Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello there,
I am thinking of creative ways to display my chameleon. It is a leaf pygmy . I was thinking of hanging a large plant with added branches from the cieling and letting it go in there. My house stays at 82 24/7 (so cal) and i would mist like usual twice a day. Has anyone tried this or something similiar? Please let me know. Thanks,

Hey,
Its funny that you should mention this because i was getting on right now to kinda talk about the same thing.

In a bit of a whoops, that was dumb i flooded charlies cage. So i took him and his plants out and set them up by a window with the heat and uvb bulbs nearby. I set up a deep dish for food and have been misting the plants. My house is air conditioned to 77.

So far it hasnt been working real well, but it think that has more to do with charlie more than the setup. some things work for some chams and some dont. Charlie happens to be very mobile.

So he sits and soaks up some heat and than goes for a run around the room. When i find him again, i put him back on his tree and the process begins again. Charlie happens to be very docile as well, so he doesnt mind being picked up. It is just kinda funny to be trying to clean out his cage in another room, come back to check on him, and find him climbing the furnature. I am going to have to keep him here like this overnight... the cage is really a mess.

I know there are mixed reactions to this around the chameleon world. I dont have any other pets. The only people in the house are my fience and i. the temperatures are correct. charlie doesnt seem too stressed about it.

What does everyone think?????

Jeff

What species of leaf chameleon? I can't see how you would let a maximum 5" chameleon freerange in your house... Also, a constant 82, is too high for most pygmy species.
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CANADIAN SILKWORMS

R. brevicadautus

I dont think freerange is the right word. It would be limited to a medium to large ficus tree with a good base. From what i read 80 degrees is a good temp for them. My house will drop down to 76-78 at night.

I don't think this would be a good idea for a pygmy or leaf species. They spend a lot of their time on the ground and are very difficult to keep track of. I would always be worried about stepping on it. The plant may not provide enough cover for such a shy cham and it may roam a lot looking for more secluded spots. Also, the humidity level in the room may not be stable enough for it. The bigger arboreal species would do better in a free range setup as they would naturally prefer to be higher in a plant.

Leaf chameleons are just too small for any sort of cageless idea to work effectively. They adapt well to a caged lifestyle and should do well in that enviornment (provided they are feeding well and some what parastie free).

If you are interested in a free range chameleon, from what i have heard, panthers are a great choice for this one.....

Do some reading and come back with some of your ideas.......we are here to help ya!

Keep it real!
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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)

Thanks guys,

This is exactly what i wanted to know!

I believe to remain healthy, they need a minimum of a 10 degree drop between day and evening temps. Their humidity requirements are pretty tight also. Unless you planned to direct an ultrasonic humidifier on the tree 24/7, I would think you'd have difficulty meeting their humidity requirements. I plan to try free-ranging my Panther this winter and have been researching various sites on how to accomplish it. As always, water drainage is always the issue at my house, but there's quite a bit of difference in finding my Panther and find my Brevs. Diane
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago
Valentino, Veiled Chameleon
Chyam, Nosy Be Panther Chameleon

If you choose to try this, I would suggest a diet of primaily silkworms. My brevs love them.
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CANADIAN SILKWORMS