Lighting for large chameleon enclosures

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The tail is used as a fat store
in many lizards, like this
African fat-tailed lizard
(Hemitheconyx caudicinctus).
Lighting for large
chameleon enclosures
&
I have a large Yemen
(veiled) chameleon that I
want to keep in a floor to
ceiling-sized waterproof
enclosure. Can you give
me so tips, and how best I
can light this
accommodation?
Keeping chameleons at home is getting easier and
easier, especially with the advent of many new
technologies. The sheer range of species being
kept and bred in the home is also larger than I can
ever remember. It really is good to see, and as a
group of keepers, we are certainly starting to get it
right.
There are also some larger scale breeders setting
up in the UK and in Europe and they will be
providing us with quality animals now into the
future. Many people are proactively keeping
records and using the forums and social groups to
32 | Practical Reptile Keeping
spread word of all of their success and failures. We
are now learning so much about these lizards.
Housing
Reptile keeping is evolving very fast at present. It is
not so long ago that all we had to keep reptiles in
what were converted fish tanks. Then the mesh
topped and wooden vivariums arrived, and now
there are specialist mesh chameleon enclosures.
Many keepers are looking at options like these
open enclosures, to give bigger and better options
for ensuring these wonderful animals are safe and
secure, in well-ventilated quarters.
One new method that I have seen work extremely
well involves using a secured and well-maintained
hydroponics-style grow tent. These enclosures allow
good airflow and by nature serve as one big
reflector. This helps with heating and lighting the
unit effectively. I have also seen converted
wardrobes and shower cubicles used, mostly with
good results if they can be sealed properly.
As we know, all technology has limitations. It is
up to the user to work around these restrictions, so
as to achieve the end result that is required. The
main issue with lighting in such a tall enclosure as
you propose is that UVB does not travel well. This
means the further that the light extends out from
the lamp, so the weaker the dose will become.
We also know that the bigger an enclosure, so
the harder it is to generate and maintain good
thermal and photo-gradients. Then there is general
maintenance. The bigger something is, so the
more there is to clean and also to go wrong.
Having said all of that though, these factors
should not put you off. Things can be workable,
given the right understanding of the technology. It
is possible to light and heat your floor to ceiling
enclosure without too much difficulty.
Lighting and heating
Firstly, as always, we start with the wild animal. A
quick search online regarding this species will
Did you know?
The light and shade method simply
describes the practice of supplying a
particular species with a re-created wild
intensity of UVB over a measurable and
restricted area. This area is then matched
with a gradient into cool and shaded areas,
which will allow the animal to select its
own position, and as such, its exposure to
UVB inside of an enclosure.
quickly reveal the average UV index (UVI) and the
typical length of exposure to sunlight per day that
these lizards experience in the wild. You can then
use this information to start to re-create these
conditions in your own enclosure at home.
You will also find information about humidity
levels through the seasons and learn about local
sightings of the species. You will see that this
particular chameleon occurs in an area where it
gets very hot for long periods and there is a very
high UVI. Now we could take that to mean that
these chameleons need to be blasted with heat
and irradiated with UVB, but that is not the case.
It is also a question of considering the
chameleon’s wild behaviour. It is not as if these
lizards sit out in the open when the weather is at its
hottest. This species is found basking mid-morning
and late afternoon but is observed to hide away in
the furnace-type heat of the day in its natural
habitat.
We then look at the thickness of skin and use
this, along with the behavioural patterns, to decide
upon a UV rich gradient. All of this is of course
dependant on the full implementation of the light
and shade method. Your enclosure is tall and rather
thin, so your photo-gradient becomes top down
rather than horizontal.
You should therefore provide a light source that
recreates the average level of exposure at the top
branch and then descends into cooler
temperatures and shade as your chameleon heads
further down into the enclosure. Your lizard will
then be able to use its power of tetrachromacy to
adjust its level of exposure to the light source as
and when required, in a very natural way.
Heat can be provided from the top down as
with the lighting, and as always, you must use a
suitable thermostatic control system. I actually
really like the Habistat Reptile-Radiator in these
types of systems. This unit uses ultra-long
wavelength infra-red to provide heat to the
enclosure, and this is very close to the way that the
sun gives us warmth.
In your case, I would suggest the use of the
D3+UV FLOOD would be most appropriate. This
fitting is perfect for large chameleon enclosures,
provided that it is installed correctly. The good
news is that you actually get everything that is
required to fit the lamp supplied with it, in the box!
The lamp is IP67 waterproof and has a very low
wattage, being just 24 watts. It is also totally
flicker-free and has a high output. You do not want
Q&A
the chameleon to get too close to the lamp or any
UVB lamp, as this may provide the animal with a
dose/exposure to UVB that is higher than it would
experience in the wild. So set your top basking
branch or vine no closer than 38cm (15in),
measured from the lamp to the lizard.
This will then be providing your chameleon with
a suitable upper wild index of about 4-5 at its
basking point. This fitting is perfect for all
accommodation set-ups that are 0.9m (3ft) in
width, or narrower, but it should not be used in
enclosures that are under 76cm (30in) high if
fitted internally. In the case of wider
vivariums, a linear T5 system can be used
instead.
You must then think about hydration. Did
you know that the vitamin D3 cycle is
seriously impeded in a dehydrated animal? In
short, all of the good work that is done with wild
recreation, diet and enclosures can be almost
nullified if the animal is not obtaining sufficient
fluids in the manner that it is designed to. Drippers
or mist/rain units are a very effective way of
providing hydration in a natural way for a
chameleon, allowing it to drink as it would in the
wild, but obviously, be very careful if spraying,
because water and electricity do not mix.
It is also vital to make sure that all reptile
enclosures are easy to ventilate. This will help to
reduce any bacterial or fungal build up from stale
moisture in the air. You may also decide to place a
couple of simple computer fans in the system.
These are usually two located at the bottom front
| QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
of the enclosure and two more at the back, at the
top of the enclosure. This then acts as “push/pull”
ventilation, creating an air current.
I also suggest that large plant tubs are used on a
sealed tile floor. This will help greatly with cleaning,
as you will be able simply to remove the pots and
clean the vivarium without getting substrate
everywhere. Using this type of enclosure offers a
hygienic method of setting up and decorating a
large enclosure for an arboreal species.
John Courteney-Smith,
Arcadia Reptile Products manager.
Musk feed well!
&
Please advise.
I have a young
razorback musk turtle
that is tiny. I bought
some of Tetra’s
Reptomin sticks, but
these seem very large
for such a small turtle.
The likelihood is that you bought the
standard size Reptomin foodsticks. A better
option for a hatchling turtle like yours will be
Reptomin Baby, which contains small food
sticks optimised to meet their needs, and of a
size they can swallow more easily. Alternatively,
Reptomin Menu, which contains mini sticks,
along with small krill and baby
shrimps, offers another option.
Simply keep the standard food
sticks until your pet has grown, as
they usually have a long shelf-life.
There are also other brands
that you can choose from, that
offer foods intended for hatchling
turtles. The key in such cases is to
ensure that they will provide a
complete, balanced diet, so as to
prevent potential deficiencies
emerging as the turtle grows.
David Alderton
OCTOBER 2013 | 33