Female Chameleons

[Gumball Machine]

Is it proven necessary to keep a female at cooler temperatures than that of a male? I'm only asking because my female is never happy with 80 degrees. But if it's at least 85, she's happy. I say this because at 80-83, she is more often than not, dark and constantly trying to soak up more heat. When it's 85-89.... she's just the happiest color green. I don't mind these temps right now because she's still too young to lay eggs so I figured, why not let her be her happy green? It's just slightly bothersome that females (particularly with her case) have to be a below content range in order to live longer. It just all seems so backwards although I completely understand it and starting early November, her basking range will be 80. Which I had when I first got her and kept for quite some time, she just always basked and was always dark... trying to soak up that heat and never moving from the spot. Now that I put it slightly higher, she warms up and is always happy colors and leaves her spot to adventure and look around more often, which in my opinion... she just seems happier. So, I'm wondering what both sides of the story are (pros and cons) with females and basking temperatures. If it's for sure necessary for a happy, healthy female to live long to be at 80, I'll do it...

 

[jannb]

The reason to keep them cooler (in the lower 80's) is to slow their metabolism so they want be starving all the time. If you feed them less it's suppose to help keep them from laying eggs and if they do lay it should be a smaller clutch. Laying clutches, especially big clutches definitely shortens their life. Our senior member Lynda Horgan (kinyonga) came up with this method. She has been keeping and raising Veileds for more than 25 years and often has them live far longer than most of us can. You can read about her method here: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

 

[Gumball Machine]

Yes, I'm already aware of this. I'm just concerned of the quality of life since when she tries to warm up all the time, she simply doesn't seem as happy as when she can warm up completely and then go adventure. So, now is there a difference between low basking/low food vs higher basking/low food? I'm just trying to broaden my knowledge and see all sides. Right now, since she is still not fully grown, I've been letting her bask at male temps because every morning, she goes to her little basking spot and she's all dark, then I feed her and she's a happy lil monkey and she basks away her breakfast and then adventures around like it's her job to go all recon in my living room (fully supervised). When the temp is 80, she just sits there, all day dark and doesn't even want to hunt her crickets so I end up hand feeding them or making sure they stay up high because she won't go where it's cooler to get em. Quite frankly, I like seeing her being curious about her environment, hunting for her food and whatnot. I'd like to find a way to keep this happiness while following the low basking/low food but her personality is so, idk... she's such a stubborn lady! She likes what she likes and I'm her human slave. I have a wonderful plant on my patio and every day at some point she climbs down from her little tree and she heads right to the sliding glass door to be let out on the patio and onto her outside tree because she just loves the view, the natural light and I love sitting out there with her. At lower temps? She doesn't want to do anything and I have to manually put her out there and it's California so it's like a very warm basking like that for males. How are female temps controlled in that manner? When it's natural sun? Are they kept in more shady spot without the option of full sun if they want it?

 

[jannb]

I only take my chams out in the early morning before it's so hot. It would be no way to control the temps outside. How old is your girl? My Lottie girl had already formed a clutch of eggs and became egg bound by 5 months old. I didn't cut back her heat and temps until she was 4 months because I thought she was just a growing baby girl.

 

[Gumball Machine]

She just turned 5 month! She hasn't shown any new colors since I've had her. So, she might be old enough for that huh? Usually I let her bask in the sun midday for about 5-15 minutes (less if It is me she is perched on - more if it's her plant)

 

[Gumball Machine]

I guess that about covers it. Looks like I'm now too nervous to promote an egg clutch at this age! I thought I would have until November 1st! Although I still wonder if there is a different between low bask/low food and high bask/low food...

 

[kinyonga]

Can you please post a recent photo of her?

 

[Gumball Machine]

Check my Gallery on my profile. She is no different then her latest photo on there.

 

[kinyonga]

Can't find it...member galleries are closed it says.

 

[SocialNumb]

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