is humidity really important?

[PabloTheCham]

Hey guys.
I was just thinking, is humidity actually impactful to chameleons? I read that humidity can be low (especially for veileds), but that as long as hydration is good, there shouldn't be an issue. I know humidity should be 40%-50% humidity for my veiled, but I also know it is no where near there. i have 2 sides of my enclosure covered with shower curtains, and my mistking goes off 9 times a day, but my humidity is not high enough, but my cham is still fine.
Also, people that have free ranges like me, don't make the whole room the freerange is in humid, and their cham doesn't have issues either. You may mist the freerange, but it is still not going to make the humidity of that room significantly higher. So what is the point of humidity? is it just useless/overrated?

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Humidity plays a roll in hydration. Especially at night. The theory is that while sleeping and breathing at night with high humidity you'll have less water loss to the animal. It also has an effect on the animals joints and respiratory system.

Think of humans for instance. We buy expensive humidifiers for our own health. They help keep dust and bacteria out of the air (as long as you're cleaning them monthly). We use them when we're sick to help loosen our respiratory system as well. Overall most animals will benefit with at least 50% humidity

If you're struggling to get your humidity up is suggest in getting a ultrasonic cool mist humidifier. I have to use one here where I live almost around the clock. I'm lucky if we get to 29% humidity on any given day.

 

[CasqueAbove]

So it is a balance. Yemen (Veiled) are dry in the day but humid at night. At least the area they are from.

It is confusing and unless we raise say 500 animals, in controlled condition we cant really say.
Some claim they can live 14 years, many have shown to raise them at least to 10 years. Would life be extended in different conditions? who knows.

For me I look at nature and how they evolved. I fog at night and dry in the day. This is how it is in their native locale. I have been studying the region for a while now.

The concept of humidity gets confusing. i speak of Yemen. I see why there is confusion. For temp as well.
In their region it is foggy almost every night, even though during the dry season in will be very dry in the day. I have seen 14% This is similar with temperature, 60 at night 80 in day.

So when we look at average for area we get humidity of 50%-60% temp around 70, Sound familiar? But this is not the whole picture.

I personally feel this balance of foggy nights and dryer days promotes proper respiratory health.

I have free range, I use mister and Fog, but fog alone within the plants where she has now chosen to sleep the humidity is 80+ . 12 inches away 50% My female really likes the fog. I added it a month or so ago, and now she sleeps right in it. She changed to it.

 

[Alicat93]

Humidity plays a roll in hydration. Especially at night. The theory is that while sleeping and breathing at night with high humidity you'll have less water loss to the animal. It also has an effect on the animals joints and respiratory system.

Think of humans for instance. We buy expensive humidifiers for our own health. They help keep dust and bacteria out of the air (as long as you're cleaning them monthly). We use them when we're sick to help loosen our respiratory system as well. Overall most animals will benefit with at least 50% humidity

If you're struggling to get your humidity up is suggest in getting a ultrasonic cool mist humidifier. I have to use one here where I live almost around the clock. I'm lucky if we get to 29% humidity on any given day.

What about if your humidity might be too high? I have a female veiled and we’re usually around 65-75% as I live in a very humid climate.

 

[JacksJill]

Night time humidity can be from 80-100% outdoors and they can do well. Daytime is a different story.

 

[Beman]

What about if your humidity might be too high? I have a female veiled and we’re usually around 65-75% as I live in a very humid climate.

I have this issue and actually run a dehumidifier in the room. My enclosure humidity without it gets up to 80%. Without it I noticed issues such as him gaping consistently but temps were perfect. Took him to the vet multiple times to be sure it was not an RI. Finally I figured out the humidity was just too high for him. I have had this set up for a year now. His lights come on at 8:30am so I turn the dehumidifier on thirty minutes prior to start dropping the humidity. Then heat lamp kicks off at 4pm with the rest of his lights staggered the following 2 and a half hours. So I turn off the dehumidifier at 3:30pm. This lets my humidity start to build for evening. With the dehumidifier I got my daytime humidity down to 33% It generally runs from this to about 40% when I have it turned on.

I know it makes a difference because my first dehumidifier broke and it took me 2 weeks to replace it. During that 2 week period Beman almost immediately went back to gaping consistently.

