How To Set Up Chameleon Cage

Advanced Chameleon Cage Setup: Principles and Elements for an Effective Design

Introduction

This article takes you through basic chameleon muzzle gear up-up requirements. I volition review the bones principles that should be applied to whatsoever enclosure blazon whether screen, solid side, drinking glass, or gratuitous range. Nosotros will go over how to carry them out finer and, in this case, exceptionally.

I will review the caging elements needed and provide a brief overview of products. The important part of this process, though, is not necessarily that you use the same components I am using, simply that y'all absorb how I am using them and what purpose they serve. I will exist using the pinnacle of the line equipment to achieve the optimal screen cage environment allowed by the products available today.   In chameleon caging equipment you lot truly do get what you lot pay for so I caution against going into your chameleon muzzle setup with the idea of getting the cheapest possible items. What you save up front will be paid on the back end in the form of your time, replacement costs, and even vet bills. That said, in one case you empathise the principles of a chameleon cage setup you lot may transfer them to your particular set of equipment.

The Equipment for a Chameleon Cage Setup

Each of the elements of a chameleon muzzle could fill a affiliate themselves as far as their comparison and selection. In society to get to the important office of this commodity – 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 practice whatever research is necessary for the products they are considering. In this demonstration I will be using the post-obit products:

1) Dragon Strand Large Keeper Screen Cage. This 48" screen muzzle is an appropriate muzzle size for an adult chameleon and has plenty room to create distinct environments. This cage size is commonly found among the dissimilar manufacturers. Although Dragon Strand has a higher end chameleon cage in the solid/screen side Breeder Serial, I volition use the screen cage version every bit that is the nearly common cage amongst chameleon keepers.

2) Dragon Strand Big Keeper Drainage Tray. This is a PVC tray that fits nether the cage to collect excess misting water. Every bit drainage is a disquisitional part to a successful system ensure your cage manufacturer offers a drainage solution or you must develop one yourself.

3) Dragon Strand Dragon Ledges. These accessories allow us to mount branches and live vining plants to the walls of the screen muzzle without stress to the screen. These allow a freedom to create much more effective interior environments. Since this is a large cage we will utilize a five pack to maximize our landscape options.

4) Automatic Mist System. A mist system is critical for your chameleon's health. It ensures that water is available to your chameleon whether yous are home or not. I use both Mist King and Cli-mist systems and am very happy with the results. 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 muzzle walls and moisten the walls or furniture around the cage.

5) Arcadia 24" T-5 Quad Bulb Fixture. T-5 bulbs give off much lite in a minor package. The quad seedling packet has UVB, Daylight, and Plant light bulbs. Your lighting solution must provide both total spectrum daylight as well equally UVB lite. I take a dedicated appliance timer driving the fluorescent fixture.

6) Oestrus Lamp. I am using a standard reflector and incandescent light bulb from my local dwelling house comeback store. While there are brand name reflector and oestrus producing bulbs available, the benefits are not substantial enough to warrant mentioning. I have a dedicated appliance timer driving the oestrus lamp.

vii) Great Stuff Swimming & Stone Foam. An expanding and hardening foam which volition exist used to create a naturalistic blazon environment. This is not necessary, only I consider the aesthetics of a chameleon cage as vital as the functionality.

Basic Concepts and Principles to Chameleon Cage Setup.

There are 2 primal elements to keep in mind when setting upward a chameleon muzzle. Gradients and Levels .

Gradients. A slope is a gradual progression from 1 extreme to another.  The gradients a chameleon requires are heat, UVB, humidity, and exposure. Gradients are critical for the chameleon to take intendance of its own needs within the relatively small confines of a muzzle. It is our responsibleness to create the highs and lows necessary for the chameleon to live comfortably in that pocket-size infinite. Chameleons actually arrange quite well to a cage infinite if their needs are met. In fact, y'all will know when your chameleon'south needs, whether concrete or psychological, are non being met when they beginning climbing the walls and ceiling and are trying to find a new area to sit or chase.

Heat: A oestrus gradient would exist the progression from the hottest point under the oestrus lamp to room temperature somewhere else in the muzzle. We will specifically place our branches and climbing surfaces so the chameleon tin comfortably choose whatever point along that slope depending on how much oestrus they desire.

