Best Lighting For Panther Chameleons

Are you looking into getting a panther chameleon as a pet?

Do you want to make sure you set up your Panther chameleons habitat just right?

One of the key parts of a successful reptile habitat is the lighting.

With Panther chameleons, this is even more important.

Panther chameleons are a little more gentle than some other reptiles, and you need to make sure they get adequate UVB lighting and heat.

But with so many lights out there for pets, how do you know which one to get?

We did the hard work for you and built this list of the best lighting for Panther chameleons.

Good lighting for Panther chameleons should provide adequate UVB radiation and be easy to work with.

Check out the rest of this article for a quick buyers guide, light set up guide, and reviews of the products.

What Temperature Does The Panther Chameleon Need?

Heat is one of the key elements of a panther chameleon habitat good lighting will help with.

A good heating light goes a long way toward reaching the cage temperature it needs to be at.

You’ll need at least one heat light pointing at a basking spot to get this temp up.

After this, you just need to monitor the overall temperature of the cage and add more heating elements to get it where it needs to be.

In many cases, just the one heating light will do the job.

You’re looking for three different temperatures:

• Basking spot = 80° – 85° degrees Fahrenheit (27° – 29° C)
• Overall temperature = 72° – 80° degrees Fahrenheit (22° – 27° C)
• Nighttime temperature = greater than 50° degrees Fahrenheit (10° C)

Why Do Chameleons Need UVB Lighting?

The chameleon’s natural habitat is a tropical rainforest.

As such, it’s exposed to sunlight most of the day.

This has resulted in a biological need for more vitamin D.

With this need for vitamin D, comes a need for more calcium.

Without vitamin D, your panther chameleon may develop a calcium deficiency along with other issues.

In some cases, this just results in an ill chameleon, but in some of the worst cases, your Chameleon could die.

As owners, we need to make sure our pet has everything it needs, so make sure you have the correct lighting set up.

How Much UVB Lighting Does A Panther Chameleon Need?

Using a dedicated UVB light bulb made especially for reptiles (which we recommend), it’s not so much how much UVB they need but how long you keep the light on for.

We recommend keeping the light on in your chameleon cage for 12 hours per day.

While it’s possible to get away with 9 or 10 hours of UVB light, we recommend keeping it on for 12.

There’s no harm in keeping it on longer than 9 and 10 hours.

But you do need to make sure you turn it off after 12 hours.

This will help stimulate the Panther chameleon’s natural day and night cycle and allow adequate rest.

Going less than nine hours per day of light isn’t enough for a panther chameleon.

Without light even for two days, your panther chameleon will very quickly develop diseases and deficiencies from a lack of vitamin D.

Use the UVB lighting in our reviews below to help keep your pet healthy.

What To Look For In Good Lighting Options

In this section, we’ll go over some features to consider when shopping for panther chameleon lighting.

Use this information to help you when you read the reviews below.

UVB Output/Wattage

Not all UVB lights are designed with reptiles in mind.

This is why we recommend only ever buying a UVB light designed for pets and reptiles.

The number we look for outside the specialty lights is 5 to 10%.

If the light is less than this, it won’t be enough, and your pet will suffer.

Temperature is similar in this case.

Too high, and your pet could get burned.

Too low, and your pet won’t get warm enough.

Look for around 60W of heat energy.

This number will change somewhat depending on the type of light.

User-Friendliness

Most lights aren’t too complicated to use, but some may not be as simple as you want them to be.

Since the light is such an important part of their habitat, you want to make sure your Panther chameleon’s light is usable by anyone at any time.

The best way to find out how user-friendly the light is to check out what other actual users have said.

We’ve helped you out with this in our reviews below.

Lifespan

UVB lights and heating lights tend to have a longer lifespan than some other types of lights.

But you still need to be aware of how long it’s expected to last.

You may think yourself smart by buying a cheaper option only to find you spend more because you’re replacing the bulbs all the time.

Every company will usually offer an expected number of hours the light bulb won’t work.

This doesn’t always line up with user experience, and there are bound to be the occasional duds not lasting nearly as long.

But getting this information as a baseline will help you plan out when you need to buy new valves.

Note: We recommend always having extra bulbs on hand in case one burns out early.

Remember, even a few days without UVB light results and serious problems for your chameleon.

Type And Size Of Light

Some UVB and heating lights are meant for lamps.

These will screw directly into a simple lamp just like any other kind of light bulb.

Others are long and fluorescent.

These also provide light, but you need to make sure you’re buying the right size, which will fit with whatever you have available.

Some light options will rest above your tank on the lid, and some other options will fit inside.

You need to decide what your cage can handle and how you want your cage set up.

Thinking about this now will save you time and money if you buy the wrong product.

All in all, you need to have one dedicated UVB light and one dedicated heating source.

