My "New Enclosure"

[Chameleon Company]

Put the new roof on the new greenhouse at the new facility on Thanksgiving Day this year. Things are more polished up now, but this was the view that day. To the left of the greenhouse is our 500 sq ft bug building, and to the left of that, if visible, is the shop where cages are made, fingers cut off, etc.

Have already caught two coral snakes here as well in the last 6 weeks, one over 3', the other 2'. Let 'em go.

Been a lot of work. More to come !

 

[warpdrive]

that looks great Jim

Harry

 

[Chameleon Company]

Thanks !

The area around the greenhouse, where the sand burm-rise is apparent, was sodded a few days later to hold it in place. The cinder blocks are used inside to support cage systems. The excess plastic from the roof is trimmed down to its attaching points. We will eventually update the website, which has been neglected once again, with all new photos. This took a lot of time to get done, but as our first greenhouise withstood Hurricane Charley with minimal damage, this one is even stronger. The roof would rip of course, and some panels blow out, but otherwise we can take a pretty good hit.

Lots of animals coming to market in January !

 

[chams1]

Hey Jim:

Dr. Pearl has been telling me about your new place. Thanks for the updates and pics! It looks awesome!

 

[Lancecham]

Very nice Jim!!!!!

 

[OntarioLizardman]

Wow fantastic, we are gonna need some inside pics.
Thanks!

 

[Chameleon Company]

LOL Julie ! Russ is a blast, and I'm sure a source of good info and company to you as he has been to me ! Our weather be a bit different down here than what you have had of late ..... and you cannot catch coral snakes in your yard ! Two days before I took the photo above, I literally caught one in the grass at the upper left edge of the photo at 8:30 AM. 68 degrees air temp at the time, warm for even us this time of year so early in the day.

There's over 600 chameleons in that greenhouse as of today. Plans are to build a second one right next to it of identical size. We're very happy with the new location, and how things have worked out.

 

[Klemins]

Very nice! Any interior shots?

 

[Chameleon Company]

Very nice! Any interior shots?

Gonna be a couple of weeks. As every empty cage is replaced back into the greenhouse, many to take on occupants almost immediately, it is scrubbed down. While I take much pride in our caging, things still fit in real snug. Half the inside is pretty as a picture, and half not, as of today. There are many hundreds of cages to work thru, position correctly, and yet the animals living, and bugs, are still priority #1 every day. When we are done, we can literallly care for large quantities of animals very effectively, but the devil is in setting it all up to make it so. That, and the sun goes down too early this time of year ... LOL !

I will say this much. There's not a cage in my website photos currently in use in this one. We made better ones, by the hundreds ! I sold cages .. rebuilt cages .. then burned over 300 this summer. We've done much more with aluminum and plastic in the last two years than when we began years ago.

We'll get it all done.

 

[Todnedo]

Do you use uvb bulbs in the greenhouse?

 

[Chameleon Company]

Do you use uvb bulbs in the greenhouse?

Nope. Needless to say, there are some polyethylene products that allow a reasonable amount of the UVB from the sun to flow through, the roof being a polyethylene twin layer. Were one to look at more rigid plastics, as in a hard acrylic roof, there are some UVB allowing products available there as well.

But don't ask. Some info we keep kinda close to our chest.

 

[QuioteCham]

jeez... You people and your fancy greenhouses... I want a greenhouse!!!! lol, it looks awesome!

 

[Chameleon Company]

jeez... You people and your fancy greenhouses... I want a greenhouse!!!! lol, it looks awesome!

LOL .... I might be dating my years, but if you ever enjoyed an Erector Set (that was not a Viagra thing back then) as a youth, then this would be the adult version. In spades.

Its a rewarding thing to finish, but daunting to start. Thanks.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

LOL .... I might be dating my years, but if you ever enjoyed an Erector Set (that was not a Viagra thing back then) as a youth, then this would be the adult version. In spades.

Its a rewarding thing to finish, but daunting to start. Thanks.

HAHA


Very nice enclosure , Jim!

 

[chams1]

LOL Julie ! Russ is a blast, and I'm sure a source of good info and company to you as he has been to me ! Our weather be a bit different down here than what you have had of late ..... and you cannot catch coral snakes in your yard ! Two days before I took the photo above, I literally caught one in the grass at the upper left edge of the photo at 8:30 AM. 68 degrees air temp at the time, warm for even us this time of year so early in the day.

There's over 600 chameleons in that greenhouse as of today. Plans are to build a second one right next to it of identical size. We're very happy with the new location, and how things have worked out.

Yes, I love visiting with Dr. Pearl as he is such a wealth of information. He has been keeping me up to date on your place and I'm thankful that you have shared the pictures - keep them coming!! We would love to see the finished product(s)!!

....yeah, what I wouldn't give for a little Florida weather right now!!

 

[Chameleonboy]

WOW alright alright, when are you going to invite us all over? I could just imagine us all getting a goodie bag when we leave (a chameleon)

-Clemonde

 

[beeze]

Very nice! Where are you located?

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

You have got it going on with your operation. The greenhouse looks great. Plus, that is a serious amount of work you have put into the upgrades and I would love to see the changes that you made to your cages. When you upscale to two greenhouses are you going to stay with just panther,vields and carpets or are you going to work with other species as well? If you don't mind me asking?

 

[Chameleon Company]

Try to catch up.

We are in Central Florida just south of the town of Lake Wales, in the hamlet of Babson Park.

Maybe a goodie bag or two is do-able down the road, but in all honesty, we have to get rolling again now that more effort can be put into running the business again instead of relocating and rebuilding.

As for species, first and foremost we have to go with the money so that we stay in business. However, two smaller greenhouses are far easier to manage than one large one, especially in the summer, when temperatures can be harder to manage. Smaller opens up more temperature control options, which means more species possible. We also are setting up an always-outdoors section of about 200 cages that can be used 8-9 months out of the year here, that will also give us more temperature options. It is nice to be able to have a few pet projects where commercial viability is not vital, which makes it more fun, so we'll have to see.

Julie, now is the time of year it is most enjoyable to be a Floridian ! No snow. No ice. No salt on the roads.

 

[bighutch917]

Holly crap, that's awesome Jim!! Can't wait to take the tour !!