Im about to get my first Jackson. I'm wondering what kind of fake plants are good? Also if I get branches from outside can I use them without them rotting if I boil the branches and kill most of the bacteria? That's two questions please Lmk of you have good info. Thanks.
I wouldn't use fake plants with a montane species because humidity is such an important factor. Collecting branches from outside is completely fine. Use good judgement and select nice clean branches. Ones that are free of bird poop or any foreign material.
Get a Golden Pothos - the vines are perfect for a Jacksons, and it's a very hardy plant that can tolerate a lot of abuse from plant killers (like me, haha). My Jax always preferred real vines and branches over the plastic ones. Pick branches that are smooth and clean - no rotten bits or loose bark. I actually prefer to cut them from living trees rather than collect dead branches. You can either bake them in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 F or wash them down with 1:10 bleach to clean water, then rinse really well. You don't have to boil them. Get branches of at least three different thicknesses - variety of thickness is important for the health of your chameleon's feet.
Jacksons are such wonderful chameleons. You'll really love him.
Thanks for all the great suggestions. If I put a live plant in there won't it die if it doesn't get sunlight? I feel like the bulbs won't eb enough and I don't want to put soil in the cage either so how can I get a live plant to stay in there without dying? Are there certain plants that don't rot or go bad without soil and the sun?
A pothos should do really well in a Jackson's cage. They are light and water tolerant. You can always add a grow light, too.
There are fluorescent fixtures that have two slots for bulbs, I have one UVB and one 6500K grow light in my fixture. Check out Light Your Reptiles and Arcadia bulbs - you'll pay a little more but get substantially better quality than a pet store brand.