UVB: Know the effective range of your UVB bulb. Normally information technology is 12 inches from the seedling. If the chameleon does non have a user-friendly branch within 12 inches and so you are running the risk of the chameleon not getting enough UVB fifty-fifty though you lot take fresh UVB bulbs. Program for a UVB basking area. It can overlap with the rut basking bulb, but I advise non making that the only place the chameleon tin can go the UVB. Once once more, choices are cardinal to the chameleon regulating their own needs.

Humidity: In exercise, humidity is more than of a pocket rather than a progression. Information technology is especially challenging in a screen cage because of all the ventilation.

Exposure: Heat, UVB, and humidity are pretty easy to understand. Permit's step dorsum and accept a look at the exposure gradient. Exposure is how viewable the chameleon is. It is mutual for this to be overlooked in cage design because we are merely thinking about how we want to see our chameleon. Thus, the standard muzzle design today does not incorporate a place for the chameleon to go away from information technology all. They are constantly on brandish. But they, like united states of america, also have a psychological demand to be able to choose how public they are. Regulating exposure is challenging in an all screen cage where the chameleon is suspended in infinite with a 360 caste view. I am going to use live vining plants to accomplish this in my design. And, you lot'll see how the foam volition brand this even more effective.

In practice y'all'll find that even typical extroverts such as Veiled and Panther Chameleons will use these hidden areas at times throughout the day. Quadricornis, montium, deremensis and shyer species will spend most of their fourth dimension in these protected areas. Jacksonii tend to fall somewhere in the middle. But regardless of the species, your chameleon volition have it's own personality and you desire to give it the feeling of security no matter its personal level of gregariousness.

Levels. The second consideration is levels. Chameleons are horizontally perching animals. While y'all will notice them at many orientations, they generally seem most comfy horizontal. Then we will desire to create horizontal levels to their home that are connected with vertical and diagonal branches. I suggest creating at least ii main levels and, even improve, iii. With this cage we volition brand an upper level which will offer the perching area for the highest heat, UVB, and exposure with the lowest humidity. The lower level towards the bottom of the muzzle will take the lowest oestrus and UVB. Both humidity and exposure are created past pockets of something instead of distance away from a certain signal. So I will use the space in the middle portion of the muzzle to create a glen, or retreat, of sorts at the center level. This is an area where I can have advantage of the plant comprehend to increment humidity and requite some psychological comprehend.

Chameleon Cage Setup Stride 1: Arranging the Outer Elements

The start thing yous want to do when setting up a muzzle is to make a programme for how information technology will await. I usually put together a sketch to give me a guideline. Yous want to plan for the post-obit:

Where does the heat lamp become?

What kind of watering system volition I utilize and where does information technology go?

How do I handle overspray and drainage?

Where does the daylight/UVB lighting become?

In my plan I am putting the rut lamp in the back correct corner and the daylight/UVB along the forepart. I exercise this so that my chameleon will be front end-lit giving me a squeamish view. Chameleons lit from the back become silhouettes.  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 bespeak them at the plant groupings once the plants are installed. This will keep most, if not all, of the spray inside the muzzle. Now that nosotros take the exterior figured out, lets go to the inside.

Chameleon Muzzle Setup Step 2: Arranging the Interior Main Elements

To start off with, we install our major muzzle interior elements. These tin can be plants, feeding stations, nest boxes, or any other element appropriate to the species yous are designing for. Then nosotros can create the climbing infrastructure around them. 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. I am specifically keeping the floor clear of any potted plant so that I tin pull the floor in and out for easy cleaning.

Annotation: Do not programme on the screen wall as a suitable climbing or perching surface. Screen has a certain diameter hole and is great for merely a certain size chameleon. Most developed chameleons will not be comfy climbing a screen wall. You'll want to provide enough branch structure that the chameleon will be able to reach anywhere they wish using branches. I recommend various diameter branches to provide a diverseness for the chameleon'south feet to grasp.

In this example, branching will be done using zip ties and hot glue.  Cipher ties are good for structural force while hot mucilage holds items in identify.  If the branch holes of the Dragon Ledges are used, hot glue tin can exist used to ensure that the co-operative stays in identify and the load stays on the Ledges. Artificial vines can be used to hibernate the zip ties if desired.

