This is a huge topic. The lower level is usually just a branch-way for a traveling chameleon. So you have a breeding ground for bacteria and a delivery mechanism to your chameleon. The accurate answer, that will have a module all its own, is that the cage needs to be big enough that the chameleon can comfortably fit its entire body length in the areas of the gradients you set up. The gradients a chameleon requires are heat, UVB, humidity, and exposure. In practice youll find that even typical extroverts such as Veiled and Panther Chameleons will use these hidden areas at times throughout the day. In order to get to the important part of this article chameleon cage setup concepts and philosophy I will list the products I am using with a brief reason and leave it to the reader to do whatever research is necessary for the products they are considering. Gradients and Levels. The left half of this picture shows branches mounted using zip ties. The more solid sides the more control you have over the environment. But for you to create areas along the gradients that a chameleon can place their body requires a cage size whose dimensions are larger as the chameleons body gets larger. Chameleons need a good rain to keep their eyes clean. It does little good having a heat gradient that goes from the high value to the low value in the distance equal to the length of your chameleons body. The foam will harden and hold everything in place. Also note that once you start a can you will not be able to use the remainder of the can because the nozzles will clog up after first use. Here is where you can best create your exposure gradient. I am going to be using zip ties and Ill use artificial vines to hide the ties that my foam does not. Most advice is based on screen cage experience. What now? Jacksonii tend to fall somewhere in the middle. With this additional freedom, more than one branch may be used. If you live in an environment that is close to what the chameleon needs then a screen cage is appropriate. For example, the heat gradient starts at the basking branch under the heat lamp and extends to the farthest corner away from the heat lamp that the chameleon can access with a branch. Stick with the rule of one chameleon per cage and you will have a much more enjoyable chameleon keeping experience. The most effective method to solve this problem is a drainage tray that collects the water under the cage with the cage on risers so it is not in the water. What you save up front will be paid on the back end in the form of your time, replacement costs, and even vet bills. Note a thin layer of foam along the side under the main center Pothos pot. And we dont want the screen to be bearing the load anyways. The branch may be held in place by a zip tie or by hot glue. Spider plants or Schefflera are other good candidates. If they have a safe place to sleep, a place to bask, and a place to hang out to eat and drink they are happy. Live plants are the centerpiece to any chameleon cage that desires to look natural. There are many versions of Great Stuff and they are creamy white except for the Pond and Stone version. They can survive for a time together, but this is a low grade stress situation for them. So, without pulling out a thermometer and just looking at the cage to the right, can you see how this cage would give a chameleon an effective heat gradient? Whatever the strategy used, the branches should be horizontally orientated and connected by vertical and diagonal branch pathways. Gravid females especially will appreciate easy access to the bottom of the cage. If the branch holes of the Dragon Ledges are used, hot glue can be used to ensure that the branch stays in place and the load stays on the Ledges. This will keep most, if not all, of the spray inside the cage. The one thing you will have to plan for is where excess water will go. The screen can hold a little bit of weight, but the best design will have the screen be non weight bearing. Be careful to remove all excess strings of hot glue. The network of branches is horizontally orientated. So the cage needs to be big enough that you can create a gradient that allows. This means that there is a drip or mist systems that produces water on leaves that are within easy reach of a perching branch. Placement of plants with respect to the watering system is not an accident. Dont worry about the foam. The first is on the back Dragon Ledge. Mistingwill cover both drinking and hygiene purposes. The second use of water is hygiene. A drainage tray removes as much of this risk as is possible. Either way has worked very well. Expanding foam may misshapen the pot making it difficult to slide your plant pot in. Brenda, In this cage example I am using a large pothos to provide drinking surfaces, a hidden glen, a humidity pocket, and enormous aesthetic appeal. Chameleons actually adjust quite well to a cage space if their needs are met. But with the Dragon Ledges embedded in the foam you have firmly anchored the entire foam structure to the frame. A perfect hidden glen to provide an exposure gradient. The eating spot: There needs to be a branch within tongue range of whatever feeding method you choose to use. Most cages come with a PVC floor that makes cleaning easy, but it also holds some water before it flows into the drainage tray. I have used two methods with success. Thus, the standard cage design today does not incorporate a place for the chameleon to get away from it all. It is our responsibility to create the highs and lows necessary for the chameleon to live comfortably in that small space. Here is what is important with the cage that you need to replicate. Regulating exposure is challenging in an all screen cage where the chameleon is suspended in space with a 360 degree view. Cheap solutions include thumb tacks through the screen or hanging from fishing line from the cage frame. So we will want to create horizontal levels to their home that are connected with vertical and diagonal branches. In fact, you will know when your chameleons needs, whether physical or psychological, are not being met when they start climbing the walls and ceiling and are trying to find a new areato