter. I only just noticed, as I've fallen out of the habit of checking temps daily, and Kismet will have been exposed to these temperatures for nearly 2 weeks. She doesn't appear to have been aversely affected by the change (that I can immediately tell) beyond basking for a little longer in the morning than she had previously. Appetite, BMs, color, and activity levels are otherwise normal.

Trying to decide how much of a helicopter keeper I'm being right now. Thoughts?

Gonna pull in some of the female veiled keepers! @kinyonga @Kristen Wilkins @JoXie411 @jannb @Brodybreaux25 @Kaizen

Sorry for being so late to reply here, but it looks like other members said it all. As for me, my situation is a bit different what with the greenhouse an all. I don’t have basking bulbs for my females, but their temps generally range between 80 and 85, depending on time of day and sunshine. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help here.

 

[snitz427]

Clarice's basking spot is 80-82... I am (unsuccessfully) trying to cut back her feeding a bit but she begs! And its the only time she's nice to me! So, so far I have not been successful in slowing her cycle. She caught a glimpse of Charlie yesterday and I swear I saw her suck in her belly and flash him her sexy look.