Escape artist

[Stevethecham]

Soo ever since i've introduced my boy to his free range setup he has been begging to get out a lot. When i walk in the room he turns bright colors en climbs the screen door wanting to come out. I don't really know if this is good or bad though.. Does anyone know??

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon

• Handling - Once a day. In summer time he goes in his outside tree for 3 to 4 hours a day depending on the weather.

• Feeding - Crickets, Dubia's, Morioworms, Silkworms, Small Dragonfly's.

• A=Calcium Without D3
• B=Calcium with D3
• C=Reptivite vitamins

• Dusting schedule: Week 1:AAAAAAB
Week 2:AAAAAAC

• Supplements - Reptivite vitamins, repti calcium without and with D3

• Watering - Misting twice a day, mornings and evenings. Misting for 1 or 2 minutes. Dripper for during the day. Don't see him drinking a lot of leaves, only when i mist.

• Fecal Description - Fecal looks black/brownish. Urate looks white and creamy with little orange on top. Fecal has been tested for parasites. He was clean

• History - Got him at a pet store in wich the husbandry was really bad. Glass tank without ventilation and heat bulbs within the enclosure. My cham was the smallest and thinnest chameleon out of the pack. So i took him because i wanted to give the little guy a chance.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Sreen cage, ReptiBreeze XXL. Biggest from reptibreeze

• Lighting - Reptisun T5 HO 5.0 and considering a 10.0 because veileds can handle a little more uvb in my experience. Heat bulb, depending on the season i usually use a flood halogen bulb from home depot. 50 watt. And in summer time sometimes less wattage.

• Temperature - Basking area: 83-85. Ambient temps between 70-75, sometimes a little higher in the summer time, but i correct that with an aircooler. Bottom of the cage is 73


• Humidity - Humidity around 50% all year round and spikes to 80% when misted or heavy rainfall outside.

• Plants - live plants only! Pothos, Ficus Benjamina, Silk Pothos, Orchids

• Placement - 40 cm of the ground, i got a fan half a meter next to the cage but only use when needed.

• Location - Netherlands

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Soo ever since i've introduced my boy to his free range setup he has been begging to get out a lot. When i walk in the room he turns bright colors en climbs the screen door wanting to come out. I don't really know if this is good or bad though.. Does anyone know??

As the song goes, "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Paree?"
Of course he's excited by the prospect of coming out—it's a chance for escape and freedom!

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
—Invictus

Letting him out for a bit is can be considered a form of enrichment, which is generally a good thing for animals in captivity. Here's a study:

Moving beyond the “Five Freedoms” by Updating the “Five Provisions” and Introducing Aligned “Animal Welfare Aims”​

For other ways of providing enrichment: enrichment for reptiles

 

[Stevethecham]

As the song goes, "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Paree?"
Of course he's excited by the prospect of coming out—it's a chance for escape and freedom!


Letting him out for a bit is can be considered a form of enrichment, which is generally a good thing for animals in captivity. Here's a study:

Moving beyond the “Five Freedoms” by Updating the “Five Provisions” and Introducing Aligned “Animal Welfare Aims”​

For other ways of providing enrichment: enrichment for reptiles

Thanks! Gonna check it out for sure!

 

[CasqueAbove]

This time of year Males are bad. Mine is good to stay in his area till the "Season" comes. If he sees the door to the room open boom he's out. Driving me nuts he is so quick about it. Sometimes I wish I could just smack him and say "Knock it off" lol

 

[Stevethecham]

This time of year Males are bad. Mine is good to stay in his area till the "Season" comes. If he sees the door to the room open boom he's out. Driving me nuts he is so quick about it. Sometimes I wish I could just smack him and say "Knock it off" lol

Mann i have the same problem When i try to open the cage and clean or whatever BOOM he is gone. They look so slow but when they want something, lightning

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I was just (15 min. ago) vacuuming out the enclosure when the little made a break for it.
I've found the best way to clean is just ignore him—he usually just hides/watches me from the treetops. Today he came down the front of the umbrella tree, ignoring the branches and walking on the leaf tops. I didn't see him because my attention was on vacuuming. Suddenly I felt something on my arm. I looked, and there he was climbing from the leaves onto my forearm that was holding the vacuum hose. My first instinct was to lean down and turn the vacuum off (need I explain?) and when I did, he shot up my arm lickety-split and was on my shoulder on his way to my back where I couldn't reach him. I called for Missus, but she was indisposed as I felt him making his way further where I couldn't reach him. I didn't want to stand up because he might fall and scoot who-knows-where under or behind something, so I stood bent over, try to reach him with either hand, awaiting the expected CHOMP! Somehow I got lucky, and he climbed halfway back onto one hand. I tried to gently pull him off my back without getting bitten. Somehow it worked, and he was trying to bridge between me and the mister reservoir. Now with my other hand free, I was finally able to do the chameleon juggle while he gaped, hissed, and threatened.... Ooh... big scary lizard! I'm sure a few of you know how bizarre it is to try to get control of one of these guys while they're threatening you and you're laughing so hard you can't see! Man was he fired up! Brightest oranges I've ever seen him. I eased him toward his tree and he was up it in a shot.

Yup, these little barstads [sic] can move when they want to!

 

[Lindasjackson]

I can’t wait for the day Eustis trusts me enough to come out of his cage!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I can't say it was trust as much as opportunity. I'm having better luck presenting the back of my hand than my open palm. IDK if he makes the association that the arm is part of me or that it's just an avenue he can make use of to attain an objective.

 

[Mountain Dragon]

I can’t wait for the day Eustis trusts me enough to come out of his cage!

Beman has a really good blog bout trust it’s what I’m doing and it’s working for me I highly suggest it!

 

[Sonny13]

I can't say it was trust as much as opportunity. I'm having better luck presenting the back of my hand than my open palm. IDK if he makes the association that the arm is part of me or that it's just an avenue he can make use of to attain an objective.

200% opportunists.....I can already write a book about all the things they have done in cause of a ´opportunity´

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

200% opportunists.....I can already write a book about all the things they have done in cause of a ´opportunity´

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