Epic Parsonii Enclosure: Part 1

[Michelle Maxwell]

Absolutely amazing that's all I can say I love it

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Just curious what do you typically feed those guys? That enclosure is amazing I'm extremely jealous.

I breed around a dozen roach species, raise silkworms, order hornworms, crickets, and superworms, and capture moths, dragonflies, mantises, katydids, locusts, cicadas, and may beetles for them.

 

[EarlMT]

I breed around a dozen roach species, raise silkworms, order hornworms, crickets, and superworms, and capture moths, dragonflies, mantises, katydids, locusts, cicadas, and may beetles for them.

Dang that's a ton of variety!!!! I've wondered is this species friendly or pretty aggressive?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

They are about as passive as they come, but they are all individuals and I know of a few cases of pretty angry ones.

 

[EarlMT]

They are about as passive as they come, but they are all individuals and I know of a few cases of pretty angry ones.

That's awesome since they're so large. Thanks for replying! I want to own one sometime in my life but that won't be for a long while haha!

 

[Rorschach]

What are your thoughts with salt water coral lights. They produce alot more than 6500 k and ive heard they are great for giant enclosures. This im interested in for sure but haven't heard much about it

 

[Extensionofgreen]

What are your thoughts with salt water coral lights. They produce alot more than 6500 k and ive heard they are great for giant enclosures. This im interested in for sure but haven't heard much about it[/QUOTE

The reason aquarium lights go far and above 6500k is because water filters out the red spectrum the fastest, which is why so many deep sea creatures are red, red light doesn't reach those depths, so they don't appear red at all. The higher the k (kelvin) the more blue (actinic) light there is and this penetrates water the furthest and is the most intense spectrum used by photosynthetic organisms.

In a chameleon enclosure, the blue cast of the light would not be as stimulating and would affect the chameleon's perception of color in its environment. Could they be used? Sure, but with correspondingly warm (lower K) bulbs, to balance out the light spectrum. Chameleon enclosures are generally woefully underlit, especially for chameleons used to natural sun. Screen filters out 30%+ of whatever your bulb is putting out.

 

[Twitchet]

Awesome, really inspiring, love the path ways for them, I can only dream mine might look half as good, fantastic!

 

[Extensionofgreen]

So, I disassembled and disposed of an old pool table, that was in front of the enlclosure and that made it possible to take a better photo of the entire enclosure. The forum won't accept panaramic photos, so this is a better view of entire 16' length.

 

[savage13]

Dude that's epic enclosure!
So what's are your plans? Those yellow lips would look really nice in there..

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Dude that's epic enclosure!
So what's are your plans? Those yellow lips would look really nice in there..

That's the plan! Hopefully I'll have them in hand on Valentines Day, which is especially appropriate, considering I'm already in love with them.

 

[savage13]

That's the plan! Hopefully I'll have them in hand on Valentines Day, which is especially appropriate, considering I'm already in love with them.

LOL.... If you didn't I would have...

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS ENCLOSURE. This is the kind of enclosure that all cham-nerds dream of having...
I recognize several of the plants, but I'm not a gardener. I recognize several of the plants, but not all of them. What were the plants used? They all look fantastic. Really jungle-y.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

There are too many plants to name, but Draceana, Ficus, palms, cinnamon tree, a gardenia, pothos, spider plants, false aralia, schefflera, fatsia, coffee bush, miracle berry shrub, schefflera, and a few other odds and ends cover 90% of the planting choices. Most everything can be found at Lowes or Home Depot, Walmart, and in a few cases; mail order.

 

[nstd]

where's part 2?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

As soon as I win the lottery and have all of time and money I could ever want, I'll build part 2 the size of a 2 car garage, with a UVB transmitting panel roof.

 

[savage13]

As soon as I win the lottery and have all of time and money I could ever want, I'll build part 2 the size of a 2 car garage, with a UVB transmitting panel roof.

Why not just move to Madagascar?
Lol..

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Updates:
I've pruned a TON of material from this enclosure over the past several months. I've also moved, removed, and added various items to suite my taste, make more open areas, eliminate congestion from too much foliage, maintain light penetration to lower plants, and eliminate plants that seemed very prone to pest and disease.
I've had no problem with the set-up, save for a liner leak, which was resolved by keeping the water table low with an automated pump, installed during the build.
I have also noted a population of slugs, mealy bugs, and scale insects, in spite of treating the plants before planting. I am intending to relocate the chameleons and douse the enclosure with tobacco tea, allowing it to dry, then flushing with a small amount of water and vegetable oil soap, then spray down with clean water. Nicotine is systemic and a contact poison, meaning it will accumulate in the plant cells and poison sucking insects, but also functions as a contact poison. As long the parsons can't absorb it through the skin or ingest it, it remains harmlessly inside the plant tissues. I have a lot of experience with pesticides, chemicals, and organic horticulture. Some of you may freak out at the idea, but I'm 100% sure of what I'm doing and how these substances can be used safely. I would never expose my animals to chemicals or harmful conditions.

 

[kinyonga]

And if the Parsons or other insects eat the insects that ate the plant that won't poison them??

 

[Extensionofgreen]

And if the Parsons or other insects eat the insects that ate the plant that won't poison them??

Many factors come into play that make the answer to that question a matter of opinion.
If you fed hornworms that had been feeding on tomato or tobacco plants, it coul poison your animals, possibly to death. Since the roaches, crickets, and phasmids I use as feeder don't feed on the foliage, beyond and incidental nibble, there won't be any cumulative amounts in the insect to poison the animals. Since I would be spraying once a week, for 3-4 weeks, any insects and feeders in the enclosure will succumb and once the chameleons are reintroduced, along with new feeders, all residues will have been long rinsed away and the amounts in the plant tissues will begin to decline. They use synthetic nicotinoids in flea collars for cats and dogs.
I also don't have feeders free ranging, aside from crickets and they don't last long enough to ingest enough to transfer it to the animals. If they did ingest a dangerous amount, they would die quickly and be noticed. Nicotine doesn't last long in the plant tissue, either, so I'll allow time enough for the nicotine to break down, before releasing the animals.
I treated all of the plants before placing them in the enclosure and I took precautions, applying the same principals of eliminating contacts with residual pesticides and using pesticides that are organic, safe to use around pets and people, and chemicals that I have used with my plants and understand very well. My parsonii are happy and healthy, so I'd say it was a success. Attributable to the fact these substances aren't as deadly as we might suppose is the fact that I wound up with pests outbreaks anyway, because it doesn't persist or cause enough impact to kill all of the pests.