Outdoor free range?

[voodoochild863]

I know this is risky. I live in Tampa and my Veiled has been living in my backyard since March. He's looking great too. I need to get some pics up. I was wondering if I am the only one that does this? Sometimes I lose track of him for a few weeks but then I stumble into him. I was worried about him getting enough food at first but it doesnt seem to be an issue. It's working so well I was thinking of getting a female too. Just wanted to know if anyone else has ever done this or if I am crazy for trying. I always feel bad about keeping things in cages. Nothing against any of you at all. I just feel if he could talk hed pry say something like "give me liberty or give me death!".

 

[oldskoolmodder]

I mean it may just be me, but think about what your trying to do. Keep an animal outside and tell him NOT to go to those giant trees he's been googly eyeing for weeks ya know?

Have you thought of maybe making some kind of cool giant walk in enclosure? that would be cool! Mini jungle. Something like 8' high 8' long and 10' high would be cool, big hibiscus plants and pothos and such. I'm down in Deerfield Beach but I'd be game to help you with an idea on how to build it.

 

[Zubi]

Wait.........You just leave him outside with no cage at all? I really dont see how thats a pet if you dont really take care of it, because nature does. I also wouldn't get a female so they can just have babies and become an invasive species. JMO

 

[WOLVERINES135]

Wait.........You just leave him outside with no cage at all? I really dont see how thats a pet if you dont really take care of it, because nature does. I also wouldn't get a female so they can just have babies and become an invasive species. JMO

I agree, and I would also be worried about a bird coming and picking him up for lunch...

 

[voodoochild863]

I appreciate that offer! I may take you up on that eventually. I do keep him in a cage in the winter time. There really arent any big trees around me. I am in a new development and my yard is pretty secure. I am putting him at risk of getting eaten by a hawk but like I said there arent any large trees or anything around so I think its pry unlikely. I havent seen any hawks at least and life is full of risks. I just think if you gave him the option hed take his chances. He just seems so happy to have the whole yard to himself.

I dont think theyd be able to get out. Ive really taken time to secure my fence bc I also have redfoot tortoises back there. But the reality is that there are already wild populations in FL (of course that would be no excuse to let them out).

Thanks for your input. Much appreciated!!

 

[Zen Reptiles]

That's very 'Manifest Destiny' of you. Where you live, that is a 10/10 score for irresponsibility IMO (due to the fact you want to keep a female as well).

Honestly to me this sounds like you're trollin, but I realize there really are people out there like you.

How you feel is one thing, what's real is another. You're keeping an apex predator in an ideal habitat where it could be an invasive species. In your mind you're keeping Mr. Magoo somewhere he's warm and happy.

All it takes is ONE female for an entire species to get established somewhere and create huge problems for later generations to deal with.

Ultimately it is up to you, not me.....but think of the big picture. 'Give me Liberty or give me death' didn't work out so well for the Indians.

 

[Zubi]

So how do you feed and give them water?

 

[voodoochild863]

hmm, thats a good point. Thank you for you honesty. Maybe I am being careless.

 

[voodoochild863]

So how do you feed and give them water?

It rains almost everyday. I also feed him when I come find him but like I say sometimes I dont see him for weeks. I have planted a variety of plants to purposely try and attract insects. I also use no pesticides everything is organic.

 

[Zubi]

I'm just saying that if you dont see him for weeks at a time, hes nothing more than a wild animal, he just lives in your backyard. I really dont see the fun in that, because you dont get to experience raising him. And i appreciate your very calm attitude towards my comments (There is a tendency here for people to start crazy debates)

 

[CleanHome Chameleons]

Out door free range is cool if ya using one tree that touches no other tree and if you get couragated iron roofing and make a circle around the base of the tree like so

Ground predators wont be able to get up the tree

Hope this helps

 

[voodoochild863]

I'm just saying that if you dont see him for weeks at a time, hes nothing more than a wild animal, he just lives in your backyard. I really dont see the fun in that, because you dont get to experience raising him. And i appreciate your very calm attitude towards my comments (There is a tendency here for people to start crazy debates)

I expected people to freak out. Honestly, you probably should. To me it seemed kinda natural because I already have redfoots out there and I had him in a large cage 6x4x4. Then I started putting him in my mulberry tree for a few hours at a time. Then one day I couldnt find him. I found him a couple weeks later and he looked great! I thought hed be dehydrated and skinny but he actually looked really good. I did think of the envasive species aspect but lots of people keep redfoots in their backyard and noone seems to think thats a problem. And my pvc fence is completely sealed. Sure weird things could happen. Hurricane or a bird could grab him and drop him and he could survive. But nothing is 100%. A hurricane could blow my whole house away and set him free even if he was in a cage. Its beleived thats how the Burmese got in the everglades. From a breeding facility that was hit during Andrew.

 

[voodoochild863]

Out door free range is cool if ya using one tree that touches no other tree and if you get couragated iron roofing and make a circle around the base of the tree like so

Ground predators wont be able to get up the tree

Hope this helps

Awesome! Thats kinda what I'm doing just on a bigger scale. No trees touch or hang over my fence.

 

[CleanHome Chameleons]

To pevent birds taking it you could use plastic garden mesh it's really cheap an the holes are big enought not to stop uv or heat radiation from the sun and make a roof for the chameleon(s) or even a large cube around the tree. Them u could keep a female in there. If u lived in the us I would have a massive plastic screen garage sized in my back garden. It would be great but I am in the uk with artificial lifting errrrrr

 

[voodoochild863]

To pevent birds taking it you could use plastic garden mesh it's really cheap an the holes are big enought not to stop uv or heat radiation from the sun and make a roof for the chameleon(s) or even a large cube around the tree. Them u could keep a female in there. If u lived in the us I would have a massive plastic screen garage sized in my back garden. It would be great but I am in the uk with artificial lifting errrrrr

I seen a guy screen in a tree once. It was pretty neat! Unfortunately my homeowners association would not allow me to do the same thing. If I could I would turn my entire backyard into an aviary. Thnk of all the cool stuff you could have in there. Sloths, fruit bats, parrots, chameleons, various iguanas, tortoisese ect.