Sleep habits

[ScottChoc]

My Rudis' enclosure (is that correct grammar?) is in my bedroom because that is the only place I can keep it right now. I am sometimes in and out and turning on the lights during his "12 hours off" sleeping time. He will often sleep through it but if I make enough noise he will wake up. I am wondering if this is detrimental to his sleep patterns and if I should make a greater effort to not disturb him.

I also just got a cool air humidifier. It is not the directional one. The only direction the humidified air goes is up. I have it right now on the floor a couple of feet away from his enclosure. The fan is not super loud, but it is not whisper quiet either. Could that constant fan noise/vibration be disturbing him? Does anyone run fans and humidifiers at night?

I know that his species can tolerate lower temperatures than tropical chams. I am also wondering if it would be a good idea to take him outside at night. It is a safe area because it's a second story balcony that is well covered. it is 1am right now and the temp in the room has only gone down to 75. This is what his daytime temp should be! the nighttime temp outside gets into the 60s. Maybe keeping him outside would be better for him, for the temp and the noise. I'm including a pic of his indoor setup and a pic of the outdoor location I can move it to.

Sorry for such a long post but I feel like I'm going to really let the little guy down if I don't get it just right. I really appreciate all the help from everybody so far. hopefully I might meet some of you if a rep show comes to town. (I've never been to one before). Thanks again. -Scott

 

[opihiman]

I would say that you would need to have him in an area with less traffic and more control over his light dark cycle. I would give you the example of if you are sleeping, would you want some one to come in and turn the lights on?... I hate it when that happens. LOL

I think in the long run it will end up being less stress on your cham...

another solution would be to cover the cage with a dark towel to keep the light out... I used to do that with my bird.

OPI

 

[danni]

my cham is behind my desk, & as soon as his lights go out, i wrap a towel around his viv, turn the lights off & work in the dark - i check on him & he's always asleep - i take the towel off when i am finished & i know i wont wake him.
danni x

 

[veiledchamguy]

I would say that you would need to have him in an area with less traffic and more control over his light dark cycle. I would give you the example of if you are sleeping, would you want some one to come in and turn the lights on?... I hate it when that happens. LOL

I think in the long run it will end up being less stress on your cham...

another solution would be to cover the cage with a dark towel to keep the light out... I used to do that with my bird.

OPI

yeah i take a black sheet if im on my computer at night and drape it over the whole cage and within 5 minuites hes out

 

[Trace]

I work with some closely related species to the rudis and to cue them for the upcoming breeding season, right now I'm running my humidifier 24/7. (The summer it's only about 12 hours on) Chameleons sleep like stones so the noise from the humidifier does not wake them up. In fact, chameleons' sense of hearing is rudimentary - they can detect low frequency sounds but not typical noises.

I also run my light schedule according to the rise and set of the sun - not the 12 hours on/12 hours off business. Right now the sun sets about 17:30 and my chams can see that it's dark and are ready for sleep. Why unnaturally keep them up? Obviously I change their "day length" accordingly with the seasons.

Considering your location... I'd keep Goggles (excellent name by the way) outside all the time. Make sure he's not in direct sun (he still gets the beneficial UVB in the shade) and the temperatures don't get over 80F. My critters blanch and hide on the bottom of their cages at 85F and anything higher can be lethal to the rudis. Make sure he gets lots of water too. I've had my chameleons outside when the nighttime temperatures have dropped into the 40's with no ill effects. As long as they can warm up the next day, your outside night temps of 60ish is more than fine.

Keep us posted on Goggles' progress and don't be shy about asking questions. The rudis (and related species) are my absolute favourites!

Cheers,
Trace

 

[ScottChoc]

I work with some closely related species to the rudis

Thanks Trace, what kind of chameleons are you keeping right now? I havn't really spoken to many people that own Rudis. Goggles is by far the coolest animal I've ever owned besides by dog.
Pretty sick pics too btw, great work.

Cheers