Panther chameleon setup questions

[SammyJayne86]

Hi guys,

So today I got my first chameleon. I've been humming and harring over whether to get a Yemen or a Panther. I've been researching both types for quite a while now but this is my first chameleon, before I've had leopard geckos and bearded dragons (I still have my beardie). I came across a bargain today and ended up homing a lovely female Panther chameleon, she's just over a year old and she came with a mesh setup (I think it's called a flexarium). I've heard mixed things about this type of setup, I'd even heard from one person that this type of setup almost killed their chameleon. My dad is making me a custom viv out of an old cabinet and I can't decide whether to have a glass door like normal wooden vivs or a mesh door so I'm partially incorporating the flexarium and allowing ventilation as I know that I have to mist my little girl 2-3 times a day. So my question is, with the viv my dad is building for me should I go with a glass door or a mesh one? Also I should point out that I live in the UK just so you know that our temperatures are lower (I think it's mid 50s right now).

Thanks!

 

[NHenn]

I see a lot of setups that are custom built with glass doors but the sides and top have screens to allow for ventilation and for the UVB light to pass through.

 

[OptimusCham]

I'm currently housing my 7 month old male Ambilobe Panther in a wooden viv which I've modified to have a mesh top, 4 big vents (mapvents from homebase) on the sides and 2 smaller ones on the top front (same brand as the bigger ones), and a mesh door. He seems a lot happier now in this viv than he did when I first got him as he had to go into an exo-terra which was used for a crested gecko so it only had the mesh top for ventilation but that wasn't enough.

I'm planning a build for my little guy to go into when he's a bit older which will have 2 sides wooden & no vents on them (it's a corner viv) then 3 sides all mesh (see my viv build thread to see the shape it'll be, link will be at the end of this post) with a mesh top, so that'll be plenty of ventilation I'm in the UK too so I know the problem we have with keeping up the temps & humidity!

https://www.chameleonforums.com/optimus-big-new-home-build-thread-119942/

 

[ApocalypseUK]

UK here as well, I'm currently using an exo terra also but my guys 3 months old but when he gets older i will be upgrading to a mesh cage.

Ermm with choice of glass or mesh personally id go with mesh for the ventilation and allowing more airflow but this wil make the humidity drop more but having real non toxic plants will help with this to keep the humidity up glass are more pleasing and nicer to look at or through and if you already have a lot of ventilation then glass also but again personally mesh would most likely be the better option

but its entirely what you think would be best for your chameleon and yourself

post pictures of her soon also dont forget females get egg bound so make sure to research about this