Outside enclosures help

[jacksonsgirl]

I was considering outside enclosures for my 2 Jacksons chameleons. Any tips on housing them outside? What months are good and what months are not good for keeping them outside? 24x24x48 would be the ideal cage size, but what do you suggest as far as structure for outside? Would i place the cages on some sort of pedestal? Should they be kept in the shade, or would direct sunlight be fine?

Thanks!

 

[maxttu]

Outside is always optimal. Everything depends on your local conditions. I know that Jacksons don't require as much heat as veileds and panthers. A shady place within the enclosure is always a plus, so that they can escape the heat if needed.

 

[jacksonsgirl]

Thanks for your input!

 

[jdog1027]

Jacksons have always been regarded as a cool temperature species, and for the most part this is correct. I have found lately that they are a lot more tolerant than I had previously thought. I have a couple of Jacksons that I have been keeping outdoors now for the entire first part of this year. I am in central Alabama. The temperatures have been mild so far, but there have been a couple of days where it climbed into the upper 80s and maybe even low 90s. They are feeding well and seem to be doing fine. Their color is much better than the ones kept indoors, so I'm considering moving everyone out. You should keep them up off the ground like you mentioned. And definitely have some type of misting sytem set up for them. Mine have 8 watering cycles a day from 3-10 minutes each, especially around the middle of the day when it is the hottest. You can get faucet timers from Lowe's that can be fixed to your lawn spigot and a simple sprinkler can do the trick. This is cheaper than an automated mister I'm sure. Good luck. Just be sure to watch for signs of overheating like open mouth gaping, and extremely light coloration (Light greyish white).

 

[jacksonsgirl]

Thank you, this is very useful! I have a Mistking, so I'll be using that for sure. I live in NJ so temps have been mild as well. Also, what would you recommend for feeding outside??