Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering, i am going to be building a bigger cage here soon and was wondering if having real or fake plants makes a different in how well the cage stays clean. Also,i'm trying to think of a good tall plant to put in there, that wouldn't be too hard to find. Any recommendations? I got a decent sized ficus, but i'm thinking i'm just going to keep that for Kingsley to have something to chill on when i take him out. Oh, and he's a veiled.

I used to have a tall ficus that I liked to keep out of the cage for Dexter to chill on when I took him out also.

A ficus tree would be an easy plant to find to put in a tall cage. You could also try getting a ficus hybrid...which is basically a ficus tree in bush form. Schefflera is also good but sometimes it is hard to find ones taller than 3 ft.

The only difference in cleaning with real vs fake plants is real plants you can pull the leaf of if there is a big mess on it.

I like a combonation of real and fake plants. I have a ficus hybrid and schefflera in my 4x2x2 cage with a fake plant that I use as a vine and string it around the branches.

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1.0 Sunburst Veiled Chameleon -- Dexter
1 year old

I use Scheffelera. If you have the correct UVB lighting (the Repitsun bulb 5.0 or 10.0) you do not lose alot of leaves like the ficus. I put in my larger cages, four or five plants, not just one. The chams seem to be happier with more folliage and I always love it when people come right up the cage and cannot see them...and then when you show them..they are usuall right in front of their noses. It also (IMHO) gives them a feeling a security with all the plants, because they are not always on "display" and can hide if they wish. I also use alot of the reptile vines you can by so there are intricate pathways through the folliage. It makes for a beautiful looking setup, rather like a jungle terrarium...

Forgetting the controversy that went on below (I'm not one to hold grudges) I'd go with live plants. There's so many positive variable involved with them. Of course, you don't have to water fake plants...

Michele

Yeah, i was figuring i'd probably get real ones no matter what. And when you think about it you really don't need to worry about watering them anyways with how much they'll get sprayed and dripped on all day. That worries me that they might get too much water though. That's just something ill have to deal with though. I was thinking it might keep your cage cleaner since the water that runs off the crap covered leafs will go into teh soil in the plant container instead of just on the bark covered ground which wouldn't do much to soak it up. I'll prob just use all the fake vines i have now to just cover the sides container its in.

I seem to have a lot of problems with my plants getting flooded, so I put together a simple drainage system that allows water to drip away from the plants, yet allows the chameleon to have full access to the water.

Yeah, Vines are a good way to provide a chameleon with more places to climb on. If you have enough spread along the side of the enclosure, it's also a good way to maintain high humidity.

Michele

Real plants are necessary in my opinion. They give the chameleon a sense of security. Fake plants are also very nice too because they are easier to manipulate around branches and such to make it look like the jungle. I use both.

-Adam.
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Email Me!

...for babies. I find them much easier for babies than real plants. No dirt, no bugs, not mess. Easy to clean, etc.

I've pretty much stopped using fake plants on my adult cages. they work very well, but I just got sick of seeing fake plants. Personal preference.

"use plastic plants only if you have plastic chameleons."
I think LeBerre said that in his book. It doesnt' make an sense as a reason. It's not backed up by facts, at all. Platic plants are not dangerous unless your chameleon eats them - which does happen. I've opened up a female calyptratus that had ingested the cheap silk-ish plants that vendors use at shows. Sure, the material doesnt' tear like plastic does, but the material breaks free from the stem very easily.

For adult veileds, and melleri, fake plants are not a great idea, due to their tendancy to eat plant mattter.

Want authenticity?

http://www.out-of-africa-plants.com/

I have not ordered from them yet -but Josh MEase of th eCRG has reccomended them to me. Why use ficus sp. and Sheffelera sp. when you can get the actual plant the animals live on in the wild!

Josh told me that I could tell them which species I have, and where it's from, and they could get me the plant/tree/shrub/vine they are commonly found on in the wild - most of the times. He's workign on putting together a list of the species they are most likely found on, and that'll help.

Real ones are very easy to mainatian in a chameleon cage. Chams need good lighting and so do plants. Chams nees good watering and so do plants. The combined pros of both make it super easy to mainatain plants. I hardly even have to do anything for the plants!

As for what plants to use, i will put my vote in for hibiscus. They are great! VERY healthy for the chameleon, if he eats any and a quick grower. They are also attractive and grow sturdy branches on them. They also bloom very easily and the large flowers are a great treat as well as a nice decoration. Of course they might need a plant growth bulb, but they are definately a leader on my list of plants.

I personally hate ficus and avoid them whenver possible. Only little chams need them, other then that hte branches are too flimsy and the foliage is too thin. Ficua ali is a great ficus to work with becasue it grows sturdy branches. BUT it still doesn't grow dense enough foliage. Jade plants, hanging pothos, and Citrus tree's are also great plants. Use variety because it looks better then a group of the same plants.

Fake plants rarely even come close to making the cage look well. Plastice plants are dangerous and can cause an impaction if your cham was to rip a leaf of and eat it. Silks are more safe, but still, real ones are MUCB better....

Good luck!
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Eric

I fight for the unconventional
My right, and its unconditional
I can only, be as real as i can
The disadvantage is
I never knew the plan
This isnt the way just to be a martyr
I cant, walk alone any longer
I fight, for the ones that cant fight
And if I lose, at least I tried....
(Slipknotulse of the Maggots)

I had a hibiscus in for my first chameleon and she ate it too fast, but it was fairly small and she was fairly big.

Real plants. Hanging Pothos.

I find these are essential.
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CANADIAN CHAMELEONS