Car Rides?

[Reptilelover47]

How are everyone else's chameleons with car rides? I have a panther and he isn't tooo fond of it, but also doesn't freak out. Sometimes I HAVE to bring him in the car. If I cover him he sleeps the whole way and is totally fine and calm when we get home. Does anyone have any advice for transporting? Thanks!

 

[Graves923]

The least stressful way to transport them is a dark box with something for them to hold onto. Theyll sleep so they wont have any visual stimuli to stress them out.

Never tried to transport my cham any other way.

 

[GoodKarma19]

I just took my female panther home. I can vouch for the box-and-stick method! It was a 4.5 hour drive, and Lily was perfectly comfortable when we arrived (though she was unimpressed to be woken up!).

 

[Reptilelover47]

Hahaha! Those both sound exactly like him. I do exactly that with a container, something to hold onto and covering him. And, he is definitely not thrilled about being woken up. He's usually half-asleep and just grabs onto a branch in his enclosure and keeps sleeping (I try to transport around bedtime). Other times I have to just fit the container open in his enclosure so he can climb out when he wakes up because he's comfy. lol!

Ok, thank you both for reassuring me on this!

 

[GoodKarma19]

No problem!

I had to pick up Lily's stick to put her in her enclosure, cause she sure as heck wasnt going anywhere on her own! Girl has a vice grip.

 

[Lennoncham]

Just curious why you have to transport him? Other then moving or going to the vet they shouldn’t be transported to often.

 

[Reptilelover47]

Just curious why you have to transport him? Other than moving or going to the vet they shouldn’t be transported to often.

I live in 2 places... one for work & one for school. I own a restaurant and go to college full time and am back and forth frequently. But, if I'm going to be away from him overnight and there's no one to feed him in the morning I bring him with me. I only transport him about once every 2 weeks. As a "baby," I wanted to keep him with me so I could keep an eye on him and he could get used to me, but starting in a couple of weeks he will stay in one place and not move anymore. I'll be done with the semester and next year he will still stay in one place. His breeder told me it was healthy to give him a change in scenery and should be fine. He definitely seems to like both enclosures, I made them as similar as possible, and I only transport him after his bedtime.

 

[Chameleon Mike]

I live in 2 places... one for work & one for school. I own a restaurant and go to college full time and am back and forth frequently. But, if I'm going to be away from him overnight and there's no one to feed him in the morning I bring him with me. I only transport him about once every 2 weeks. As a "baby," I wanted to keep him with me so I could keep an eye on him and he could get used to me, but starting in a couple of weeks he will stay in one place and not move anymore. I'll be done with the semester and next year he will still stay in one place. His breeder told me it was healthy to give him a change in scenery and should be fine. He definitely seems to like both enclosures, I made them as similar as possible, and I only transport him after his bedtime.

Moving him every 2 weeks might take a toll on him. Once he starts getting settled in to his home you move him again. Not an ideal situation for a chameleon.
Just a heads up.

 

[Reptilelover47]

That's a fair point. I figured and was told by a few experienced owners that as a baby he would get acclimated to it. But, I've started wondering... I don't think they're wrong, but every cham is different. My last cham had no issue with car rides. I took him on lil' outings frequently and he definitely enjoyed it!
I only have to move him one more time at least.

 

[Reptilelover47]

Thank you everyone for the input.

 

[yodathepanther]

I feel you should just keep him in his main cage at all times, i have one of the nicest chameleons he never puffs up or anything, lets me pick him up eats out of my hand hes super sweat but i wont take him anywhere besides the backporch for natural light in his tree. But i just feel the cage is there safe spot and thats where they are most comfortable. Just curious how do you know he enjoys going on outings? i dont know if you mean like a walk and hes on you or like what i do have him bask in the sun in a tree.

 

[Syreptyon]

I feel you should just keep him in his main cage at all times, i have one of the nicest chameleons he never puffs up or anything, lets me pick him up eats out of my hand hes super sweat but i wont take him anywhere besides the backporch for natural light in his tree. But i just feel the cage is there safe spot and thats where they are most comfortable. Just curious how do you know he enjoys going on outings? i dont know if you mean like a walk and hes on you or like what i do have him bask in the sun in a tree.

