Sarahsarus
Member
What temp do you guys let your enclosure get down to at night? I've read where anything above 60 is fine but that just seems too cold to me.
Nighttime Temps
- Thread starter Sarahsarus
- Start date
BKO Overdrive
Established Member
I have a Veiled and mine get down to 73. She sleeps like a rock no problem
Sarahsarus
Member
Good to know! Mine is staying around 75 for now but I worried I'd have to get a night light for winter.
Peachypink
Chameleon Enthusiast
A drop in temps is good for them at night. A night heat light will only disrupt their sleep, they need the dark with no lights to sleep well. You really shouldn't need to worry about it unless it gets under 60. If it gets that low then you could buy a ceramic heat bulb that puts out no light.
BKO Overdrive
Established Member
Ahh Okay yeah thats another beast all together, would a heating pad work? Im not sure if a night heat light would allow them sleep. I think i saw someone used the red kind and at first it took them a while but eventually they got used to it
Peachypink
Chameleon Enthusiast
Even a red light will disrupt their sleep.
BabyChamCham
Established Member
You don't necessarily have to get a light in the winter, you can just keep your ac at a good temp
BKO Overdrive
Established Member
Yeah i figured as much, i didn't know they made ceramic heat lights, that would be perfect.
Peachypink
Chameleon Enthusiast
They do but they really aren't necessary. If the cham is in your house and its comfortable for you then it should be fine for them. I don't know of anyone who keeps their house below 60 at night.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Well, consider the conditions chameleons adapted to in the wild and the need for a temp drop at night will make more sense. Arboreal chams would need to tolerate nighttime temp drops because they are not terrestrial or fossorial (and seek out places to spend the night where the earth holds daytime heat). Eventually, the ability to tolerate this daily cool cycle was an ecological advantage, so the individuals better at it were the ones to breed successfully. Some chams are native to places where the day to night temp change is a lot wider...probably for veileds in particular. We forget that a 60 degree room FEELS too cool for us because our stable body temp is a lot higher. To a cold-blooded herp it just doesn't matter that much. When they have the opportunity to warm up enough the next day, all is well. A 60 degree room is perfectly fine for a cham. Some species would prefer it even cooler than that. I kept my jacksons and fischeri in rooms that dropped to about 55 at night and they were fine.
Sarahsarus
Member
Thanks for the input everyone! She is my first Cham so I desperately want to do right by her and make sure everything is how she needs it!
Virgil1972
Avid Member
I keep mine at room temperature at night which for me can be anywhere from 65 to 70.
I wouldn't worry too much about nighttime temps unless your cham is outside. Most homes will not get that cool, and most chaos will be fine with Temps into the 40's and 50's. As for heating pads, they won't do much good for an animal near the top of an enclosure, and I don't trust them to be so safe. As mentioned, a ceramic heat emitter could do some good, but is likely not necessary.
Rayzilla
Member
This is something that I will need to look into living in Hong Kong. Homes are not insulated and generally there are no central heating and A/C systems. Each room has its own heating and A/C units. The main room where I would place the cage is typically not be heated at night, although I may have to consider it now.
According to this website, the lowest average low temperature in the winter is about 55. Does it make a difference if the weather is generally humid or 'wet', so it actually feels a lot colder here than when I experienced 55 when I lived in Canada?
I would like to hear from anyone that has similar conditions or any suggestions in general for these circumstances.
According to this website, the lowest average low temperature in the winter is about 55. Does it make a difference if the weather is generally humid or 'wet', so it actually feels a lot colder here than when I experienced 55 when I lived in Canada?
I would like to hear from anyone that has similar conditions or any suggestions in general for these circumstances.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think your answer is in the phrase "feels a lot colder". It may feel colder to you, a warm blooded mammal with a body temp of 98.6 F. Moisture on your skin is cooling. A herp may not "feel" the same. As long as your cham can bask and warm up enough every morning it should be OK.
Rayzilla
Member
That makes sense. Thanks!
I feel better about that situation now. Now I need to do a little more research to confirm what the night time temperatures are like in the winter here and see whether it is still within the acceptable range for the Veiled or Panther chameleon.
LanceLee
Member
hi, i live and work in both hong kong and guangzhou, our humidity is a lot higher than cities further up north so it does feel colder indoors. i use to live in beijing and its warm and dry indoors
I learnt that i ought to reduce misting to avoid humidity going above 80% during winter else chameleons may develop respiratory problems. also to add ceramic heating at night to provide a heating gradient during cold winter nights indoors
Rayzilla
Member
Thanks for that information.
I will have to check on the availability of the ceramic heating in the shops here.
And is the humidity problem mainly in the winter? We only turn on the heaters when it gets really cold in the home. In the summer between June to early August, we will often have the air conditioner on most of the time because the kids and I will be home now that I am a teacher. The rest of the summer, we will turn on the air conditioner from 3pm onward. But I think I will still invest in a nice mister to give the cham a regular routine.
I will have to check on the availability of the ceramic heating in the shops here.
And is the humidity problem mainly in the winter? We only turn on the heaters when it gets really cold in the home. In the summer between June to early August, we will often have the air conditioner on most of the time because the kids and I will be home now that I am a teacher. The rest of the summer, we will turn on the air conditioner from 3pm onward. But I think I will still invest in a nice mister to give the cham a regular routine.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
It depends on the species, but for the montane species and veileds, I think anything higher than the mid 50s is fine. They need to heat up during the day but cool nights is normal in their native habitat.
