How long to veils sleep ?

[Syreptyon]

A few things as input. Your baby should have a full 12 hours of sleep.
the winter thing I understand. I have 3 chameleons. During the winter I have to use a night heat lamp for them all. If I don’t then it would be way too cold and they would freeze. I live in upstate New York. During the summer, no. No heat light on at night. But in the winter. They actually look for it.
All chameleons are different. Two of mine, prefer not to be handled. My little girl, would much rather be left alone to just watch and do her thing. My oldest male, prefers to not be handled but like to climb out of his cage himself. Now, my youngest male, he enjoys being handled. His cage door will be open. He will climb out. Roam around. Climb right on me and just hangout. I try to put him up on things. Nope he’s fine with just being on me. Won’t get off until he’s ready. He’s been like that since he was young. He will climb out of his cage and walk right to me. He prefers to sleep outside of his cage up on a certain picture frame (the walls he could climb cause of the texture) or up on top of the window. Same routine every night. But since it’s winter, I will put him in his cage so he doesn’t freeze, especially cause he can not be by the window at night with the freezing cold air.
But my point, all chameleons are different. Some like their human and feel comfortable with them. Most just prefer to be left alone.
Just like people have opinions about access to water. My oldest male has been drinking out of a dish since day 1. Since the day we got him as a baby he drank from a bottle cap. And now has a dish. He drinks from it every morning. Throughout the day. Before bed. My female, no. She won’t. She drinks from a water bottle. And also from a fountain. My youngest male. He likes to drink drips from leaves or a fountain.
but make sure your chameleon has 12 hours of sleep and if it’s cold where you are like it is here then yes use a heat light at night.

Wait, you don't use a heat source that produces light at night do you? No matter what color of light it is, it is never acceptable to have a light on a chameleon's enclosure at night. I really hope you mean you are using a ceramic heat emitter, which emits heat without light, to produce heat at night and not a light-producing bulb. In addition to their eyes, chameleons have a photosensitive "third eye" on the top of their heads -- all of which need complete and total darkness.

Even if their eyes are closed, a red or any other colored light disrupts their sleep and is incorrect husbandry.

 

[CasqueAbove]

He has been handled in captivity since birth. I usually turn the lights back on about 10 am . Mind you his heat lamp is always on due to the fact that its winter. He has lots of water. Mister, and dripper. He even drinks infront of me . He is only two months so his main diet consists of crickets. He gets a horned worm once a month. He has his set up and everything fine. We set it up with the assistance and approval of reptile rays. So his habitat and everything is fine. Plenty of room and airflow. He is just used to being held and when he is tired he will doze off. I am just wondering how long do they typically sleep for ??

People are upset because the picture a normal day schedule. If your schedule is from 10 - 11 then you are just holding him in the evening. This is not so bad. But do listen to what they are saying.
However if he is still awake when you come in, the you may just be part of his routine.

To answer your main question, about 10 - 12 hours, basically while the sun is down. In captivity the still need the same number of hours, but it can be from 11pm to 10 am.
If you have windows that allow light in he will likely adjust to this. I have to adjust my lights to time of day. They are both by large windows.

 

[Hannahllee]

Wait, you don't use a heat source that produces light at night do you? No matter what color of light it is, it is never acceptable to have a light on a chameleon's enclosure at night. I really hope you mean you are using a ceramic heat emitter, which emits heat without light, to produce heat at night and not a light-producing bulb. In addition to their eyes, chameleons have a photosensitive "third eye" on the top of their heads -- all of which need complete and total darkness.

Even if their eyes are closed, a red or any other colored light disrupts their sleep and is incorrect husbandry.

It’s for producing heat at night. It’s dark almost blackish. Basically just heat.

 

[Hannahllee]

It’s for producing heat at night. It’s dark almost blackish. Basically just heat.

If you think about, out in the wild there is moonlight.

