Multiple chameleons and bringing them outside

[Mr Wilson]

I know it's still winter and cold as anything here in New Jersey, but I'm starting to get a bit ansty and perhaps a touch of Spring Fever! Now that snow is finally melting and I can finally see grass, I'm ready for Spring and warm weather! This got me thinking about bringing the chameleons outside once it warms up, which then got me thinking, how the heck are we going to bring all 5 outside? With 2 it was easy, we found the reptibreeze cages at PetSmart for $7 each and just bought 2 of them. But now we have Bea housed in one of them until we can get her new cage and add on to our large stand to upgrade Farran's cage to an XL cage. All of that cannot be done until it gets warmer out though, because we need to build the extension for the stand and it's just too cold out for that.

So here is my question to you guys, after that long rant. How do you bring all of your chameleons outside? We don't have the space to store some huge rolling cart with outdoor cages. So what are your ways of bringing them all outside and keeping them safe?

 

[Chase]

You could have them outside in shifts? Fhave two out for few hours. Then switch them around. If you have ones in small cages, then they can go out together

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

I take the whole regular cage outside! That way I don't have to have extra cages lying around (I's just have the urge to fill them with more creatures anyway). I just take their lights off their indoor cages and take the whole thing out and set them on the porch. I use the light screen cages so they're not very heavy.

 

[Mr Wilson]

Unfortunately taking their actual cages is out of the question. We've got the misters attached to the inside of them, have them velcro-ed down to the stands, the smaller cages have drains attached to them to drain the water out. It would just be more work taking them off the stands, outside and getting them back onto the stands and hooked up than it would be worth haha.

We could do them in shifts, but it would be so nice to just have them all outside for the same amount of time. Have to be fair to them

 

[fluxlizard]

When spring comes, I disconnect the misting system and lights and pull all the plants out, pick up the cages, walk them out to the tables in the yard, put the plants back in and hook up the misting system again (involves rebuilding part of it each time as the tables in the yard are arranged differently than indoors). Takes most of a day, but they stay there until fall.

They stay out all summer regardless of weather unless temps at night drop below 50.

 

[Mr Wilson]

flux - not sure where you are from, but we don't want to leave the chameleons outside all summer long. The temperature and the weather here in New Jersey during the summer is just not predictable enough for me to feel comfortable doing that. I wish we could though!!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

DIY outdoor cages

 

[fluxlizard]

I'm in Virginia. Only weather I fear is cold nights in the 40s, which are only problems in May and October at the beginning and end of the season. Heat is dealt with by providing shade and misting systems. Thunderstorms and rain are par for the course just like in nature.

 

[fluxlizard]

Reptariums are pretty inexpensive though- could be the answer in your situation. You could break them down and store them at the end of the summer and move your lizards from their permanent indoor enclosures into the reptariums and back again during the summer. I've had some over a decade old and still working fine.

 

[Maurer3D]

Summer is awesome we release or herd of Sulcatta Tortoises into our fenced in backyard, I have to build something for the chameleons yet, since this is my first summer with chameleons in like 10 years I'm so excited .

 

[laurie]

I take the easy way out and get large butterfly cages that fold down to nothing. I buy them a monarch place or monarch palace. If you don't find the web, I can get one of mine out and look. I just put a large rock in the bottom so the wind doesn't dumb them add a could plants and take my chams in and out as desired. i can explain all of it, pm me if you want/need more info.

 

[Maurer3D]

Nice I thought about buying one of those big picnic bug safe tents.

 

[Mr Wilson]

Laurie, the butterfly cage is a GREAT idea. I'm looking for something that will fold flat like that. I just don't want to leave them out of a cage outside. We have a ton of birds around here that would probably LOVE a lizard as a snack, seeing how they never see them in New Jersey!

 

[farrahsc]

I know it's still winter and cold as anything here in New Jersey, but I'm starting to get a bit ansty and perhaps a touch of Spring Fever! Now that snow is finally melting and I can finally see grass, I'm ready for Spring and warm weather! This got me thinking about bringing the chameleons outside once it warms up, which then got me thinking, how the heck are we going to bring all 5 outside? With 2 it was easy, we found the reptibreeze cages at PetSmart for $7 each and just bought 2 of them. But now we have Bea housed in one of them until we can get her new cage and add on to our large stand to upgrade Farran's cage to an XL cage. All of that cannot be done until it gets warmer out though, because we need to build the extension for the stand and it's just too cold out for that.

So here is my question to you guys, after that long rant. How do you bring all of your chameleons outside? We don't have the space to store some huge rolling cart with outdoor cages. So what are your ways of bringing them all outside and keeping them safe?

You named your chameleon after me? Aww how sweet of you! LOL JK
And you bought reptibreezes at PetSmart for $7? What size? The one here only has the small ones and they are $65.

 

[JackP308]

thought the same thing $7 than realized probably $70 after tax.

 

[Mr Wilson]

When we got them, they were LISTED as $65... we got to the register and they rang up $7!!!!!! We bought 2 at the time because we only had 2 chameleons. I may go back and see if they still have them and if they still ring up wrong lol. But at the same time, I really want something that goes flat every day without disassembling them.

 

[Archaleon]

Why put them in a cage ?

Get a hibiscus tree in a pot, that you put outside.
Then, make a barrier around it so that if the cham wanna go down, it can't escape.

I thought pbly of a small pneumatique swiming pool for kids should do the trick?

Then you have to hope that your cham is not of the parachutist kind like this jackson !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eChlwHqJUA

 

[Mr Wilson]

Why put them in a cage ?

Honestly, because when we are outside with them, we are usually in the pool, hanging out, doing yard work, grilling etc. There are times when we are just sitting at the table with them, but most of the time we are not. There are a lot of birds around here that I think, given the chance, would LOVE a delicious lizard for a special meal. I feel a lot safer using a cage than an open tree. I wouldn't want to risk my chams being eaten by a hawk or something like that. Better safe than sorry, no?

 

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

I know it's still winter and cold as anything here in New Jersey, but I'm starting to get a bit ansty and perhaps a touch of Spring Fever! Now that snow is finally melting and I can finally see grass, I'm ready for Spring and warm weather! This got me thinking about bringing the chameleons outside once it warms up, which then got me thinking, how the heck are we going to bring all 5 outside? With 2 it was easy, we found the reptibreeze cages at PetSmart for $7 each and just bought 2 of them. But now we have Bea housed in one of them until we can get her new cage and add on to our large stand to upgrade Farran's cage to an XL cage. All of that cannot be done until it gets warmer out though, because we need to build the extension for the stand and it's just too cold out for that.

So here is my question to you guys, after that long rant. How do you bring all of your chameleons outside? We don't have the space to store some huge rolling cart with outdoor cages. So what are your ways of bringing them all outside and keeping them safe?

What did you find for $7? They are about 10x that in my PetSmart!

 

[theresaintucson]

I just hauled my five cham cages outdoors as it's such a nice day. Wow-what a job. I need either a wheeled cart, or to make those sunning cages I've seen the link for here.