Posted by:
sandrachameleon
at Fri Jul 20 01:34:11 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by sandrachameleon ]
Most of my enclosures are thus:
Two sides, one side and the back, or all three: peg board, painted with non-toxic, semi gloss, arcylic latex paint. These almost solid sides ensure that the chams housed side-by-side dont see each other. Humidty in the Winter is difficult to maintain high here, so having semi-solid sides helps a little. But of course peg board is full of regular holes, and that ensures some airflow. It is also very easy to afix branches and such to the interior with a little wire and the wire ends are never inside the cage so no risk of injury.
In some cages I use peg board on the top half and solid wood (locally milled and chemical free) on the bottom half - thinking that the free roaming food wouldnt escape as easily.
The back or one side not peg board is coated wire, like in a quality bird cage.
The top is either same coated wire or a stainless steel mesh (half inch spaces) or hardware cloth. It depends on the chameleon - those inclined to hang upside down and transverse the ceiling do not get the hardware cloth. The gaps in the wire are plenty big enough for the majority of light to get in, and the drinking water obviously comes in from the top as well.
Floors are either solid wood (painted) with a large bowl to catch drips and a towel to catch splash. Or they are coated wire with the drip catch underneath. The solid floors are better for the females, as I then can put large nesting box (size of the floor and a foot and a half heigh) in, and leave it in for quite awhile so that I dont have to move the chams out to lay. The nesting box has a lid so poop and such doesnt get in it when it's not in use. I slide the whole box out, with the help of a strong man, to dig up eggs and cleanreplace the medium (primarily sand).
Fronts are either acrylic or coated wire - sometimes both (wire inside that they can climb, with acrylic afixed to outside - which helps keeps humidity in a little).
Other enclosures are all wire.
It really depends what I had available for materials and cash at the time I was constructing 
Some have fake plants, some have live plants.
Doubt this helps much. You'll find there are better descriptions and even diagrams on the web. And there are cages one can order custom.
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Sandra
BC Canada
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RE: Enclosure & Lighting Compare/Suggest - sandrachameleon, Fri Jul 20 01:34:11 2007