Branches may be attached in many ways to the Dragon Ledges. They may exist rested on top the Ledge, stuck through the holes, or hung from the Ledge. Dragon Ledges are strong enough to lash large branches for vertically oriented species such as Uroplatus leaf-tailed geckos. Zippo Ties provide an like shooting fish in a barrel way to adhere branches at most any angle.

Branches that are of an advisable diameter may exist placed into the holes in the Dragon Ledge. The branch may be held in identify by a aught tie or by hot glue. As the load is downward, the hot mucilage only need hold the co-operative in against lateral forces. It has more enough forcefulness for this. Be conscientious to remove all backlog strings of hot mucilage. In that location is a bit on top of the Ledge which will need to be cleaned up.

Artificial vines are useful to hide mounting hardware. The left one-half of this picture shows branches mounted using zip ties. The correct one-half shows the same branches with an artificial vine draped over the branch ends.

Chameleon Cage Setup Stride 3: Branching to Create the Different Levels

Branching the Upper Level

The big muzzle that nosotros are working with gives ample room for creating an upper layer. With this boosted freedom, more than than 1 co-operative may exist used. Although we practise not want to clutter the cage, don't leave too much unclimbable cage space.

So now that our major interior elements are installed, let's get to the branching. First, the upper level basking area. The bulk of the species of chameleon or other reptiles/amphibians will appreciate a adventure to warm upward in the morning time. Some are sun lovers and some hide in the shadow, just the important thing is to give them a choice. That choice should not be a 100% on or 100% off and then you'll want to provide a basking branch that leads away from the basking bulb. The chameleon tin regulate their own temperature past the altitude they sit down from the seedling.

In this muzzle, I take planned for the heat lamp to exist in the back right corner – opposite my live constitute.

When you lot are using the Dragon Ledges you tin can easily anchor the branches either by zip ties or hot glue. I am going to be using zero ties and I'll use bogus vines to hide the ties that my cream does not.

In this design I accept a horizontal co-operative across the elevation. Although this is a heat gradient branch, running it under the UVB bulb also allows maximum UVB exposure at any point along that heat gradient.  This same principle is applicative in any size muzzle every bit shown below in the 36″ cage with a typical photogenic Carpet Chameleon.

In a pocket-sized or medium size cage, one main branch ordinarily serves as the upper layer. For size reference, that is an adult male carpeting chameleon (Furcifer lateralis) hiding behind his perching branch.

Branching the Lower Level

For the lower level I utilize horizontal branches and diagonals. This layer offers varying degrees of cover, but its primary purpose is to give your chameleon admission to all areas of the cage.  Gravid females especially will capeesh easy access to the bottom of the cage.  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.  Keeping the lesser of the cage clear removes hiding spaces for feeder insects and allows for easy floor removal and cleaning.

I always have a branch inside the chameleon's reach from the floor.  Screen is not an ideal climbing surface for most adult chameleons.

The lower level is usually simply a branch-manner for a traveling chameleon

Branching and Planting the Middle Layer

The center layer would comprise nigh of the plants and should provide cover for the chameleon.  Here is where yous can best create your exposure gradient.  In this cage example I am using a large pothos to provide drinking surfaces, a hidden glen, a humidity pocket, and enormous artful appeal. The vines will actually provide a great bargain of climbing surface so, in this level, I mainly accept to provide a perching branch subconscious behind the vines.

When mounting plants consider them equally drinking surfaces, climbing objects, artful entreatment, and the ability to create an exposure slope. Hidden under the large leafed vining pothos plant there is a perching branch for the chameleon to get away from it all. The glen is difficult to see from the outside of the muzzle and that is exactly the point!

Mounting a Live Potted Plant in a Screen Cage

Live plants are the centerpiece to any chameleon muzzle that desires to wait natural. Live plants give bonny drinking surfaces and can be used to create humidity pockets and subconscious glens. The problem, in the by, has been the weight of the pot and dirt. Here is where the Dragon Ledges come into play. The Dragon Ledges from Dragon Strand are structural elements which allow weight to be borne by the frame instead of the screen. They have been tested by hanging bricks in a screen cage so you know they will handle a substantial potted plant. They are a retrofit kit for existing screen cages. Nosotros will exist using these Dragon Ledges to mountain a live vining establish on the wall. This gives the chameleon drinking surfaces at whatever level yous cull and allows hiding spaces to be created. For a typical design with Pothos (AKA Devil's Ivy), you volition want to place the plant around the 3 quarters top of the muzzle. This gives an surface area above the plant for a basking layer every bit well equally space for the plant to have caput room space to abound naturally. It also allows an area below the establish to create a visual hiding spot.

