Bonsai forest for chameleons and bioactive set up?

[c4tacticalbunny]

So I figure some people use a bioactive set up for some of there chameleons but my main question is has any tired bonsai tree's in a set up before are they safe. Hopefully someone has done this I'd love to know and see pictures as well.

 

[snitz427]

There are all sorts of bonsai trees... even umbrella trees... but the affordable ones are usually pretty short and compact so it wouldn't provide much more than aesthetics, I wouldn't think.

 

[Kaizen]

Finally, a question I have tons of experience with. I have a bonsai collection of about 100 trees. There are about 50 tropicals ranging from various focus species to schefflerra to acacia. The short answer is yes, absolutely. The trick will be finding one large enough and reasonably priced to be of use. ‘Bonsai’ just means ‘potted tree’, so really any species can be used. However, for your Cham, F. benjamina and F. microcarpa are widely used in bonsai and are Cham safe. Schefflerra’s are less comely used, but will work well too. I’ll try to get some pics up.

 

[Kaizen]

Further to my last,

Since you’re going all out with a bio active setup, you might do a locale specific design, incorporating various favourite haunts from your cham’s native land. Veiled’s, for instance, have a distinct proclivity for thorny legumes such as acacia. While it may be difficult to find an acacia bonsai, as legumes, they are extremely fast growers and you can probably have a two foot specimen within a year. Other plants similar to acacia are Brazilian raintree, mimosa, albizia julibrissin. If you’re a Furcifer lover, Madagascar is home to some show stopping flowering trees, many of which are very fast growing and can be used for both bonsai and chams; so again, growing from seed need not be a lifetime affair. You’ll have to double check toxicity on anything you put in there, but that’s no big deal.

 

[Syreptyon]

I actually have a ficus bonsai as the center piece of my female C. linotum girl's bioactive viv and I absolutely love it. It's beautiful, growing great, and the big, chunky wooden trunk adds a really nice aesthetic. This only works because her species is about the size of a human pinky finger, though, so I don't think bonsais are realistically functional options for veileds, panthers, jackson's, and the like

 

[jamest0o0]

@Syreptyon can you post pictures? That sounds so cool.

@Kaizen was thinking of doing something like that one day for my parsonii if I could find plants from ranomafana(Madagascar). Any ideas?

 

[Kaizen]

@Syreptyon can you post pictures? That sounds so cool.

@Kaizen was thinking of doing something like that one day for my parsonii if I could find plants from ranomafana(Madagascar). Any ideas?

A couple years ago, I ordered a thousand seeds of various Malagasy species. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get you some ideas

 

[Syreptyon]

@Syreptyon can you post pictures? That sounds so cool.

@Kaizen was thinking of doing something like that one day for my parsonii if I could find plants from ranomafana(Madagascar). Any ideas?

Sure thing! I might overshare a little though, be careful what you wish for

First three pictures show the progress of the cage - the bare bones skeletal structure, then adding plants, and then showing off my girl perched near the trunk of the ficus. The enclosure has since filled out A LOT and I actually added a mini-myrtle shrub/topiary to add more tall plants for her to crawl on/in. For some reason I haven't taken a picture since adding that apparently, so I included a little video to give you an idea of how it looks today!

And then of course, several pics showing her off because I'm totally obsessed with her. Sweetest chameleon I've ever had by a mile. And what's better than that, is that I just received a male to mate her with in the mail today! Hoping I can produce some CB C. linotum because they take up such little space and are just adorable little buggers

Here's the vid for the most up-to-date version I have:

 

[jamest0o0]

A couple years ago, I ordered a thousand seeds of various Malagasy species. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get you some ideas

That's awesome, take your time. I'm in no rush.

 

[Kaizen]

For the life of me, I can’t find the order I placed for all those seeds. However, the two most magnificent were Delonix regia, and Colvillea racemosa. Both have some toxicological effects, but both are Malagasy natives.

 

[Kaizen]

P.s. Love the setup! Super cute chams.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Syreptyon love the enclosure and chameleon! Thanks for sharing!

 

[jamest0o0]

For the life of me, I can’t find the order I placed for all those seeds. However, the two most magnificent were Delonix regia, and Colvillea racemosa. Both have some toxicological effects, but both are Malagasy natives.

Looked them both up. Nice looking trees for sure. Familiar with any carnivorous plants? I think there are only 1-2 malagasy pitchers(my favorites) and I'm not sure what their availability is like.

 

[Kaizen]

Try this website, they always have cool stuff.
https://www.rarexoticseeds.com/en/carnivorous-plant-seeds/nepenthes

 

[Kaizen]

Found your Malagasy native:

https://www.rarexoticseeds.com/en/c...scariensis-seeds-lowland-nepenthes-seeds.html

 

[jamest0o0]

Cool, thank you. I haven't grown anything from seeds. Might try my hand at that.

 

[Kaizen]

If you can keep a Cham, with all their requirements, a plant should be easy!

 

[snitz427]

A couple years ago, I ordered a thousand seeds of various Malagasy species. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get you some ideas

Next time my husband says I have too many plants I'm going to throw this out there!

Acacia is gorgeous and a taller one would look amazing in what I have planned for my veileds... but it looks like some species are toxic I'll have to check out the other species you mentioned.

 

[c4tacticalbunny]

So many responses tons of information this will definitely be helpful and I wish I had more time to read all of this right now. Sadly at work thank you everyone !!!!!

 

[JenMae40]

Further to my last,

Since you’re going all out with a bio active setup, you might do a locale specific design, incorporating various favourite haunts from your cham’s native land. Veiled’s, for instance, have a distinct proclivity for thorny legumes such as acacia. While it may be difficult to find an acacia bonsai, as legumes, they are extremely fast growers and you can probably have a two foot specimen within a year. Other plants similar to acacia are Brazilian raintree, mimosa, albizia julibrissin. If you’re a Furcifer lover, Madagascar is home to some show stopping flowering trees, many of which are very fast growing and can be used for both bonsai and chams; so again, growing from seed need not be a lifetime affair. You’ll have to double check toxicity on anything you put in there, but that’s no big deal.

Are Brazilian Rain trees safe for veileds? Just got one (bonsai) yesterday and considering adding to our veiled’s enclosure, mostly because the habitat is ideal for the plant...