DIY Outdoor Enclosure [Pictures]

[ReptiGeek]

This took me less then 2 hours to make, however I still have a few things I want to tinker around with. The mesh is NOT metal. It is Quest Plastic Chicken Wire. It is extra strong and does not tear easily, it is made for chickens after all. I used two plastic hanging flower pots (obviously flipping one upside down) to create the base and top. Then I took 3 feet of 3/4" PVC pipe and hot-glue-gunned the ends to the centre of both pots. I took some twine and thread it through the holes where the hangers would go in the pots, securing each pot together and providing additional support (hot glue is definitely not strong enough to support PVC pipe, it was just to provide a temporary support while I set up the twine). I hung it up to test it out and it held together no problemo! Then I applied the wood using plant wire. To add a little colour I decided to throw in some dried sphagnum moss. I attached this to the pipe and wood by using twist ties. The plastic chicken wire was a little tricky. I cut it so that it had an extra couple of inches of overhang. Then I twist tied it to the twine and hanging pots. To get in and out of the enclosure I merely left the ends of the chicken wire untied so that I can just open it up. To prevent my chameleon from escaping I just took a couple pieces of twine (5" long each) and tied the two ends of the chicken wire together in several different places. Everything is very stable, and Naboo took it for a test drive and seemed to enjoy the sunshine

 

[Rush2112]

oooooh, I like. Very creative.

 

[InStitches]

I will have to make one of these, I love it! And I'm sure Naboo does too!

 

[dom1959]

i love it!

 

[Yarinil]

Looks like mine! but I use it for the inside (temporary) then i'll do another one when he's bigger

 

[Miacane]

Thats great! I have been waiting for pay day (Friday). This was going to be this weekends project. Making 3 of them for the back porch.

 

[ReptiGeek]

oooooh, I like. Very creative.

Thank you! I saw some photos someone posted from a reptile expo and the company had designed something like this (obviously more elaborate). So I just used that for blueprints!

I will have to make one of these, I love it! And I'm sure Naboo does too!

They're really great! And yes it seemed as though he did like it, thank you.

i love it!

THANKS!

Looks like mine! but I use it for the inside (temporary) then i'll do another one when he's bigger

It's very inexpensive to make, so good choice! haha.

Thats great! I have been waiting for pay day (Friday). This was going to be this weekends project. Making 3 of them for the back porch.

Have fun! I actually enjoyed making these.

 

[Humber Brad]

This looks awesome! I'm gonna have to do this.

 

[ReptiGeek]

Thanks homie! Definitely should.

 

[Dr O]

looks like a homemade Chameleon Canopy!! (remember those?)

 

[ReptiGeek]

looks like a homemade Chameleon Canopy!! (remember those?)

Like the ones from Exo Terra? I house my Indian Walking Stick Insects in something exactly like them, except it was only $8 at Ikea and meant for laundry

 

[crocky]

That is awesome, great idea!

 

[Dr O]

Like the ones from Exo Terra? I house my Indian Walking Stick Insects in something exactly like them, except it was only $8 at Ikea and meant for laundry

no, not those. way ahead of it’s time in the mid 90’s, it retailed for about $250 and is still the best designed open air cage ever developed as far as i’m concerned. luckily i still have one! as well as several of the original bi-fold glossy brochures which i used to give to clients looking for cage ideas.

bad picture here which may trigger some memories. another company bought it and i think they named theirs the Chameleon Condo, but it was identical.

http://chamownersweb.net/husbandry/images/chameleon_canopy_cage.jpg

 

[ReptiGeek]

no, not those. way ahead of it’s time in the mid 90’s, it retailed for about $250 and is still the best designed open air cage ever developed as far as i’m concerned. luckily i still have one! as well as several of the original bi-fold glossy brochures which i used to give to clients looking for cage ideas.

bad picture here which may trigger some memories. another company bought it and i think they named theirs the Chameleon Condo, but it was identical.

http://chamownersweb.net/husbandry/images/chameleon_canopy_cage.jpg

Wow those are awesome! I feel like they could make for a great base to a growing free range. It's funny because I had never actually seen one of those before, and then I go ahead and create something very similar =P

 

[Hakai]

Not only is that a cheap DIY cage, but I imagine that the drainage is no problem at all. Since its outside, all you need is a few holes at the bottom which I'm guessing it already has since a flower pot. Freakin awesome! I'm not sure if it would be worth it for me to make one, I would only get 3 months each year to use it.

