Escape Proofing FREE range

[CrazyChamLady13]

As everyone knows Waldo loves wandering. He goes everywhere. So we're moving to a bigger house and I want to make his stand to hold his screen cage and allow him to free range. But since we are moving to a bigger house I don't want him to wander some place where I can't find him. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[pssh]

The best way that I know how to do it is to set up some sort of smooth fence on the ground. It has to be tall enough that he cannot reach the top or even close to it, and far enough away from anything that he cannot jump over it. For some chameleons, if you set up a hanging type of free range, it is enough of a deterrent that they won't try to jump off. For example, using only pothos that hang down so that the lowest point is a few feet off the ground, and he cannot reach anything that goes towards the ground (like wires.)

 

[Olimpia]

Ditto what Kara said! Just to illustrate the point, you'd want something like this:

I've found that making a pentagon shape works better than a square, because the corners are wider apart and they can't shimmy their way up even if they tried. Something like smooth acrylic would work (with any hinges or screws along the OUTSIDE, so little chameleon nails can't climb them).

 

[okiroo]

I personally keep mine in a room so I just shut the door when I'm not around. They can get under doors so I block the underneath it. If u put trees around the free range but nessarly apart of it, they tend to just wander to the other trees. I let clair walk around my room all she wants and she goes to visit the frog and anole then goes home.

 

[CrazyChamLady13]

He's very social. Today he decided that momma was a great human bridge and used me to the blinds and window. Then wanted my help to go onto of his cage
He begs at his door to come out and then if I don't let him out he starts scratching at the door. He's such a sweetheart but don't want him to get hurt.

 

[craig90]

He's very social. Today he decided that momma was a great human bridge and used me to the blinds and window. Then wanted my help to go onto of his cage
He begs at his door to come out and then if I don't let him out he starts scratching at the door. He's such a sweetheart but don't want him to get hurt.

I've got the same thing with my cham where he runs down to the door to come out as well. I have a six foot tall tree in my room that I put him on, but he sometimes crawls down on the floor. I need to put a barricade around the tree or something...

 

[pssh]

Some chameleons become more content to sit and stay when they are in a free range. I think it's because they are no longer confined and they have more room. On the other hand, some will just wander regardless (especially young males.)

 

[Olimpia]

Yea (again, ditto what Kara said! Lol) for example with my Meller's Charlotte and Guinevere are happy to just stay up in their spots but little Thad, my youngster, is a wanderer. I'm always trying to fix what might be off for him in his free range, but he may just be going through that phase where he feels he needs to explore a larger territory. Also, he's my fresh WC so he has that instinct stronger than my LTC and CB two.

 

[CrazyChamLady13]

I was thinking about it a little more and think I'm going to just do a separate stand that's about 12"T 24"W and 36" wide. I kinda want to keep the cage separate so I can move it outside. Put the freerange table on wheels to move it and an acrylic border so he can male a run for it. Would this work better?

 

[pssh]

It could. As long as the acrylic is tall enough. I've seen my veiled use his tail to push himself off the ground even more to try and get over fences!