Lighting Through The Night


New Member
can somone tell me i have a young veiled chameleon and a repti-glo uvb 20 w bulb in his enclosure i just want to know if i should keep the light on through the night as my friend who i got the cham off told me to turn it off any help on this would be good its the only bulb i have in his enclosure


New Member
Once the lights are off they go to sleep, Close there eyes and mine usually hangs like a leaf. If there is light on I don't think they will go to sleep they will stay alert eyes moving everywhere. I shut the basking lamp off 10 to 15 min before the repti glow and the plant light so he knows to start going to bed. I pretty sure it's a no on the night light.


New Member
I would recommend a timer. Setting the day schedule some where around 12-14 hours would be natural for a veiled. Extreme switches in the day schedules have been know to make chameleons quit eating. This is stressful to them. You can not always plan what is going to take place in your day but you can plan ahead for what is going to happen in your chameleon's day. At WalMart you can find an assortment of timers most are in the price range of $5-9. I bought a digital one with a back up battery for if the power goes out. It was $8.43 before taxes if I remember correctly.


New Member
everyone's advice on your uvb bulb sounds great, but if this is the only light in your enclosure as you said in your first post, i highly suggest that you acquire a basking light for your veiled chameleon. they need to be able to move in and out of the heat to regulate their body temperature and flourescent uvb lights provide very little, if any heat for your chameleon. there are many different opinions on basking lights, and at any pet or reptile shop you will find many bulbs and basking light fixtures. what i use for my veiled chameleons are ceramic dome light fixtures with regular 75w household bulbs. i keep the fixture on one side of the cage so that my chams have a basking spot of 90 - 95 degrees and are able to escape to other parts of the enclosure to avoid the heat if they would like. avoid placing any branches or plants too close to your basking light as this can cause a nasty thermal burn (usually on the casque or back) that can quickly lead to infection in these guys. your best bet is to use a thermometer to get a good idea of your cage temps.

good luck :)
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