OP is not doing this for recreational purposes. They're doing it out of 'necessity', not because they think the cham likes car rides

 

[Reptilelover47]

OP is not doing this for recreational purposes. They're doing it out of 'necessity', not because they think the cham likes car rides

I'm sorry, what is OP?

 

[Syreptyon]

I'm sorry, what is OP?

Haha, oh it's just internet laziness. OP = original poster, aka you!

 

[Reptilelover47]

I feel you should just keep him in his main cage at all times, i have one of the nicest chameleons he never puffs up or anything, lets me pick him up eats out of my hand hes super sweat but i wont take him anywhere besides the backporch for natural light in his tree. But i just feel the cage is there safe spot and thats where they are most comfortable. Just curious how do you know he enjoys going on outings? i dont know if you mean like a walk and hes on you or like what i do have him bask in the sun in a tree.

Yeah, I bring my current one outside and just hang out in the front or back yard or on a tree. Other times I go for a walk with him and just hold him. I don't let him touch the ground. When we go outside his colors are very bright and he is very calm. He doesn't seem stressed at all. When he's stressed he puffs out and he gets darker in color overall, and particularly his stripes turn black. It never happens when outside. ...Always perfectly calm. Then when I bring him inside he's not in a huge rush to get back in his cage like he usually would be. The natural sun is good for them.

My last chameleon was the most friendly thing ever! He came out of his enclosure every day, and would practically jump on me in the morning when I opened it. He was sweet and curious and loved being out of his cage. He was good with free roaming in my house and liked to jump on any person he saw (except my sister). He was very unique and rare in that aspect. He not once puffed out, hissed, etc. when he'd meet new people, go outside, come out of the cage, go to vet visits, etc.

 

[Reptilelover47]

I posted this thread because my new lil guy seems a bit stressed recently about care rides even though he had gotten so used to it already and I'm not used to that because my last guy was so easy going. I'm wondering if I should get him a larger cage than what I've been using when I transport him or if anyone has additional advice. He also didn't get stressed in the past, it's a new issue.

 

[yodathepanther]

I posted this thread because my new lil guy seems a bit stressed recently about care rides even though he had gotten so used to it already and I'm not used to that because my last guy was so easy going. I'm wondering if I should get him a larger cage than what I've been using when I transport him or if anyone has additional advice. He also didn't get stressed in the past, it's a new issue.

bright colors are sometimes signs of stress just a fyi, id continue with the out back session i personally wouldnt do any walks. Go look at my post titled yodas mansion i just gave my guy a bigger cage total cost 150-200 if you find the deals on facebook market ect its a good start ill obviously add more to the cage soon and upgrade it in a year or so just waiting for summer to hit for some better plants still kinda cold. But anyways really suggest the looking at my post for ideas.2x2x4 is the smallest id go though for any chameleon.

 

[yodathepanther]

bright colors are sometimes signs of stress just a fyi, id continue with the out back session i personally wouldnt do any walks. Go look at my post titled yodas mansion i just gave my guy a bigger cage total cost 150-200 if you find the deals on facebook market ect its a good start ill obviously add more to the cage soon and upgrade it in a year or so just waiting for summer to hit for some better plants still kinda cold. But anyways really suggest the looking at my post for ideas.2x2x4 is the smallest id go though for any chameleon.

Oh for traveling id just look for almost a small dog screened travel bag with a good stick thats secure. Like for a yorki

 

[GoodKarma19]

Personally, I tend to advise transporting chameleons on a dark box with a secure stick and a couple ventilation holes. Cheap, and effective! When the weather was colder, I used a cooler instead (since I don't drive, and public transit can be unreliable at the best of times!).

 

[Goose502]

Once he’s about a year old, just leave him in one enclosure. It’s best not to feed him every day at that point. I understand your dilemma with work/school and the chameleon being young though. Keep doing your best, sounds like he’s doing ok with the travel.