jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
The still link you with food, Jann
Camille might because she has a one track mind......food but Luie could care less about food.
Housing Experience?
- Thread starter Brad
- Start date
Camille might because she has a one track mind......food but Luie could care less about food.
eisentrauti
Avid Member
Some have maybe the option to learn that you are no danger for them. But please believe me, they are just reptiles, and not the highest developed ones. Monitors are the Einsteins in the reptile class.
ricardo velthuizen
New Member
what eisentrauti says is right they arent intelectual or independent like cats and dogs.
But you can handle them without stress and it give's pleasure to yourself, so wats the difference in cage or freeranging. if it looks like the chams is having it allright its allright(under good surcomstanses). but thats my opinion
But you can handle them without stress and it give's pleasure to yourself, so wats the difference in cage or freeranging. if it looks like the chams is having it allright its allright(under good surcomstanses). but thats my opinion
Cainschams
New Member
Its actually true. Chameleons eat, sleep, bask, get into territorial disputes, breed and try to stay away from predators. This is all they can comprehend in their brains.
I think this thread is getting off point too. I think it was started to debate housing methods and if the chameleons are actually doing better in what situations. Not if they appear to like handling more or actually love the keeper more. Seems some are using it to justify handling and not the well being of a particular species.
eisentrauti
Avid Member
What a terrible thing to say "chameleons are emotional stupid reptiles" that is your opinion only. Fundamentalists is were everything starts and only from there can anyone become an expert.
Ask our "Dr.House of Chameleons" Chris. Maybe you will believe him...
draetish
Avid Member
In reality, I know you are right and I was posting from my heart. But aren't all creatures that way with the basics? Maybe the CBB chams have evolved, LOL, we can dream right?
eisentrauti
Avid Member
Of course you can What I know for sure: You and the other freerangers here in this thread care very very well for their animals and that is probably the most important thing
What I know for sure: You and the other freerangers here in this thread care very very well for their animals and that is probably the most important thing
bridgofaith
Avid Member
Of course you can
That is a very nice statement and you are correct. Thank you.
Ryan Jarosek
New Member
wow I can feel all the love
eisentrauti
Avid Member
at least one has to be diplomatic after the german-american wikileaks failure (inside of your diplomats notes were characteristicas of our politicans which every educated person here already knews)
(inside of your diplomats notes were characteristicas of our politicans which every educated person here already knews)
Ryan Jarosek
New Member
at least one has to be diplomatic after the german-american wikileaks failure
Thank you sir!
Eltortu
Established Member
Do you have a special room for free range your chams? I would like to see pictures of that...
bridgofaith
Avid Member
No, I do not have a special room. It is our main family room. The whole family (including the 2 dogs and the 67in TV) are in there going constantly. The chams are right in the middle of it all.
Eltortu
Established Member
Hhmmm....do they have vines and climbing stuff to go around?
pssh
Avid Member
Free range experiences:
Veiled: absolutely terrified of everything when he was free ranged. He was completely dark the entire time (several days) and tried to escape many many times. After I returned him to his cage and closed the door he began to get lighter again.
Several panthers: my 'friendly' male had absolutely no change in temperament after being free ranged. He still is free ranged as he does not try to escape and he's my favorite. Female panthers, no change in temperament though They remained out in the open more.
Melleri: too big for a standard cage anyways, so I don't know what he was like caged. He's a moody butthead. He doesn't like anyone or anything. Any chameleons or anything with fur needs to be protected from him.
Caged:
Veiled: As stated above seemed to like his cage much better. He is aggressive, though he has not bitten me since he was a baby. He is quick to puff up, but quick to notice food too.
Panthers: 'friendly' male originally was very scared of me and anything else in his cage. After several months of just letting him do his own thing he began to get less scared. Eventually he would sit by the door every now and then and watch me. He started reaching for me, so I made him a free range to chill out in during the day. He started to refuse the cage, though I'm sure I could have made him live in it. He is now 24/7 free range. Females: Just out in the open less, no temperament differences.
Glass cages: so far only Pygmies in glass cages as my house is relatively humid and easy to control the climate. They do well. I tried keeping them in more open cages, but I'm not sure they liked it very much. They seemed more active and more colorful in a large glass enclosure.
Side note: I have a super cute male brev who puffs up like a big chameleon when you bother him. He's pretty big for a Pygmy!
Veiled: absolutely terrified of everything when he was free ranged. He was completely dark the entire time (several days) and tried to escape many many times. After I returned him to his cage and closed the door he began to get lighter again.
Several panthers: my 'friendly' male had absolutely no change in temperament after being free ranged. He still is free ranged as he does not try to escape and he's my favorite. Female panthers, no change in temperament though They remained out in the open more.
Melleri: too big for a standard cage anyways, so I don't know what he was like caged. He's a moody butthead. He doesn't like anyone or anything. Any chameleons or anything with fur needs to be protected from him.
Caged:
Veiled: As stated above seemed to like his cage much better. He is aggressive, though he has not bitten me since he was a baby. He is quick to puff up, but quick to notice food too.