Once we determine the spot for our found nosotros must ballast it in. One trick to installing a potted plant is to get ii identical pots. One you volition use for all the mounting and strapping in and the other volition agree the plant. This makes it very easy to plop the potted institute in when ready. Alternatively, you can just shovel the clay and plant in when yous are finished.

Pots and containers for plants are firmly lashed to structurally strong branches using zip ties, hot glue, and galvanized steel wire. Vertical structural support branches extend the anchor capacity of the Dragon Ledges across the entire wall space in an aesthetically pleasing way.

When mounting the pots, remember the dominion of threes. Give three points of ballast. When the plants and dirt go in there will be much more than weight.  With only one or two anchor points the weight of the clay will crusade pivoting and the weight may rest, at to the lowest degree in office, on the screen. This we want to avert. Big sticks lashed to the Dragon Ledges are a convenient way to provide other anchor points in mid-air with the aforementioned force as the Dragon Ledges. I use a combination of nada ties, galvanized steel wire, and hot mucilage to become the pot in identify and facing the correct way.  I suggest angling your trailing vine forward to get a better upshot from the vines and produce the makings of a pocket for the retreat. Other smaller plants can further enclose the retreat area and increase the overall aesthetic appeal. In this muzzle design I will be using the Dandy Stuff foam so I do not have to be every bit careful how my mounting hardware looks as information technology will be covered. The foam volition harden and concur everything in identify.

This pot is anchored in three places. The offset is against the vertical co-operative which gets its strength from being lashed to two side Dragon Ledges. The second point is the back Ledge. The third point is a strong branch strategically placed in front of the pot to guide it at an angle which volition create a pocket of space backside the trailing vines and beneath the pot. A perfect hidden glen to provide an exposure gradient.

If you are not using foam you lot just have to exist a little neater, simply, as you can see in this example done in a smaller 36″ tall cage, this is non a trouble. Once the plant is in place, the blackness zip ties and Dragon Ledges fade into the background and are not distracting.

A front and back view of a institute pot mounted in a screen cage. A pot, identical to the one with the institute, is used to drill holes for zip ties and, if necessary, be hot glued into identify. This pot has three anchor points. The get-go is on the back Dragon Ledge. the second and tertiary are along a vertical branch that is firmly attached to ii side Dragon Ledges. Once the pot is firmly mounted, the pot with the plant may exist slipped easily into place.

Hydration and Drainage

There are two uses for water which you much provide. The commencement is drinking. Placement of plants with respect to the watering arrangement is not an accident. You need water dripping down on the plant leaves and these leaves nearby convenient perching branches. Once the entire cage is together you lot may have to arrange some placements to ensure maximum use of the h2o coming downwards.

The second utilise of water is hygiene. Chameleons demand a expert rain to go on their optics make clean. This is the reason why drippers are not a full solution. If you are using a dripper to provide drinking water you will have to consider a weekly drench in the shower to allow torso cleaning.

In this example, I am using an automated misting system. Droppers will allow the chameleon to drinkable, but volition non give the chameleon the ability to make clean out its eyes. "Misting" will embrace both drinking and hygiene purposes.

The water that goes in the cage will come up out of the cage. You need to plan on where information technology will terminate up. Unless y'all have another drainage tactic planned out, become yourself a drainage tray. It is designed to solve the drainage problem in a simple manner and tin be used anywhere in the house. If you have non yet purchased your cage, I strongly advise you verify that your manufacturer has a drainage tray bachelor or else you will be stuck. Nearly cages come up with a PVC floor that makes cleaning easy, merely it also holds some h2o before it flows into the drainage tray. To avert the pooling of water, drill numerous small holes in the PVC floor and you'll facilitate quick drainage. The h2o will quickly drain into the tray and you tin can remove it using a turkey baster or wet/dry vacuum. In dry climates you can just let evaporation take over.

