Kind of an unusual question. I'm free ranging some Chams in a small greenhouse [lean to, 15'wide x 8' deep x 7'high]. Has a few big Fiddle leaf figs, corn plant and many other plants and some vines. Currently I have 2 Senegals [unsure of sex] and a male and female Dwarf Fishers. I've had them for a few months and they seem to be doing well. My problem is I can rarely find them. They blend in with the plants so well they can be right in front of me and I don't see them. I have a few feeding stations that they visit plus I 'free range' crickets around the greenhouse. When I see the Chams I hand feed them some wax worms which they always take. In this large space could I add a few more Chams? If I did could I use a different species? I was thinking of a small pair of Elliot's or more Dwarf Fishers. The Senegal was on the same vine as the Dwarf Fishers, he was ignoring him but the Fishers was rapidly moving out of his way. Oddly the Senegal's seem to hang out on the floor a lot while the Fisher's are always in the branches. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Free range
- Thread starter jpm995
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MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I very well understand the desire to add more, but I would just as strongly want those that I have to have the highest quality of life and most area to call their own. Right now the current residents probably are ok with being cohabbed as there is plenty of space for each. Decreasing their territory may increase their stress.
I agree plus there's always the unknown when adding new animals. They, especially the Bohmes are all over the place even wandering out of the GH into the shed. The male and female always seem to be at opposite ends of the greenhouse. The problem with the free-range is it's hard to check on the animals if you can't find them. I'm never sure if their all eating or even alive. I haven't seen the two Senegal's at once I assume their both ok. I see the small green anole more often as he's out wandering around every day. I call him stumpy as he's somehow lost his tail.
Sonny13
Chameleon Enthusiast
100% due one of the chams shot at his tail. This is also one of the things you’ll notice when cohabiting chams, especially when they don’t have enough space to keep out of each other sight.
It's possible, I thought I may have snipped his tail when I closed the ridge vent. The Bohmes seem too small to go after an anole, but the Senegal's might.
It's weird I see one of the Senegal's walking on the floor a lot, I thought they were mostly aborbial. I also have a few green tree frogs that come out mostly at night.
It's weird I see one of the Senegal's walking on the floor a lot, I thought they were mostly aborbial. I also have a few green tree frogs that come out mostly at night.
I am worried about that. The Senegal's are a small cham but still bigger than the Bohmes. I only saw them close together once and the Senegal seemed not to notice the male Bohme but the Bohme looked scared and scurried away. That's the part that worries me when I can't find them for a week I think somethings wrong then they suddenly turn up fine.
i thought that might be the case, I put down a bucket with dirt and sand but it's been ignored. I don't try to grab the Senegal's as they seem very skiddish when I go to hold them. Not even sure if their male or female.
Not really it would be too hard to control temps [already a nightmare] and make moving around difficult. I figure with 15' x 8' to roam they can separate themselves. I wanted a setup to mimic a jungle environment, guess I have to live with the downsides.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Is there substrate on the ground? If the senegals are wild caught, it might be a case of them not recognizing a bucket as a suitable laying area
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Could you put screen or wire panels to separate? Then just plant around them well to help as a visual barrier
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I recall we had discussed how you were going to be able to provide your chameleons with uvb in the greenhouse since it doesn’t pass thru from the sun. How have you been managing that?
Sonny13
Chameleon Enthusiast
Mine are living free range as well and they’ll sometimes use the floor as well or spend time there, mostly during mating season. Maybe the one on the floor now is a gravid female in search for a place to dog and lay her eggs.
It would make it very hard for me to move around the greenhouse, it pretty cramped as is.
No it's just 16x16 pavers. There is some moss growing i the damp areas and some pathos vine on the ground. I should catch and look closley at the Senegal but i hate to stress it out.
No i'm hoping the uvb meter card is accurate enough for them to get the uvb they need. They are never in one place long enough for me to position a lamp for them.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
You could squeeze in a 24” or 30” hallway in the middle of and down the length of the greenhouse to help get to all of the separate enclosures
I’d add more lay bins of differing sizes with different percentages of sand and soil in them, along with plants for plant roots and privacy. If it is a female, could she not be laying because she has no privacy from the other chams, therefore she doesn’t feel safe enough to lay?
Place the lamps above the basking branches and measure from there. The recommended distances (data from people who have tested uvi levels with different strength bulbs and fixtures and if there is a reflector, if the reflector is reflective or a solid color) will vary on your type of fixture and bulb. A Solarmeter 6.5 would be best and safer, it’s much more accurate than a card and the hobby standard
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
If you place at least a couple of linear T5 5.0 or 6% uvb lights, they will find them and use them.
