Chameleon Cage questions

[K1LOS]

Hi everyone, Hopefully you can help me with the construction of a chameleon cage. I am looking into buying a Nosy Be Blue panther, and would like to build a cage for it. If anyone has plans for their cages that i could use i would really appreciate it. I am not the most handy of men!


These are requirements i must consider when building, if you have solutions to any of these please let me know. Tell me what you have done to solve these issues yourselves.

1) I want to build it large enough to house it as an adult, as i don't want to have to build 2 cages. What size do you recommend for a single full grown panther?

2) The cage has to be cricket proof, or maybe someone can explain these cricket dishes to me. I keep reading about dish feeding, and i'm not following you all on what sort of dish you are using? The only thing i could think of was a stainless steel water dish for a large dog, is that the type of thing you are all using? I would think the walls of that sort of dish wouldn't be high enough to keep them in though. Even with the dish, i think the ladies of the house would be a little more comfortable if the cage was cricket proof. How do you suppose i have a screen cage that is cricket proof, yet the screen isn't so tight the cham won't break off nails in it? At the same time i'd like to be able to see in to the cage!

3) I understand the wood framing would need to be able to resist high humidities, so how are you all sealing the wood for protection? what are using that wouldn't be toxic to the chams? Are there alternatives to wood?

4) The cage has to be fairly low cost, being xmas time i don't have too much money to go around.

5) I would prefer if the cage looked reasonably good. It is not of the utmost importance, but it will be where people can see it. I don't want to be embarrased of my cage!

6) i guess i would need some sort of removable tray to catch the water from the dripper. How do you accomplish this?

Well these are all of the questions i have that i can think of at the moment. If you have any solutions to these, or more things to consider before construction please help me out. Thanks for all the help, i know i basically just asked you to design my cage for me, but i am not the most creative person either! Thanks alot

Geoff

[Zoe]

1) 3H x 2 x 2

2) If you want to let the crickets run free but have them not escape, you'll need to use small wire mesh. It really diminishes the room that the chameleons have to walk, though, as they can't grasp the sides. You can also get those plastic reptarium (??) dealies... they are black,cricket proof, and decently priced.
Dish feeding, if you're feeding crickets (as opposed to mealworms or silkworms which can be kept in a relatively shallow dish) you can use those big icecream tubs. The crickets can't get out of there. Put a piece of egg carton and some food for them, and the chameleon will eat when its hungry. I prefer dish feeding because they never escape, they don't crawl on the chameleon and bug it, the chameleon doesn't have trouble catching the food, and it's just easier to add food and see how much the cham is eating.

3) You can use hardwood or just go with particle board that has been sealed with a water based sealent. Avoid woods like cedar and pine, as the fumes are toxic (mostly with cedar)

4) Define low cost? If you have 100-150$ to spend, you may just want to go with a reptarium, they sell them at petsmart and you can get a good sized one for that price. You could build one for 70-150$, depending on materials, but don't forget the time involved.

5) The reptariums are classy looking, but either way, as long as you dress up the inside with plants, maybe a water fountain, etc, it will look great! Just try and avoid making terribly crooked cages :D

6) Well, you either buy or make a dripper, and "aim" it over a particular leaf and watch where the water drips. Just place a dish there to catch the water. Or you can buy an 8$ water pump spray thing from home depot, and just spray for 5-10 minutes a day, and they'll drink that.

Good luck!

[K1LOS]

in regards to "low cost" i'm thinking some where from 0-$150.

anybody else have anything to say? Thank you

Geoff

[Trace]

anybody else have anything to say?

LMAO! I always have something to say when it comes to chameleons.

1: 2x2x4

2: PetScreen and aluminium screen are cricket proof and both can be bought at your local Home Despot or other large hardware store. Avoid fiberglass screening as this type breaks down over time and produces little shards that the chameleon may get imbeded in his feet. Reptariums are not cricket proof. I DO NOT cup feed my chameleons as I believe they enjoy the thrill of the hunt for bugs and, although this isn't proven by any stretch, I think they get a "lazy tongue" syndrome when constantly being cup or bowl fed.

3: I'm at a loss here as I don't build my own cages. You say you aren't handy, well you haven't met me yet! Someone will answer this question for you. Collide? CharmParadise?

6: Set the cage over a large catch pan that just needs to be emptied on a daily basis. Tip your cage ever so slightly so that the water runs out of one corner and into a catch basin. Use gravity to your advantage.

Cheers!

Trace