Free Range Anxiety

d3s5

d3s5

Avid Member
So Phineas decided that he wanted to start living in his free range instead of his baby cage today. My plan was to get rid of his baby cage in December when he was bigger and I could find him in his free range. But, he has been so good eating and drinking and moving all over his baby cage. . . He has been out on his free range only once before, but he started pushing his nose against the door of his cage when I would come up to it. So, I opened it up this afternoon and let him come out on his own. He went right to one of the trees, ambled around it for a bit and then settled in to sleep. I guess I will take out his baby cage this weekend, move the plants around, and add some more vines to fill in the space. I'm nervous because this is earlier than I had planned, but everything is ready (basking lights protected, Cham-proofed room, etc). He is 4 1/2 months old. I know some people have said they free range even earlier, but I don't have the experience. Plus, he just loves flies and he certainly won't be getting any when free ranging!
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His free range looks great. I know he'll enjoy it. Just remember that sometimes they do roam out of their free range.
 
I know they roam and that's what worries me. The whole free range starts three feet off the floor and goes to the ceiling so I don't want him to fall and get hurt. I have the room blocked off so if he does wander he won't be able to get into too much trouble like behind the refrigerator or something. But my real worry is not being able to find him. I can imagine myself looking all over the room for him and all along he is somewhere in his free range. I still had trouble finding him in his baby cage so how the heck will I find him in his free range area? I assume that's something you get better at with time?

Jann - But I have to say I would NEVER have had the confidence to ever free range him without a couple of the senior members here. That most definitely includes all the info you have blogged and posted in these forums Jann. Thank you!

Deb
 
My 5-month old has been in his FR a few weeks now, and is just starting to venture out. You just have to keep a close eye on them - Kirby knows I'm going to put him back in his area - you can see it in his eyes when I catch him! LOL He doesn't go far, though.
 
d3s5 said:
I know they roam and that's what worries me. The whole free range starts three feet off the floor and goes to the ceiling so I don't want him to fall and get hurt. I have the room blocked off so if he does wander he won't be able to get into too much trouble like behind the refrigerator or something. But my real worry is not being able to find him. I can imagine myself looking all over the room for him and all along he is somewhere in his free range. I still had trouble finding him in his baby cage so how the heck will I find him in his free range area? I assume that's something you get better at with time?

Jann - But I have to say I would NEVER have had the confidence to ever free range him without a couple of the senior members here. That most definitely includes all the info you have blogged and posted in these forums Jann. Thank you!

Deb
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Thanks for your kind words Deb. I think I would put something on that 3 foot drop so he can go up and down. At first I use to go crazy looking for my guys. I still know if they are down roaming if I'm home so they don't get stepped on. Now I look a few minutes and if I don't see them I don't worry that much anymore. I just think well they are in the house. This usually happens in the late evening and they always turn back up the next morning every time. Luie, my male veiled is my main roamer but has never been missing over night. I did have one go behind the piano once. Usually when I can't find one they are sleeping in their trees and I just can't see them. :)

You can see in this video how I cover all my plants and stuff in the plastic fencing so they can go up and down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmrpzXj2baQ
 
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Wendy - thanks, that makes me feel less anxious.

Jann - Great idea with the mesh around the planters! I don't recall seeing that before. I will definitely get that done tomorrow. I have plenty of leftover plastic mesh from his outside enclosure. And I will also put some from the floor to the beginning of the free range. Thanks for the suggestion. I guess it should have seemed obvious but I didn't think of putting something from the floor up to the free range.
 
Well, the past two days have been great! I moved out his baby cage, rearranged the plants, added more branches and vines, and added a way for him to get back up if he falls. I still need to add the mesh to the planters though - weekend project. He seemed to spend the first day on the mister nozzle and the light shelf. Today he was all over the vines and under one of the basking lights and one of the UVB lights. Good boy! And he ate some dubia out of one of the feeding cups - and a couple free range hornworms, a silk moth and a butterworm. Oh, he also munched on one of the leaves. He's a panther so I haven't been offering him any veggies. . .should I? Or do you think he was just investigating? Or perhaps annoyed? It was the dead part of a leaf he chomped down on.


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looks good..dont worry about them roaming..mine do it every so often then go back..the female stopped roaming completley about 3 months ago..now just the male will patrol acrossed my bed then back to his spot in the tree..good luck !!
 
I share your free range anxiety. Lenny have a nice sized free range and like you I have made sure the whole room is safe for him. But was gone for 2 days and a friend cham sat. i got home at night and a flashlight. He was not in his usual sleeping area. The next morning I went in and could not find him! I moved every thing in the room - or so I thought. I was almost frantic.. I called a friend to help look, we still couldn't find him. Finally I decided to put out some silk worms (his favorite food) to see if he would eat some time during the day. Before I could even get the last of his silk worms out on his rope he walked out to eat!!! I still have no idea where he was. i often have trouble finding him but this time I was worried that the room had been left open. i have a 6500 sq ft house. i was in a panic. i am considering some form of screen around his free range.
 
sd, laurie, jann, wendy - All I can say is thanks for the warning. So, "Thanks for the warning!"

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LMAO!! Someone went exploring! These pics made me literally laugh out loud. I'm sure at first your stomach got those nervous butterflies! For me it always cracks me up to see some of the places my guy will end up. They are so proud of themselves when they do it, too! Thanks for sharing. :)


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.211017,-96.710374
 
Wendy - glad I could bring a little laughter into your day. I, myself, am not quite at the "laughing" stage as I am still a bit stressed as to where he is going to end up. But, after spending an entire day exploring the blinds, he decided to spend the next couple days in his free range. I put the mesh around one of the planters so he could climb up if he fell. Well, he promptly came over and climbed DOWN the mesh to the bottom of the enclosure. At least I know it worked. And yes, he does seem so proud of himself when exploring new areas. Too cute!
 
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