I run a cool mist fogger at night from 12-5am when the cage is at its coolest 63-67 degrees.

If you want to check it out this is the one I bought and it is expensive but works like a dream. I got the 30 pint which according to this is their new 20 pint. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRDBBH5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Alicat93]

I have this issue and actually run a dehumidifier in the room. My enclosure humidity without it gets up to 80%. Without it I noticed issues such as him gaping consistently but temps were perfect. Took him to the vet multiple times to be sure it was not an RI. Finally I figured out the humidity was just too high for him. I have had this set up for a year now. His lights come on at 8:30am so I turn the dehumidifier on thirty minutes prior to start dropping the humidity. Then heat lamp kicks off at 4pm with the rest of his lights staggered the following 2 and a half hours. So I turn off the dehumidifier at 3:30pm. This lets my humidity start to build for evening. With the dehumidifier I got my daytime humidity down to 33% It generally runs from this to about 40% when I have it turned on.

I know it makes a difference because my first dehumidifier broke and it took me 2 weeks to replace it. During that 2 week period Beman almost immediately went back to gaping consistently.

I run a cool mist fogger at night from 12-5am when the cage is at its coolest 63-67 degrees.

If you want to check it out this is the one I bought and it is expensive but works like a dream. I got the 30 pint which according to this is their new 20 pint. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRDBBH5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you so much! I’ll look into the dehumidifier and look into a cool mist fogger.

 

[Beman]

Thank you so much! I’ll look into the dehumidifier and look into a cool mist fogger.

Your welcome. what ever you do don't cheap out on the dehumidifier. The cheap ones do not pull enough moisture out of the air to even make a dent in the levels your dealing with. Trust me on this
Get a top fill humidifier... It will make life ten times easier. I have heard good things about this one. and it is on sale now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V39ZYJB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vplXDb9GMSZDZ

 

[CasqueAbove]

Your welcome. what ever you do don't cheap out on the dehumidifier. The cheap ones do not pull enough moisture out of the air to even make a dent in the levels your dealing with. Trust me on this
Get a top fill humidifier... It will make life ten times easier. I have heard good things about this one. and it is on sale now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V39ZYJB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vplXDb9GMSZDZ

This is what I use. Easy to clean.. Once a week I take it apart run hot water viniger, let it dry , boom done. Liking it and happy I spent the money. lots of fog

 

[Alex_Boris]

For a night time I applying a shower curtain and have a humidifier working every other hour. This way curtain keeps humidity inside the cage. Humidity rage 75-85. Day time is pretty dry 20-30.

 

[Ramrod]

Your welcome. what ever you do don't cheap out on the dehumidifier. The cheap ones do not pull enough moisture out of the air to even make a dent in the levels your dealing with. Trust me on this
Get a top fill humidifier... It will make life ten times easier. I have heard good things about this one. and it is on sale now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V39ZYJB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vplXDb9GMSZDZ

I use the same one you suggested and love it. No problems during the last year.

 

[PabloTheCham]

For a night time I applying a shower curtain and have a humidifier working every other hour. This way curtain keeps humidity inside the cage. Humidity rage 75-85. Day time is pretty dry 20-30.

hold up.... what are those lights i'm seeing on there? please start a thread to review your husbandry.

 

[Alex_Boris]

I have a male cham (about 4 months). My boyfriend runs a video production company. I took one of his stands with the light for my live plants ( I think that’s what you saw there). So I can keep a nice bright light. The rest is regular basking spot and long uvb lamp. I can take a pic tomorrow of all of them if interested and will ask where he bought. We just put it like few days ago and my Cham is just living it!

 

[Alex_Boris]

hold up.... what are those lights i'm seeing on there? please start a thread to review your husbandry.

Sorry, for some reason didn’t replied under your question. Please, See my reply above.

 

[PabloTheCham]

I have a male cham (about 4 months). My boyfriend runs a video production company. I took one of his stands with the light for my live plants ( I think that’s what you saw there). So I can keep a nice bright light. The rest is regular basking spot and long uvb lamp. I can take a pic tomorrow of all of them if interested and will ask where he bought. We just put it like few days ago and my Cham is just living it!

as long as the uvb is a long one, like as long as the width of the cage, you are fine. At least as far as I know, I just saw the dual lamp thing, and thought you were using the dual light thing.