Just not sure what to do with this tree

[laurie]

I have always said I would never free range. Well I don't know what to do. I got 2 wonderful trees. One is too big to come in the house (don't ask how much crap I got for that). The other hits the 10ft ceiling in my ex cham room.
Next part of the problem, I have a male quad, w/c, and he isn't happy in a cage. i have moved all the chams downstairs for the summer. So do I keep him up here? Should I take him down at night, leave him up here all time?? here are some of tree pictures and him in the tree. I am open to ideas.

Lenny going into the tree

The tree

Part of the problem is, lights, water and food. Another part is how to keep him from living the tree.

 

[Carlton]

I have always said I would never free range. Well I don't know what to do. I got 2 wonderful trees.

You can prune Ficus trees, but maybe you have to do it a little over time. I pruned my Ficus alli all the time (not as sure with F. benjamina). As they are now you'll have to because they won't leave enough space at the top for hanging lights. If you don't have a lot of overhead light I'm afraid they won't get enough and die off a lot. How supple are the trunks? Maybe you could arc them over, secure them and get more horizontal space?

To keep your quad from leaving the tree, make sure everything he wants is right there. He won't necessarily go out to the very small tips of the branches (or you could prune them back), but he may well climb down to the pot. Put the tree away from anything he might reach from a branch. When he is first in the new space he'll wander a lot, but once he realizes everything he needs is there he should decide to stay put. You could put up a temporary barrier around the pot out of smooth cardboard taller than he can reach.

 

[drewtt]

I got 2 wonderful trees. One is too big to come in the house (don't ask how much crap I got for that).

How much crap???

 

[laurie]

How much crap???

Well I said I bought 2 8' ficus for my chams. As you can see the much smaller of the 2 hits and bends over at our 10' ceiling. David said the other on is at least 16 '. Now I get crap like - how can you quilt - you can measure. Sure that plant will fit just say it is only 3' not 5'. My favorite is "honey could you bring me a tape measure? Don't worry, I don't expect you to read it." Also love do you want the to measure that fabric, I would hate to see you waste half of it since you can't measure.

His days may be numbered in single digits!!!!

 

[Dooley1]

All of those issues keep me away from free ranging, especially when acclimating a WC. Lots of people on here seem to do very well with it, especially with melleri. I like the idea, but for me it's more difficult to keep humidity up and feed. With that said, I'm impressed very much with some set ups on this forum. Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be great Laurie!

For me it's easier to stick with a more traditional enclosure.

Kevin

 

[hallenhe]

Something that (kind of, maybe, sorta) works to keep him from leaving the tree is to find an even more enormous pot to put the tree's pot in, such that he can't reach the edge of pot #2, and if he gets down from the tree's pot, he's either stuck in pot #2, or can only get back to the tree (e.g. via a rope or a vine), but not out - this works on smaller set-ups, but I'm not sure with a ten footer. As it looks now, he'd certainly go from the tree to the curtain, and to the wire rack.
I hand mist my free-range chams, and just throw a towel down at the beginning (still haven't bought my Sham-Wow), and use it at the end to wipe up any excess. Not something you'd want to do for 20 chameleons, but for one ittle bittle quad...
Food is the easiest part - use string or twist ties to hang a cup from a branch or stem - Baskin Robbins pint (or quart, if you don't want the crickets jumping out) works well.
Light may be the hardest - mount one on the ceiling far enough from the tree that there's no chance of him reaching it? The first picture on my most recent free range thread shows a rather poorly jury-rigged example - despite what the pic looks like, the cham can't reach the light (the second fixture is on there as a counterweight). This is a nine foot ceiling; my Ficus is obviously a lot smaller than yours.
Or of course you can just send him (and a ten foot Ficus) here and I'll free range him for you - Nebraska-s not that far from Montana...

 

[sdheli420]

I have always said I would never free range. Well I don't know what to do. I got 2 wonderful trees. One is too big to come in the house (don't ask how much crap I got for that). The other hits the 10ft ceiling in my ex cham room.
Next part of the problem, I have a male quad, w/c, and he isn't happy in a cage. i have moved all the chams downstairs for the summer. So do I keep him up here? Should I take him down at night, leave him up here all time?? here are some of tree pictures and him in the tree. I am open to ideas.