 

[Dr O]

Wow those are awesome! I feel like they could make for a great base to a growing free range. It's funny because I had never actually seen one of those before, and then I go ahead and create something very similar =P

for those young ‘uns unfamiliar with it, it was designed by a chameleon lover who was also an engineer. it hangs from the ceiling via thick, cushy decorative ropes. inside the inverted “top bowl” is a screen cover over 3 different light sockets with separate controls and plugs for timers. it also hid an ez to fill 2 ½ gallon water reservoir which dripped down the small center plastic plant. 2 smaller plant pots for pothos et al were attached securely to the rope with clips, so the driping water would then water the first plant, drip through the bottom of that pot into the second plant, and finaly into the large lower bowl where some small, sealable holes drained it into the water catch bowl way at the very bottom. a decorative rock was tied into the bottom of the ropes in the area of the big lower bowl where it swung gently. feeders were placed in the bottom bowl which was slick enough that they couldn’t climb out but could stay in there indefinitely without bothering the cham, and the cham learned to climb down the ropes to pick at the feeders. since the dripping water went right though it wouldn’t drown the feeders either. finally there was an optional lid extender for the bottom bowl for larger species of chams that may have been able to reach the edge and get out. and if a cham fell into the bowl they could just reach up to the rope/rock and climb right back up.

it was so well designed, but in an era where there wasn’t much more than glass aquariums and a few mesh igunarium-type cages it just didn’t sell at $250 and they went out of business. i owned one which my nosy be loved, but an ex-girlfriend gave it away when we broke up. impossible to find after that, but i kept a “saved search” on ebay for years and eventually a used but complete set came up. i snatched that so quickly, and have NEVER seen another on the market. if they were made again i think the market has well caught up with it and it would probably do well.

 

[Zen]

haha you should have a bulb outside running at night let the flys attack the light and the chameleon will help

 

[nosybee]

I know it's only an outdoor cage but how do you supply water?

 

[ReptiGeek]

Not only is that a cheap DIY cage, but I imagine that the drainage is no problem at all. Since its outside, all you need is a few holes at the bottom which I'm guessing it already has since a flower pot. Freakin awesome! I'm not sure if it would be worth it for me to make one, I would only get 3 months each year to use it.

I live in VANCOUVER, CANADA. I get 3 months of sunshine and only 2 months that are higher then 60*F =P It took me two hours and cost me $12.

for those young ‘uns unfamiliar with it, it was designed by a chameleon lover who was also an engineer. it hangs from the ceiling via thick, cushy decorative ropes. inside the inverted “top bowl” is a screen cover over 3 different light sockets with separate controls and plugs for timers. it also hid an ez to fill 2 ½ gallon water reservoir which dripped down the small center plastic plant. 2 smaller plant pots for pothos et al were attached securely to the rope with clips, so the driping water would then water the first plant, drip through the bottom of that pot into the second plant, and finaly into the large lower bowl where some small, sealable holes drained it into the water catch bowl way at the very bottom. a decorative rock was tied into the bottom of the ropes in the area of the big lower bowl where it swung gently. feeders were placed in the bottom bowl which was slick enough that they couldn’t climb out but could stay in there indefinitely without bothering the cham, and the cham learned to climb down the ropes to pick at the feeders. since the dripping water went right though it wouldn’t drown the feeders either. finally there was an optional lid extender for the bottom bowl for larger species of chams that may have been able to reach the edge and get out. and if a cham fell into the bowl they could just reach up to the rope/rock and climb right back up.

it was so well designed, but in an era where there wasn’t much more than glass aquariums and a few mesh igunarium-type cages it just didn’t sell at $250 and they went out of business. i owned one which my nosy be loved, but an ex-girlfriend gave it away when we broke up. impossible to find after that, but i kept a “saved search” on ebay for years and eventually a used but complete set came up. i snatched that so quickly, and have NEVER seen another on the market. if they were made again i think the market has well caught up with it and it would probably do well.

AMAZING information. I was born in the early 90's so obviously I had never heard of such a thing. There are photos from one of the recent Reptile Expos that has something very similar that I got the idea from. Maybe it is a company who remembered these? Very intriguing. And if I remember correctly they were being sold for $250.

haha you should have a bulb outside running at night let the flys attack the light and the chameleon will help

That would be a gongshow, but I'm pretty sure there'd be some bad blood in those skeeters. Would never risk it xD

I know it's only an outdoor cage but how do you supply water?

Just hand mist. He only stays in there while I or a family member is in the backyard, so never for too long where he will dehydrate.

 

[nosybee]

I bet if you made them for sale-people would buy them; I know I would