What makes good vines?

[Minihuey]

Hey guys,


With the recent loss of one of my beloved chameleon I decided to put myself in check and renovate my cages along with building some new ones.

I will upload pictures tomorrow but I have two adult cages that are 2x2x4' with PVC screen.

Both have ficus benjermin and pothos. This would be the first time I am using real plants. So far everything is going well but I need some tips for branch set up.

I have a couple of those artificial vines but I do not think that is enough. My chameleons are getting a bit too beefy to walk along the ficus so any advice would be cool.


Pictures tomorrow.

Thanks!

 

[cushcameleon]

Use zipties....I place my live potted plants in the center of the cage and then I curl the fake plant vines around the live plants and fasten them to the cage with zipties. I also make sure that some of the vines go through the live plants, that way the cham will have something rigid to sit on when he feels like hiding in them.

 

[Minihuey]

Use zipties....I place my live potted plants in the center of the cage and then I curl the fake plant vines around the live plants and fasten them to the cage with zipties. I also make sure that some of the vines go through the live plants, that way the cham will have something rigid to sit on when he feels like hiding in them.

Each cage has two big vines spiraling and running through my ficus and pothos. Show I have a crap load of vines running about the cage?

 

[cushcameleon]

Each cage has two big vines spiraling and running through my ficus and pothos. Show I have a crap load of vines running about the cage?

Sounds great to me. Post a picture if you can. Chameleons love having vines high up in their enclosure, it also provides more cover which makes them feel more secure.

 

[Minihuey]

Sounds great to me. Post a picture if you can. Chameleons love having vines high up in their enclosure, it also provides more cover which makes them feel more secure.

I will have pictures of all of my set ups tomorrow after I get out of class.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Minihuey]

Here are some pictures of my cages. Yes I made them. Mind the awesome carpentry....

All include either a ficus, pothos or both. Bio vines are used but I was hoping for some tips of something more natural. I should add. I have been eyeing some of those pothos that grow along fences. I was going to gather a bunch of the vines and braid them. Good idea, bad idea?

Yes there is no misting system.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've gotten various thicknesses and colours of coated electrical wire. Twisted that up along branches, bio vines, fat black cable twisted with thin brown and green, etc. It works well, gives different thicknesses to exercise feet, is easy to clean, and is very positionable.

 

[Minihuey]

I've gotten various thicknesses and colours of coated electrical wire. Twisted that up along branches, bio vines, fat black cable twisted with thin brown and green, etc. It works well, gives different thicknesses to exercise feet, is easy to clean, and is very positionable.

Electrical wire? That is pretty interesting. Kind of a technological look. Very creative indeed.

 

[brighteyez]

Here are some pictures of my cages. Yes I made them. Mind the awesome carpentry....

All include either a ficus, pothos or both. Bio vines are used but I was hoping for some tips of something more natural. I should add. I have been eyeing some of those pothos that grow along fences. I was going to gather a bunch of the vines and braid them. Good idea, bad idea?

Yes there is no misting system.

Just a suggestion, but what about some plants down near the bottom. My enclosure and some bigger, tallers plants near the top, and a few small plants near the bottom, with the vines running back and forth between them all, and my cham seems to enjoy walking through all of them. Just a thought!

 

[cushcameleon]

Just a suggestion, but what about some plants down near the bottom. My enclosure and some bigger, tallers plants near the top, and a few small plants near the bottom, with the vines running back and forth between them all, and my cham seems to enjoy walking through all of them. Just a thought!

Thats also a good suggestion. My two chams are montane species and are almost never found at the bottom half of their cages, I do however know that larger chams use the lower parts of their cage to help with thermoregulation.

 

[Minihuey]

Thats also a good suggestion. My two chams are montane species and are almost never found at the bottom half of their cages, I do however know that larger chams use the lower parts of their cage to help with thermoregulation.

Sounds good. My cage is lightweight and I bring it outside every other day. I noticed the chameleon always hangs out at the bottom. Figured he was trying to find ways to escape my fury.

What would be good ground plants? Most of the ones suggested here are sorta tall I think.

 

[Minihuey]

I suppose an interesting byproduct of this chameleon game is becoming a novice gardener.

While I am in the backyard collecting interesting looking sticks and vines, I will find myself cleaning up the backyard and trimming up the plants.

YAY!