Should Jacksons live outside on a patio in Florida?

JC1983

New Member
Mine are on the patio. I have a little dripper over them to give them water. The female is pregnant and I'm wondering if it is too hot for her....
 
I live in Fort Pierce and it's scorching hot here. It gets up to 100 degrees on my back porch with a ceiling fan. I only take my chameleons outside in the shade in the mornings and again most evenings.
 
Although some people in coastal CA have the right temps and humidity, I would expect it to be much too hot for a Jackson's outdoors in most of Florida most of the year.

Jackson's come from cooler mountainous areas which is why they need cooler temps and higher humidity than many other kinds of chams.

An overheating chameleon often will turn a lighter color and gape to try to cool down.

Babies like even cooler temps than the adults.
Here is the Jackson's caresheet with temps, humidity, etc. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/
Quoting from the above;

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): 70-75F (21-23C) ambient,
75-80F (23-26C) basking

Adult: 70-80F (21-26C) ambient,
82-85F (29C) basking

Is there a room in the house which could be locked to keep your cats out of it at all times and dedicated to the chams?
 
Jacksons outside

It's gonna be way too hot in Florida.
You have the right humidity but I live in Hayward,California (Bay area)and my Jackson Cham starts to gape when it hit's 80.
I let him free range on my porch.
I mist him more frequently when it goes above 80 and anything above 83 he stays inside where it is cooler.

You can only take him out in the early morning for some sun.
 
Although some people in coastal CA have the right temps and humidity, I would expect it to be much too hot for a Jackson's outdoors in most of Florida most of the year.

Jackson's come from cooler mountainous areas which is why they need cooler temps and higher humidity than many other kinds of chams.

An overheating chameleon often will turn a lighter color and gape to try to cool down.

Babies like even cooler temps than the adults.
Here is the Jackson's caresheet with temps, humidity, etc. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/
Quoting from the above;

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): 70-75F (21-23C) ambient,
75-80F (23-26C) basking

Adult: 70-80F (21-26C) ambient,
82-85F (29C) basking

Is there a room in the house which could be locked to keep your cats out of it at all times and dedicated to the chams?


Yes ive closed the vents and put something infront of the door. I have a temperature gauge in there and so far its doing good. Its been75 - 80 in there. I looked up gape. Is it when it holds its mouth open? Mine weren't doing that, I was just curious what it was. I want to post a picture of my baby enclosure to see what yall think but I cant figure it out.
 
It can be hard to accept a cold weathered chameleon. But, 80°f for sure. 82-84°f basking. Even typing it in now, it just doesn't feel right, but it is.
 
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