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i agree. totally boring. boo.
Hmm. I have one room with a separate AC which I keep at 75 during the summer to avoid higher temps so I can incubate my Drymarchon eggs. But it is my bedroom, so 60s isn't happening! Think that would be cool enough?
Im not sure. Maybe for some species that are more tolerant to that but I couldnt be the one who can suggest which ones are and arent. I have always kept my montanes at cooler temps and give them good night time drops. I would ask Danny (lizardlover...some number that I forget) what his temp ranges are for the uthmoelleri I sent him. He seems to be doing well with some of the montane species living in FL without a dedicated room to house them in. Ive been lucky to live where it doesnt get too hot and good night time drops in the hotter months the whole time I have kept chameleons.
I really think that the lower nighttime temp drops are critical for the health of the montane species.
If you look at a map (there is a good paper available via google called "The two-horned chameleons of East Africa" by Mariaux et al (ZZoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 367-91) ou can see what I mean. While this deals with the Kinyongia genus ( and was the paper that assigned some of the subspecies into their own species), it has a good map of the Eastern Arc mountains in Tanzania and Kenya. If you also google the different montane species, you will see at which altitudes they generally hang out. For example, the hoehnelii species needs an even lower nighttime drop in my opinion for good health, but they love to bask.
My tavetanas really thrive only when they have a good nighttime drop. On the poradic summer nights when the temps don't drop much, I have to be sure the mist them heavily once the sun is going down to be sure they are cool enough over night. While the tavetanas can tolerate higher daytime temps than others that naturally live at higher altitudes, they still need that nighttime drop.
I dont want to discourage anyone from these species, but if you are going to go down that road you have to know for certain that you can provide the appropriate husbandry for them or they will not do well.
I think I asked this in another thread and it did not get answered, but is there a reference which lists Cham species by similar requirements ie
Temperate
Jungle
Submontane
Montane
and Other?
I really think that the lower nighttime temp drops are critical for the health of the montane species.
If you look at a map (there is a good paper available via google called "The two-horned chameleons of East Africa" by Mariaux et al (ZZoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 367-91) ou can see what I mean. While this deals with the Kinyongia genus ( and was the paper that assigned some of the subspecies into their own species), it has a good map of the Eastern Arc mountains in Tanzania and Kenya. If you also google the different montane species, you will see at which altitudes they generally hang out. For example, the hoehnelii species needs an even lower nighttime drop in my opinion for good health, but they love to bask.
My tavetanas really thrive only when they have a good nighttime drop. On the poradic summer nights when the temps don't drop much, I have to be sure the mist them heavily once the sun is going down to be sure they are cool enough over night. While the tavetanas can tolerate higher daytime temps than others that naturally live at higher altitudes, they still need that nighttime drop.
I dont want to discourage anyone from these species, but if you are going to go down that road you have to know for certain that you can provide the appropriate husbandry for them or they will not do well.
Not that I know of. Id say just research and try to figure out which ones would do better for you. Something like cristatus may do well for you. Adcham says they should stay constantly around 75 degrees and do not need a large night time drop. If you can keep the room around there that might be a species you can try to keep. They do need high humidity but you can always keep them in a terrarium, use an ultrasonic humidifier etc.