Chameleon Muzzle Setup: Adding in a Naturalistic Experience

"Swell Stuff" is a make name of a widely available foam which is used in the dwelling improvement sector to fill gaps in walls and such. You stick the nozzle in a pigsty and the foam shoots out and expands to make full the gap. In that location are many versions of Peachy Stuff and they are creamy white except for the Pond and Stone version. This version is twice as much coin, but it is black and fish rubber. That is worth it! If you use the standard version of Great Stuff information technology will look artificial unless you slather information technology with blackness silicone and moss. Your money savings just went out the window with that.  It would be a good idea for y'all to become yourself a can of Great Stuff to do a practice run and see how it comes out.  This actually is something where personal feel means a great deal in making sure your first try is successful.

Use disposable gloves and old dress when working with Cracking Stuff. Learn from the mistakes of your predecessors! It volition stick to skin and clothes and proficient luck getting it out. In that location are solvents you can find, but it is easier to but non get yourself in that position to brainstorm with! Suit up from the beginning. Also note that one time you start a can you will not be able to use the balance of the can because the nozzles volition clog up after starting time utilise.

Cracking Stuff expands. This means that yous can lay downwards a sparse layer of Keen Stuff, merely the adjacent solar day it will be a thick layer. Utilise quickly and confidently. The critical key in all of this is to make sure you become foam in and around the Dragon Ledges. This is what makes this all work! Cream directly on screen will seep through in some places, merely mostly will expand away from the screen. This means that the foam can be peeled away from the screen. Non good. And we don't want the screen to be bearing the load anyways. Simply with the Dragon Ledges embedded in the foam you lot take firmly anchored the entire cream construction to the frame. Information technology will become nowhere!

If you are foaming around mounting pots with a large corporeality of foam and then consider strengthening the pot from the inside equally the foam will place pressure level on the pot. Expanding cream may misshapen the pot making it hard to slide your found pot in.  If this happens y'all will have to just plant the constitute straight in the mounted pot.

This is the cage on its side as the foam is practical around all the pots and mounting hardware. Notation a sparse layer of foam along the side under the master eye Pothos pot. I have covered the unabridged side nether the pot so that my "hidden glen" is enclosed on that side giving information technology a more subconscious feel.

Another planting option with cream is to carve your planter directly out of the foam. This tin can be done for small accent plants. Although the surface of the Great Stuff volition start to harden pretty quickly, requite your Neat Stuff mound a couple days to set before etching out structures. One time information technology is ready, go yourself a knife and carve out a pigsty. Brand a drainage hole, place soil within, insert plant, and you are ready!

Drainage for pots

If you are covering the bottoms of your pots with foam you volition take to provide a method for drainage. You will have to decide on drainage for your pots. I take used two methods with success. The first is imbedding a length of ¼" tubing and letting that exist my drainage, or else I drill a pigsty through the pot and foam and allow the h2o trickle out. Don't worry about the foam. Water will not damage this Peachy Stuff. It is designed for fixing ponds, afterward all.

The Terminate Issue

Maintenance

Your cage is done and your chameleon is happy! What now? Your regular maintenance will be keeping plants watered and trimmed. In a Breeder series cage you can mist the entire cage and the plants will go watered every day, but in the more controlled surroundings of a screen cage you will have to supplement your establish watering on a regular basis. Other than that, periodic trimming will ensure your plants practice not get too large for the muzzle. You may want to include plants other than pothos. Spider plants or Schefflera are other expert candidates. Explore different plants. Yous volition find some plants do cracking and others become stringy due to not enough light. This is only part of finding the right combination. Have the plant out and supersede with some other type until yous observe the ones that piece of work. If yous apply the dual pot method I described before this is an easy process.

Conclusion

In this article we created a very effective cage to house a chameleon. The steps presented tin be used with any enclosure scheme. Just utilise the basics to your called equipment and remember these ii guiding principles.

1) Gradients: Heat, UVB, Humidity, and Exposure

2) Levels: Horizontal perching levels connected with diagonal and vertical climbing elements.

Consider budgeted the cage from the perspective of creating a beautiful environment where the chameleon is but one element. The cage should not only be functional for the chameleon with water, food, and each one of the four gilded gradients. The cage should too be a work of dazzler which you enjoy whether or not the chameleon is in view.

Savour, and have seriously, the privilege of sharing your life with these wonderful mini tree dragons!

Source: https://dragonstrand.com/principles-chameleon-cage-setup/

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