Well, I must agree that the majority of chameleons (as well as most other animals, actually) that come into the hands of the unwitting and unprepared usually fair very poorly indeed. Yes, a chameleon plopped in an aquarium with a dish of water and either no heat lamp or an overaggressive heat lamp from which there is no retreat and allowed to desicate is, well, doomed. But was this death the result of using a more enclosed terrarium? No, it was due to improper husbandry. If the chameleon had been housed in a screen cage the result would have been the same. I can attest that this happens in pet stores all the time. I don't care to recall the number of dying chameleons I've seen in pet stores (that didn't know what they were doing) housed in screen cages.



The design of the cage does not predetermine success or failure, but the design of the cage can certainly help things along, one way or the other.



Consider that many of the chameleons from true rain forests or seasonally wet forests see environmental conditions much like those encountered by dart frogs (Dendrobates spp., Phyllobates spp., etc.). Folks that are very successful with these frogs provide some ventilation and allow some air movement, but largely their terraria are enclosed to hold in humidity. The chances of success with animals like these would be much poorer in screened cages due to an inability to provide appropriate conditions, unless perhaps the cages were in a greenhouse. Many species of prized orchids also grow in these same mountains, and in similar climates. Folks that are serious about growing orchids do so in greenhouses--large, enclosed vivariums, essentially. Yes, for some species of chameleon that are being raised in areas where the ambient conditions are similar to their needs will do just fine in screen cages--the ambient conditions are what they need. Most chameleons, however, are maintained in climates much different from the ones to which they are native--either hotter or colder or wetter or dryer or odd combinations of the above. To provide approrpiate conditions to these animals, screen becomes a handicap, not a crutch. For many chameleons, especially those from wetter habitats, more enclosed vivaria that can hold in the humidity better probably would IMPROVE success for a lot of hobbyists.



As I've pointed out, folks do this in Europe and no one thinks twice about it. Many US hobbyists do this thinking that they are somehow 'getting away' with something, or approaching things in the 'wrong' way. If it's good for Rhampholeon, and Brookesia and all the other fauna found in the same sorts of habitat, why is it wrong for Chameleo or Furcifer or Calumma, etc.? That just doesn't make sense to me.



In terms of providing a proper temperatures gradient--I think you'd be surprised how easy it is to do in a relatiely enclosed cage. I used to work with some monitor lizards and Uromastyx spp. which require the ability to get very hot but also have a cool retreat. With very little effort on my part I was able to easily provide basking sites in the neighborhood of 130 F and cooler temperatures on the other side of the enclosure in the 70's and all in the space of a couple feet. This can easily be accomplished for chameleons as well. Of course, only hot-climate chameleons (Veiled, Oustelet's, Verrucosus, etc.) would need that kind of range. For most species a much more moderate range would be desirable and is easily achievable all in a moderately ventilated enclosure that holds humidity well.



In fact, a major problem with screen cages is that many reptiles often cannot maintain their temperature sufficienty. It is, to them, "cold" everywhere but under their basking lamp so they bask, and bask, and bask and get ever closer until they burn themselves because if they dare venture away from that bulb they quickly lose heat and fall to an unacceptable operating temp. More enclosed vivaria allow a more gradual temp. gradient so that the animals do not have to make the choice of "hot and burning" or "too cold" and instead can behaviorally thermoregulate as they are designed to.



I really truly believe that we are all doing ourselves and new hobbyists a disservice by telling them and ourselves that screen cages are or should be "the standard" for housing chameleons (or anything else for that matter). Screen cages can be hugely advantageous in the right application, or utterly detrimental with the wrong application. Of course, this is never discussed. We are simply told and tell each other that chameleons should be kept in screen cages because, well, we've all been saying it for so long it's hard to start rethinking things now....



Perhaps we should start rethinking.



Best,



Chris

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