Myth 38: “The Temperatures and Humidities Should Be Kept Same All Year Around”
Reality: A Big Mistake Leading to Serious Problems
Many keepers mistakenly maintain constant temperature and humidity levels throughout the year, believing this creates stability. In truth, this practice contradicts the natural rhythm of a chameleon's life and leads to exhaustion, confusion, and long-term health issues.
Natural Cycles in the Wild
In their native habitats, chameleons experience seasonal cycles:
Active Period (Summer): Warm, moist conditions with abundant food. Chameleons are active, feeding, growing, and reproducing.
Resting Period (Winter): Cooler, drier conditions with reduced food availability. Chameleons slow down, rest, and reset their metabolism.
This rhythm is essential for their physical and hormonal health. Their resting behavior is triggered by:
Shortening daylight hours
Lower temperatures
Reduced humidity
Reduced food availability
During this time, they:
Eat less
Metabolize less
Become hormonally inactive
Display duller coloration
May show signs like slight dehydration or retracted eyes
The Problem with Permanent "Summer"
When keepers maintain high temperatures, humidity, and abundant food year-round, they force chameleons into a perpetual summer. This leads to:
Chronic exhaustion — no chance to rest or reset
Hormonal imbalance — reproductive cycles disrupted, leading to hyperactivity or sterility
Confusion — natural cues (like shorter days) conflict with artificial conditions
Misdiagnosis — owners misinterpret signs of natural slowdown as illness
The Vet Trap
Every autumn, thousands of chameleons begin their natural resting phase. But because conditions haven't changed, they appear "sick" to their owners. This leads to:
Expensive vet visits
Unnecessary tests (fecal analyses, bloodwork)
Preventive but misguided treatments:
Calcium and vitamin injections
Antibiotics that are used uselessly preventive way and damage liver and kidneys
No real improvement — just more stress and suffering
Most vets are unfamiliar with this seasonal behavior and treat symptoms without understanding the cause.
What to Do Instead
Respect the chameleon's natural rhythm. Simulate seasonal changes:
Lower temperatures and humidity in winter
Reduce feeding
Switch off basking lights
Allow nighttime drops in temperature and moisture
Let foggy nights happen
Give them several months of rest
When spring returns and daylight increases, they'll naturally shift back into active mode — eating, metabolizing, and reproducing again. Then switch everything back to summer mode.
The Photoperiod Effect
Even if your enclosure is artificially lit, chameleons still perceive the natural daylight changes from windows or ambient light. This triggers their internal seasonal clock — whether you simulate the climate or not.
If you ignore this, they'll still enter resting mode, but without the environmental support. That's when confusion and health issues begin — for both the chameleon and the keeper.
Bottom Line
Keeping conditions constant all year is not "safe" — it's unnatural. Chameleons are seasonal creatures. Simulating their environment means giving them both summer and winter, not just endless heat and humidity. Let them rest. Let them reset. That's how you support their true wellbeing.