Dog cage transformed critique me!!!

[bimac6]

she only hand feeds. go figure

I thought you said she free ranges? Maybe I'm just confused.
I think you'd be way better off just using an actual reptarium, or even a birdcage. I got my old bird cage from the flea market for $10.

 

[Courtney]

she does this is just a more private area for her to lay when shes ready. how ever im not sure when or if she was bread so i dont know when she should lay. i cant see the eggs yet but her tummy is taught.

 

[L30girl]

Hhm, esthetically... it's nice. Practically - I don't think it will serve your cham 100% in regards to her needs.

I think its fair to say that EVERYONE has flies in their home, whether they want them or not... they get in, and all it would take would be one time for her to try to eat the fly, if her tongue gets caught up and wrapped around the rungs of the cage, it wont be a very fun situation for her and it could also result in not only extreme amounts of stress, but pain. I noticed you said she only hand feeds, but like I mentioned, all it takes is one time.

I think I'll have to agree with everyone that said dog crates are for dogs.

 

[AJA]

I see an accident waiting to happen. There is a reason the majority of chameleons stay in screened or glass enclosures . What are you planning on putting in there? Your vieled or melleri?

 

[eisentrauti]

Hhm, esthetically... it's nice.

Strange gusto

 

[L30girl]

Strange gusto

haha. You may be right about that

making a screen enclosure doesn't seem too difficult if you have access to the right materials. I've seen dog crates used for a lot of larger rodents and rodent like critters (rabbits, ferrets - with modifications done to the bar spacing, guinea pigs, etc.) but never reptiles. Do you have any other housing options or is this the only one?

 

[Chamero]

This actually could work. I did something like this for my first chameleon and it worked out fine. I used a hamster cage tho, one with a plastic bottom.

Anyway, I had a screen around mine and it was used to house a 2month until he was 6months (Male Veiled)

The first concern are the holes, add screen and it will be fine.

Second is the heat and lights. If you raise the lights about 5-6 inches off the top they should also be fine. Also make sure you properly measure the temperature.

Thirdly, you have the humidity issue. I'm not to sure about your relative humidity, but since your in Florida, it should be fine.

If everything is properly measured, heat, temp, humidity, UVB, and all parameters correct, I don't see any problem with it. Good Luck

 

[Courtney]

This actually could work. I did something like this for my first chameleon and it worked out fine. I used a hamster cage tho, one with a plastic bottom.

Anyway, I had a screen around mine and it was used to house a 2month until he was 6months (Male Veiled)

The first concern are the holes, add screen and it will be fine.

Second is the heat and lights. If you raise the lights about 5-6 inches off the top they should also be fine. Also make sure you properly measure the temperature.

Thirdly, you have the humidity issue. I'm not to sure about your relative humidity, but since your in Florida, it should be fine.

If everything is properly measured, heat, temp, humidity, UVB, and all parameters correct, I don't see any problem with it. Good Luck

exactly my point...she does free range...but at the moment she is more comfy in her private little area. i have totally re inforced w screen checked the lights and everything else. had to move them cause she stays close to the door that stays open. she doesnt like cages in general she just hides in a corner. she sat inthe same spot for 4 days before i set up a free range which she is very active in and loves. when she started climbing up and down i moved her to my transformation lol.and she is happy as long as the door stays open. she has the option of climbing out back to her tree but never went for it so i moved it out of my way. she is eateing more now and has gotten bigger in the 3 days shes been in it. and she drinks better. so as long as the cham is happy and there are no dangers i see no problem. also in the 4 months i have been in this house i have never seen a fly inside or out for that matter.
nel in her tree..i havent taken any pics of her since will do tomorrow.

 

[sttines]

My issue with this type of enclosure and/or free ranging in living rooms and similar parts of the house are not only humidity but the lack of using flies in your diet. Even large chameleons can have an appetite for them and cages of this sort , well, it's obvious. Also, were you to sun your cham outdoors in this cage, don't assume that a flying insect that you DON'T want wil not enter. I have seen chameleons suffer serious tongue injury by trying to eat wasps and yellow jacket wasps. Hard lessons learned.

