Medium to Large Cage Set-up

This size-group of cages would account for anything smaller than a walk-in size.

A well established tree with thick branches will provide sturdy walk ways for your chameleon.  It is easier to buy a shefflera or ficus that is too big and trim it to fit, than it is to wait for one to grow big enough.

Both shefflera and ficus are flexible so if you're careful, they can be manipulated into creating perches or providing support for tree cuttings that can be attached with zip ties.

Shown here is a cage that is 2 feet wide x 2 feet deep x 4 feet tall.  It sits on a rack about 2 feet off the ground.  Chameleons find security in perches that are set above a person's head.  So if you can manage to give your chameleon at least one perch that is above your eyesight, your chameleon will appreciate it. 

Large Cage Set-up . . .

Baby Cages

Separating babies into their own enclosures allows you to monitor them individually and minimizes aggression towards one another.

The rack shown at the right is set on large rubber casters that allow it to be moved in and out of the sun.  Large plastic containers on the top serve as drippers.

Butterfly cages are excellent for many reasons. 

• very lightweight
• easy to clean
• easy to monitor chameleon with clear front.
• keeps tiny feeders in
• keeps most ants out
• stores flat when not in use

You can find these cages at: www.livemonarch.com

Lighting

Please read this Special Report before you purchase lighting.

We feed our chameleons crickets, superworms, houseflies, cockroaches, butterworms, fruitflies, silkworms and sometimes moths.  The only feeders that we are breeding on our own at this time are fruit flies and cockroaches. 

Recipe for Fruit Fly cultures:

You will need:

one dozen 32 oz delicups with ventilated lids
Coffee filters
Paper Towels

Ingredients:
16 oz Box rice baby cereal
2 Cups oatmeal
32 oz bottle white vinegar
4-1/2 Teaspoons of active dry yeast (2 packages)
1/2 Cup honey
1/4 Cup bee pollen
1 Tablespoon spirulina

The above measurements do not need to be exact.  Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Divide mixture into delicups.  Push a crumpled up paper towel (1/2 sheet) down into the mixture then insert one or two coffee filters into the mixture.  The fruit flies climb onto the coffee filters so don't push them too far down.  Add 25 or more fruit flies into each container and cover with ventilated lids.  Store at 75F to 80F temps and you will see new flies in about two weeks.

You can also find some other recipes and ideas at Doyle's Dart Den.

Fruit Fly Cultures by Marty of MistKing

PRUNING THE FICUS

When you are shopping around for a new Ficus, look for one that is larger than the cage it will go in.  You will need to thin out the tree so having a much bigger tree to start off with will result in a much nicer looking plant that is a better fit for the cage.

Ficus will bleed a white milky sap when pruned.  Before trimming a Ficus, it is a good idea to remove the chameleon.  After the pruning is complete, rinse the Ficus well.  Once the tree has stopped producing sap, the chameleon can be placed back inside.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Scale insects are often a problem but do not use any pesticides.  The best way to deal with this is to remove the scale insects when you see them. 

POTTING A FICUS

Purchase a new pot that will fit well in your cage.  If you can find a bonsai style pot or a shallow terracotta azalea or fern pot, these would work well.  I prefer to use the shallow pots because they weigh less, are easier to move around and look really cool when planted with moss or other ground cover.  Bonsai methods allow for better water drainage preventing the soil and roots from rotting.

For cages inhabited by male chameleons or live bearing females, I use pots that are about the size of the original root ball or a little smaller.  If the plant is going to be used for an egg laying female, go with a deeper pot.  With a minimum of 1 gallon size ficus or larger, these are the steps I take:

1. Remove the plant from the nursery pot; shake out any loose soil using a bonsai rake or similar garden tool.
2. Remove the lower half of the root ball carefully, leaving a fairly good amount of the thin roots to spread horizontally.  Do not remove too much.
3. Place a small piece of newspaper over the pot hole and layer about a handful of soil (50/50 organic soil and sand) over the newspaper to hold it in place.
4. Position the root ball in the pot so that only the very top of the root ball is just above the rim of the pot.  Make sure you like the orientation of the plant in the pot turning it until it looks right to you.
5. Fill the pot in soil working it down into the roots using a chopstick or similar tool.  Eventually the soil will hold the tree.  Keep working the soil into the pot by poking a hole into various places in the soil and pressing new soil into it. (Please note:  If this is for a female egg layer and you have a larger pot, leave the back half of the pot loosely packed.  There must be good drainage in this pot.)
6. It is a good idea to cover the soil of your potted plant so your chameleon doesn't ingest particles or soil while eating feeders.  In this pot, live moss has been planted to cover the soil.  It can be purchased from vivarium supplies (Dewey & Dewey Reptile Supply or www.blackjungle.com).  You can also place stones over the top to keep your chameleon from eating the soil.   

...still working on this page and will be adding to it as time permits.