Atlas and his new outdoor vacation home.

OldChamKeeper

OldChamKeeper

Chameleon Enthusiast
Despite having a large indoor habitat for Atlas, I needed to get him outside for sunlight and the typical roaming needs of a young male.

Attached are pictures of what I did with a used rabbit hutch. I ended up building a wooden frame first and then mounting the hutch panels to it. The metal wire is on the outside, preventing dogs from chewing on it, while there is a secondary plastic screening on the interior side that keeps the animal from climbing on the metal wire allowing for possible injury from the dogs. Essentially there is a two inch gap in between the wire the cham can climb on and the outside wire.

Shade cloth on top helps with the heat, in addition to all the cover. Also I added patio misters and drought sprinklers which when turned on use nearly no water but still keep the interior cooler and moist. Attached are a few photos.
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Other than the fact you have got cinder blocks and bars for an enclosure. That is a great looking outside enclosure for a Atlas the Calumma parsonii parsonii. That looks as though it is going to be a great nice weather outdoor enclosure.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
 
That's the best repurposed rabbit hutch I have ever seen.

Nicely done sir!

I have always liked the idea of building an enclosure over the top of a planter box of sorts. I actually like this idea much better than building one over a wooden planter box too. Durability is always a factor in my chameleon enclosure designs and you can't get much more durable than cinder blocks.

My only concern for my area would have to be the thermal mass of concrete. Although I guess I could keep the radiant heat down if the soil inside was moist and cool. You may have sparked a new build for me Ralph!
 
Extensionofgreen said:
That's AWESOME! What are your dimensions? I think it's fantastic.
Click to expand...

Pretty big...about 110" long. 5' tall on the inside. Almost 36" in width. My rear yard is nearly all concrete, the planters along the walls were there when we bought the home. Next to his cage is a full size pomegranate tree to give you an idea of how deep the soil goes so convection from the concrete and drainage are not an issue.

The local fence lizards are also seeking it... they want the water. Guess who's gonna get some free meals (and Panacur)
 
Nice Ralph! Depending on which direction the sun comes from, cinder block when wet could be a cooling factor. But I bet you already thought of that.
Atlas has the room to grow to be a monster!
 
Wow... nice outdoor enclosure I'm hoping next year I be in my new home and my first project is build a large outdoor enclosure...
 
bobcochran said:
Nice Ralph! Depending on which direction the sun comes from, cinder block when wet could be a cooling factor. But I bet you already thought of that.
Atlas has the room to grow to be a monster!
Click to expand...


The facing you see in the pictures faces south, so direct sunlight hits the cage for a good chunk of the day. I was worried about too much sun for a while but between the shade cloth, foliage, and the two layers of mesh on the doors, oh and the misting, the temps inside are ranging from 94 to 74. I've monitored him all day today and he seems content to move around and find a place he's happy in, then sit there.
 
What a handsome guy! Just loving that spray :D
Bucky was out enjoying some rain today when suddenly HAIL! Had to rush him inside - thanks, Midwest weather.
 
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