Adult Chamleone Enclosure

[ChameLIonLover]

I have a ~7 mo. old panther chameleon and wanted to get a new enclosure for him. He'll need his big boy enclosure soon since he is growing, and I was wondering what exact type I should get.

It will be indoors and I just want to get people's opinion on what cage is best. I don't have time to make an enclosure, and I want to get his adult cage set up and ready to go for when it is time. I want to make sure it is large enough so I won't have to buy him another indoor cage. I'd just like to know for sure what the best and safest options are. Thanks

 

[repdog]

Check out our sponsors, there's dragon strand cages and some others.

 

[Montium]

2x2x4 works or if you have the space you can join two of them for more lateral roaming space.

 

[ChameLIonLover]

I did not mean to spell chameleon as chameleone haha. Anyways, yeah, I wasn't sure if there was something better than a 2x2x4'. I saw dragon stand. Cool. Yeah, I just wanted to check and see what everybody else got if they don't make their own cages. thanks

 

[ChameLIonLover]

I suppose I have another quick question. On the dragon stand site there are enclosures for "breeding", an then there are enclosures for "keeping". The keeping cage is kind of the standard enclosure in which all 4 sides are screened where as the breeding enclosure has only one side of mesh (the front) and the sides are a PVC of some sort and have places where you can easily attach vines/ plants (seems like a pro).

http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-keeper-screen-cage/
http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-breeder-cage/

 

[kplatvoet]

I have a Dragonstrand breeder and I love how easy it it to set up- I 'm not a breeder - I also have two Canvas cages that were built to order -
this is my double - http://canvaschams.com/2014/05/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/theyre-finally-their-new-home-thanks-dragonstrand-canvas-130280

 

[Montium]

I suppose I have another quick question. On the dragon stand site there are enclosures for "breeding", an then there are enclosures for "keeping". The keeping cage is kind of the standard enclosure in which all 4 sides are screened where as the breeding enclosure has only one side of mesh (the front) and the sides are a PVC of some sort and have places where you can easily attach vines/ plants (seems like a pro).

http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-keeper-screen-cage/
http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-breeder-cage/

The breeder cages are good for when you have limited space and lots of chams lol. Having the sight lines blocked is important. I have to move some of my chams right now because they can see each other, while others don't care if they see another cham.

 

[ChameLIonLover]

The keeping cages that are available from dragon stand are a bit larger so I think I'm going to go with that. I do have some troubles keeping humidity and drainage (not very handy) so I'm going to ask around a bit more and see if maybe the breeder cage is a better choice for me (although smaller, it keeps water from mistings in since only one side of the enclosure is mesh).

 

[Bowmancj85]

Dragonstrand cages and cut some coroplast to essentially cover the screen on the outside or inside, whatever you prefer. When mine arrives i will be cutting it the size on the screen itself and screwing it together with the pieces so it is essentially permanent. Keeps water off the walls also...

 

[jajeanpierre]

I suppose I have another quick question. On the dragon stand site there are enclosures for "breeding", an then there are enclosures for "keeping". The keeping cage is kind of the standard enclosure in which all 4 sides are screened where as the breeding enclosure has only one side of mesh (the front) and the sides are a PVC of some sort and have places where you can easily attach vines/ plants (seems like a pro).

http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-keeper-screen-cage/
http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-breeder-cage/

I have both DragonStrands' keeper cage and the breeder cage, plus some Reptibreeze cages. I wish I had bought all DragonStrand breeder cages. The breeder cages keep the water from misting contained. Even dripping water from a dripper can be a problem is it bounces off a leaf through the screen. My chameleons are kept in my office with hardwood floors, so water outside the enclosure is an issue. Also, the walls of the DragonStrand breeder cages are more robust since they are solid. I worry about the weight of everything on top of a plain screen cage, even if there are supports to distribute the weight onto the sides. A screen cage seems to me to be a flimsy thing.

The other thing about the DragonStrand cages I really like is the laying bin that fits right under the cage so there is no unsightly bucket or flower pot. The laying bin becomes the bottom of the cage, so is very natural for the chameleon. The laying bin is water proof, so I haven't quite figured out if there is a drainage issue for it. Maybe just changing out the contents of the laying bin on a schedule is enough. Maybe a drainage hole. It hasn't been an issue for me yet as I just set it up and it for a female veiled whose misting requirements are not as high as some other species.

Hope that helps.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Dragonstrand cages and cut some coroplast to essentially cover the screen on the outside or inside, whatever you prefer. When mine arrives i will be cutting it the size on the screen itself and screwing it together with the pieces so it is essentially permanent. Keeps water off the walls also...

Where can you buy 48" (by 24") coroplast?

 

[Bowmancj85]

Home Depot lowes. You may have to buy it larger and cut it down. But the larger pieces can get pricey.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I simply wrap my cages in heavy painters plastic or a shower curtain. I keeps the misted water in the cage and helps maintain the proper humidity while being less expensive than the chloroplast. The other nice thing about a shower curtain is that you can get them in many colors to create your own visual barriers. You can even find them with leaf and jungle patterns.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Home Depot lowes. You may have to buy it larger and cut it down. But the larger pieces can get pricey.

Thanks. I'll look around the local stores. I could only find 36" at my local Home Depot.

 

[Bowmancj85]

Maybe special order there. Or try online. It gets pricey from what I've seen. Maybe a crafts store for something of the same quality/material.