Skin can tell if it's day or night...

[kinyonga]

"Squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, amphibians, and chameleon lizards are among the animals that can change the color of their skin in a blink of an eye. They have photoreceptors in their skin that operate independently of their brain. The photoreceptors are part of a family of proteins known as opsins"...
"Buhr said it was assumed that, when mammals evolved, the brain took over informing all organs of the body if it was day or night. But, he said, this study found that the skin actually expresses its own photoreceptors using a previously mysterious member of the opsin gene family, neuroposin.
This means that skin can sense whether it is day or night even when it's cultured by itself in a dish"...
https://phys.org/news/2019-10-scientists-skin-independent-brain.html


Does this mean we should be careful when we use creams to help our skin stay healthy, etc?

https://alpha-h.com/blogs/the-journal/did-you-know-your-skin-has-a-cycle-meet-your-circadian-rhythm

Do we need to be more aware of our chameleon's lighting, etc if this true for chameleons too? Any thoughts?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Reading your first paragraph, I was thinking circadian rhythms were somehow involved, and then the second link went there.

I think people should be careful when using skin products, but maybe not for the same reason(s) you're asking(?) (But then, I was raised to be informed about anything put on or in my body.)

IDK if I'm understanding the last question. Are you referring to a recent discussion about chameleons being kept on schedules different than that of the Sun? When I set up the lighting timers, I checked local "noon" against local sunrises & sunsets. Coincidentally(?) where I am, sunrise & sunset are equidistant from "noon" so I set my timers for 6am-6pm regardless of when I got up/went to sleep, and thus I didn't have to make any adjustments for DST. (I think we discussed that as well.)

Or am I missing the questions entirely? (Entirely possible! )

 

[kinyonga]

We recommend 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness...is that what they get in the wild and when it's not, does it matter?
Are we depriving the body of time to repair itself, heal, etc by having the timing not follow the time in their natural habitat?

One example of the times...
https://www.worlddata.info/africa/madagascar/sunset.php

I thought this was interesting too...
https://www.mdedge.com/dermatology/...rcadian-rhythms-part-2-can-treating-cutaneous

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

We recommend 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness...is that what they get in the wild and when it's not, does it matter?

Pretty close, though not exact. Madagascar lies between the equator and Tropic of Capricorn, Yemen lies between the equator and Tropic of Cancer, and most of Africa lies between the two Tropics, so days & nights are closer to 12/12 than around the Mediterranean, which lies farther North, and hence has more seasonal periods of daylight/darkness.

I think the 12/12 is just meant to equalize things, and make it easier for some of us. Some folks DO adjust their lighting to change more seasonally. Chameleons don't brumate, but for reptiles that do (e.g. bearded dragons), staying on a 12/12 cycle can sometimes prevent them from going dormant for 3± months each year. I know that in the beardie community, some do argue whether this is healthy or not. IDK if there are studies or not.

Are we depriving the body of time to repair itself, heal, etc by having the timing not follow the time in their natural habitat?

I think as long as the dark period is at least as long as the shortest nights of the year where a reptile is native to, they're likely getting enough for healing, restorative sleep, etc. Twelve hours should cover that for chameleons.

 

[kinyonga]

Just found this one...
https://livingwithlizards.com/study-bearded-dragons-color-change-and-circadian-rhythm/

 

[kinyonga]

This is interesting to me too...
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/skin-heal-better-protein-chameleon

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

This is interesting to me too...
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/skin-heal-better-protein-chameleon

The same photoreceptors responsible for giving a chameleon the power to change its skin colour are also found in humans, and now they could play an important part in future medical treatment.

Then why can't I turn green with blue stripes and orange highlights?

 

[kinyonga]

Well...how about brown and white for starters?
You could "do" other colors if you had the right opsins I think.
https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-05-16/skin

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

IDT I've got the right genes for that.

 

[kinyonga]

IDT I've got the right genes for that.

Well...there's always spray paint or tattoos!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

No thank you.

 

[Sonny13]

We recommend 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness...is that what they get in the wild and when it's not, does it matter?

This is funny, I´ve been branded to ask a question regarding this matter.
Because I´ve noticed they keep their 12h rhythm, also during the summer. My cham lives and sleeps in our very bright living room (free-range), with natural (sun)light coming in by sunrise and leaves with sunset. Meaning that it already stays light for more then 2 hours after her lights go out at 07:00pm, still she will go to sleep within 30 till 45 minutes after the lights go out and it´s still very bright in the living room.
And I´m really, really curious if they behave the same in the wild or if they keep awake till after sunset?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

This is funny, I´ve been branded to ask a question regarding this matter.
Because I´ve noticed they keep their 12h rhythm, also during the summer. My cham lives and sleeps in our very bright living room (free-range), with natural (sun)light coming in by sunrise and leaves with sunset. Meaning that it already stays light for more then 2 hours after her lights go out at 07:00pm, still she will go to sleep within 30 till 45 minutes after the lights go out and it´s still very bright in the living room.

My enclosure is near—and at right angles to—an east-facing window, so the natural light (this time of year) also extends beyond lights-on & lights-off. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the chameleon's cycle; he still wakes and goes to sleep with the enclosure lights.

And I´m really, really curious if they behave the same in the wild or if they keep awake till after sunset?

See post #4.

 

[Sonny13]

My enclosure is near—and at right angles to—an east-facing window, so the natural light (this time of year) also extends beyond lights-on & lights-off. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the chameleon's cycle; he still wakes and goes to sleep with the enclosure lights.


See post #4.

My enclosure is near—and at right angles to—an east-facing window, so the natural light (this time of year) also extends beyond lights-on & lights-off. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the chameleon's cycle; he still wakes and goes to sleep with the enclosure lights.


See post #4.

Never been that close to equator to notice it. Only experienced the ‘24h’ of light of the Scandinavian countries.