Chameleon Heating & Lighting

Chameleons are cold-blooded—or ectothermic—and cannot regulate their body temperature. In the wild, chameleons depend on the sun to help them stay warm during the day. As a pet, your chameleon will need a replacement for the sun to help them manage their body temperature. A basking light, or reptile heat lamp, serves this purpose.

Chameleons need a reptile UVB light or basking lamp to survive. It should be one of the top items on your list when preparing your chameleon habitat.

In the wild, chameleons rely upon the sun to help warm them in the morning. They have also developed the ability to withstand chillier temperatures at night. In fact, they need a drop in temperature each day in order to regulate their metabolism.

In the wild, chameleons rely upon the sun to help warm them in the morning. They have also developed the ability to withstand chillier temperatures at night. In fact, they need a drop in temperature each day in order to regulate their metabolism.

There are different ways to put together your chameleon lighting setup to provide the right amount of light for your pet during the day. One of the easiest solutions for your reptile heat map is to invest in a light with a timer. You can set the timer to turn off your reptile UVB light every 12 hours.

Chameleons can tolerate big drops in temperatures, so unless your home gets colder than 60 degrees at night, your pet should be fine without chameleon lighting during the night. If you live in an area where your home becomes very cold, you may want to lower the power of the light using a dimmer switch. If you turn your reptile light off at night, remember to turn it on in the morning if you don’t have a light with a timer.