Some Fun With Outdoor Caging

[Chameleon Company]

Been busy still since our move last August, but as part of our expansion, was able to finish a couple of permanent outdoor enclosures. We can use them about 9 months out of the year. They are walk-in, and house one male and a harem of five females each. Many bugs are able to fly in, along with the crickets and roaches that we throw in. Built in sprinkler systems, and some rain too !

The nearest one is Bonaroo's, a nice red Ambiilobe. There's a photo of him hanging out high in his tree. The second cage is Mr. Magestyk's, Nosy Faly. There's one of him walking his bamboo. They like it a lot better than the greenhouse. In the greenhouse, they were in cages one foot apart, and could have cared less. Now, with each having his own set of girls, they huff and puff back and forth at each other all the time.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Is that a loquat tree in Bonaroos cage those are supposed to be toxic.

The outdoor cages look great! Nice sun cages!

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Love that cage design! I wish i had the place to put something like that for my male faly.

 

[Olimpia]

I love the shape! They look fantastic. Will you make more than two in the future?

 

[laurie]

Nice summer set ups, you can use them more than just summer can't you? sweet.

 

[jamncristian]

very cool idea

so you just house each male with 5 females
without seperating them

man, those guys are going to be really happy
until they are all gravid

 

[Psi]

That is awesome Jim!

 

[Chameleon Company]

Is that a loquat tree in Bonaroos cage those are supposed to be toxic.

The outdoor cages look great! Nice sun cages!

Unfortunately, everything about toxic plants is about 99% malarkey. All of these lists are heavily influenced by their effect on mammals, or God forbid, a child decides to start chewing leaves. I honestly think that 75% of the plants that I have ever used are on the toxic lists.

We grow tomatoes in those cages too. For our own use, but should a few fall and rot, the bugs can get them. In other cages we grow collards and okra, as the crickets love that stuff.

 

[Julirs]

Understand that Jim is very experienced and knows what to look for, not to mention those cages are pretty large. This does not mean it is OK for everyone to go stuff a bunch of Panthers in a 24X24X48 cage.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Unfortunately, everything about toxic plants is about 99% malarkey. All of these lists are heavily influenced by their effect on mammals, or God forbid, a child decides to start chewing leaves. I honestly think that 75% of the plants that I have ever used are on the toxic lists.

We grow tomatoes in those cages too. For our own use, but should a few fall and rot, the bugs can get them. In other cages we grow collards and okra, as the crickets love that stuff.

I understand just as long as you are aware of that. Allegedly 90 percent of all plants from tropical rain forests are toxic and many chameleon species live with them and never have any problems. Just glad you are aware of that because it is a concern. I have got two loquats that I never used for that reason. Just to much to gamble with for my Parsons and you being a career man I figure I would check with you.

 

[Chameleon Company]

very cool idea

so you just house each male with 5 females
without seperating them

man, those guys are going to be really happy
until they are all gravid

Trying to get all the questions. Yes, we can use them for far more than the summer months. Towards mid to late November, the cages are emptied, and animals moved back into the greenhouse.

One could not house WC females like this, as they can be quite territorial towards other girls. But with captive raised animals, that have been raised with a sibling, they are far more compatible. Magestyk is WC, but treats his ladies very well. Once or twice a day a female will walk right over him. Males, once they have a harem established, they actually show a lot of respect for their ladies. They service them when needed of course, but it becomes kind of a team thing. Males get their harem trees in the wild, but the trees are bigger than my cages, and the females can be a bit more spread out. What the males will not then tolerate is other males.

 

[robmd1]

nice to see you have falys jim cant wait for them to be avail....very nice outdoor setups....

 

[carol5208]

you are in Florida right? So you leave the chams in those enclosures outside right now in this heat and its ok? I thought it was way too hot to have a chameleon outside in Florida. I live south in Palm Beach County.. just wondering. I am guessing you take them in in November then when it starts getting colder. The reason i am asking cause I am waiting for it to cool down so my husband can build an outdoor cage for my panther.

 

[fluxlizard]

Any reason for the shape other than the cool looks factor? (They do look neato).

Are you in Florida using outdoor housing 9 months out of the year?

Do the lizards breed as often in these harem setups as males kept seperately?

 

[Chameleon Company]

you are in Florida right? So you leave the chams in those enclosures outside right now in this heat and its ok? I thought it was way too hot to have a chameleon outside in Florida. I live south in Palm Beach County.. just wondering. I am guessing you take them in in November then when it starts getting colder. The reason i am asking cause I am waiting for it to cool down so my husband can build an outdoor cage for my panther.

