Heating and lighting for chameleons

Chameleons, like any reptile are cold blooded and require a source of heat to maintain their body temperature, in the wild they obtain this heat from the sun which is also crucial in providing exposure to UV-B rays. In an ideal world we would be able to keep our chameleons outdoors in natural sunlight, but unfortunately for most of the year that is just not possible here in the UK.

It is extremely important for chameleons to receive UV-B as it helps them to synthesize vitamin D3, which in turn helps with calcium absorption. Without the correct UV-B light and the ability to synthesize vitamin D3 a chameleon will not grow properly and will have difficulty forming healthy bones, even if there are adequate amounts of calcium in their diet.

We try to replicate the sun in captivity with the use of artificial UV-B emitting bulbs, these are usually available in a number of brands in 2.0%, 5.0%, 8.0% and 10.0% and these numbers dictate the amount of UV-B emitted in percentage. It is recommended that the 5.0% bulbs be used with tropical and semi-tropical animals and the 10.0% bulbs be used with dessert dwelling animals that receive higher intensities of direct sunlight.

Panther chameleons can be classed as “forest edge” dwellers and although bask for extended periods in the morning sun, they will spend the rest of their time moving in and out of shaded areas in trees and bushes in the hunt for food.
For this reason I can recommend the repti-sun 5.0% tubes, as they have been proven to emit higher levels of UV-B than other 5.0% brands and have a better spectrum of light. There are other compact UV-B bulbs available in the form of a coil and some brands of these have been known to cause severe eye problems in young chameleons and should be used with extreme caution or avoided until a safer alternative is available.

A few things to consider with the tubes is that the UV-B diminishes rapidly over distance, a chameleon will only be receiving optimum levels of exposure when situated within 12 inches of a 5.0% tube. The chameleon does not have to be within this range all of the time but it must be able to get close enough to maximise exposure levels when it needs to. For this reason it is important to strategically place vines, plants or branches at the top of the cage within the usable range of the bulb.
Another thing to remember is that you will have to replace bulbs every six months to keep your chameleon’s exposure at acceptable levels.
It is also a good idea to put a reflector over your tubes to maximise the output of the bulb, a good aluminium reflector will double the amount of UV-B directed into the cage.

The next thing you need to provide is heat, panther chameleons mainly populate the warm and humid lowlands where temperatures range between 22^oC and 32^oC (71^o–90^oF) throughout most of the year. In captivity we replicate this with the help of a basking spot, this is an area within the top of the enclosure where the chameleon can warm itself as it would by basking in the sun in the wild.
A basking area of around 88^oF should be provided and this can be achieved with a normal incandescent bulb (between 40W and 100W depending on cage size) and a dome reflector to concentrate heat and light throughout the higher parts of the enclosure. This should also create a heat gradient within the cage that is paramount when keeping any chameleon species.

A heat gradient is basically a gradual temperature change from the top of the enclosure to the bottom. With your basking bulb at the top of the cage and with the correct placement of plants and vines it should create an enclosure that provides both warm basking areas and cooler shaded areas. We do this so the chameleon can thermo-regulate and move in and out of the temperature ranges it desires.
If you create a gradient from 88-90^oF in the basking area to 74-78^oF in the shaded lower parts of the cage then it is a good start in offering your chameleon an environment it will feel comfortable in.

Chameleons are a diurnal species which means they are awake and active in the day and they sleep at night, for this reason we turn both UV and basking lights out to give them a night cycle as they would get in the wild. You should aim to give your chameleon around 14 hours of daylight in the summer and around 12 hours of daylight in the winter to somewhat simulate Madagascar’s seasonal fluctuations.

To provide a routine for your chameleon the lights should be switched on and off at the same times everyday, the best way of doing this is with a timer. This way you don’t have to worry about forgetting and leaving the lights on for longer than they should be which could stress your animal.