Lenny going into the tree

The tree

Part of the problem is, lights, water and food. Another part is how to keep him from living the tree.

sooooo perfect!! have you seen my free range set up??

 

[jannb]

Laurie, you will have to cut the tree back or get a smaller tree so you can hang your lights from the ceiling. We cut back our ficus all the time so the larger veileds and panthers will have big strong branches to hang on. You will need to get the tree away from the curtain unless you don't mind him on it. Chams love the curtain rod. Heather (hallenhe) had some really good ideas. Free range chams do roam and with out a big pot at the bottom that he couldn't get out of he will roam. At night they need to be dark and they sleep all night so sleeping in the tree will not be a problem as long as you keep the room dark. You will have to cham proof his room and let him roam or find a way to keep him on his tree such as a big pot or maybe a plastic kids pool. As said many times before free range is not for everyone only the more experienced keepers that want to take the time to keep their chams HAPPY and healthy.

Here's one of baby Elly's plants in a big pot.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/mem...anges-picture10208-one-ellys-free-ranges.html

 

[jessica]

Perfect Trees

If your not sure about what to do with those trees send em to me in CA lol Im sure my Melleri would be in heaven lol

 

[Hoj]

i think you are just going to have to cut a hole in the celine and make more room, Lenny needs it LOL

 

[laurie]

Kevin, when you are right you are right. This is not the time for me to go off on a wild hair. Those are w/c and I need to concentrate on healthy and getting them acclimated. Thanks for waking me up to reality. I love having friends who tell me when I have my head up #$ @@@. I think I will work on getting everything set up and ready for Lenny, but will keep him in his cage for at least a month so I can hydrate him super well. After I am sure he is well acclimated, I will have a proper free range waiting for him. I want him to have the best of everything but right now water is the most important thing for him. Also he will be going out as much as the weather will allow, that will make him happy also.

All of those issues keep me away from free ranging, especially when acclimating a WC. Lots of people on here seem to do very well with it, especially with melleri. I like the idea, but for me it's more difficult to keep humidity up and feed. With that said, I'm impressed very much with some set ups on this forum. Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be great Laurie!

For me it's easier to stick with a more traditional enclosure.

Kevin

 

[laurie]

Heather I also have a 16' ficus and you can come visit and take the TREE home. But Lenny is a mamas boy, he can't leave me.

S.
Or of course you can just send him (and a ten foot Ficus) here and I'll free range him for you - Nebraska-s not that far from Montana...

I did take a look and the idea's do help

sooooo perfect!! have you seen my free range set up??

Same offer, you can come take the 16' tree, I either have to butcher it like crazy or it will die this winter. Montana in the winter it just brutal. Funny you should say melleri, that was the real reason I bought the trees. I wanted to see if I could design a free range and finally have a melleri. I have wanted one for ages, but they are just too big to be caged, at least for me they are.

Perfect Trees
If your not sure about what to do with those trees send em to me in CA lol Im sure my Melleri would be in heaven lol

 

[jessica]

Laurie you should get a Melleri! I warn you if you do get one you will never be the same.

I couldnt imagine my house without one lol

 

[laurie]

Yes that is another of my fears. They just seem so wonderfully chameleon. Now how is that for a description? I love them every time I visit a friend who has them. Parsons are great, but I feel the need the most experienced keepers. I would just be thrilled with a mellers, but I will hold out for a c/b juvi. Might be a long wait unless Flux comes through for us again.

Laurie you should get a Melleri! I warn you if you do get one you will never be the same.

I couldnt imagine my house without one lol

 

[jannb]

For a species that requires allot of hydration you might want to consider something like this other free range of Elly's in the bathtub and he couldn't get out of the tub to roam your house.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/mem...re9294-ellys-new-free-range-12-28-10-001.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/mem...e-view-ellys-new-free-range-12-28-10-005.html