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i've actually read some disagreements on whether montium chams need a basking spot, i read that if the ambient temp is 78-82 then they don't need a basking spot at all. i have read alot that conflicts with this, but i keep my "reptile room" right at 80 degrees ambient, and i was wondering if a reptisun would be enough? and maybe a 40-60 watt incandescent bulb for light?

would just like to hear some thoughts, i will have the chams on saturday and the cage will be packed with live plants and basking spots tend to fry plants. i'm rather inexperienced as far as montane chameleons so just give me any info you got
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0.1.0 Eublepharis macularius "Claire"
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I can't say for all montane chams but I was told to provide a basking area of about 80 degrees. Montane chams need a range of temps from 65 degrees as a low to a high of 80. Cooler at night and warmer during the day. The humidity levels are higher than some chams at around 70% as a low to as high as 90%. From what I have researched, the higher the temps the higher the humidity. Each species has it's own requirments. The information I gave is what I have researched for a Rudis cham. What kind of chameleon do you have?

I think part of the problem is that no two setups are the same and no two chams are either. They may bask sometimes depending on how cool the night before was by season. They also may bask to raise their metabolic rate and help them get past an infection or a stressor. Gravid females may bask much more than nongravid females. Deremensis are not supposed to need a basking light, but mine occasionally did bask for a short time. As these guys will be new to you, you could safely angle a small bulb in a sheltered corner and see if they use it. If they don't need it they won't. If in summer the cage gets too warm, have a timer turn the bulb off at the warmest part of the day, just have it on in the mornings or late afternoon, shining at an angle.

those were my thoughts too carlton, as far as the bulb i mean

so like a fifty watt spotlight? or a 60-100watt incandescent?

the reason i asked was because i was told that chameleo montium rarely ever basks at all, and they focus on ambient temps alot more. plus i need all the help i can getas far as humidity, i've read that they like it 80-100 percent all the time and my conventional way of raising humidity is by using humidifiers and plants. i was worried that any bulb bigger than like 40 watts close to a plant would just be disastrous for the plant

anyway thanks for your input guys! i guess ill try a low wattage light and just see if they use it
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2.1 Pogona vitticeps "Duke" "Glomp" "Pussy"
1.0.0 Cockatiels "Sunshine"
1.0.0 Bourkes Parakeet "Kerpal"
0.1.0 Eublepharis macularius "Claire"
1.0 Chameleo calyptratus "Bruno" (eggs due to hatch any day now)
0.1 Python reticulatus
0.1 Python molurus bivvitatus
2.0 Canis domesticus
A bunch of chickens
Misc. Saltwater Fish

Email

I think the low watt spot would be safe both for the plants and the general cage. It's not going to cause much of a temp rise. A spot will have a more focused beam than a general house incandescent bulb. You could prune leaf bearing twigs back right around the beam to avoid burning them. At that wattage I don't know if it will make much difference which you use. As for the high humidity, it will probably be very difficult to keep the cage at 100 or even 80% all the time. The same used to be said of deremensis so I really struggled to create that, but since then we have found this not to be totally true. At 100% humidity you have fog, almost no air. What may be more important is to have microclimates in the cage they can retreat to and frequent cycles of really high humidity followed by a short drier period such as what might occur around noon in their wild habitat. This should help keep the air exchange going.

The answer to your question lies in gradients. Your enclosure should have temperature and humidity gradients. I ALWAYS provide a basking spot no matter what species it is! This often means I need to use larger cages than I otherwise would but I've had much better success with effective temperature and humidity gradients. Some species will bask more than others but why deny them the ability.

Chris
Gradients in Chameleon Cages

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Chris Anderson
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