sit or hunt. It will be one we look into more in the future here, but a soil floor as limited value to no value to the standard chameleon. Incredulously, some insist that the pair loves each other and cant be separated! Alternatively, you can just shovel the dirt and plant in when you are finished. If you need more control over the internal environment for greater heat and humidity then a glass cage is what you need. When mounting the pots, remember the rule of threes. Yes, you can spray the Great Stuff directly on the screen. Both humidity and exposure are created by pockets of something instead of distance away from a certain point. It also allows an area below the plant to create a visual hiding spot. As a beginner it is best to keep a plain floor. In this design I have a horizontal branch across the top. Just be sure, if you are using the Great Stuff to hold in pots, to have a solid anchor like the Dragon Ledges to bear the weight. Can you explain how you are able to clean the Great Stuff? Chameleons usually dont need a lot of space themselves. Zip Ties provide an easy way to attach branches at most any angle. Some are sun lovers and some hide in the shadow, but the important thing is to give them a choice. If you use the dual pot method I described before this is an easy process. This is what makes this all work! The Great Stuff mounds stay where they are. The drinking spot. If you are covering the bottoms of your pots with foam you will have to provide a method for drainage. T-5 bulbs give off much light in a small package. 4)Automated Mist System. In this example, branching will be done using zip ties and hot glue. This really is something where personal experience means a great deal in making sure your first try is successful. In chameleon caging equipment you truly do get what you pay for so I caution against going into your chameleon cage setup with the idea of getting the cheapest possible items. As we are using a screen cage int his example, the nozzles would have to be directed in a way that they do not spray towards the cage walls and moisten the walls or furniture around the cage. In 2002 he established the successful Chameleons! The steps presented can be used with any enclosure scheme. Use disposable gloves and old clothes when working with Great Stuff. The three of the most used plants are Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), Umbrella Plant (Schefflera arboricola) and the Ficus tree (Ficus benjamina). The other gradients are UVB, humidity, and exposure (can the chameleon choose from being in the open or hidden). This is sufficient for keeping your chameleon. Other smaller plants can further enclose the retreat area and increase the overall aesthetic appeal. You will find some plants do great and others get stringy due to not enough light. The majority of the species of chameleon or other reptiles/amphibians will appreciate a chance to warm up in the morning. Live plants produce humidity which is beneficial for chameleons. This gives the chameleon drinking surfaces at any level you choose and allows hiding spaces to be created. This means that the foam can be peeled away from the screen. Since this is a screen cage and I need to take mist overspray into account, I am going to install two nozzles in the front two corners and point them at the plant groupings once the plants are installed. Case Study: Exo-Terra Large/X-Tall Cage Build, Chameleons need an open area for heating up and getting UVB, Chameleons need a hidden area for feeling secure, Chameleons prefer horizontal branch perching, You need a basking branch, a drinking branch, and a hiding branch, Solid side (PVC or Glass) cages must be used if you need more control over temperature and/or humidity, When starting out, keep the cage floor bare no substrate necessary, There is an open area that has light, a basking area, and UVB, There is a dense planted area where the chameleon can hide and feel secure, There is a network of branches that allows the chameleon to access all the needed areas including heat, UVB, food, water, and cover. These are not ideal as they soak up water and keep it in contact with the cage interior. 1) Gradients: Heat, UVB, Humidity, and Exposure. If you are using a dripper to provide drinking water you will have to consider a weekly drench in the shower to allow body cleaning. Explore different plants. One trick to installing a potted plant is to get two identical pots. Gradients are critical for the chameleon to take care of its own needs within the relatively small confines of a cage. Substrates are a complication that is best to tackle once you can confidently care for your chameleon. Especially when starting out there is no reason to work with a substrate (meaning dirt or wood chips or anything else). There are times when screen cages are appropriate and times when glass cages are appropriate and times when a hybrid between screen and solid sides is exactly what is needed. This is simply not true. With this cage we will make an upper level which will offer the perching area for the highest heat, UVB, and exposure with the lowest humidity. In this particular build, I relied on the Great Stuff foam to provide structure. I will not spend much time on plastic plants. The heat bulb is in the back left side of the cage and branches allow access there and through the foliage and under the foliage. If you have spent time browsing chameleon care sheets you will probably have run across the statement that chameleons need screen cages or they will get sick and die. Outdoors keeping, during the months where your environmental conditions are within the chameleons desired ranges, gives your chameleon these things in a natural way. You stick the nozzle in a hole and the foam shoots out and expands to fill the gap. Exposure: Heat, UVB, and humidity are pretty easy to understand. Here is where the Dragon Ledges come into play. You may want to include plants other than pothos. These accessories allow us to mount branches and live vining plants to the walls of the screen cage without stress to the screen. The basic design of read more, Introduction: Once it is ready, get yourself a knife and carve