Some people love the idea of keeping pet snakes and pythons. Now, you might be in love with reptiles too, but keeping a python as a pet isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. If that’s the case with you too, keeping a veiled chameleon will keep you entertained.
Bringing home a veiled chameleon is quite tempting for reptile lovers. But, having one comes with a fair bit of responsibilities as a pet parent. It’s very important to keep the humidity up in the tank where you’ve put your exotic pet.
Veiled chameleons have specific humidity requirements to lead a healthy, long life. During the daytime, it’s essential to maintain humidity levels anywhere between 30% to 50%. It’s during the night that veiled chameleons require a high humidity level, no less than 80%.
In order to maintain the right humidity level in the tank, the two most effective ways are fogging and misting.
Both misting and fogging have specific techniques (to be explained later on in this guide). They’re, however, the best ways to keep up the humidity level so that your pet doesn’t dehydrate.
This in-depth article is for every person who’s willing to keep a veiled chameleon as a pet. So, dive right in!
Two most effective techniques to keep the humidity up for Veiled Chameleons
Veiled chameleons aren’t exactly bring-home-and-forget sort of pets. Although you shouldn’t forget any pet that you adopt, veiled chameleons, in specific, require a lot of care.
These exotic pets cannot survive if humidity isn’t maintained. They have different sorts of light requirements as well.
But, for the starters, let’s talk about the two ways to keep up the humidity in the tank where you’ve kept your veiled chameleon.
There are two techniques, fogging and misting. The details have been explained in the upcoming sections.
#1. Fogging to keep the humidity up for veiled chameleons
Here’s the thing about fogging the tank: it’s supposed to be done before dawn.
If you choose fogging to keep up the humidity level for your arboreal reptile, the following details will help!
• Fogging should be done for a minimum of 3 hours and a maximum of 5 hours during the morning.
• You have to ensure that fogging is wrapped up an hour before you turn on the lights in the tank. It’s very important to keep your lovely pet hydrated.
#2. Misting to keep the humidity up for veiled chameleons
In case you choose misting to keep the humidity level up for your veiled chameleon, you’ll have to do it throughout the day.
Here are the details:
• Make sure you mist the tank throughout the day.
• The ideal gap between each session of misting is half an hour. You can also increase it to ninety minutes. But anything beyond this can cause problems with shedding.
You might find certain pieces of info that indicate that misting the tank once or twice during the day is enough, but it’s incomplete info.
The actual number of misting sessions totally depends upon the type of climate you live in (if it’s hot, you’ll need to spray more often).
It is also relative to the health of your pet veiled chameleon. If the reptile shows signs of dehydration, you will have to mist the cage more than just twice.
Veiled chameleons easily dehydrate. Dehydration affects more than just their skin. The immune system can become weak too.
If your veiled chameleon goes on without taking a dump for more than 7 days, it’s a clear sign of dehydration. It can kill your pet. So, contact a doctor immediately.
The best thing that you can do as a pet parent is to get into the habit of using a hydrometer to check the level of humidity in the tank. Make sure that the levels never drop below 30% during the day and 80% at night.
Are there alternate ways to increase humidity in reptiles?
Fogging and misting are the best ways to keep up the humidity in a veiled chameleon. But, if you’re new at taking care of pet reptiles, anxiety might easily shoot up.
In such a case, you can also try the following ways – in addition to fogging and misting – that’ll help increase the humidity level.
• Keep moss inside the cage. When you spray, the moss will retain moisture for a long time. It will keep your veiled chameleon hydrated.
• Keeping absorbent beddings is also a nice way to retain humidity for a long time.
• Using humidifiers is also a very good option.
5 things that are just as important as keeping up the humidity in veiled chameleons
This is a bonus section for people who have, or desire to bring, a veiled chameleon at home.
Other than keeping up the humidity in the tank, there are other important things to make sure your pet lives a long, healthy life.
Let’s find out what they are:
1.) Size of the tank: For a baby veiled chameleon, the ideal tank size is 12” L x 12” W x 24” H. But, when the pet grows and reaches adulthood, it will require a larger cage, about 24” L x 24” W x 48” H. Hence, it is always a good idea to buy a larger cage since you’ll have to replace the smaller one later on.