Cost

These lights aren’t usually more expensive than regular lights, but you’ll still be using them all the time.

You need to balance cost with quality.

In general, this is one area you don’t want to skimp out on in price.

We’ll mention the general price range of each product in our reviews below.

But since prices are always fluctuating, the best way for you to find the exact price is to click the button and check the most current pricing options.

Review Of The Best Lighting For Panther Chameleons

In this section, we’ll go over the best lighting options for panther chameleons.

Two of these are UVB lights, and two are for temperatures.

In each section, we’ll discuss the features and how they impact you as well as offer pros and cons for each product.

Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0

As a single bulb, this option is a little more expensive than some of the others out there, but it’s long life and reliability may make it worth it for you.

If you want to save, Zoo Med offers these bulbs in 4 and 6 pack bundles for a little less money per bulb.

The ReptiSun5.0 has a high reputation in the UVB world.

All you need to do is screw the bulb into any normal light/lamp socket, and off it goes.

The small size makes it fit inside cages as well as outside.

Despite the small size, it still puts out quite a bit of UV radiation.

Output for the bulb is 5% UVB and 30% UVA.

You’ll want to keep this one on for 12 hours per day to offer enough vitamin D, but this is what we recommend anyway.

If you have more reptiles than just the chameleon, this bulb will work well with most others as well.

Pros For This Product:

• Great customer service
• 6-month life span
• Easy to use
• Puts out enough UVB

Cons For This Product:

• Higher price per bulb

Zoo Med ReptiSun Tropical Fluorescent UVB Lamp

This is a different, compact fluorescent version of the ReptiSun 5.0.

It’s an even higher price, but the strong reputation of the bulb and the better spread of light may be worth it to you.

The threaded base means this bulb will work in almost any clamp or base with minimal effort.

Again, we have the 5% UVB and 30% UVA output for giving the chameleon the full spectrum of radiation it needs to have a healthy amount of vitamin D.

This bulb uses a special transmitting quartz glass for better efficiency between energy production and output potential.

While some bulbs get too hot as they run for standard lamps, this one burns cool for compatibility with most amp inputs.

The light is brighter than many other UVBs and energy-efficient.

It also has a long life; you may only need to change this one out once per year.

Pros For This Product:

• Easy install
• Gives off warm blue light
• Offers enough UV output
• Fluorescent power without overheating

Cons For This Product:

• High price
• No bundles available

75 watt Infrared Heat Lamp Bulb in Red (2 Pack)

This double pack of heating bulbs offers a medium-priced heating light to work with most lamp sockets and provide powerful heat for a chameleon’s cage.

The 75w strength of these bulbs is often more than enough to heat the basking spot and keep the whole cage warm to the overall requirements as well.

Additionally, this heating light is infrared.

This means if you need to leave the heat on a little during the nighttime, there’s no additional light output from the bulb to throw off the chameleon’s rest cycle.

Evergreen designed this bulb specifically for use with pets and cages, including reptiles such as chameleons.

The heat will go through most materials, so it’s possible to use it to a certain extent outside any part of the cage.

Due to the higher wattage, it’s recommended you use a lamp with a ceramic socket, or the socket may get damaged. Porcelain may work as well.

Evergreen submits its bulbs to a 3-step testing process resulting in 800-1000 hours of usage.

This is 83 days of use before dying.

If this seems short, keep in mind heating bulbs don’t last as long as UVB bulbs.

Pros For This Product:

• Produces a lot of heat
• Good value
• Infrared heating element
• Simple screw-in to ceramic sockets

Cons For This Product:

• Must be replaced every couple of months
• Can’t be placed too close to the basking spot

Zoo Med 4-pack 60 watt Daylight Blue

Here is Zoo Med’s 4-pack option for heating bulbs.

Per bulb, the Daylight Blue heating light provides the best value for the price.

At 60w, the lightbulbs will produce enough for a basking spot and possibly for the whole cage, depending on the construction of the panther chameleon cage and the temperature of the room it’s in.

These lights give off a clear, blue light on top of the heat. For some owners, they want this light to better see their pets.

At night, this light must be turned off, but if you have a heating mat, you shouldn’t have a problem keeping the cage warm.

These bulbs screw in easily and don’t produce enough heat to instantly damage any material socket. Still, a ceramic socket will handle the heat best.

Pros For This Product:

• Good value
• Nice heat output
• Easy installation
• Clear viewing light

Cons For This Product:

•  May burn out faster (between 3-4 weeks on average)

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed learning about the best lighting for Panther chameleons.

Many products would work well, but if you stick to our list, you won’t be disappointed.

Use the buyer’s guide above and the information in our specific reviews to help me decide which one is the best for your needs.

By taking this step and doing the research, you’re making the best decision to give your Chamaeleon a long and happy life.