light cycle/setting light timer

[Dankmeleon]

do experienced keepers change the amount of daylight there housed chams get indoors throughout the season to try to recreate the changing light cycles/seasons?

i'm just curious as to how many hours of sunlight most people give there chams per day

 

[Justin Carl]

Well, my chameleons can see windows and they start to go to bed when the sun starts to go down at night.
So I change my lighting with the sun.
I also make my lights go off one at a time to give that "sundown" look.
Usually I have the UVB bulb go off first then the basking bulb goes off second.
When the first bulb turns off they head to their sleeping spots almost right away.
Right now my bulbs turn on at 7:30 and turn off at about 6:15.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

My chameleons cannot see outside.
There is no window of any kind in this room, and they still seem to know when the sun has "gone down".
The animals dictate to me when they would like to go to bed and I change the lighting schedule according to their behavior.
In late November/early December, Kitty was going to bed at 4:00 p.m. whether the lights were on or not.

-Brad

 

[Dankmeleon]

do chameleons typically breed at a certain time of year, suggesting the growing or shorting daylight hours could be a reason, as well as good conditions for incubation, or am i completely off?

I'm trying to go back over my list of very very subtle things

 

[Brad Ramsey]

do chameleons typically breed at a certain time of year, suggesting the growing or shorting daylight hours could be a reason, as well as good conditions for incubation, or am i completely off?

I'm trying to go back over my list of very very subtle things

As far as I can tell (mostly from reading and talking to others) that would depend on the species.
There are species that (i believe) "come into season" at certain times, and then there are animals like veileds ... which, I think, can be bred to death!

-Brad

 

[Nicodemayo]

do chameleons typically breed at a certain time of year, suggesting the growing or shorting daylight hours could be a reason, as well as good conditions for incubation, or am i completely off?

I'm trying to go back over my list of very very subtle things

I was wondering that too. Panthers for example, males will go on seasonal hunger strikes around this time of year becuase in the wild, they would be searching for a mate. I was wondering that even though panthers will mate year round, if they are more inclined to breed this time of year and possibly have larger clutches. I also wondering if a male on a feeding strike would be broken of the strike if he was bred.

 

[PEMEX]

I was wondering that too. Panthers for example, males will go on seasonal hunger strikes around this time of year becuase in the wild, they would be searching for a mate. I was wondering that even though panthers will mate year round, if they are more inclined to breed this time of year and possibly have larger clutches. I also wondering if a male on a feeding strike would be broken of the strike if he was bred.

I have two 1 year old males who joined the hunger strike around December. 2 weeks ago we had some normal SoCal weather,and they began eating normaly. Now they are back on strike with our Seattle like weather. I think they are tuned into the environment, and react accordingly, just like the way my shoulder aches before it's going to rain, I get grumpy...

 

[lizardboy119796]

lizardboy119796

I was wondering....i read in a book baby veilds should have a bit lower temputure....if soo how much?????

 

[Brad Ramsey]

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

-Brad

 

[Trace]

do chameleons typically breed at a certain time of year, suggesting the growing or shorting daylight hours could be a reason, as well as good conditions for incubation, or am i completely off?

Several montane species - werneri, goetzei to name a couple - are seasonal breeders. I'm sure daylight cues play a lot into their cycling and I use that to my advantage with my specimens. Remember to; many species come from areas with marked dry and wet seasons combined with higher and lower humidity levels. All those factors need to be addressed when trying to breed most species of chameleons.

Cheers,
T

... and then there are animals like veileds ... which, I think, can be bred to death!

And when I said most, I certainly didn't mean Veileds! You have to cut their heads off to get them to stop breeding. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.