Pygmy on a Ficus

[smashtoad]

Hi All, First time poster.

I'm an old herper, but this is my first cham. I'm gonna try keepin him on this ficus. It's about 20" tall and gives him/her a lot of space, but I do plan to repot to a larger pot soon to make a more effective ground border. But so far (three days), he doesn't act at all like there is ant desire to leave, and he is eating great. I added some nice fake vines and he has already been using them. I mist the plant a few times a day and there is a big humidifier in the room.

 

[lisa h]

Welcome to the forums! Just fyi, pygmy chameleons don't live in trees -- they live very close to the ground on small plants and branches. You need to build him a proper enclosure, of which there is a whole section. Please do this asap. He is not moving because there is nowhere for him to go. A totally unnatural environment.

 

[pssh]

20" is more the size of a low bush, which is completely natural for Pygmies to be in. I do think you should be very careful of humidity, injury, escape and other things though. I would definitely make a barrier of sorts to keep him in a contained area. I personally would just use a small cage or terrarium as it is much easier to control the bugs, maintain temperature and humidity, and over all safety of the chameleon is much easier to monitor.

 

[smashtoad]

A totally unnatural environment.

A bush is an unnatural environment for a small chameleon...that's pretty funny...are you serious?

they live very close to the ground on small plants.

A 20" ficus just may qualify as a small plant...I'm just going out on a limb here (NPI).

He is not moving because there is nowhere for him to go...

Who said he wasn't moving? He moves all over the place...this plant wouldn't fit in a 20H, therefore...it is giving him more space than a 20H would.

You need to build him a proper enclosure, of which there is a whole section.

I don't even know what this means...but if you are suggesting that he'll fail to thrive because he can't walk on the ground...he'll have to show me that, because I don't believe it. My guess is that pygmy chams come to the ground to eat (when necessary), lay eggs...and not much else.

But hey, thanks anyway. I'll let you how the pygmy does.

 

[smashtoad]

I have been giving myself an education in shooting chams over the last few days, and it is obvious that getting them at full extension is going to be a lot of patient work.

I got this shot this morning...I almost got the cricket in the shot, but it wouldn't have mattered...the composition is great, but the background and pot ruined the shot. It isn't super sharp, either. I'll get it eventually.

This is one of the reasons I wanted to get into pygmys...they're small enough to make an awesome macro shot like this possible. Babies will be even better.

I would love to hear from anyone with cb acuminatus or viridis.

 

[scruggyj]

that is a pretty awesome shot!

 

[sdheli420]

great photo (did you enter it in the contest yet??) so IMO your cham has a great set up, i have always used free range style set ups..Im my experience its a lil more advanced of a set up, but have always yeilded great results..good luck, i know yor cham will do well..

 

[Obama the cham]

AWESOME PIK! i have -0 experience with those lil guys, my obama is a BB amibilobe...full size too, as for the setup, i can speak from some free range experience...wheres the basking area? and wat lighting will u be using?? i aint no pro, but i thought those things were kinda NEEDED??

 

[sdheli420]

my 2 cents..from what i know lower level and ground dewlling type chameleon require alot lower temps and uvb levels to grow healthy...the temps i used for instance where 72 in the day, to 55-60 at night with a very small basking area at 78, an humidity at 70...worked for me for years (was an open front/top vivarium setup)..

 

[missmelissann21]

A bush is an unnatural environment for a small chameleon...that's pretty funny...are you serious?


A 20" ficus just may qualify as a small plant...I'm just going out on a limb here (NPI).


Who said he wasn't moving? He moves all over the place...this plant wouldn't fit in a 20H, therefore...it is giving him more space than a 20H would.


I don't even know what this means...but if you are suggesting that he'll fail to thrive because he can't walk on the ground...he'll have to show me that, because I don't believe it. My guess is that pygmy chams come to the ground to eat (when necessary), lay eggs...and not much else.

But hey, thanks anyway. I'll let you how the pygmy does.

Bro, you took that WAY to personally. You can disagree without picking someone's words apart. Everyone on these forums just want the best for you and your cham! <3

 

[smashtoad]

Bro, you took that WAY to personally. You can disagree without picking someone's words apart. Everyone on these forums just want the best for you and your cham! <3

You're right...didn't mean to seem touchy. I just found the post mystifying...in this world there are very few Steve Irwins...but there are a buttload of Dr. Brady Bahrs.

Thanks everyone for the kind words on the shot. I have an idea for getting an even better one...but it will take time and real good light to get everything from cham to cricket in focus.

