Basking Temperatures for Female Veiled

[Blmelton]

I have read the care sheet and the info on this forum specifically for veiled females. It seems like most keep their females at a slightly lower temp than males (82-85*) so that’s what I have been doing. I noticed that a Facebook group I belong to has a care sheet that says the complete opposite. It suggests that females enjoy temps of 98-100*. That seems really hot to me, but it was on their care sheet. My girl does not seem to be as happy since I lowered her temps. She stays on her basking branch a lot more and is often darker in color. This makes me think she is cold, but I do not want her to have trouble with egg laying so I have continued to keep her temps 82-85*. Should I increase temps a little? What do you guys think about that care sheet that suggested 98-100*? I am a very new keeper, but that just seems very hot. With so much conflicting information out there, how do I know what is good info and what is bad info? I just want to do what’s best for her...whatever that may be!

 

[Blmelton]

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, age unknown- estimated 5-6 months old. She has been in my care 3 weeks.
• Handling - rarely to get her out while rearranging limbs in her cage.
• Feeding - crickets, superworms, I have ordered Dubai and BSF larvae . I have offered squash & kale but she did not eat it. She eats crickets-6-10 per day...split into two feedings with 1 or 2 left over from morning feeding for her to snack on during the day. She has eaten them every day before the second feeding. I have removed any not eaten after the 2nd feeding. I hand fed her 2 superworms with her meal this morning. I am feeding once about 8 am and once about 3 pm. The crickets have been given squash, kale, & oranges and cricket crack. The superworms are in some type of flakes (not sure if it is oats or what they are in) I added some cricket crack.
• I just recurved some Dubai roaches and BSF larvae today, but she had no interest in them. She ate her crickets and superworms though.
• Supplements - Calcium w/O D3 daily, multivitamin 2 x monthly, Calcium with D3 2x monthly.
• Watering -large diy Drippers runs 24 hrs a day. Hand spray 2 times a day for aprox 5 minutes.
• Fecal Description - brown feces with mostly white urates. She has not ever been tested for parasites?
• History - The pet store said they had her in the back due to space and they frequently handled and hand fed her. I have been keeping handling to a minimum since she has been here only a few days and I don't want to stress her.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 30 inches by 15 inches screen Zoo Med cage- Bigger on planned to fit this summer.
• Lighting - Currently Zoomed 5.0 coil and 40 watt household bulb in a double dome. I have a t5 with 6% Arcadia that just arrived today but the fixture won’t be here until tomorrow . Lighting is on a timer that turns on from 7 am -7 pm.
• Temperature - Basking temps 82-85*
• Floor is ranges 65-75 degrees based on where I measure/plant growth.
• Humidity - ~60% (80 after misting) Misting 2-3 times daily for aprox 5 minutes each.
• Plants - some artificial vines with leaves & 2 live pothos along with 2 of another species of plant (I can’t remember what kind at the moment, but I took the safe plant list with me when I bought it).
• Placement - The cage is not near an air vent. It is in my bedroom. The cage is on a stand about 1.5 feet above floor.
• Location - South Carolina
• Current problem-I am worried about basking temp and have read so many different care sheets I do not know what to believe.

 

[Carlton]

I have read the care sheet and the info on this forum specifically for veiled females. It seems like most keep their females at a slightly lower temp than males (82-85*) so that’s what I have been doing. I noticed that a Facebook group I belong to has a care sheet that says the complete opposite. It suggests that females enjoy temps of 98-100*. That seems really hot to me, but it was on their care sheet. My girl does not seem to be as happy since I lowered her temps. She stays on her basking branch a lot more and is often darker in color. This makes me think she is cold, but I do not want her to have trouble with egg laying so I have continued to keep her temps 82-85*. Should I increase temps a little? What do you guys think about that care sheet that suggested 98-100*? I am a very new keeper, but that just seems very hot. With so much conflicting information out there, how do I know what is good info and what is bad info? I just want to do what’s best for her...whatever that may be!

That "other" care sheet is baloney. Temps that high are a good way to burn your cham. It won't hurt her to bask a bit longer when the room is cooler. Safer than burning her; permanent disfigurement, infections, and a lot of pain. It could be because at this time of year (where do you live?) there is more of a temp drop off outside the basking area of her cage so she stays put more of the time. You could always put another low watt bulb along one side of the cage when the house is chilly. That can encourage her to roam around more. The main thing you want to achieve is a RANGE of temps in the cage, not two extremes. As for judging which information is good and which isn't, often you need to read a wider variety. The good stuff tends to show up more reliably than the whack-a-doodle stuff.

 

[Blmelton]

Thanks for the advice. I live in SC and we have just gone from temps in the 70s to temps in the 50s in a matter of days. I will put another 40 watt in another spot and see how that works. As for the other care sheet, thanks for the confirmation! I knew that didn’t sound right. I will stick with the info here. I was just trying to read as much as possible and found SO many conflicting statements...even here. I think my best bet is to stick with the care sheet on this group and ask questions when needed. She seems to be doing great, but I will be feeling much better about things once her t5 fixture is hooked up (today). Fingers crossed!

 

[Decadancin]

You may see some more activity with the new Arcadia. I would never suggest basking temps that high in an enclosure. They could see those conditions in the wild, but it wouldn't be concentrated in one spot like under a bulb.