Escape artist

[davidsbaby]

I came home from work yesterday and said my usual "hello little man" as I walked past my juvie Jackson's cage. I looked in to see where he was and he was gone! The door was closed (it closes with velcro) I looked all over the inside of the cage, in the plants, and he was definately gone. I started to panic because I was afraid something had happened to him after I left for work and that my husband was afraid to tell me until I got home. I started looking around the house trying to figure out where he would go if he got out. I started to look up and went to the windows to look at the tops of windows and who is chilling out on my husbands music stand but my AWOL jackson! He was bright green with his tail wrapped around the metal of the stand. I picked him up and put him in his cage and misted everything because I was so afraid that he had been out all day and was dehydrated. The only thing we can figure out is that the velcro wasn't stuck together and he pushed the door open and fell 4 feet to the floor then walked across the room to the stand. He is fine without any apparent injuries but I was one scared momma! Any comments? Is this common?

 

[jessica]

LOL He wanted out!!!

I have had one of my guys make a great escape when my latches were a little stripped on the door. He jiggled the door right open, must have fell and made b-line right for the tree in the window.
Sometimes I beleive they are smarter then we think May be he had been eye ballin that window for a while.

Glad you found him and he is OK

 

[Syn]

Please fill out this form:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

There may be a bigger reason he is wanting out, perhaps he is uncomfortable with his surroundings.

 

[davidsbaby]

There is a pic of his surroundings in my gallery.

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon – captive bred Jackson Xantho
Handling – only when necessary, weekly
Feeding – crickets 3-4per day, flies, moths, roaches, katydids as can be caught. Gutloading crickets with veggies, oats and Gutload Cricket Drink
Supplements – none yet
Watering – Drip over hanging plant can see drinking every day. Does not like to be misted.
Fecal Description – pretty much daily, browns and whites, never tested for parasites
History – purchased in March 2010 as small young male with horns less than ½ inch long.

Cage Info:

Cage Type – Screen cage 24” w x 16” d x 30” h
Lighting – Reptilight 5 20” tube. Perch within 6” of light. Weekend sunning on the lanai year round.
Temperature – 70-80 degrees avg. +5-10 in the summer -5-10 in the winter.
Humidity – 55-85% house windows open all year, no heat or a/c.
Plants – have a couple pothos in cage with other vines and avocado branches
Placement – large breezy room in highrise, med traffic area, cage bottom at 5’ off floor
Location – Honolulu, Hawaii

 

[sarroca808]

my jackson made a small hole into a big hole in his outside cage trying to escape lol

 

[ChamOh]

wow i guess they really do make good use of those horns!

 

[DragonLady]

I don't have a Jacksons, but four weeks ago when I had to have emergency surgery my husband "lost" one of my carpet chams. Granted, he was taking care of 7 chameleons that are 100% "mine" so I couldn't really yell at him. He was roaming in my reptile room for two days. I told hubby to leave his cage door open, leave a container of phoenix worms out by his cage and go ahead and turn his mister on anyway. He wasn't found until I got home from the hospital - walked in the door and made a mad dash to my reptile room and found him within minutes - at the top of the window!