Free range near pool?

I am in the process of moving to a new place and I am going to set up some free range area on the pool deck. Should I have any concern with the pool itself causing an issue? I would imagine the would stay away from it but if they were to fall in I dont think they would be able to get out.

I would keep it as far away from the pool as possible. Definitely dont have it overhanging the pool. But if they fell in......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlCNPHYJRM0

I have seen this video before so I guess they can swim if they had to.
Definitely would not have it overhang the water though. My only concern is that if one of them did end up in the pool is that it would have a hard time getting out.

I was goin to long the same vid when I saw the thread haha ^^

maybe you shoudl set up little chameleon stairs or floaties or something, just in case.

I wouldn't take the chance. When i used to go to my Family's summer home, i would always find animals (cottontails, mice,garter snakes, chipmunks, etc) in the pool that could not get out . Usually holding on for their lives to the filter or dead.

Do you have the funds to consider building a "walk-in" large enclosure? This way they would be inclosed , yet out in the open.

JonRich said:

I wouldn't take the chance. When i used to go to my Family's summer home, i would always find animals (cottontails, mice,garter snakes, chipmunks, etc) in the pool that could not get out . Usually holding on for their lives to the filter or dead.

Do you have the funds to consider building a "walk-in" large enclosure? This way they would be inclosed , yet out in the open.

Click to expand...

You could use pvc pipe.
its cheap and yu can make it asbig as yuo want.

Sigh.. just realized how bad this stuff is getting to me.. I realized I'd be looking for a house with a sunroom specifically for my chameleons hahaha. Sadly that would probably not work in this economy, but a girl can try. Or rob a bank.
To the OP, you can get really cheap rolls of screen from Lowes.

I've got this big giant screen cage now I don't want to build something else. I'll just maybe cham proof the free range area off away from the rest. One of the selling points for me was the pool enclosure so that I could keep my guys outside more often.

Why not make a little fence out of clear acylic, for example? Something just tall enough where they can't climb over (like a foot tall?) that creates a barrier they can't get through. But since it's clear it won't look obtrusive. You can even let a couple crickets go in the FR and if they fall to the ground they won't be able to get away either.

Just an idea!

I don't know what your area is like but mine is filled with LARGE hawks and they will eat your chameleon. Unless you plan on sitting out there every minute with your chameleon, then a free range is not what you want to do. I was even sitting with my cham right next to his free range tree and a hawk swooped in to grab him. True story!!! you have to think of every little thing believe me!

Once spring hits, how many times do we see threads from panicked owners about losing their chameleons off outside free ranges never to be seen again. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard “I just turned my back for a second and he was gone” and “my Veiled was eaten by a bird/cat/wild animal” in the last 20+ years. Maybe I’m misreading your original question but outside in an animal proof/escape proof cage is perfectly fine and quite beneficial for chameleons but an outside free range should not be an option.

If he is going to be watch by yourself the whole time, an 18 inch barrier is needed. Cages are best though. You might be surprised at how bold birds can be when they get hungry. One quick swoop and the lizard is gone forever!

It's a screened in pool cage. I don't think I have to worry about any birds or anything else for that matter really. Sure there might be the occasional critter that sneaks in past Tue door or something but its a pool cage. My only concern was the pool itself really lol

BugCatcher said:

It's a screened in pool cage. I don't think I have to worry about any birds or anything else for that matter really. Sure there might be the occasional critter that sneaks in past Tue door or something but its a pool cage. My only concern was the pool itself really lol

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Whats a pool cage? I am invisioning a cage floating in the water on a life preserver...

It's a big screen cage attached to the house the covers the pool and surrounding area. Think big giant chameleon cage. 40' x 30' x 15'

Oh, a screened in room. Ok. That makes more sense. I wouldnt leave a chameleon unnattended near a pool though.

Great that you have the screened pool area. I have in inrground pool and I don't let any of my pets around it without me being there... I just don't want to take a chance that they can't get back out. JMO

Olimpia said:

Why not make a little fence out of clear acylic, for example? Something just tall enough where they can't climb over (like a foot tall?) that creates a barrier they can't get through. But since it's clear it won't look obtrusive. You can even let a couple crickets go in the FR and if they fall to the ground they won't be able to get away either.

Just an idea!

Click to expand...

This sounds like a nice idea especially since the pool is in a screened area were no predictors could get to them.

In the case that one of the chams do make it into the pool I was thinking if putting something around the edge in various spots that way they would be able to get themselves out.

Also, as you guys have already suggested, I was thinking of a way to barricade the free range area so they shouldn't be able to make it to the pool. I have some ideas in my head with some giant planting pots with one or two trees per and maybe 2 pots pre free range area. I could section it off per say, so that the cham should never be able to make it to the ground.

For the girls I was thinking of burrying a bucket into the pot for their laying bin. That way its isolated if I do need to remove it and the surrounding top soil i can cover with river rock

I plan on having at least 4 free range areas set up for the chams. Possibly more if the space allows. It would be nice to be able to free range all of them at the same time.