2.) Proper tank decor is necessary: Bear in mind, veiled chameleons in the wild hardly spend much time on the floor. They prefer branches of plants and trees.
So, if you want your pet veiled chameleon to have a normal life in the tank, add perches and bamboo twigs inside the tank. Make sure that every item you put inside the cage is properly sterilized.
3.) Artificial plants shouldn’t be added: A veiled chameleon will eat everything that fits its mouth. If you keep plastic plants and a leaf or twig falls, your veiled chameleon will right away consume it. So, add only live plants like money plants, figs, and hibiscus inside the tank.
4.) UVB light is extremely necessary: Just as a veiled chameleon will die if humidity levels aren’t right, similarly, sooner or later, they will die in the absence of UVB light too.
Veiled chameleons bask in UVB light to synthesize Vitamin d3. So, make sure you keep a lamp that produces UVB light.
5.) Don’t overcrowd the tank: Veiled chameleons are territorial reptiles. You have to understand that a tank is already confined space.
If you keep even two veiled chameleons in the same tank, they will compete for dominance. Only if you want to breed these reptiles should you keep one male veiled chameleon and one female veiled chameleon in the same tank.
How can I tell if my veiled chameleon is dehydrated?
Now that you know how to increase humidity in veiled chameleons and the other important survival tips, you might still be wondering how you would know that your loved pet is dehydrated despite efforts to keep them safe.
Truth be told, there are certain signs and symptoms that can help you find out the signs of dehydration in veiled chameleons. Have a look:
• If your veiled chameleon has not pooped in over a week, it’s definitely dehydrated.
• If the poop is dry and the skin starts to fold, it’s again an indication of dehydration.
• A yellow-colored or orange-colored urine is one of the most definitive signs of dehydration in a veiled chameleon.
• Also, if the eyes of your beloved pet look sunken, it’s about time to take them to a doctor.
FAQs
1.) Can I use a humidifier for my chameleon?
Yes. Using a humidifier is a very good option to increase the humidity inside the tank of a veiled chameleon. It will keep your pet healthy and hydrated for a longer time.
2.) How do you increase humidity in reptiles?
There are two most effective techniques to increase the humidity in veiled chameleons: Misting and fogging.
You can additionally keep absorbent beddings inside the tank.
3.) What humidity do chameleons like?
The ideal level that veiled chameleons, in particular, like is between 65-80%. You should use a hydrometer to consistently monitor the level of humidity.
4.) How often should you mist your chameleon cage?
Truth be told, it depends on a lot of factors. For example, if it gets too hot, you’ll have to mist the tank more than you would usually do.
Ideally, during the daytime, you should span each misting session between 30 to 90 minutes.
5.) Should I mist my chameleon?
Yes, you should definitely mist the tank and the decor items inside the tank. But, you can also mist your veiled chameleon. It will keep them cool.
Since these are subtropical creatures, humidity is essential for their survival.
6.) Does heat lower humidity in veiled chameleons?
Yes. Heat can significantly lower humidity. That’s why you shouldn’t keep the tank of your veiled chameleon where there’s direct sunlight.
Even lamps that produce UVB rays increase heat. So, you have to be more than careful and ensure that the tank stays humid to the right degree.
7.) Can I put moss in my chameleon cage?
Yes. Moss is a very thoughtful addition in your veiled chameleon’s cage. In fact, it’s a thoughtful addition in tanks of all reptiles.
Moss will retain moisture when you fog or mist the tank. It will keep the conditions ideal and wild-like for your pet.
Concluding Thoughts
Maintaining humidity levels inside the tank of veiled chameleons is essential for their survival. In order to increase the humidity in a veiled chameleon, you can ideally follow fogging and misting.
In addition to fogging and misting, using humidifiers is also a very good option to increase humidity in a chameleon’s cage.
We hope you now know why humidity is important and how you can increase it. So, if you are keeping your beloved reptile in a tank at home, be a responsible pet parent and follow all the tips we have listed in this guide.
