Do Cold Climate Keepers Compromise?

[Tussah]

I'm trying to work out how I can keep chameleons here in Maine.

Do chameleon keepers in cold climates give up on providing their chameleons cage airflow and the day/night temperature and humidity cycle during the coldest days of winter?

Is it too much stress on chameleons to have no day/night cycle and only intermittent airflow for as much as a month?

Would that be a lethal amount of stress? Do you think it would be inhumane?

Do you think this would be less stressful for large chameleon?

 

[Beman]

Hey there. As long as you can control the ambient conditions in your home then your outdoor climate does not matter. I find hybrid enclosures to be a much better option when your trying to stabilize and provided consistent temps and humidity in an environment. Screen enclosures leave you really relying fully on the ambient levels being spot on since it is harder to create gradients in an enclosure.

Per chameleon type as long as you can provide correct husbandry for the specific species you want to get then that is all that matter. All chameleons no matter the size will react to stressors if their husbandry is not correct.

 

[Tussah]

Thanks Beman!

That's my problem.

I can't control my house's inside temperature when the outside temperature is below 5° F. Last winter when the temperature outside dropped to -20° F the temperature in my house was below 50° F.

I think I can add insulation to the walls, floor and ceiling of one room of the house which would remain above 70° F. This room would allow me to keep them warm enough but would be an unnatural stuffy environment for one to four weeks per year.

My house was built in the nineteenth century which may make my situation different from other keepers and aspiring keepers in northern states and Canada.

Are there any cold-climate chameleon keepers who have solved the problem of keeping in an old house?

I may not be able to solve this problem. If I can't I won't start keeping chameleons.

Thank you for help!

Tussah

 

[Beman]

Thanks Beman!

That's my problem.

I can't control my house's inside temperature when the outside temperature is below 5° F. Last winter when the temperature outside dropped to -20° F the temperature in my house was below 50° F.

I think I can add insulation to the walls, floor and ceiling of one room of the house which would remain above 70° F. This room would allow me to keep them warm enough but would be an unnatural stuffy environment for one to four weeks per year.

My house was built in the nineteenth century which may make my situation different from other keepers and aspiring keepers in northern states and Canada.

Are there any cold-climate chameleon keepers who have solved the problem of keeping in an old house?

I may not be able to solve this problem. If I can't I won't start keeping chameleons.

Thank you for help!

Tussah

So your biggest issue honestly will be what happens if you lose power during winter. When and if temps inside drop below 50 then that is high risk for them dying.

You can run a radiator heater in the room to pull up ambient temps during winter. You can use window seal by duct over your windows to help insulate as well for winter. But you would for sure have to go with a hybrid style enclosure so you can control your temps and humidity better.

 

[Lindasjackson]

Hey, I live in Maine to! I had problems in the beginning of keeping my Jackson’s, I had trouble regulation the humidity and the temps but I’ve been doing it now for almost 3 years and it’s going great now. I have a montane species of chameleon, a Jackson’s Xanth which doesn’t need as high of temps as the panthers and veileds. Mine also can and does enjoy his nights in the high 50s to low 60s. If you need any help just let me know.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I don’t live in an old house. Sorry, I live in an apartment. If you do decide to keep chameleons I would recomend a montane species.

 

[Tussah]

Thanks to both of you!

 

[kinyonga]

You might like to read this….
“In conclusion I would like to stress the point that we believe there are NO LAWS with chameleon husbandry. One must absorb ALL the "facts" and opinions from the entire Mother Earth, try them, combine them, and change them. Different techniques work well for different people in different regions of the country and the world”…
http://www.chameleonnews.com/02JulCaettaKruger.html

 

[Tussah]

Kinyonga,

Thank you so much for sharing this article with me. Caetta and Kruger's experiences and insights on chameleon husbandry in colder climates are helpful.

I hope I will be able to set up at least one room in my house that will allow me to create the necessary conditions for chameleons.

 

[kinyonga]

I live in Canada and had to cope with colder conditions..and often dryer conditions. Screen cages didn’t work…in the winter it was hard to keep the temperatures right and humidity was a definite issue many times. I tried cages with some sides glass and they worked better but the best ones were the ones that were all glass with screen lids and vents in the area below the door. The lights could be set up to create a chimney effect for air flow…and glass helped keep the humidity right and the temperatures too.

Of course, when I first started keeping them, back in the 80’s, there were only aquariums or homemade cages available…and they were challenging…but could work…once you understood how to set them up and what not to do….lights in the position that created a chimney effect for the airflow and never leave any standing water, etc.

Regarding light cycle…I kept the cages mostly in the basement level of my house, so there was limited light other than what I provided on their cages.

Regarding the airflow…as long as the lid is screen, you can create a chimney effect by the positioning of your lights. Having the air vents in the front of the cage also helps.

We have to figure out how to solve the problems so that things can work where we live and also realize that certain chameleons will do better for us depending on what we can provide.

Hope this helps.

 

[insectovore]

Cool temperatures can be a blessing just pick appropriate species. Most newts and salamanders do great in places that never go over 80F and 50F in winter is wonderful for many species. Also if you have enough basking lamps it's definitely going to increaste the electric bill and temps lol but I think you're better off using what you have as an asset than fighting the uphill battle which is much more costly