Well, more free range questions...

[cantgetagoodsn]

Cantgetagoodsn, what your describing is the perfect way to get started free ranging. You don't want to just jump in full time with FR as you want to start introducing FR time with your cham. Check out my photo album on my profile and you can see that my FR setup is exactly what your describing.

When you first get started FRing your cham, open the door and allow him some time to explore the FR area a few hours at a time. Towards the end of these sessions I woudl encourage some interacting between you and him/her. You will find that the cham will want to start sleeping outside of the cage. Also, after a few weeks of doing this you will find their personality start to really shine, and they will be much more tolerable of interaction between the two of you.

The only other issue I can see is that sometimes, depending on what type of cham you have, your cham may drop to the floor and want to roam. Just make sure to cham proof the room he is in so that he can do this. My rocko would explore the entire room for a week or so before he stayed in his FR area. I guess he had to make sure that there wasn't anything more interesting to hang out first. Good luck and keep us posted with some pics of your setup!

Alright, that gives me hope... so when you leave the door open he goes in and out of his cage freely? And I am probably over worrying. I know I've said it before on the forums, but I lost a cham due to pet store advice... I just want to make sure that doesn't happen again. And I also want him to be as happy as I can, and also see more of a personality. I would love to have him not scared of me, rather actually approach me!

 

[moviemanmania]

Yes, it takes some time and patience indeed. Start small and build outward. Start with just a small plant or tree and leave the door open with a vine connecting inside the cage to the tree. Allow him on his own terms to explore out and onto the tree. You will find that he will start spending more time outside than in, this is ok, so long as he knows where his lights are and spends some time each day under them. If he is adjusted to his current cage then he will know where his lights/water are already. I was worried too at first, this just means you care, which is a good thing!

Are you hand feeding him right now?

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

Yes, it takes some time and patience indeed. Start small and build outward. Start with just a small plant or tree and leave the door open with a vine connecting inside the cage to the tree. Allow him on his own terms to explore out and onto the tree. You will find that he will start spending more time outside than in, this is ok, so long as he knows where his lights are and spends some time each day under them. If he is adjusted to his current cage then he will know where his lights/water are already. I was worried too at first, this just means you care, which is a good thing!

Are you hand feeding him right now?

He know where the mister and lights ares. frequently visits them. And yes, I fed him 2 earlier today, probably more a little later. I may start doing that from now on, especially if this set up works out... and it will be nice for crix not escaping.

 

[moviemanmania]

Yes I would start hand feeding every chance you get. Also, try to start hand watering by using a dropper.
This way you are directly monitoring how much they are eating and drinking.

 

[AESara]

I think I would worry about the chameleon climbing on top of the cage and getting burnt on the basking bulb's dome. Is it silly to worry about that?

I've considered doing this myself and have been wondering.

 

[Olimpia]

You can always make a cage out of screen to put over the lights so your chams don't climb on them. There are ways around this problem

 

[AESara]

Good idea, thanks.

 

[moviemanmania]

Yes you will need to protect them from burning themselves on the lights. Chameleon-proof the room he's in.

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

Yes you will need to protect them from burning themselves on the lights. Chameleon-proof the room he's in.

I already have a towel I can put over the basking light, though the UVB doesn't seem like it would get anywhere near hot enough to do damage from heat. The only other big thing I would need to worry about is water buckets, which I will be getting a door for. I can get a towel to do the trick momentarily.

Well, I decided to get two golden pothos and link them and the cage with a vine. I started to hang the first one up, and as I was hanging the second, he was already on his way to his "escape" corner. And now asI am typing this he already made his way to the first plant! I'm excited for this!

 

[summoner12]

Might need to rotate that

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

It's weird, it uploaded like that. I flipped it upside down hoping it would rotate to normal...

 

[RobandJess]

Does anyone successfully use a semi free range setup? I built a 2'x2'x4' cage and it's perfect in the way it hold lights, how I can hang and staple stuff to the wood etc, very convenient.

Lately, when I am home in my room, I will leave the door open for him to climb out as he pleases. He always does, sometimes he tries to sneak and then look at me like, "oh snap, he caught me!" Anyways, he seems to frequent that top corner where he climbs out. He doesn't crawl back in though (kinda an obvious one) so he doesn't get what he needs.

Now to my question, I would LOVE to free rage him, but with my apartment set up and limited space it would make it difficult (especially after I JUST built this cage with a friend). And the cage catches the water and everything very nicely, it just fits. So what I want to do is take the door off, put the cage so the opening is facing an indoor tree (also open for suggestions) for him to climb on from the cage. But when he needs UVB, water, etc. he would have the inside cage setup.

Am I being too hopeful that this would work?

We have the same problem with bob! We leave his cage open and a have a plant set-up outside the cage so he can free range, but some times we come home and he is on top of the cage looking like he doesnt know his way back in....who knows how much time he spent up there?!?! Need to figure something out soon.

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

We have the same problem with bob! We leave his cage open and a have a plant set-up outside the cage so he can free range, but some times we come home and he is on top of the cage looking like he doesnt know his way back in....who knows how much time he spent up there?!?! Need to figure something out soon.

Today I got home and he was on one of his pothos, As soon as I installed the plants he went straight for that vine... and not the top of the cage.

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

So I did find out for sure I have the next 4 days off work, so I can monitor him throughout a large majority of him exploring. This morning I put him in his cage (he slept on the pothos like a baby), and he seemed a tad confused. Although, he drank plenty of water when the mistking came on, and is now basking. He's acting the same as he did, just slower. Is he just trying to figure out the new setup?

 

[Silkyslim]

Yeah that is totally my guess. I remember when my cham was getting used to his new enclosure how he tread softly and did a lot of "leaf walking"

I bet once he figures out that this new addition is also a part of his territory he will be all over it.

Do you ever run that ceiling fan? I have one in my room where teh cage is and I am a running fan kind of person. Its on low but I always notice Samson eyeing the thing every so often. How yours do?

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

don't know quite yet. took em down until i can get a stud finder...

 

[Silkyslim]

don't know quite yet. took em down until i can get a stud finder...

Hahaha good call. I would have overlooked that detail

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

Hahaha good call. I would have overlooked that detail

well the studs in my ceiling are metal, so i couldnt do that. but what i did was, was put those hooks in the wall, which gives it enough stability for me to not be worried since it's not hanging there...

the next few days will be the real test. i hope he makes his way back inside to use the necessary lighting and misting. It would be perfect.

 

[cantgetagoodsn]

Well this morning he seems to be doing great. He slept on the pothos out of his cage, but I put him inside (with door open) for when the mistking goes off. He drank as usual, then went to go explore on the pothos, and then he did something that made me very happy. He went back into the cage for basking all by himself and is currently there. Maybe this setup will work!

 

[Silkyslim]

Sweet, I will end up going your path in a few days once I get a few more bucks rollin in. For now i just have his door open with a big ficus sitting on a chair in front of it. lol guess who is sitting 6" from me looking to crawl around more. I'm stoked for you, it makes me want to get this done yesterday.