Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys,
New to the forum. At the september reptile show here in NY, I purchased an adult, WC Meller's Chameleon. I know this is a bad idea, but this specimen had already been in captivity for 3 months, given doses of pancur and other medication, and had been acclimated to captivity, so I figured I'd take advantage. It's current set up is too small, so I'm going to upgrade. However, I need your help. I have two options: convert an old closet into an enclosure, or make a larger, more elaborate enclosure where the current one is (see photos). The closet would be easier, especially when it comes to watering/humidity, but I'm afraid there won't be enough air flow. I also have the option of expanding the closet enclosure to the end of the door, which may provide more circulation. What do you think is best? Thanks

Here's a site with good information on Meller's chameleons...
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/index.html

If you look through this site you will find information on cage building and lots of good husbandry information and a link to a forum for those interestedf in Melleri too. Kristina Lucas Francis has been quite successful at keeping these chameleons.

I would opt for the closet and I would extend it to the end of the door. Melleri (especially wc who were not raised in a confined space) often do better in semi-free range habitats than in cages, and unless you plan to build a really HUGE one (8'x8') the closet might be easier. You can always install a pc fan on the doorframe for air circulation. You'll need intensive lighting for live trees, but you can use banks of "used" ReptiSuns in addition to the basking spot and UV for that. On the melleri discovery website there are examples of free range setups too.

Be warned: a wc adult who has been in captivity for 3 months is hardly over the hurdles. They often crash at about 3 months as the accumulated stress and previous poor treatment catch up with them. They often have kidney problems from chronic dehydration and can be very heavily parasitized. Panacur can deal with intestinal bugs, but melleri are also prone to microfilarial infections which will need bloodwork to detect. Don't assume the Panacur got rid of much. Do periodic fecal exams to catch other cycles of parasites. Also have a vet do a blood exam so you know what's present. Not all melleri crash. Two of the 3 melleri I've had were very stable and healthy from day one. There is a melleri keeping forum on Yahoo! you should introduce yourself to, as it is a great source of current accurate info. It's a very friendly dedicated group!