Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 1 year old veiled chameleon and need to make a new cage.I was thinking on a pretty big cage, like 24" deep, 36"wideand 60" high.

For plants on the walls i'm going to use photos and spyder plants.
For the floor ones i'm going to use hibiscus and fucos plants.
Subteraine is going to be carpet.
I'll have vines and branches all over too.

Should i use a fogger and/or a watterfall?
And for lights and heat pads what should i use.

Tell me what you guys think and what i should modify

I'm not a fan of waterfalls. I worry about how clean they can be kept. A dripper IMHO would be a better choice. That's not to say that misting or fogging shouldn't be done too. Chameleons need to be well hydrated....but not put in a situation where mold and bacteria can build up.

I don't know if spider plants are toxic or not and since veileds will eat vegetation its something that you need to be careful of. The plants should be well washed (both sides of the leaves) and if you leave the soil exposed, a veiled might very well eat it. Depending on the type of soil, it could cause an impaction. Pothos is safe for veileds to eat..mine have done if for years now with no ill effects.

As for the carpet...with high humidity, it might be a breeding ground for germs....and IMHO carpet is also hard to keep clean.
Using any soil or bark or chip substrate is not safe IMHO either.

You said..."for lights and heat pads what should i use"...what do you need heat pads for? Chameleons can easily go down to room temperature (high 60's) at night and its always been said to be good for them...and they are arboreal so they are unlikely to go and sit on a heating pad anyway. For lighting, they need a UV source (that is not through glass or plastic) that they can get within a foot or so of, and an incandescent light can be used as a basking source. They should not be able to get close enough to this light to burn themselves. The basking spot should be in the high 80's F. to high 90's for a veiled. The cage should have a gradient in temperatures...basking area hot and other areas of the cage cooler...so that the chameleon can move around to regulate its body temperature. If you live in an area where the chameleon can be outside, direct sunlight (not through plastic or glass) is always beneficial.

These are just my opinions. Others may have different ideas.
You have your work cut out for you!

I understand people want to build a mansion for their animals but it doesn't need that.
Simply build a cage 4X2X2 or what ever size you want. Place some ficus or pothos or what ever plant they can use inside with various thickness (better for their feet). Place lights on top with temp gradient. Set up a mister or mist by hand at least 3 times a day.
That's all they need to thrive.
The waterfall is for you not the chameleon. He won't see one in the wild so what benifit does it give him?
Remember about the chameleons needs not yours.
Enjoy,
Joel

Spider plants are highly toxic so use something like Pothos instead, again another highly toxic plant but not for Chameleons. For any plants that you use make sure you thoroughly rinse them down and let them sit for two weeks after that. I would not go with a fogger, I know of a Quadricornis (Four Horned Chameleon) that was electrocuted by his fogger, plus they usually don't work very well. The waterfall also is a source of contamination as they are very difficult to keep clean. For Chameleons, a misting system or lots of spraying is best. Overall, the cage you are designing isn't really a great cage for a Chameleon. It is more of a terrarium better suited for animals that thrive inside a tank. It would be a great cage for some of the Gecko species (Tokays, Uroplatus, Phelsuma,...) that climb but not for Chameleons. Chameleons always do best inside an all screen cage or a reptarium. I would go that route instead with live plants and some fake vines strung across the top of the cage. Good Luck, Chaco

I agree w/the other posts. 5' tall seems like overkill to me. Check out some of the successful breeders and you'll find very spartan cages that require little maintenance. Alot of what you propose is for the benefit of the keeper/viewer and is unneccessary for the well being of your Veiled.

Pothos, Schleffera and other sturdy plants as well as alot of small diameter dowells positioned horizontally and vertically are all you need.

Billy