 

[JoeyTwilight]

Its somewhat hard to tell but she seems very bloated in those pics, have you felt her for eggs ? if she seems to be messing around in the dirt she is probably looking for a place to lay them. Sometimes a swollen body can also indicate sickness or stress but this looks more like eggs to me, so you will want to look into that immediately.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I'm getting confused - which cham are you intending to use this cage for?

 

[joshua n janet]

isnt tht plant not good 4 a cham if they eat it 2 much

 

[Courtney]

pothos and umbrella are the safest so ive been told. and its for nel the potentially gravid veiled i rescued from a pet store after seeing her there over a period of 3 weeks or so she just lost her color and just sat in the same spot or should i say clung to the fake background out in the open. in florida where i live less than 1 mile from the ocean in fortlauderdale. we dont see to many bees wasps etc. my cages are on the second floor in a room whos door is always shut. we only run ac upstairs to expensive too cool a whole house when you arent in all of it all day. so its very humid in my house. its stays in the high 70s low 80s f in my house all day. her tongue can not getwraped around the bars as it is re inforced from the inside not the outside. today i will be adding other branches in different directions. i did over feed her the other night only cause its the first time i could get her to eat more than one cricket every few days. she ate 15 dusted, herpvite, and gutloaded and h2o injected crix. will get some pics up within the hour

 

[bimac6]

pothos and umbrella are the safest so ive been told. and its for nel the potentially gravid veiled i rescued from a pet store after seeing her there over a period of 3 weeks or so she just lost her color and just sat in the same spot or should i say clung to the fake background out in the open. in florida where i live less than 1 mile from the ocean in fortlauderdale. we dont see to many bees wasps etc. my cages are on the second floor in a room whos door is always shut. we only run ac upstairs to expensive too cool a whole house when you arent in all of it all day. so its very humid in my house. its stays in the high 70s low 80s f in my house all day. her tongue can not getwraped around the bars as it is re inforced from the inside not the outside. today i will be adding other branches in different directions. i did over feed her the other night only cause its the first time i could get her to eat more than one cricket every few days. she ate 15 dusted, herpvite, and gutloaded and h2o injected crix. will get some pics up within the hour

I live right near clearwater beach and trust me, bugs are everywhere. but as long as your have screen on the inside then, it sounds good.
15 crickets is a bit much for an adult veiled isn't it?
i've heard veileds just eat maybe 5 every other day or so.

 

[pssh]

That ambient temps is really high. How will you keep a basking spot of 80 if it's already 80 in your house? The females will be egg making machines!!

 

[Courtney]

I live right near clearwater beach and trust me, bugs are everywhere. but as long as your have screen on the inside then, it sounds good.
15 crickets is a bit much for an adult veiled isn't it?
i've heard veileds just eat maybe 5 every other day or so.

concidering she will only hand feed i doubt she ate much in the pet store. she hasnt ate much since ive had her and since im pretty sure she is carrying eggs i wanted to get her nutrients up. she will not have a meal that large again. the west coast is very different than the east in my experience. around my house we have very little flowering and next to no greenery except bushes between houses. my back yard consists of a pool and a dock no grass. only decorative pavers and a tiled outdoor cooking pavilion and patio


pssh.....it does cool down at various times to low 70s but as soon as the air cuts off it heats back up. in all cages basking spot only reaches 80-82 and ambient is mid to low 70s depending on how the weather is today ambient is cooler cause its cloudy.

 

[Courtney]

now the cage

 

[renzo0684]

Good job on the cage it looks better with the screen!!!

She looks fat do you have a laying bin in the cage for her?

I would still add a few more plants and get your temps a little bit more undercontroll but other than that she looks like she is going to be a very pretty cham!


EDIT-- I looked at the pics again and saw the white bucket.... is that the laying bin?

 

[Courtney]

yeah shes going to get a bigger one now that i have room for one. the cage took for ever a ton of zip ties and one roll of pet screen. it makes a private lil area for her.