 

[cyberlocc]

A few things as input. Your baby should have a full 12 hours of sleep.
the winter thing I understand. I have 3 chameleons. During the winter I have to use a night heat lamp for them all. If I don’t then it would be way too cold and they would freeze. I live in upstate New

Panthers and Velieds are fine with night drops into the low 50s, a drop to upper 50s, or lower 60s, is GOOD for them, they will not "Freeze" other species that have cooler days, can handle and want even colder nights. So unless your house is getting under 50, no you do not need a "Heat Light". If it does get under 50, than a Ceramic heat emitter can be used, but only if it gets under 50f, They want a night drop... Its needed for their health.

There is ZERO Reason to use a "Heat Light" you can use a Ceramic Heater or a Arcadia Deep heat, that provide heat without light.

Just like people have opinions about access to water. My oldest male has been drinking out of a dish since day 1. Since the day we got him as a baby he drank from a bottle cap. And now has a dish. He drinks from it every morning. Throughout the day. Before bed. My female, no. She won’t. She drinks from a water bottle. And also from a fountain. My youngest male. He likes to drink drips from leaves or a fountain.

There is no opinions about water, there is what is correct, what is natural, and what some folks have forced their chameleons to do, and accept. Chameleons do not live near streams on the ground. THEY DO NOT DRINK STANDING WATER. They drink rain water, they drink dew off the leaves.

This is not an Opinion, this is a FACT. Do not confuse you forcing your wrong methods onto the animal and the animal taking it to for survival, as a reality. Which is what your doing.

Having a foutain is even worse, that becomes a cesspool of bacteria, is not found anywhere near Chameleons, is unnatural unneeded, and a risk.

You have in the sum of a single post, summed up some of the most important things you should NOT be doing.

If you think about, out in the wild there is moonlight.

Moonlight is not colored light, its 6500k light, pure white light. It appears not to be, as it is 2 lux. No heat light outside of a Ceramic Heat Emitter is 2 lux.... Even the Arcadia deep heat is 4 lux.

Even if their eyes are closed, a red or any other colored light disrupts their sleep and is incorrect husbandry.

For the sake of scientific accuracy, that is not completely true. True Pure red light will not affect their sleep. The Partial eye only possess photo receptors for Blue and Green, true pure Red light will pose no issue. Which is where those bulbs idea come from. The issue is the execution, the bulbs have a red coating on them, and put out all spectra of light, they are still putting out green and blue light. Not just red, however there is science behind why they think it will work, the issue is the execution.

Its an important distinction for like the Arcadia Deep heat. It puts out 4 lux of light, in the infrared spectrum. That is Pure Red Light, and is not visible to the animal at all. A higher wattage version, or something like an Infrared heater, that puts out that orange glow, is pure red light and will not affect their sleep.

 

[Hannahllee]

I wish it dropped into the 50s. It doesn’t even get that during the day time. During the winter it gets in the negatives.

 

[Hannahllee]

I do not use a red light. Red bothers my eyes.

 

[Hannahllee]

My chameleons are all healthy. They have been fine for years. I have done extensive research. Thank you for your concern. But every living being is different. What works for one animal may not work as well for another. The fountains get cleaned and checked daily. The cups they drink from. Get cleaned and refilled daily. I have given many options at a time to my animals. They chose what suits them best. If I was doing something terribly wrong. They would have gotton sick and died. Like I said every animal is different. One way does not work for all. There is not one set way to raise a chameleon. There is not one set way to raise a dog. There is not one set way to raise a horse. Again. Thank you for tour concern. But like I e said. I’ve done extensive research and all of my animals are healthy.

 

[kinyonga]

Parietal eye...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/parietal-eye

 

[Hannahllee]

Thank you for your input. I have done my research.

 

[kinyonga]

I posted the link in case others were interested too.

 

[cyberlocc]

Ya I'm not biting.

To folks, that read this in the future, please look at any credible care sheet, or information of care of chameleons. Waterfalls are Bad, Chameleons DO Not drink standing water, Chameleons need a night drop, and Animals DO not differ, because you want them too.

Please do research, and do not follow ill advice, with no backing of any kind anywhere.