Outdoor setups in Texas? (100 degree weather)

[Rocky]

Hey I was wondering what the max temps were for keeping Panthers / Veileds outside. I have an area where I would like to put a large outdoor enclosure with partitions to separate them, but during the summer the temps get upwards of 100 degrees I'm thinking that is to hot, does anyone else have ways of making it cooler without having to fully enclose it and airconditioning it?

I was thinking maybe if I put in a misting system that may help, but I'm not really sure.

Any help would be great

 

[eisentrauti]

Puh, thats pretty hot ! Chamaeleo calyptratus or Furcifer verrucosus/oustaleti can handle this temperature for some time when they also have shadow

 

[Rocky]

Ya the area is under a big shade tree, I just dont want them to get to hot. I would love to be able to leave them outside during the days so they can soak up some rays, but not if the heat could kill them.

 

[eisentrauti]

You need a good dripper so that they can drink the hole day. With that it would work probably

 

[GooglezNvincent]

I saw build the cage in the open, no shade. Then have MASSIVE amounts of plants and vines in the cage. They get all the sun and if they get hot they have sufficient shade to cool down in. BE SURE it is really thick and dense shrubbery so they have shade. Have drippers, but also a misting (sprinkler system. If you are like me you have a box out side and it controls the sprinklers, designate a new line for the cham cage and then you can turn in on at 10am 12pm 3pm and 6pm al for 5 minutes minimum. Let me know if you have any more questions, i am in the process of making an outdoor cage myself.

 

[Chamero]

Youd have to have some sort of A/C in there. You could easily make a little one.

Get a tub and fill it with cold water.
Get a fishtank water pump and have it pumping cold water up to a coiled copper pipe.
The copper pipe will be cooled by the cold water in the tub below....which is circulated by the water pump.
Then put a small fan in the copper pipe, to circulate the air right around the copper pipe, which should now be cold from the circulated water.
Should cost about $40

 

[beeze]

Too hot for them. Even here in south FL I can't keep mine outside and we get no where near 100.

 

[alinder450]

If it is hotter than 85 i wouldn't recommend keeping your cham outdoors, especially panthers. You have to take into account that is 100 degrees ambient temp..in direct sun they are cooking.

 

[Leezochka]

Outdoors in TX

I am moving my cham outdoors in Austin, TX, and will keep all posted here https://www.chameleonforums.com/veiled-chameleon-outdoors-year-round-66095/index6.html

 

[fluxlizard]

I've never gone over 100 in my area, but have gone 100 with my chams. The past couple of years we have had many many days in the upper 90s.
I use patio misters over part of each cage throughout the heat of the afternoon. On really hot days the misters come on as early as 11 and off as late as 8. Most days it's around 1 to 5. I always make sure they can find dry shade and dry sun as well as mist shade - I don't force them to stay wet- they can choose. Works for me.

 

[Leezochka]

My new outdoor setup here https://www.chameleonforums.com/totos-new-outdoor-setup-tx-67537/

 

[aliguori]

Hey I was wondering what the max temps were for keeping Panthers / Veileds outside. I have an area where I would like to put a large outdoor enclosure with partitions to separate them, but during the summer the temps get upwards of 100 degrees I'm thinking that is to hot, does anyone else have ways of making it cooler without having to fully enclose it and airconditioning it?

I was thinking maybe if I put in a misting system that may help, but I'm not really sure.

Any help would be great

Another thing to consider.. at least in Austin, we get nasty wind/hail storms every couple years. And we did get a pretty good freeze last year. I think if you also had a temporary indoor home that could be used it would be okay.

I've been considering doing this myself actually.

 

[Jakedn]

Veiled chameleons handle 100 degree weather fine, as long as they can thermoregulate themselves. I'm not sure about the other species though.

How far above 100 does it go?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

It got up to 112 this summer. 108 was the normal for about 2 months solid. And no rain to speak of from February to September. I keep my guys in a big outdoor cage 24/7 in the spring and fall while weather permits. My panther does not tolerate the heat as well as my veiled. They roast in the summer and I would not keep any tropical animal outdoors in the winter here. Our humidity makes it feel colder than it is and when temps don't go above 45 for a lot of February your cham is not going to be happy. They'll just be glued under the heat lamp the whole time afraid to move away from it, if it even keeps them warm enough with the wind. Had cockatiels in an outdoor aviary and we had to completely box in the aviary with heat lamps to keep them warm enough - and they're not even reptiles. I'm all for keeping chams outside as much as possible. Unfortunately Texas just isn't the most hospitable place to do that so the indoor cages are still their main base for most of the year.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

And I'd just like to add that while you Northern folks are feeling a breath of autumn it was a toasty 97 degrees down here today! In other words I hate you all.