what is stopping my cham from burning himself?

[cacmang42]

So i just set up my cage today for my new coming cham. Its an all screen cage and the heat lamp sits on the top right on the screen. What is stopping the chameleon from climbing right under the lamp and getting burnt? will it learn to just not go there?

 

[franticurchin]

it will learn that it dosent want to go to that spot it will get close and then turn and walk away thats what mine dose

 

[buzz]

i wouldnt trust that your chameleon would just know i would raise your light up

 

[franticurchin]

i raise my light and the temp drops there smart jut like us the temp is gonna get hotter the closer they get and most of the time they touch the spot then lift there hand again like as to check if it is safe to step where they put there hand. i dont know why but when mine gets close he turns and walks away so i am not at all worried about him getting burned

 

[carol5208]

yes, they will climb underneath upside down when they are little and can get burned. I freaked out at first when mine did it but they move away pretty quickly when they feel it being too hot, but that doesn't mean that can't get burned first. If you raise your light up then just use a more powerful wattage bulb and try and adjust your basking temp that way if it becomes a problem with your chameleon hanging from the screen under the light.

 

[Justin Ward]

thats not always the case though...from what ive read before, chams dont have a sensor that says "oh shit, im getting burned" i would just try to monitor your cham and if you are super concerned just raise your fixtures off the top of the cage

 

[cacmang42]

im getting mixed responses here, I'm going to keep a close eye on him during the daytime for a whole day when i get him and see how he does, i feel if he gets near it and avoids it the first time then i won't even have to worry

 

[Hoj]

i would move the light up a few inches, from my understanding they cannot sence heat from the bottoms of their feet ect. and always best to ere on the side of caution

 

[cacmang42]

hmm that complicates things because I just bought two 60 watt bulbs yesterday and I won't think that will be enough unless i move the branches up


I'll play around with things and check temps everywhere, what temp is too high? i know max basking temp is 95 should i just stay under 95?

 

[tdadarwala]

I have have two 26w Reptisuns in a dual exo terra hood & Exo terra 18x18x24. No heat lamp. since its glass. It would too hot with a heat lamp.

 

[Hoj]

hmm that complicates things because I just bought two 60 watt bulbs yesterday and I won't think that will be enough unless i move the branches up


I'll play around with things and check temps everywhere, what temp is too high? i know max basking temp is 95 should i just stay under 95?

how old and what type will; the new cham bealso what kind of bulbs are you using i just grab mine from the dollar store and get alot of various types and wattages,

 

[Hoj]

I have have two 26w Reptisuns in a dual exo terra hood & Exo terra 18x18x24. No heat lamp. since its glass. It would too hot with a heat lamp.

i would disagree with this but it does matter where you live i have a 18x18x24 exo-terra and HAD 2 26x cfls and i still used a basking light.

jmo

 

[JackP308]

im getting mixed responses here, I'm going to keep a close eye on him during the daytime for a whole day when i get him and see how he does, i feel if he gets near it and avoids it the first time then i won't even have to worry

I think common sense comes into play here. If you can burn your hand at the top Id advise making that impossible. By raising heat lamps. I run lamps right on top of screen but those are for visual light and low wattage 6500k compact fluorescence and UVB tubes. I cant do the same if I add basking lights nor will I trust my lizard has enough sense not to fry.

Just dont wait for some thing bad to happen, because they will do the unexpected when you aren't there and you wouldnt want to regret anything.

 

[cacmang42]

okay i called screameleons (site i bought the kit from) and they said that they tested specifically this and that the chameleon won't be able to burn himself, probably when i change to the 100watt will i raise the lamp but that won't happen for a while

 

[sdheli420]

i wouldnt trust that your chameleon would just know i would raise your light up

i have seen of a whole batch of babies dying from climbing to the top of a cage and touching a light burning themselfs..they dont know that it can kill them..this is where you come in as the keeper, to keep them safe healthy, and happy..raise the light or burn your chameleon..

common sense...

 

[Duke]

I had a Jackson's once that had some kind of skin condition on his back. I took him to the vet and it turned out to be a thermal burn. I felt like such a heel! The vet told me that though he could tell when he wanted to change his body temp and be near something to warm himself up or cool down, BUT...did not have the ability to tell that he had put himself under something so hot that it would burn him or that he was getting burned. I got rid of that bulb. My current chams can put themselves right under the lights I how have and if I need more heat I add another lamp instead of trying to get a super hot bulb. To this day I feel like a complete mallet head for putting my poor Jackson's in that situation. Not to mention the vet visits to ensure that he got the black spot (burn) taken care of. What an idiot I was, but it won't happen again and you should ensure that it can't happen with yours.

 

[seanUTD]

Story of my life.... Day one I put the lamp on the cage... in an attempt to get higher than me the little devil climbs right under the lamp, quickly realizes what he's done and falls but catches himself... PHEW!! I thought I was out my little guy for a moment