Enrichment Ideas?

[annefirth12]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anybody had any out of the box enrichment ideas. I have a close to a year-old female veiled chameleon who loves to explore and roam around.

Here’s what I’ve done for enrichment:
1. Add new plants and branches to her enclosure (I’d like to redo her enclosure at some point but I haven’t had the time to sit down and do that).
2. Vary her feeders based on the limited availability in my area - she’s had black soldier flies and wax moths but she doesn’t seem super excited about flying insects. Maybe I’m just trying the wrong ones?
3. Let her roam around the house on various different safe plants and climb on the blinds (with supervision). Some of these have window views. Her favorite is a 9 foot tall avocado tree that she usually gets at least an hour a day in.
4. Let her bask outside. She’s got a variety of safe plants and trees she can hang out in when it’s warm enough in my area, and she’s figured out that she can climb down the tree and walk to a different one (she has a favorite that she always makes her way over to). This is one of the ways that I think she’s actually gotten smarter - she now can plan her way over to wherever she wants to go and walks down and across the floor towards her goal. We also let her hunt her bugs outside, like putting a hornworm on a leaf and letting her stalk it and catch it.

If anyone has any ideas, I’d absolutely love to hear it!

Thanks all (bonus Rosie pictures for tax)

 

[annefirth12]

I forgot to add - she can eat (and does eat) all the types of plants in her enclosure, and we also occasionally feed her safe fruits (no luck on the veggies). She adores blueberries and bananas.

 

[DonKeesh]

Outdoor keeping and feed wild prey items.

 

[annefirth12]

Outdoor keeping and feed wild prey items.

Not sure my area is ok for outdoor keeping temp-wise. What sort of setup are you thinking? Isn’t there parasite risk with feeding wild prey items?

 

[ERKleRose]

Not sure my area is ok for outdoor keeping temp-wise. What sort of setup are you thinking? Isn’t there parasite risk with feeding wild prey items?

It depends on where you live. In the city is a much higher risk than out in the country.

 

[annefirth12]

It depends on where you live. In the city is a much higher risk than out in the country.

Yes I’m in the suburbs, not sure it’s a great idea since I think some of my neighbors might spray their yards.

 

[ERKleRose]

Yes I’m in the suburbs, not sure it’s a great idea since I think some of my neighbors might spray their yards.

Same. You can hatch out painted lady butterflies and see if your cham will grab one outside! I do that, but since it's so hot where I live, I've had to just release them inside my cage. Getting a mantid ootheca is great to do that with, too! Along with grasshoppers if that species is native to your area!

 

[DonKeesh]

Check out the chameleon academy planter box design for outdoor cages. Also the wild prey is somewhat debated but there is no evidence or single examples documented that observed any negative effects. I feed as much wild prey as I can find and have done so for years.

I would be much more concerned that pet store crickets have parasites imo.

 

[annefirth12]

Same. You can hatch out painted lady butterflies and see if your cham will grab one outside! I do that, but since it's so hot where I live, I've had to just release them inside my cage. Getting a mantid ootheca is great to do that with, too! Along with grasshoppers if that species is native to your area!

Those are all good ideas! I’d have a hard time feeding mantids and butterflies since I’ve kept both and see them as pets but I’ll see if I can find grasshoppers.

 

[annefirth12]

Check out the chameleon academy planter box design for outdoor cages. Also the wild prey is somewhat debated but there is no evidence or single examples documented that observed any negative effects. I feed as much wild prey as I can find and have done so for years.

I would be much more concerned that pet store crickets have parasites imo.

Great, thank you! She already likes to try and hunt little bugs and spiders and the like in her trees outdoors, I’ll just police it less haha

 

[annefirth12]

Same. You can hatch out painted lady butterflies and see if your cham will grab one outside! I do that, but since it's so hot where I live, I've had to just release them inside my cage. Getting a mantid ootheca is great to do that with, too! Along with grasshoppers if that species is native to your area!

Follow up, where can you buy grasshoppers?

 

[MissSkittles]

https://deanmissimer.com/

 

[annefirth12]

https://deanmissimer.com/

Thank you so much!!

 

[ERKleRose]

https://deanmissimer.com/

@annefirth12 I buy from here, as well. @SauceGandhi owns it

 

[nightanole]

I like to hide silkies all over the cage.

 

[annefirth12]

I like to hide silkies all over the cage.

That would be fun! I've had bad luck keeping silkworms alive, though. Maybe it's time to try again.

 

[danny_cham]

Same. You can hatch out painted lady butterflies and see if your cham will grab one outside! I do that, but since it's so hot where I live, I've had to just release them inside my cage. Getting a mantid ootheca is great to do that with, too! Along with grasshoppers if that species is native to your area!

Just out of curiosity, are those butterflies safe for panther chams? I’d be interested to see if my boy would like them

 

[ERKleRose]

Just out of curiosity, are those butterflies safe for panther chams? I’d be interested to see if my boy would like them

They're absolutely safe, all of my panthers, past and present, love(d) them!

 

[ERKleRose]

I get mine from Gulf Coast Silkworms, but Mulberry Farms has them, as well!

 

[Hawaiian Rose]

They're absolutely safe, all of my panthers, past and present, love(d) them!

They're absolutely safe, all of my panthers, past and present, love(d) them!

Are painted ladies caterpillars for Jackson chams? Does anyone know if Monarch caterpillars are safe? Thanks.