Chameleons being housed outside?
- Thread starter busterboy
- Start date
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
I house mine outdoors when it is not too hot or too cold at night. My one adult Sambava pretty much lives outdoors 24/7 when the weather is nice. When it starts heating up here in Fla he will be kept indoors during the day and I will be taking him out in the evening and some basking time during the day and probably letting him sleep outdoors at night. My 6 month old I only allow outside when I am home and then I keep him indoors at night as I do not trust a screen cage from predators at night. My adult is in a sturdy cage that is made out of coated chicken wire.
busterboy
New Member
Can you guys post pics? I'm ruining my walls with the misting and think they will do better outdoors with some real heat. Plus some real rays from the sun. Plus I can save a little money on UVB BULBS LOL
Any advice? I'm just scared the cages might rust, mites and little insects might get to them, birds might mess with them, and etc...
Also, every time I take my chams out to get some sun while I clean their cages, they get really dark. Idk if they enjoy it or not.
Any advice? I'm just scared the cages might rust, mites and little insects might get to them, birds might mess with them, and etc...
Also, every time I take my chams out to get some sun while I clean their cages, they get really dark. Idk if they enjoy it or not.
Tannervan20
New Member
While it stays in the 80's my male veiled stays outside all the time!
We house chameleons outside whenever the weather is nice! We use reptariums, which are mesh over a plastic frame, so there's no worry about rusting metal cages or anything like that. The mesh makes it easy to water them too, just turn the hose to the mist setting and spray - coats the cage and the furnishings with a nice fine mist and the chameleons can easy lick up the drops.
I've used reptariums for my iguana and frilleds (while I still had them) and loved them, made it really easy to house animals outdoors and they were easy to take down and store when the weather wasn't good. You can get the largest size for a little more than a 2 x 2 x 4 metal screen cage, but the largest reptarium is 6 feet by 29" x 29" - so it's even bigger, which works well for larger species of chameleons.
-Jen
I've used reptariums for my iguana and frilleds (while I still had them) and loved them, made it really easy to house animals outdoors and they were easy to take down and store when the weather wasn't good. You can get the largest size for a little more than a 2 x 2 x 4 metal screen cage, but the largest reptarium is 6 feet by 29" x 29" - so it's even bigger, which works well for larger species of chameleons.
-Jen
sittnlowon22s
New Member
my veiled has been housed outside now for a year except for a couple of weeks during the winter when it was really cold. i also have my senegal outside as well and both are doing great. theyre always under sum nice shade and have plenty of room to get out of the sun when the rays are too strong. ive never had a chameleon inside. i thought they would do better with real sun, no artificial lights or bulbs and have never had ne problems. i think its naturally better for them to be outside cuz thats how theyd b in the wild and also cuz they get to feel the breeze and all other kinds of temperature changes like theyd do i the wild. i dnt plan on ever housing a chameleon inside unless it was always cold but im from texas and we only have summer here year round. also ive never gave me chameleons any calcium and they dont seem to need it. both are in really great shape and colors. i personally think it would b better to have them outside
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
A good aluminum screen shouldn't rust. Mine from LLL have help up impecably well, and I've had some of their cages outside 24/7 for years. But all of my chameleons are outside full time right now, and have been for a few weeks. But I'm in an apartment complex so I don't have to worry about wild animals, but you should take a few precautions to make sure your cages are tied down properly so the wind doesn't knock them over, see if you need to protect them from raccoons, etc.
You just have to evaluate the risks but chameleons are ultimately happier outside than in, weather conditions permitting.
You just have to evaluate the risks but chameleons are ultimately happier outside than in, weather conditions permitting.
SSimsswiSS
Avid Member
Lizardguy1
Member
I've been keeping chameleons since 2003, and in that time I have lived in Las Vegas, Virginia, Oregon, and now south Florida. I almost always keep my chams outdoors, weather and temperatures permitting-for Veileds, year round in florida, 8+ months in Vegas, 6 months in Virginia, 4-5 months in Oregon.
I also had Jackson's in Vegas and Virginia. I had to keep Jackson's indoors in the AC during the summer in Vegas, going out in the spring, fall, and nice days in winter. For adult Jackson's, Veileds, and Oustalet's i keep them outside overnight as long as temps stay in mid-40's or warmer Fahrenheit. More watering in the drier climates, especially for Jackson's.
I also had Jackson's in Vegas and Virginia. I had to keep Jackson's indoors in the AC during the summer in Vegas, going out in the spring, fall, and nice days in winter. For adult Jackson's, Veileds, and Oustalet's i keep them outside overnight as long as temps stay in mid-40's or warmer Fahrenheit. More watering in the drier climates, especially for Jackson's.
pepezkakap
Member
I housed my panthers 24/7 throughout the year. I would use special wire for anti rust. We can't really get rid of wild insects. But no predator can get it.