out a hole. Part of the training we will do here at the Academy is to teach you how to determine which cage material is right for you. A front and back view of a plant pot mounted in a screen cage. 6) Heat Lamp. This includes Jacksons Chameleons. There are a number of ways to accomplish this in a screen cage. If you have a drainage tray then a network of drilled holes will encourage drainage. While you will find them at many orientations, they generally seem most comfortable horizontal. Each of the elements of a chameleon cage could fill a chapter themselves as far as their comparison and selection. This layer offers varying degreesof cover, but its main purpose is to give your chameleon access to all areas of the cage. I will review the caging elements needed and provide a brief overview of products. I usually put together a sketch to give me a guideline. I suggest angling your trailing vine forward to get a better effect from the vines and produce the makings of a pocket for the retreat. Just apply the basics to your chosen equipment and remember these two guiding principles. Bill. The lower level towards the bottom of the cage will have the lowest heat and UVB. The right half shows the same branches with an artificial vine draped over the branch ends. Artificial vines are useful to hide mounting hardware. It has more than enough strength for this. The more screen the more ventilation and the dispersion of heat and humidity. Branches that are of an appropriate diameter may be placed into the holes in the Dragon Ledge. Since this is a large cage we will use a five pack to maximize our landscape options. They have been tested by hanging bricks in a screen cage so you know they will handle a substantial potted plant. In a Breeder series cage you can mist the entire cage and the plants will get watered every day, but in the more controlled environment of a screen cage you will have to supplement your plant watering on a regular basis. In a small or medium size cage, one main branch usually serves as the upper layer. Unfortunately, there are places that will sell a chameleon too young to go to a new home. With only one or two anchor points the weight of the dirt will cause pivoting and the weight may rest, at least in part, on the screen. You will find this problem with most of the chameleon set-ups you see. Live plants give attractive drinking surfaces and can be used to create humidity pockets and hidden glens. Please do not perpetuate this habit. This pot has three anchor points. The chameleon can regulate their own temperature by the distance they sit from the bulb. The glen is difficult to see from the outside of the cage and that is exactly the point! Most cages come with a plastic floor. The cage in the last photo was made using the Medium Breeder Cage so it had PVC sides. There is no read more, If you are considering a first chameleon, and you are not doing it as an impulse buy, you are read more, Q: I hear about people using glass aquariums, but I keep reading how they will stress my chameleon by read more, Working with Great Stuff Expandable Foam. This made it easy to silicone on cork bark. Hidden under the large leafed vining pothos plant there is a perching branch for the chameleon to get away from it all. For a typical design with Pothos (AKA Devils Ivy), you will want to place the plant around the three quarters height of the cage. Including a substrate for a chameleon cage is not necessary for the chameleon and, for the standard chameleons, offers little direct benefit. Once the pot is firmly mounted, the pot with the plant may be slipped easily into place. In this demonstration I will be using the following products: 1) Dragon Strand Large Keeper Screen Cage. Chameleons should be kept individually. It would be a good idea for you to get yourself a can of Great Stuff to do a practice runand see how it comes out. This way the female is in familiar surroundings and just suddenly has a dirt floor that she can lay eggs in! I will be using the top of the line equipment to achieve the optimal screen cage environment allowed by the products available today. Give access to as much of the cage as is possible! Although we do not want to clutter the cage, dont leave too much unclimbable cage space. But as a chameleon keeper grows in their skill they will more and more embrace the naturalistic approach and a soil substrate will be just one component in the keeping of an environment rather than just the keeping of a chameleon. But they, like us, also have a psychological need to be able to choose how public they are. In dry climates you can just let evaporation take over. Keeping the bottom of the cage clear removes hiding spaces for feeder insects and allows foreasy floor removal and cleaning. This means that you can lay down a thin layer of Great Stuff, but the next day it will be a thick layer. I am specifically keeping the floor clear of any potted plant so that I can pull the floor in and out for easy cleaning. We do not pre-drill holes as the drainage solution is left up to the keeper. This could easily kill your chameleon due to overheating. In a breeder cage setup with the breederbox underneath, would you put a drainage tray under that? I use a combination of zip ties, galvanized steel wire, and hot glue to get the pot in place and facing the correct way. Usually it is 12 inches from the bulb. And, youll see how the foam will make this even more effective. They can use thicker branches for climbing, of course, but the thinner ones are preferred. This same principle is applicable in any size cage as shown below in the 36 cage with a typical photogenic Carpet Chameleon. The key to creating an effective cage is understanding how to create gradients and microclimates so your chameleon and regulate temperature on its own. I use both Mist King and Cli-mist systems and am very happy with the results. There are two uses for water which you much provide. When mounting plants consider them as drinking surfaces, climbing objects, aesthetic appeal, and the ability to create an exposure gradient. I do this so that my chameleon will be front-lit giving me a nice view. Not good. This articletakes you through