# do chameleons need a heat mats



## lottiebaby (Feb 29, 2008)

or just the basking light and uv tube????


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## jayla (Nov 21, 2007)

i don't keep any chameleons but i would have thought no they don't as they spend most of their time off the ground - tho i could be wrong


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## vetdebbie (Jan 4, 2008)

yes, you're right the answer is no! just basking light and poss ceramic if the ambient isn't high enough etc.


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## lottiebaby (Feb 29, 2008)

just what i thought thanks


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## daddycool (Jan 22, 2007)

No they don't need a heat mat.....

Chameleons (except some species) spend their time high in the viv, although they will wander down through the viv to get a comfortable spot on occasions, 

My lot spend most of the time in the top third of the viv, usually the top 6 inches or so of a 3 foot high viv (yes thats top 6th.....i know!!) but wander through the temp gradients when they fancy a change, and down to the bottom when they are chasing loose crix etc... so a heat mat would be totally unused by them except to heat the area of air nearest the ground, which in itself is not good as they like to have some temp gradients through the viv my viv has hot spot of about 95F ish, then cools down to 75F ish heat near ground on hot spot side and 75F ish in top corner opposite side to hot spot, and cool spot on that bottom corner of about 70-72F ish.....the temps change a bit but their is good ventilation through as well.....and they seem to like it....most of the time they are in the area at the top between the hot spot and the opp corner....I aim for that bit to be about 80F ish.....thats what my dimmerstat is set at....

I do have a basking plate tho...but that is attached to the roof of my viv pointing down, for cooler nights...... along with a red spot lamp as well.... sa i don't have central heating....and keep night time temps at about 68-72F ish.....

hope this helps.....

make sure your spot lamps have cages to protect from burns tho!!


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## jayla (Nov 21, 2007)

vetdebbie said:


> yes, you're right the answer is no! just basking light and poss ceramic if the ambient isn't high enough etc.


YAY ME!!! :lol2:


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## paulskin (Jul 5, 2007)

but if you have a really cold house you could use one for extra night heating


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## lottiebaby (Feb 29, 2008)

thanks for that nearly ready to go buy him now


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## essexchondro (Apr 9, 2007)

> but if you have a really cold house you could use one for extra night heating


I'm not so sure. For a heat mat to have any real effect in raising ambient air temps in a chameleon enclosure my guess is you'd have to be using an enclosure that has far less ventilation and "openness" that is required for chameleons in the first instance.

In a really cold house I would suggest a small thermostatically controlled room heater rather than heat mats. 

cheers

Stuart


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## lottiebaby (Feb 29, 2008)

oh my house is really hot i always moaning but it my front room is a heat trap(this is where the chameleon and other pets are housed)


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## BELIAL (Nov 10, 2006)

lottiebaby said:


> oh my house is really hot i always moaning but it my front room is a heat trap(this is where the chameleon and other pets are housed)


Just be careful off the opposite then. Make sure there is a sufficient temp drop at night time for the cham to sleep. If it's constantly warm they will not sleep and can get very stressed.


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## lottiebaby (Feb 29, 2008)

yep will do


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