Panthers: 'friendly' male originally was very scared of me and anything else in his cage. After several months of just letting him do his own thing he began to get less scared. Eventually he would sit by the door every now and then and watch me. He started reaching for me, so I made him a free range to chill out in during the day. He started to refuse the cage, though I'm sure I could have made him live in it. He is now 24/7 free range. Females: Just out in the open less, no temperament differences.
Glass cages: so far only Pygmies in glass cages as my house is relatively humid and easy to control the climate. They do well. I tried keeping them in more open cages, but I'm not sure they liked it very much. They seemed more active and more colorful in a large glass enclosure.
Side note: I have a super cute male brev who puffs up like a big chameleon when you bother him. He's pretty big for a Pygmy!
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Of my 5 that free range (the sixth and smallest is still in a cage getting over his little health issues) I've observed a few things. I've seen that the two panthers that I had before making the housing switch have mellowed out quite a bit - they aren't friendly or anything, but now that they know they aren't trapped in a litte cage if I "wanted to hurt them," I can stroke their tails and they just casually walk away, where they would have taken my hand off in the cage.
One of the two new pathers I tried to raise completely differently, and the difference is huge. I tried to free range him after a week and a half of settling in, and because the aproach to handling him is so different (I can just let him walk onto my hand instead of getting him out of his cage) he's a much more tolerant chameleon. He's definitely not overjoyed to be handled, but he is pretty comfortable with it. My Jackson's and veiled just love it, but they were very mellow to begin with. They just seem more contented.
And beyond any changes in temperament, like I already said, just the added excercise of having a larger area to roam has been wonderful to everyone's systems. They've all put on great weight and some look healthier than they ever have before. So for me that's been the greatest change. My petite 9 month old panther weighed 30g, and two months later is at nearly 80g with the same diet. So I don't know what did it, but the health benefits have been very noticable.
One of the two new pathers I tried to raise completely differently, and the difference is huge. I tried to free range him after a week and a half of settling in, and because the aproach to handling him is so different (I can just let him walk onto my hand instead of getting him out of his cage) he's a much more tolerant chameleon. He's definitely not overjoyed to be handled, but he is pretty comfortable with it. My Jackson's and veiled just love it, but they were very mellow to begin with. They just seem more contented.
And beyond any changes in temperament, like I already said, just the added excercise of having a larger area to roam has been wonderful to everyone's systems. They've all put on great weight and some look healthier than they ever have before. So for me that's been the greatest change. My petite 9 month old panther weighed 30g, and two months later is at nearly 80g with the same diet. So I don't know what did it, but the health benefits have been very noticable.
bridgofaith
Avid Member
Yes, they do.
Here is my experience....i keep my 2 panthers and male veiled in screen cages and NOW my jackson's in a 18x18x36 glass terrarium with screen top and ventilation on front near the bottom. I am new to keeping chameleons and it was 2 years ago that I bought my first, being the jacksons. At that time i had major humidity issues (damn my inexperience & arrogance at thinking i knew what i was doing!). I bubblewrapped sides, used a humidifier, and it still was never stable... I got addicted after him and soon bought a male panther and then female. Now with the panther's screen cages getting the correct temperatures and humidity were EASY, but i was still unable to get the higher humidity needed for the jackson's. Around the time the jacksons turned 1 i finally went for it an switched him over to the glass terrarium he is in now and it was the best decision i could have made, his temps/humidity are perfect now.
Living in a colder climate not near the equator (new england) i believe it is harder to keep the humidity up in screen cages, even with an automatic mister or humidifier. This makes me believe that glass is the better option for montane species in my house. Now that i can finally say i have gotten my jacksons husbandry to a level i am comfortable with, it is only a matter of time before i finally get a CB quadricornis male that i have always wanted!!
oh yea i did make a freerange for my male panther the was on a desk that measured 2ft by 4ft, i had four tall potter plants and vines and spots for baskin in the reptisun or 60 watt....HE HATED IT....i thought it would work being way bigger than his cage and having plenty of vines and hides...but no..EVERY time i put him in he would just climb down to the desk and then the floor to find somewhere else to climb up to! after a month i gave up and now i have two cages on that desk haha
Living in a colder climate not near the equator (new england) i believe it is harder to keep the humidity up in screen cages, even with an automatic mister or humidifier. This makes me believe that glass is the better option for montane species in my house. Now that i can finally say i have gotten my jacksons husbandry to a level i am comfortable with, it is only a matter of time before i finally get a CB quadricornis male that i have always wanted!!
oh yea i did make a freerange for my male panther the was on a desk that measured 2ft by 4ft, i had four tall potter plants and vines and spots for baskin in the reptisun or 60 watt....HE HATED IT....i thought it would work being way bigger than his cage and having plenty of vines and hides...but no..EVERY time i put him in he would just climb down to the desk and then the floor to find somewhere else to climb up to! after a month i gave up and now i have two cages on that desk haha
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have used screen, free range, and a part glass/part screen cage depending on the particular species and my location. I've also created "hybrid" versions of all cages too if the conditions called for it. Free ranged my melleri which is the only way I would keep them. I've free ranged jackson's too but only where my house humidity was pretty high and not too warm. My veiled and the fischers were too active to trust to a free range. If I'd had a safe room for them I would have done it.
