I'm not going to reply to the first part of your post....I need to give it more thought before I comment.



But...concerning people saying that there is a requirement that chameleons be housed in screened cages...(obviously, people who live in places like Florida and California who have no air conditioning or keep their chameleons outside would use screened cages...but) for those of us who live in northerly climates, it doesn't always make sense. I have known people who make the screen cages work well...so I'm not saying that it can't be done....but glass or partially glass cages can work too.



You said..."When I maintained and bred Veiled I housed them in screened cages at first, as it was common knowledge that this was the "proper" way to maintain them"...when I first started keeping chameleons about 20 years ago, there were no screen cages so we used glass ones with screen lids....or even some with (almost)solid lids. My chameleons lived quite well in these cages....many of them for longer than it was expected they could live at that time.



Screen cages didn't make sense to me to be used in northern climates when they did come out...the humidity was hard to maintain (as you said) without ruining my house and the chameleon spent most of its time under the basking light trying to keep warm. I would hear of many who covered several sides of the cage with plastic to keep the humidity in...not much different than having glass sides, IMHO....except that it could be removed for the summer months.



You said..."I eventually started to use mostly-enclosed glass aquariums for neonatees during the colder months (indoor heating) and found much better success"...I still haven't switched from using aquariums with screen lids for neonates.



You said..."It is not at all uncommon to house chameleons in Europe in mostly enclosed glass terraria"...another fact that I have mentioned many times to those who think screen is the only option.



You said.."sufficient air exchange and movement is necessary to maintain healthy conditions"...I'm sure that there needs to be some airflow...but its also a case of not allowing bacteria or fungus to build up that is more important. I place the basking light on one side of the cage...to me this should create some airflow....after all, hot air rises. I have never had a problem with either when using glass cages....I have never had a chameleon develop a respiratory infection either.



The cages I have used for adult arboreal chameleons for the last few years have the lid and front screen...and they seem to do well. I have kept veileds, deremensis, C. chamaeleons, dwarf Jackson's, Fischer's, etc....even R. brevicaudatus like this....and they seem to do well.



Just my 2 cents worth.....

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