basic chameleon cage set-up requirements. The practical answer is that 2 x 2 x 4 is an adequate cage size for most commonly kept chameleons. Zip ties are good for structural strength while hot glue holds items in place. But for now, simply look at the cage here and consider how each one of these gradients is fulfilled. In this example, I am using an automated misting system. Other than that, periodic trimming will ensure your plants do not become too big for the cage. The water that goes in the cage will come out of the cage. They are constantly on display. An important consideration in every chameleon cage is your drainage strategy. This is the branch that is where the chameleon gets its heat and UVB. Is there a leafy area where they can feel safe? I always have a branch within the chameleons reach fromthe floor. They can also add greenery and cover in cage areas that will not fit a pot of dirt. If the answer is no then the cage is not adequate for a chameleon. This is a horizontal branch that allows your chameleon to hide behind leaves. You will want read more, Keeping Chameleons Together Lets step back and take a look at the exposure gradient. I have ordered the 24x24x48 clear side so I assume I can silicone cork bark on the back clear panel? This branch is usually six inches from the top under the UVB lamp appropriate for the species. It is especially challenging in a screen cage because of all the ventilation. The bottom line is simple do not keep chameleons together. You need to plan on where it will end up. In this case, I have plants as major elements of my design so I am going to install my plants in the locations I have determined. Regardless of gender, there should always be a way for the chameleon to easily find its way back into the branches if, for whatever reason, it finds itself at the bottom of the cage. It is not as simple as just bringing your inside cage outside. This is a PVC tray that fits under the cage to collect excess misting water. But, at the same time, it can be incredibly rewarding for you to grow live pants or even explore a bioactive substrate. If you are not using foam you just have to be a little neater, but, as you can see in this example done in a smaller 36 tall cage, this is not a problem. When a female is ready to lay eggs I just pick her cage up and put it over the laying box. This can be done in a surprisingly small space. Plants also add to the humidity and overall life of the environment. Although this is a heat gradientbranch, running it under the UVB bulbalso allows maximum UVB exposure at any point along that heat gradient. Robin. Great Stuff expands. This is not necessary, but I consider the aesthetics of a chameleon cage as vital as the functionality. This we want to avoid. This allows the unhygienic combination of moisture, poop, and escaped feeder insects. Your cage is done and your chameleon is happy! It can take care of itself! This is just one! But having them in with Veiled Chameleons can get troublesome if the chameleon takes a bite and swallows the plastic. If you have not yet purchased your cage, I strongly suggest you verify that your manufacturer has a drainage tray available or else you will be stuck. One nature of tis material is that it has give and take so it isnt the best material to use as an anchor.The Dragon Ledges were specifically designed to be a structural element and so you would want to use a network of sticks anchored on the Dragon Ledges to provide the support for anything on the sides. Screen has a certain diameter hole and is great for only a certain size chameleon. This can be done for small accent plants. Once we determine the spot for our plant we must anchor it in. A gradient is a progression from a high value to a low value with every step in between. Bio-active set-ups where the soil contains cleaning organisms are a project in themselves. Exposure is how viewable the chameleon is. Most of the time you can get some indirect sunlight which still has UVB in it by placing your screen cage out on a covered patio so it gets direct sunlight during the morning, but is shaded once the day temperature starts to rise. Your money savings just went out the window with that. The cage that I siliconed cork bark to was part of the Breeder series so it had two white PVC walls which can be load bearing and will not flex. There are four most important branch functions. The basking bulb shines on the spot of highest UVB exposure. The first thing you want to do when setting up a cage is to make a plan for how it will look. With indoor husbandry we send so much time an effort figuring out how to get the correct UVB, heat spot, natural hydration cycle, and air flow. The important part of this process, though, is not necessarily that you use the same components I am using, but that you absorb how I am using them and what purpose they serve. But to do this without the foam I need to rely on the vertical branches for the structure. I have done it with and without drainage. Chameleons are horizontally perching animals. These can be plants, feeding stations, nest boxes, or any other element appropriate to the species you are designing for. That said, once you understand the principles of a chameleon cage setup you may transfer them to your particular set of equipment. In this article we created a very effective cage to house a chameleon. Is the back of the cage in the very last picture covered with cork bark? They are a retrofit kit for existing screen cages. The clear side are like the screen sides in that they should not be weight bearing. For the most common species of chameleons, including the Veiled, Panther, and Jacksons Chameleons, you should have a minimum of a 2 x 2 x 4 high cage. Thor the Dragon reporting (thats me above). Drainage is not needed if I am careful how much I water. Looks Great! When the plants and dirt go in there will be much more weight. Your lighting solution must provide both full spectrum daylight as well as UVB light. I know you used 4 in the medium Atrium set up. He has bred reptiles and amphibians at the hobbyist level and at the large-scale commercial level.

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