No more outside chams...

[Julirs]

I think I am officially done keeping chams outside. I have done so for 3 years from about March-December, or as long as the night temps have been above 50. Now Oscar Oustalet is fighting a URI. Off to the Vet tomorrow as I have been dredging mucous out of his mouth/throat.
With all of the rain and humidity and high temps, I am just not finding it works here. More than one long term keeper advised against it, but I figured I would give it a try. I have had two Veileds over the years end up with URI also that I kept out there. I am not sure that is enough to prove that the heat and humidity is causing it, but I just don't get chams with URI's in the house. Maybe it has just been this rainy hot period?

 

[Thompson]

I'm so sorry to hear your cham has URI, hope he gets better soon. But maybe the humidity isn't causing it. Maybe it is just spreading?

 

[Julirs]

Good point. But the last cases were last year and the cages are 3 feet apart. Can URI spread like that?

 

[carol5208]

I live in Florida too. I have had my cham since April. I had him outside the first month, then I moved him in the house as I felt it was getting to hot and he was only 5 months old. I take him outisde a few hours a day for sun and then I let him cruise my screened in patio enclosure for some free range as I have nautical rope hanging and he loves it out there on the rope. I was thinking when it got cool to move the cage outside, meaning on the patio. Then I am going to have a nice cage built out on my deck outside for him to get some sun where I dont have to sit two feet from him worrying if a hawk is gonna grab him or something. So you think living on the patio would be a bad idea then? Are you saying that just the summer months with the dampness and humidty may be attributing to the URI. I would be moving him out when the humidity and dampness subsides.

 

[Chuck G]

My Chameleons are always inside now and I have 0 URI's since then.
It's much easier on me and the chameleons when I can control temps,humidity,etc. This is what works for me and obviously natural sunshine is best but I like to be in control of whats going on. Too many variables creates too many problems.

 

[chams1]

Sorry to hear about that, Juli. I only put my chams outside here when I'm home and when the weather is cooperating. However, I find that in this part of the country, I will have a greater chance of getting a URI when during a changing of the seasons or sever weather swing (like right now).

 

[tompbgod]

bummer

bummer man hope he gets better ! =[

I love living in Southern California the weather is usualy nice.

 

[Julirs]

I think with the rains lately, it is just too swampy out there right now. I have brought him in, and will get him started on meds tomorrow. He is a good weight, 3 years old, and easy to handfeed, so I expect him to make a full recovery. I agree Chuck, it is just easier to control all of the variables inside. It is plenty humid enough inside even with the AC on here.

 

[jmart]

Sorry to hear about your oustalet. They are tough though and yours should be fine after treatment.
Maybe you could still let him out when it is nice and dry, so he can get real UV. That's what I do , living in Canada, as the weather is often cold.

 

[jannb]

I'm glad you decided to bring your chams inside. I sure hate to hear that Oscar is not well. He's one of your first chams after Leon???? I know I've been seeing pictures of him on here for awhile. Hope his vet visit goes well and they he had a full recovery very soon.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I have always been more concerned because my chams have to spend so much time inside. I never would have thought that a cham would catch a uri if housed outside exclusively. Esp in such a warm enviroment an Florida. Are the cages not having an opurtunity to dry out completely?

 

[Julirs]

I have always been more concerned because my chams have to spend so much time inside. I never would have thought that a cham would catch a uri if housed outside exclusively. Esp in such a warm enviroment an Florida. Are the cages not having an opurtunity to dry out completely?

These cages are sitting outside of my screen lanai, so they have adequate airflow from all 4 sides. They do not get direct sun all day, but dappled sun throughout the day but they do dry thoroughly between mistings.
The Oustalets have always done well outside here since they are from a similar environment. Oscar is now 3.5 years, and has always been really healthy minus the fact that he only has one eye as one never developed. He is CH and not WC. It has been extra hot and stagnant this past few weeks, raining in the evening so the only thing I can think of is that they cages have stayed wet overnight. But even that is not completely unusual for FL.

 

[Montium]

I wonder how Florida Chameleons does it ? I think their whole production is outside, is it not? maybe it'd far enough north to not cause a problem?

 

[Carlton]

raining in the evening so the only thing I can think of is that they cages have stayed wet overnight. But even that is not completely unusual for FL.

OK, here's a long shot idea...I've often wondered if chams could end up with allergies to airborne irritants (air pollution and toxics from metro areas) or alien (at least to these nonnative herps) pollens. If their respiratory system is under attack already it might raise the tendency for URIs in what seems to be an OK climate for chams. But, veileds and Ousties originated in relatively drier areas of Madagascar so maybe they are slightly more sensitive to constant high humidity.

 

[Julirs]

I wonder how Florida Chameleons does it ? I think their whole production is outside, is it not? maybe it'd far enough north to not cause a problem?

They don't keep anything outside. And they are South of me.

OK, here's a long shot idea...I've often wondered if chams could end up with allergies to airborne irritants (air pollution and toxics from metro areas) or alien (at least to these nonnative herps) pollens. If their respiratory system is under attack already it might raise the tendency for URIs in what seems to be an OK climate for chams. But, veileds and Ousties originated in relatively drier areas of Madagascar so maybe they are slightly more sensitive to constant high humidity.

Veileds are from Yemen and Ousties are found in a huge range including humid coastal. Not sure about the allergens, but I am far from air pollution here on the peninsula of Pinellas County. I can tell you one thing though, the pollen and allergens are KILLING ME right now.

 

[fluxlizard]

Just wondering how much direct sun they did get?

I had troubles with dappled sunlight under a row of pines for moderate temperature chams like mellers. They weren't doing so well there. Mine do much better with direct sunlight available most of the day and constant shade available of course along with it.

Not saying do or do not keep them outside- the owner's judgement in their situation for what is best for their own animals is to be respected. Just wondering how many hours of direct sunlight were available for comparison purposes with my own situation (where I've never had URI from anything other than from buying recent imports who came in with a pre-existing problem- of course I'm not in florida either, but would still be interested in number of hours of direct sunlight for comparison/consideration purposes when recommending husbandry to others who end up with my chameleons offspring).

 

[Julirs]

No worries-this is how we learn. The pool deck they are on gets direct sunlight almost all day. The pool stays a constant 92 degrees if that tells you anything-no pool cage. The chameleons would certainly fry if they were in that kind of sun, now on weekends I do move them out into direct sun in the morning and the evening when it would not cook them. I would have to say small parts of the cages would get direct sun for a few hours a day. My other issues with URI were from Veileds recently shipped from out West.

 

[fluxlizard]

I'm actually not sure how to interpret the pool staying at 92- I've never had a pool so I'm not sure how they work. Is this warmer than the actual air temp because the concrete and water retain and build up heat or is this less than the actual air temp?

 

[Julirs]

Ahhhh sorry. For a pool to stay that warm it has to remain in the sun for almost the entire day. My neighbors pools with a bit more shade from either the house or trees and a pool cage would stay in the low to mid 80's. Air temps here over the past month have been 95ish from about noon to 8PM, with some pretty decent almost daily rain.

 

[Seeco]

Maybe purge your misting system? But who knows, maybe they have allergies!