So much room for activities... How can I hang my carnivorous plants on the right side of the cage?

[scott52019]

I realize this is going to be difficult to do but I am going to prove the haters wrong that it IS possible. I am determined to combine my 2 favorite things: carnivorous plants and reptiles (chameleons in this case).

As you can see on the right of my cage, there is a plant on the floor but no uppershrubbery which leaves room for these plants. These plants aren't too big but I can't think of a way to put them up at the high end of the cage so they can get the light they need. The sundew is in a bigger pot and growing like a weed so I think I need to put in a place where it has room.

Any ideas?

 

[pgr7]

Sweet bunk beds

 

[Carlton]

Who's hating? I would think the objections someone here might have would be that the cham may damage or knock the plants loose while climbing around the cage, not that you absolutely can't use a carnivorous plant. If you can protect the plant from the cham and provide the right light and humidity level the plants need why not? What about attaching some sort of plastic mesh (I'm thinking of that orange safety fencing you see at construction sites. I know you can get it in green for garden fencing) to the inside of the screen up where you want to put the pots and attach them to the mesh with zip ties or wire? You'd have to use a pot that retains the moisture the plant will want. Again, the cham may climb on the plants and damage them so you'll have to find some way to protect it. Most species probably won't chew on the plant, though a veiled might.

 

[DeremensisBlue]

Two awesome hobbies that belong together! But a little special consideration needs to be made for the CPs! Since you obviously have a great taste in caging you have what you need to pull this off. The biggest problem with carnivores in a chameleon cage is the lighting so use the Dragon Ledges to create a shelf of sorts that puts the carnivores about 12" from the top and put your plant light above that end of the cage. Use the standard chameleon misters to keep your CPs nicely hydrated. The carnivorous nature of the plants makes a difference only with baby chameleons. (Hopefully that is obvious enough for someone not to combine the two!)
Cephalotus (Australian pitcher plant) and other low growing plants are are great choice.
Sarrecenia (American pitcher plants) are difficult only because of the height they grow. purpurea is a great species that does not grow too high.
Nepenthes (Tropical pitcher plant) will work if you find the right species for your conditions. There is a certain hybrid being sold at Home Depots which is very hardy
Helimorpha (South American Pitcher Plants) I have never tried.
Fly traps will work well
The right Drosera (Sundews) would grow in a cage. My only hesitation with these is that I do not know how the dew would affect chameleons if it got in their eyes. Maybe nothing, but I just don't know so I have shied away from sundews.
Pinguicula (Butterworts) work well and are great to rid your terrarium of moss gnats if you get an infestation.
Utricularia (Terrestrial Bladderworts) grow great.

(forgive the Latin names...writing this quickly!)
I would suggest double potting fly traps and anything else that needs a cold winter so you can easily remove and replace.

Attached is a picture of a plant shelf that I made from Great Stuff Pond&Stone which is supported by the Dragon Ledges....There's a ceph, some fly traps, and a sarracenia (Judith Hindle, I believe) that I knew was temporary because it soon outgrew it's space!

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Nepenthes would be a more practical, useful, and logical choice. I grow several carnivorous plants, including some rather rare ones, in a chest freezer, in order to provide a nightly temp drop.

 

[scott52019]

Ok, maybe "hating" is an exaggeration lol but I've been told it
would be hard to do. I see what you're saying though. I don't think he would damage them because I'm pretty sure he doesn't eat plants like some panthers do. I caught him once but he must have thought it was a bug and spit it out. Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GREAT-STUFF-12-oz-Pond-and-Stone-Insulating-Foam-Sealant-283064/202522224

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Keep in mind that many CPs require a dormancy.
VFT, Sarracenia, even your Cephalotus would appreciate a cool period, in the 40s and 50F. The Cephalotus will do fine without it, but they get better color and grow larger, with a cool down.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Here's a small sample of my collection. I have several CPs and an outdoor bog.

 

[DeremensisBlue]

Ok, maybe "hating" is an exaggeration lol but I've been told it
would be hard to do. I see what you're saying though. I don't think he would damage them because I'm pretty sure he doesn't eat plants like some panthers do. I caught him once but he must have thought it was a bug and spit it out. Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GREAT-STUFF-12-oz-Pond-and-Stone-Insulating-Foam-Sealant-283064/202522224

Yes, that is the foam that I am talking about. It is fish safe and black so does not require much more preparation to look good in a vivarium.
Carnivorous plants are hard to do with chameleons because of the light requirements and the temperature requirements. Many of the carnivores that are well known come from northern latitudes and require a winter cool down. Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants) either require cooler temperatures than we want to keep common chameleons or higher temperatures. Though there is a hybrid that has found its way to home improvement stores which is supposedly hardy in a wider range of conditions. I have gotten it to grow in chameleon cage environments, but have not yet had it produce pitchers so I am continuing to tweak my conditions.

In all of this it is about the enjoyment in doing it. If you want to use fly traps in your chameleon cage then, by all means, work it out and enjoy the process. There is no reason to have everything be functional. As long as he has everything he needs, your chameleon won't care if there are fly traps in with him. Once you have functional taken care of, make the cage an environment of beauty.