Cage Buddies??

[camaleonte82]

i have seen and heard multiple times that Anoles are good cage buddies for chams because they eat the left over crickets. but to me this makes no sense because i would think they would eat more than just left overs and that the cham would eat them given the chance. after all. finding a vid of a cham eating an anole was not hard to find on youtube. so is there any truth to this? are there any creatures a solitary animal like the Chameleon can bunk with?

 

[DeremensisBlue]

Housing animals together is a tricky affair. You'll need a large enough cage and make sure they stay out of each other's way. I once did this with a chameleon and a Uroplatus gecko. The chameleon was out during the day and the gecko out during the night. But it was a six foot high cage, four foot wide, and four foot deep.

I would think that an anole would annoy the chameleon. You also are introducing another source of parasites so I'd suggest you find a different way of dealing with extra crickets in the cage.

 

[Elizadolots]

I think you answered your own question. They are solitary animals. They do not need or appreciate a "buddy".

If you have a really big enclosure, it's probably possible to have multiple animals, but most of us have limited space.

 

[camaleonte82]

I think you answered your own question. They are solitary animals. They do not need or appreciate a "buddy".

If you have a really big enclosure, it's probably possible to have multiple animals, but most of us have limited space.

agreed, personally i dont like Anoles anyway so the cham eating it wouldnt bother me. lol. i just wondered if anyone on the forum did this because i know alot of things i have read and some pet stores have said to do it and to me it seems stupid unless you have a huge cage. now the Gecko i can see bc of the time differences. but i mean. my chams get annoyed if they catch a glimpse of each other. i couldnt imagine how much they would hate another thing LIVING in the cage with them.

 

[chameleonkev]

I've seen people that do it with no proplem, I also no people who house male and multiple female chams in one large viv and they don't have a problem, I don't personly but it is possible I suppose it's down to the nature of the chameleon, in the wild there would be other reptiles around

 

[carol5208]

Another ignoroant pet store employee! Chameleons EAT anoles so they would not be cage buddies for long. My chameleons will eat them every chance they get. We have them running wild down here and they get in my patio and outdoor cage. I do not feed them deliberately and would not, but on a few occasions I have seen them get eaten. I could not watch once I saw it happen. I made me very upset!

 

[Carlton]

agreed, personally i dont like Anoles anyway so the cham eating it wouldnt bother me. lol. i just wondered if anyone on the forum did this because i know alot of things i have read and some pet stores have said to do it and to me it seems stupid unless you have a huge cage. now the Gecko i can see bc of the time differences. but i mean. my chams get annoyed if they catch a glimpse of each other. i couldnt imagine how much they would hate another thing LIVING in the cage with them.

Whether or not the animals would physically bother or hurt each other isn't the whole problem. If you put animals from completely different continents together, you just complicated their health by exposing them to bacteria, strains of e coli, parasites, etc. neither has developed resistance to. Mixing species that would not naturally occur together is a serious risk. In a restricted space like the typical cage it is just asking for trouble and not fair to any of the animals.

 

[wimz050]

what about chameleons and hermit crabs?

 

[distortionz]

Lmao hermit crabs.. Really? Leave your chameleons housed alone or consider getting rid of them

 

[wimz050]

Lmao hermit crabs.. Really? Leave your chameleons housed alone or consider getting rid of them[/QUOT

well why couldn't they? If you think about it.

 

[wodesorel]

Because hermits need between 6 and 12 inches of moist substrate to be able to molt safely and properly. And not just a little bit of substrate - for a couple medium sized crabs you'd need a 20 gallon or larger filled. Substrate in a chameleon enclosure is a big no-no because of the risk of impaction.

Not to mention that if it moves, the cham would likely go after it and choke to death.

 

[distortionz]

As for the substrate issue all my cham cages have a bioactive substrate for the base.. That's not a part I'd worry about..

I'd worry about what carlton said here.. Introducing bacteria and parasites that neither would have a resistance to. Also the chameleon attempting to eat and getting a tongue injury from a crab pinch or choking.. Just not a good idea

Whether or not the animals would physically bother or hurt each other isn't the whole problem. If you put animals from completely different continents together, you just complicated their health by exposing them to bacteria, strains of e coli, parasites, etc. neither has developed resistance to. Mixing species that would not naturally occur together is a serious risk. In a restricted space like the typical cage it is just asking for trouble and not fair to any of the animals.

 

[wimz050]

yes but female chameleons need substrate to dig in minuim 8 inches , so they can lay eggs. also Im about to upgrade to a 18in wide 3ft long by 3ft tall screen cage, the 2 would stay away from each other. then how can you put anoles with them

 

[MelissaB]

18in wide 3ft long by 3ft tall screen cage, the 2 would stay away from each other. then how can you put anoles with them

If you have only the animals' best interests at heart, I wouldn't do it. The potential for injury for either animal isn't worth it. Could it work? Maybe. Could either of the animals be unnecessarily stressed or injured? Yes. Is there potential to pass parasites or pathogens between one animal to the other? Yes.

It's much more preferable to have the BEST set up for the particular species you're housing. One in which it thrives, not just survives.

The idea just reminds me of the Simpson's episode where Homer was adding salt to his goldfish tank so the lobster could live in it.

 

[wimz050]

"the idea just reminds me of the Simpson's episode where Homer was adding salt to his goldfish tank so the lobster could live in it."

that's two different things lol at least the chameleon and hermit crab have some of the same needs? digging dirt, food, climping, sun light, the gold fish is fresh water and the lobster is salt? the only thing I can think of that they have in common is they like cold water

 

[Lathis]

that's two different things

Nope, exactly the same mentality. Disregard for the well being and needs of either creature for the entertainment/convenience of the keeper. Maybe an extreme example, but it just serves to show the underlying absurdity.

 

[MelissaB]

"the idea just reminds me of the Simpson's episode where Homer was adding salt to his goldfish tank so the lobster could live in it."

that's two different things lol at least the chameleon and hermit crab have some of the same needs? digging dirt, food, climping, sun light, the gold fish is fresh water and the lobster is salt? the only thing I can think of that they have in common is they like cold water

Figures that you would only focus on the Simpson reference.

If you have the best interests of the animals in mind, it's not something most people would recommend. It's asking for trouble, when the needs of both species would be best served with it's own specialized habitat. There's no good reason to house them together.