I'm right in the middle of FL. Heat is a concern, but it is more easily managed with shade, larger cages, and some water. These cages do not get direct sun until about 1 PM. Being large and airy, they trap no heat, as smaller cages do. Within the plants, the temp is always a few degrees cooler, just due to plant respiration. And then we crank the rain nozzles a couple times each afternoon. The animals are doing great, even when the air-temp is 93-94.

Smaller cages present far more problems. When in doubt, folks need to put their hands on the cage structure once its been in the sun midday. Aluminum ribbing and screen, especially darker colors, can almost be too hot to touch. Reptariums are notoriously poor outside in hotter climates for this reason. They actually are as ovens, at times raising the temp inside the cage 10 degrees from what it is outside. For that reason, when folks build their own screen cages, we recommend light-colored or mill aluminum, and shiny screen, not dark.

FYI, my temps are not any different from Mada in the middle of its summer Ambanja and Ambilobe can hit low to mid 90's daily.

Someone asked about the slant of the cages. That's a design strength. Each cage is anchored to four posts sunk 4' into the ground. The angled ends automatically gives us triangular strength. A real good thunderstorm can give us some 50 MPH downdrafts, and tropical storms and hurricanes more. You might be able to see that each screen-mesh side has a welded wire base, 2" X 4". On top of that is the aluminum screen or plastic mesh. It can take a very hard wind. Besides being tacked and staple down, each edge is then covered with a strip of wood that is screwed down. There is actually a bug-stop line painted above the aluminum mesh on the inside, to reduce cricket escape.

If you use plastic mesh in any cage, the openings must be small enough such that a chameleon cannot squeeze its head into it. If they can, they will, and get stuck. If you then do not see it and cut them out in time, they will die.

See the plastic rings at the base of the tree ? That's where you throw the crickets and roaches. 75% of them will go up the tree. Not the smartest move for them .... but I do not like wasting bugs !

If the weather is good, they will propogate very efficiently in this type of set-up. With a harem, the males also stay somewhat "On" all the time, that is brightly colored. It is quite a personality change from when they are housed separately, with no ladies.

It took a while to establish our Faly's. I have a lot of small one's now. Maybe in 6-8 weeks we'll bring some to market.

Here's our other adult male, IceMan:

 

[Thompson]

Those are awesome cages! You are so lucky to be able to have your chams out for the summer! It is way to hot here in the summer.

 

[Chameleon Company]

I understand just as long as you are aware of that. Allegedly 90 percent of all plants from tropical rain forests are toxic and many chameleon species live with them and never have any problems. Just glad you are aware of that because it is a concern. I have got two loquats that I never used for that reason. Just to much to gamble with for my Parsons and you being a career man I figure I would check with you.

LOL ... hope all is well with the parsonii. Had about a dozen years ago.

Admittedly, I have oodles of experience with all things pardalis. If I had a crop of parsonii again, I would have to wade back into that water with caution. The $ risks, to include the value of time, are so much higher ! But, at the same time, I also have learned to trust chameleons far more than one should trust such as a bearded dragon. Beardies make great pets, for sure, but are dumb as $hit when compared to a chameleon. Give a beardie a chance to eat something that will kill it, and it will usually eat it. I'm having some fun here at the expense of beardies, as they do just fine for themselves in the Outback. Put a beardie outside up north for any duration, and it'll eat some fireflies and die quick. Chameleons seem to know better.

If we could look two directions at once, we'd be smarter already too

 

[Montium]

Looks great, any issue with fire ants? and are there plans available for the cages?

 

[reptimanny]

Been busy still since our move last August, but as part of our expansion, was able to finish a couple of permanent outdoor enclosures. We can use them about 9 months out of the year. They are walk-in, and house one male and a harem of five females each. Many bugs are able to fly in, along with the crickets and roaches that we throw in. Built in sprinkler systems, and some rain too !

The nearest one is Bonaroo's, a nice red Ambiilobe. There's a photo of him hanging out high in his tree. The second cage is Mr. Magestyk's, Nosy Faly. There's one of him walking his bamboo. They like it a lot better than the greenhouse. In the greenhouse, they were in cages one foot apart, and could have cared less. Now, with each having his own set of girls, they huff and puff back and forth at each other all the time.

dude those are awesome cages I just built a cage for my cham based on an old entertainment center and that totally puts my cage to shame. But im happy with it but i probably dont have the tools you have so there

 

[Chameleon Company]

Looks great, any issue with fire ants? and are there plans available for the cages?

Have to regularly treat the surrounding area for fire ants. They can be pretty well managed. The issue most with fire ants is them getting into a cage of small juveniles.