New Cage - Need advice

[dave101]

Hey guys, i just built a new cage for my baby cham. My baby cham is currently in a glass 20 gallon tank and have had people tell me to get a screened enclosure. So i built one but now have a problem hehe. I put a cricket in the new cage and he jumped right threw one in the screen holes. Its a baby cham so it has the smallest crickets i can buy. Any advice? Here is a pic of the cage i built. I'm not sure if i should keep him in the glass tank until he grows and is able to eat larger crickets.

 

[Maestro]

You might need to purchase a denser mesh...

 

[dave101]

Should i keep my cham in the glass for now? Also how long does it take for a baby cham to start getting bigger? He eats about 10-15 crickets a day

 

[panthercrazy]

Can you replace the screen with a different screen? You've gone the mile to get his enclosure to what it needs to be don't put him back in the glass if you can avoid it.

 

[chambabysitter1]

You can buy metal screening like for doors at the window/door section in Lowes. Put that over the metal and it should be fine. If you get vinyl crickets will chew through it, so go aluminum.

Probably should pick up a plant as well, like a pothos, shefflera, or hibiscus. It's looking a bit empty.

That wood will probably mold/rot after some time with mistings. Also you probably need a way to drain that bottom out. How much money did you spend in supplies building this? It might have been cheaper to just get a prebuilt.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/reptile-cages-glass-and-screen/
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...riums-reptarium-accessories-and-explorariums/

 

[latshki]

for the cickets there was a person on here who made a thing out of a milk jug as he had the same problem its on youtube too

 

[dave101]

well thats not all thats in it, just a few things i put in there before i realized the cricket jumped threw a hole

 

[latshki]

here it ishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_od47TlbXA&feature=channel_page

 

[sinflspeed]

You can get some black window screen from Home Depot. It is fairly inexpensive and I don't think it would ruin the look.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Just get a long (about 8" x 3" or similar) Tupperware container, stick it in the back of the cage, and put some grape vine or something over top of it so the chameleon can climb above the entire length of the container to hunt.

I had a large cage with the same size mesh, and even larger insects can escape from this. Bowl feeding was my only solution and it worked for several years.

When you bowl feed, you can often run into problems where the chameleon will just sit and wait in one spot, because it knows it never needs to 'hunt' (read: be active). This can lead to lethargy and not enough exposure to UV or heat. That's why I suggest a long container instead of a bowl.

If you can get one that spans the entire length of the back, that'd be an ideal solution.

When you're dusting your crickets, you can spend a few seconds with a chopstick or a knife crushing their back legs so they don't jump out.

 

[dave101]

yeah i think ill go to the store tomorrow and grab some of that so my baby cham can enjoy his new home

 

[ken2414]

well you could just get a deli cup cut it in half or however far down you need it, put a twist tie to it and mount it to a vine aka cup feeding

 

[Brad Ramsey]

There is NOTHING wrong with keeping a baby chameleon in a glass enclosure, in fact, I kind of recommend it.
Sterlite containers work too.
No basking light, only the UVB tube. Some greenery and a spray bottle and you're good to go.

-Brad

 

[NewOwner]

There is NOTHING wrong with keeping a baby chameleon in a glass enclosure, in fact, I kind of recommend it.
Sterlite containers work too.
No basking light, only the UVB tube. Some greenery and a spray bottle and you're good to go.

-Brad

Learn something new everyday... i was told its very bad, it stresses them and the reflection causes more stress... Very cool, thanks alot brad

 

[sandrachameleon]

When you're dusting your crickets, you can spend a few seconds with a chopstick or a knife crushing their back legs so they don't jump out.

Or just pinch a leg with your fingernails or between thumb and forefinger. They dont tend to jump much with only one working leg (poor things).

 

[Zen Reptiles]

I do like to keep the legs on though, because they're like chicken legs! Great source or protein. Not a big deal if you pinch them off though.

Learn something new everyday... i was told its very bad, it stresses them and the reflection causes more stress... Very cool, thanks alot brad

This is only an issue with juvies and adults. As babies (up to about 5 months or so), a glass enclosure is actually beneficial, as the higher humidity will aid in the very frequent shedding, and the glass will keep heat in, also helping with growth (make sure it doesn't get TOO hot, if you use a basking light, start with a 40 or 45watt first and increase from there only if you need to).

I had a baby veiled fall on his face and bruise his nasal passage which ultimately resulted in swelling and then death...so I always recommend to keep any climbing surfaces close to the ground for the first few months.

Baby chameleons can be treated like pygmy chams: glass vivariums, high humidity, can live in groups.. etc

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Learn something new everyday... i was told its very bad, it stresses them and the reflection causes more stress... Very cool, thanks alot brad

pppppphhhhhhhht!

I kept Kitty in a glass enclosure the size of a large pickle jar for the first few weeks. It actually made it very easy for him to feed and very easy for me to monitor what he was eating and drinking.
He moved into a screen cage at about 3 months old mostly because he needed more space. The screen enclosure was 12x18x20. He would have been fine in there until he was 6 or 7 months old ... I think I moved him into an adult enclosure a little earlier than that.

Remember, babies stay low in grasses and shrubbery where the humidity is higher (babies dehydrate quickly) and they are safe from predation by older chameleons, birds, etc.
Adults live high in trees and higher shrubs where it is dryer and the air moves more.

babies= glass enclosure okay
adults= I have had good luck with enclosures that have at least three screen sides (including the top)

-Brad

 

[lex]

I have a concern about the metal mesh? it was my understanding that the thin and unyeilding nature of metal meshing in cham cages can cause great damage to their feet and nails, causing pressure sores on the foot pads and pulling toenails out? I have always been more inclined to buy plastic coated mesh (either plastic coated metal or glass fibre), not only does it last longer but it doesn't cut into feet quite as much? Correct me if im wrong