Panther chameleon body temps or skin temps

[CleanHome Chameleons]

Hi all dose anybody know a male panthers body temp at basking or there skin temp as I am using an infrared laser gun thanks peeps

Mark

 

[CleanHome Chameleons]

Anybody ???

Mark

 

[Meow Kitty]

where they bask at, they regulate heat on their own by moving closer or away from the light make sure their basking spot is vertical, their "3rd eye" on their head tells them if there 2 hot and they'll move away

 

[Carlton]

where they bask at, they regulate heat on their own by moving closer or away from the light make sure their basking spot is vertical, their "3rd eye" on their head tells them if there 2 hot and they'll move away

I'm not sure the pineal gland on their heat is a heat detector...rather a light or radiation detector. Also, they don't always move away in time to avoid a burn! Ironically, their temps sensors aren't distributed evenly and our heat bulbs create a more focused intense beam of heat than the sun would...that's why we do see thermal burns fairly often. It's safer to move the heat spot farther away and make the cham bask a little longer than to heat it too fast with a more powerful bulb.

 

[Carlton]

Hi all dose anybody know a male panthers body temp at basking or there skin temp as I am using an infrared laser gun thanks peeps

Mark

I think the closest we can get is to measure the skin surface temp. The skin would probably reach the correct temp before the body core does anyway, and the skin is what will burn if too hot for too long. AFAIK the temp gun is the most accurate way to gauge proper basking temps.

 

[Psychobunny]

If you are using a laser therm, please be very careful not to point it in his eye.

 

[CleanHome Chameleons]

I know not to point it in his eyes thats obvious lol. I check him 3 times today and all temps were 80f or just over all 4 of my panthers keep around the same temp apart form when basking it I check soon as he came out I the basking site he was only 85f .

 

[Hoj]

Just a side note as well. Most laser pointer therms do not measure the temp at the point of the laser. The area being measured is above or below the dot. ( depending on the design you can tell by looking at it ) Also they read in a cone so to say. So at say 6" you may be measureing a 3" circle but as you get farther away the measurmant area increases.

 

[CleanHome Chameleons]

And what's the bet place to measure the basking site . Do I point the laser at the branch directly below the bulb ? Or do I point laser on chams skin while basking ??

 

[Hoj]

I measure the leaves and sticks around the basking site. I usually find the cham itself will be a few degrees cooler than the stuff around.