Outside cages

We are currently building outside cages for our chameleons. This is a work in progress so ideas would be appreciated.

These are female cages:

Materials, PVC pipes. 2 foot & 3 foot pieces:


A bunch of each kind of these elbows:


This plastic poultry netting, 3' X 25' black or green, we got green


and zip ties. Lots and lots of zip ties!!!


This set up makes 4 female cages, there's no tubing along
the front bottom because we don't know how we're going
to do the bottoms or the doors and this will make for easier cleanups.



Here's where the zip ties come into play, Zip tie the netting
all the way around the sides and backs. (That's one piece of netting)





So, here's where we are so far. We'd love some suggestions
and comments on what you think.
And how about some ideas on how to do the door. Should we
make just one big door, 2 doors, or a single door for each cage?

Also, we are going to fit pieces of polystyrene in the middle of
each cage so that the females won't be able to see each other.
I use it already for in between the inside cages. I'll post more
pictures as we go!!
 
Very nice. I'm considering making one of these. If I was to make only one cage, how much do you think the materials will cost?
It also would be cool if you could make a huge cage like this around a tree in your backyard. It might be ugly though. But still, it would be cool to have your cham live in a giant tree during the summer.
 
Last edited:
Maybe you can grow some kind of plant on the polystyrine wall. I don't know what types of plants or vines grow on walls, but it would look nice and add more climbing options to your chams.
 
I think it only costs about $20 or so to make one of these
4 section cages, so It's probably be close the same price.
We were actually thinking about making a big "mating cage"
around one of our gardenia bushes. That's the awsome thing
about these cages, they're fairly cheap!!!
For a 10' piese of 3/4" PVC is only $1.26, each elbow piece
is aboug $.75, the plastic poultry netting 3' X 25' is about
$15.00, and the zip ties are about $7.00
 
Will they be on the ground, or elevated on...something?

To declare my nervous-nelly colors, as I consider a similar project I find I'm just as concerned about what might get IN the cage (or try to) as whether the chams can get out. For instance, we have some fairly assertive wasps, meat-seeking hornets, and very turfy carpenter bees along with the usual quotient of summer mosquitos... Assuming they can easily enter the netting, do they pose any risks to a cham who's trapped within or who might want to eat them? And then there's family of crows that my husband has semi-tamed with morning feeds of left over dog food...They always seem to be around and attentive when I have my bright red guy out.... and those beaks and feet are very strong...! I wouldn't trust the aluminum mesh to stand up to them...could the poultry netting?
 
Will they be on the ground, or elevated on...something?

To declare my nervous-nelly colors, as I consider a similar project I find I'm just as concerned about what might get IN the cage (or try to) as whether the chams can get out. For instance, we have some fairly assertive wasps, meat-seeking hornets, and very turfy carpenter bees along with the usual quotient of summer mosquitos... Assuming they can easily enter the netting, do they pose any risks to a cham who's trapped within or who might want to eat them? And then there's family of crows that my husband has semi-tamed with morning feeds of left over dog food...They always seem to be around and attentive when I have my bright red guy out.... and those beaks and feet are very strong...! I wouldn't trust the aluminum mesh to stand up to them...could the poultry netting?

hmmm...you bring out some good points. I can't really let too many bugs in because of the pesticides around here. Especially because they are spraying for west nile virus around my area. Damn..all my hopes of using this are crushed..lol
 
Just use a different screen.
Window screen is a little more expensive but won't let in even a misquito.

-Brad
 
:) The cages will be elavated. The way I see it is, I can have my chameleons outside out of a cage, on my arm, and they can get a bug that might be bad for them. They might not. That's a risk everyone takes every tme they take their chameleon outside. The natural air and sunlight is so inportant for a chameleon, I have to take the chance and let them outside in a cage rather than be inside. Before these cages, I've always let the chameleons outside and so far no one has eaten anything that hurt them. They will be coming in at night. The plastic mesh is stronger than you would think. :)
 
Couldn't agree more that its important to get them outside -- that's why I'm soo interested in your project. I'd like to build an outdoor enclosure that I could feel confident would be safe and comfortable -- one that I could actually leave unsupervised for more than a couple hours at a time -- ideally, for the length of a workday. For that reason, I'd be more than happy to learn that all the concerns I can dream up about poultry netting and crows and bees are needless neurosis....else I'd love to know how others manage around these issues.
 
A door for this would be rather simple. I made something a lot like this to cover a small area of the yard for my little tortoises when I put them outside to keep them from running off and for keeping other animals form getting at them.
You will need to change it up a little bit, but overall it’s an easy fix. Get yourself about 8 more T’s and then about 2”(or whatever measure you want) before the area divider add in the second T, do this on the top and the bottom; they are going to act as a hinge. Then you make your door with stubs sticking out the top and bottom of one side that will fit into the top and bottom T's that you put into the frame and presto you have a door. This is PVC so getting everything to close with no gaps is not the easiest thing to do, however it can be done. I would just oversize the cut of your mesh if you are worried bout one of the little guys going AWOL on ya. Also, sand the nubs on the door that will go into the T’s, this will make it easier for them to open and close, and to stop the creek’n noise dab a little blob of Vaseline on the nubs as well…
I have actually been thinking of making PVC cage kits, I think that it is a lot cheaper and easier than the aluminum window frames, however they don’t look as professional.
Looks good!
Also, just a PING that I sent ya a PM...
 
Back
Top Bottom