If you are concern with very tiny insects (since the wire is very tightly close to each other) I would suggest having the feet of cage placed inside a container and fill the containers with water. If you are worry of spiders or small flying insects I have no answer other than trust him to the nature.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
that is interesting that you never give calcium. What do you gutload your feeders with??? Have you raised them from babies when their bones were developing or did you get them as adults when they were full grown?.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Personally I would never house my animals outside. It's just to much that could happen to them outside. First it's just too hot, too windy and I believe keeping your chams a little cooler expands their life span. Also there's just too many predators here in South FL that can get them. We've had wildlife tear into our screen cages many times and eat everyone of our feeders...that's what happen to all my katydids last year. Carol be very careful with that plastic coated chicken wire. My daughter's cat tore two bigs holes in that. I had to petsit him years back and he was destroying my house so I put him in the big plastic coated chicken fencing on my back porch. When I went back to check on him he tore right through the plastic chicken wire and the screened porch and was out in the backyard.
About the supplementing. Dr. Mader has educated me on supplements and when you gut load and your adult Cham gets outside time they need little to no supplements at all. Young chams need supplements when growing but the older chams do not. I give my females a drop of liquid calcium when I know they have eggs because their bodies absorb the liquid calcium but other than that I quit doing any supplementing at all. I do gut load, offer a large variety of feeders and my chams get outside time year round. I also get routine bloodwork on my guys and that shows their calcium level. Dr. Mader said it's much better to under supplement because that can be corrected but over supplementing can never be corrected and it calcifies their organs.
About the supplementing. Dr. Mader has educated me on supplements and when you gut load and your adult Cham gets outside time they need little to no supplements at all. Young chams need supplements when growing but the older chams do not. I give my females a drop of liquid calcium when I know they have eggs because their bodies absorb the liquid calcium but other than that I quit doing any supplementing at all. I do gut load, offer a large variety of feeders and my chams get outside time year round. I also get routine bloodwork on my guys and that shows their calcium level. Dr. Mader said it's much better to under supplement because that can be corrected but over supplementing can never be corrected and it calcifies their organs.
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Todnedo
Avid Member
Personally I would never house my animals outside. It's just to much that could happen to them outside. First it's just too hot, too windy and I believe keeping your chams a little cooler expans their life span. Also there's just too many predators here in South FL that can get them. We've had wildlife tear into our screen cages many times and eat everyone of our feeders...that's what happen to all my katydids last year. Carol be very careful with that plastic coated chicken wire. My daughter's cat tore two bigs holes in that. I had to petsit him years back and he was destroying my house so I put him in the big plastic coated chicken fencing on my back porch. When I went back to check on him he tore right through the plastic chicken wire and the screened porch and was out in the backyard.
About the supplementing. Dr. Mader has educated me on supplements and when you gut load and your adult Cham gets outside time they need little to no supplements at all. Young chams need supplements when growing but the older chams do not. I give my females a drop of liquid calcium when I know they have eggs because their bodies absorb the liquid calcium but other than that I quit doing any supplementing at all. I do gut load, offer a large variety of feeders and my chams get outside time year round. I also get routine bloodwork on my guys and that shows their calcium level. Dr. Mader said it's much better to under supplement because that can be corrected but over supplementing can never be corrected and it calcifies their organs.
I give all my chams natural sun, wild bugs and rain water all summer long. Nature does it best.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
I agree that nature is the best. Although I don't house my chams outside, all of them except my parsons gets 2 to 6 hours of outside time about 350 days each year.
I'm either sitting outside with them watching them in their trees or put them in their sun cage only when I'm home to check on them.Cham trees
Luie enjoying a tree
Cham sun cages
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carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
]
Jann, do you mean the plastic netting that looks like chicken wire? The stuff I have is metal and very sturdy and it is coated with a green plastic. I suppose any animal could chew through it but I would think it would tear up their mouth!! I barely give Lenny any supplements anymore. He lives outside a lot and he has the edema problem anyways. I am waiting for the guy to respond who never used calcium. That would be quite interesting if he raised babies into healthy adults with no calcium.
Jann, do you mean the plastic netting that looks like chicken wire? The stuff I have is metal and very sturdy and it is coated with a green plastic. I suppose any animal could chew through it but I would think it would tear up their mouth!! I barely give Lenny any supplements anymore. He lives outside a lot and he has the edema problem anyways. I am waiting for the guy to respond who never used calcium. That would be quite interesting if he raised babies into healthy adults with no calcium.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Carol is might be something different than what you have. Mike calls it plastic checken fencing and he buys it by the roll at Home Depot. It's the big cage on my screened back porch that you saw when you were here. Her cat is bad and I don't pet sit it anymore or even allow her to bring him to my house.
pepezkakap
Member
Carol is might be something different than what you have. Mike calls it plastic checken fencing and he buys it by the roll at Home Depot. It's the big cage on my screened back porch that you saw when you were here. Her cat is bad and I don't pet sit it anymore or even allow her to bring him to my house.
Great set up. I wonder who's the lucky one to inhabit the mini forest
EnterTheDragon
New Member
Oh, I asked you a question on a different thread about your chameleons being outside jannb. Now I can see the answer for myself
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