Climbing on the screen

[MamatoElvis]

Any ideas how to keep my guy off the screen? I had hoped he would outgrow the habit. It doesn't happen as much now that he's in his large enclosure but he still does it. His enclosure is pretty heavily branched. He's about 7 1/2 months and I'm worried as he gets bigger that his own weight will rip out nails.

 

[jannb]

I recommend lining the inside of his enclosure with the plastic fencing so he will have something to hold on to besides the screen. I'll see if I can find you a picture of it.

Here's a picture: https://www.chameleonforums.com/mem...luminum-cage-picture4609-cage-laying-bin.html

 

[MamatoElvis]

Yeah, I had a feeling that was going to be the suggestion. I was hoping to avoid doing that to my brand new Dragonstrand. It's so pretty and new! I'll check for it at Home Depot and make it my weekend project. Thanks.

 

[jannb]

Yeah, I had a feeling that was going to be the suggestion. I was hoping to avoid doing that to my brand new Dragonstrand. It's so pretty and new! I'll check for it at Home Depot and make it my weekend project. Thanks.

It's better than letting him fall and hurt himself. I have a chameleon right now that's almost four years old and I've had him for almost a year. He was kept in a screen cage before coming to me and absolutely hated it. He has four toenails total. When one of his nails pulled out it got infected and the infection traveled up his leg and ate away his knee bones. When he was given to me I took him to my vet for surgery and he was able to save his leg. He will never be caged again. Of course I free range all my animals.

 

[Dbernardo]

Oh wow, I didn't realize screen climbing was a bad thing...my babies don't do it that much, but sometimes when hunting crickets they will. I will have to try to fix the cage sometime very soon. I have been a little nervous about falls, but never thought about the nails. :-/

 

[MamatoElvis]

Jannb that is heartbreaking. Yes, it's much better than falling or loosing nails. I've already purchased the plastic grid stuff, I headed to Home Depot right after you posted. I wish I could free range but I have a dog and a six year old. On your recommendation I have set up a small free range in the pool cage outside so he does get some out of cage time. Unfortunately it makes the screen climbing worse when he first gets back in his enclosure. I had just moved him back inside because it was getting hot when I first posted. The free range area is new so as he sees he will get out everyday hopefully it will start to calm his screen walking. If not, my next plan is a large bird aviary with wide openings. I'm just looking for something that won't rust.

 

[jannb]

Jannb that is heartbreaking. Yes, it's much better than falling or loosing nails. I've already purchased the plastic grid stuff, I headed to Home Depot right after you posted. I wish I could free range but I have a dog and a six year old. On your recommendation I have set up a small free range in the pool cage outside so he does get some out of cage time. Unfortunately it makes the screen climbing worse when he first gets back in his enclosure. I had just moved him back inside because it was getting hot when I first posted. The free range area is new so as he sees he will get out everyday hopefully it will start to calm his screen walking. If not, my next plan is a large bird aviary with wide openings. I'm just looking for something that won't rust.

When you have him in the screen enclosure, is he safe from the pool? They get down off the free range and roam. I'd be really worried he's fall in the pool and drown unless you have a BIG coral around the bottom of his tree.

 

[MamatoElvis]

If I leave him alone outside he's in a large reptibreeze. I only do the free range when I'm sitting outside with him. He's still young so he does like to wander. I do have my daughters plastic kiddie pool under the tree so he can get down and walk around a bit. I'm going to build a large outdoor enclosure out of the coated hardware cloth so it's better for his feet. This is a first for me so it's going rather slowly.

 

[jannb]

You can see the white corals that I use in a few of these pictures. They work great for young or small chams.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/photos-some-free-ranges-137228/