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'Open Air' enclosure idea?

sonofgaladriel Feb 23, 2007 03:03 PM

'Open Air' enclosures? Anyone else using this? Not truly a 'free range' set up as they are actually confined to a smaller space than a full size room, but similar.
'Open Air' as in 'no' screen or glass sides, back, or front. Just a non climbable 'wall' around the perimeter of the enclosure.
I'm contemplating something like this for a harem of quadricornis.
The perimeter wall will be made from 1/4" glass which will sit on a same size, formica topped, cabinet that I'll fabricate to hide the drip basins and humidifier. I'll build a 'floating' canopy (suspended from the ceiling by wires) over the top to house the lights and the misting system. This canopy and all cords will be out of reach of the chameleons but close enough for the heat from the lights to be affective.
I'm thinking that if I do this right, there will be no way for them to get out and it will provide 100% unubstructed viewing. The perimeter will be large enough that even if the chameleons should 'fall' out of their basking tree, they will still land within the 'wall'. I think this will go near a North/East facing window for some natural indirect sunlight as well.
A glass perimeter should keep them and any loose feeder insects inside the enclosure since most can't climb smooth glass.
Thoughts?

Replies (4)

Carlton Feb 26, 2007 12:08 PM

I can think or a couple of things that might not work like you want. One is the humidifier. If it is located below the canopy of branches where the chams will be spending most of their time, the humid air may not reach them due to its higher weight. Especially if it is an ultrasonic type. The fog it produces will hug the ground being heavier than air. The cage fogger setups most of us use have the mist pour down from above so it can saturate the cage air as it falls and condense on foliage surfaces which also holds the humidity much longer. Also, make sure your perimeter walls are taller than the chams can reach. As they don't understand glass barriers they may spend more time pawing at it or trying to get through it to other tall places in the room that attract them (sometimes for no reasons clear to a human). The glass may also create reflections of "rivals" and cause some stress even if the chams are above it. Depending on the angle of the lighting you may have problems with this.

sonofgaladriel Feb 26, 2007 04:35 PM

Thanks Carlton for the advice.
The humidifier will feed a network of PVC plumbed up through the bottom of the enclosure that will extend upwards into the trees themselves. These pcv extensions will be painted dark green or brown and covered with mosses so that they blend in with the tree trunks. I'm hoping that this will carry the 'mist' up into the branches and let it settle as you described, similar to the other set ups I have seen where the mist is brought into the cage top. I should have explained this in more detail but I was lazy with my first post and didn't go into alot of detail as to how this entire set up will be fabricated.
Since my lighting will be about 6 to 8 feet higher than the 18" tall glass perimeter, I doubt that any reflections will occur that will cause any strife with the quads.
Good points to be sure and thanks for mentioning them!
I have started the build on this enclosure and may post some pics here when its finished.

Longhorn627 Feb 26, 2007 05:26 PM

Sounds like a pretty cool idea, good luck with it. Would love to see some photos upon completion.
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0.1 Veiled Chameleon (Lola)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Cleo)
1.0 Great Dane (Hercules)

sonofgaladriel Feb 26, 2007 07:23 PM

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