Chamaeleo Calyptratus Biotopes

25.09.2019

A lot of confusion is spread over the cyberspace about where and how the Veiled chameleons live in fact. Even some quite reputable pages and sources are usually very inaccurate...

What is NOT RIGHT:
They live in a desert (they do not)
They live on a plateau (they do not)
They live on a coast (they do not)
They live on the tops of the mountains (they do not)
They live along the coast (they do not)

What is RIGHT:
The best term describing their biotope is WADI
It is a deep canyon with a non permanent river at the bottom overgrown with tropical lush vegetation in the rainy season and drying out in the dry season
Tjey inhabit niotopes where the water is abundant enough to allow trees to grow to several meters high and feen the air with enough moisture to provide fog and humidity raise upto 100% (dewpoint) each and every night regardless season.

The subtropical to tropical climate, with very specific regime of rain and temperatures:

Temperatues:
Summer: Up to 40°C (104°F) at daytime; 22-25°C (72-77°F) in the shade, at night 17- 20°C (63-68°F)
Winter: Up to 22°C (72°F) at daytime, at night 7°C (45°F) dipping to 5°C (41°F) or even 0°C (32°F) sometimes

Rainy season: April to August
Dry season: September to March

Humidity:
Daytime: around 50% during wet season to below 20% in dry season. Nighttime: Up to 100 % all year

Author: Petr Nečas
My projects:   ARCHAIUS   │   CHAMELEONS.INFO