I already entered a portrait shot this month that is much better, sharpness wise...though maybe not as cool.

This guy is sitting in a window, and gets two or three hours of sunlight per day if he wants it. So far he pretty much avoids the sun.

The daytime temps are 80-84F. Night time temps are high 60's. I am misting the plant several times per day, and as soon as he eats he heads back up into the canopy. As I said before, my only real concern is humidity, but hopefully the mister and humidifier will keep things in range.

I am really looking forward to working with R. acuminatus, viridis, or spectrums...surely in the next several months someone will start having cb babies? I am currently working with Phyllobates terribilis (yellow), Bumblebee toads, and two species of Amblypigids (Damon diadema and Heterophrynus batesii).

Peace

 

[PedroANDAshley]

You prolly know this already but uv rays don't pass thru plastic or glass so make sure the Windows open c: your set up is awesome I'm thinking of doing something like that now c:

 

[jessica]

You prolly know this already but uv rays don't pass thru plastic or glass so make sure the Windows open c: your set up is awesome I'm thinking of doing something like that now c:

A lot of people don't use uvb on pygmy chameleons.


To the OP: Nice tongue shot! What kind of camera and glass are you using if you don't mind me asking.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

This guy is sitting in a window, and gets two or three hours of sunlight per day if he wants it. So far he pretty much avoids the sun.

The daytime temps are 80-84F. Night time temps are high 60's. I am misting the plant several times per day, and as soon as he eats he heads back up into the canopy. As I said before, my only real concern is humidity, but hopefully the mister and humidifier will keep things in range.

Like PedroandAshley said UVB does not pass through the glass so you're not actually providing any UVB that way. However like Jessica said, it's still controversial as to whether or not pygmys need UVB. But just so you know!

Those temps are actually too high for brevs. They need to be in the low 70's, at max 78 degrees. 80+ is too high and has caused deaths. The night temps are fine. You might need to move him away from the window to avoid high temps.

 

[Julirs]

Temps in the 80's will eventually kill your pyg. You are free ranging? How do you keep him from falling and getting stepped on?

 

[PedroANDAshley]

A lot of people don't use uvb on pygmy chameleons.


To the OP: Nice tongue shot! What kind of camera and glass are you using if you don't mind me asking.

Oh well he said he was in the window getting sunlight if he wanted so I was just letting him know in case he didnt c:

 

[smashtoad]

Thanks everyone...yeah...I moved him into another room and out of that window. I noticed that he was pretty much avoiding the sun at all times, so moved him into the herp room proper where the temps won't get above 80F, and the sunlight he gets will be late afternoon only and heavily filtered.

As far as falling...I try to give animals credit for their abilities, and just hope he won't fall. But, tomorrow I plan to repot the ficus into something much wider and more shallow so if he does fall, it will be onto the substrate surrounding the plant, as the ficus will remain pruned within the perimeter of the pot.

Chameleons truly are freakin crazy cool, and I am surprised that I waited so long to try them. I have always been intimidated by the need for ventilation and humidity, something hard to provide in an Indiana house, especially in the winter.

 

[pssh]

I would make a small smooth box to use as a perimeter (maybe a 5" plexiglass one?) so that he definitely cannot be stepped on if he falls out or tries to leave.

 

[smashtoad]

I would make a small smooth box to use as a perimeter (maybe a 5" plexiglass one?) so that he definitely cannot be stepped on if he falls out or tries to leave.

I'll post some pics when I get it put together. My plan is to use an oversized pot and set the plant deep, thereby using the pot walls as his border wall.

 

[Julirs]

As far as falling...I try to give animals credit for their abilities, and just hope he won't fall. But, tomorrow I plan to repot the ficus into something much wider and more shallow so if he does fall, it will be onto the substrate surrounding the plant, as the ficus will remain pruned within the perimeter of the pot.

Chameleons truly are freakin crazy cool, and I am surprised that I waited so long to try them. I have always been intimidated by the need for ventilation and humidity, something hard to provide in an Indiana house, especially in the winter.

It is not so much about ability with Pygs, but the way they made, they are a slightly top heavy and clumsy creature. Your new idea sounds better, but having been from Indiana, I understand the humidity issues. I did not keep reptiles then, but ran a rather powerful humidifier all winter to keep the human's skin from peeling off. I keep my pygs in plastic totes with Bed-A-Beast on the bottom, this helps keep humidity in and protects them from harm. You could possibly just set your new pruned plant into one of those to help with humidity.