I'm brand freakin' new.

[kiltheduck]

Ok. I always wanted a cool chameleon when I was a kid growing up. Well, now I'm grown up (34) and I can do what I want so I'm going to get one (even got permission from my wife). So here's the deal . . . I don't know crap about keeping lizards. I have been doing a lot of research, though, and I'm learning. I've searched this site quite a bit and I'm even more excited about getting one. But, I want to keep it in a low-traffic area of a fairly nice room . . . so I want a REALLY nice enclosure. And I've got some money to spend. I found $3k stuff online (not that much money to spend) but it's all glass for snakes and iguanas and stuff. I'm looking for advice on finding a very classy wood-framed large enclosure. Any for sale on this site? Any well-respected online sites for chameleon enclosures? I'd like to get something even bigger than the standard 24"x24"x48" if possible. I'd make my own (and I might end up having to do that), but I'm not very "handy" when it comes to custom wood/metal/mesh work. Once I get a really quality enclosure set up, I will start looking for chameleons. Man, there are some cool looking ones online. When/if I ever get to that point, I'll be looking for advice on species. Anyone have any advice for getting set up with a really sweet enclosure? Anyone built one before and want to do it again for a handsome reward?

 

[jannb]

Hello and welcome to the forums! I have two veileds, Luie and Camille and my daughter has panthers. Below is a blog that'a a great place to start to learn about chameleons.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchamele...-max=2008-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=11

 

[bridgofaith]

Try this for cages: http://www.cagesbydesign.com/ and https://www.chameleonforums.com/very-attractive-kit-cages-enclosures-42826/

 

[Vegas Chad]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/very-attractive-kit-cages-enclosures-42826/


He can make you a nice cage and have it look however you want.

 

[kiltheduck]

OK, cool. Thank you for the responses. I had found the "cages by design" website before and was interested but if you notice, all the cages are solid and I didn't find a one that was screened. From my reading the enclosures must be screened for ventilation purposes. I hadn't seen the "very attractive enclosures" thread. That might be a good place to look.
I have an idea of making this an attractive piece . . . even having it as a nice little "garden" if you will. Does anyone ever have a drainable substrate flooring . . . like with actual soil/mulch? Could the bottom 8-10" be solid with some sort of drainable bottom with pebbles or something and have some plants actually growing in it? I'm envisioning this, but not sure how realistic it is. I still might try to build my own - I have a brother who is really "handy" to help me - but I don't want to put in a lot of time and effort to find out that my ideas are flawed from the beginning.
Is there a way to search this site for everyone's location? I wonder if there is someone knowlegable near me. I live in the thriving metropolis of Little Rock, Arkansas. Somehow I doubt there is an active "chameleon husbandry" group around here.