Glass Terrarium Reflection Solution

[Moomash]

So, I know that glass terrariums are poorly recommended in the chameleon husbandry society, but I was gifted one along with some supplies when I first inducted my infant female Jackson chameleon, so I made the best with what I had. I'm experimenting with proper ways to make my chameleon feel as comfortable as possible with at-home, makeshift solutions to the problems I'm encountering.

I understand that glass walls create reflections that may irritate most chams in a territorial aspect due to the fact that she's only seeing herself and doesn't know it.

Would it be safe to cover the back, left and right walls with some sort of reptile safe wallpaper from a local pet store to remedy this problem?

This would leave the french doors on the front uncovered so I'm allowed to see into her terrarium, but they are made of glass.

Is this a safe alternative to reduce the amount of stress my cham may be exposed to?

She's a 3 month-old female Jackson.
I've had her for only a month.

Thank you so much! Have a didactyl day!

 

[bigben2057]

If it is a terrarium and not a fish tank you dont have to do anything it is specifically designed with that in mind she dosent see anything.

 

[lisa h]

Leave the walls and doors as is. Just be sure your husbandry is correct, and your enclosure is big enough. You can also read the thread "Why chameleons can't be kept in glass", or something similar. They, in fact, can be kept in glass if it's done correctly.

Any other questions, just give us a shout!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The glass reflection theory is actually more of a myth. If you look in the cage yourself you will not see a reflection. Many people keep chameleons in glass quite successfully. I have a few glass cages and have never once experienced a cham trying to climb through the glass or be intimidated by its reflection. The biggest reason glass cages aren't recommended is because they are not big enough for commonly kept species like veileds, panthers and jacksons. The glass really doesn't cause stress if you have a good setup. If you have a virtually empty glass cage then you will probably see scratching at the glass because they are trying to get somewhere safe.

Here's a great article to read.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've kept chameleons in glass or partial glass and partial plexiglass without issue.

Covering the back of the glass, outside, may create a mirror, which you dont want.

Covering the inside with something non-toxic wouldnt hurt.

 

[Moomash]

Thank you all so much for answering my questions! That link, ferretinmyshoes, was VERY helpful. Favorited.

 

[EvilLost]

So, I know that glass terrariums are poorly recommended in the chameleon husbandry society, but I was gifted one along with some supplies when I first inducted my infant female Jackson chameleon, so I made the best with what I had. I'm experimenting with proper ways to make my chameleon feel as comfortable as possible with at-home, makeshift solutions to the problems I'm encountering.

I understand that glass walls create reflections that may irritate most chams in a territorial aspect due to the fact that she's only seeing herself and doesn't know it.

Would it be safe to cover the back, left and right walls with some sort of reptile safe wallpaper from a local pet store to remedy this problem?

This would leave the french doors on the front uncovered so I'm allowed to see into her terrarium, but they are made of glass.

Is this a safe alternative to reduce the amount of stress my cham may be exposed to?

She's a 3 month-old female Jackson.
I've had her for only a month.

Thank you so much! Have a didactyl day!

covering it would solve the reflection problem to some extent, but i can almost assure you that it would cause a different problem...namely she will either be confused by the images (ie trying to grab a stick in the image) or she will feel like she is "closed in", something they obviously don't like very much.


given how cheap screen cages are, why are you even bothering with this "makeshift" method? Just sell off your tank for $10-20 and buy a screen cage...end result will be very little difference in cost and a huge difference in proper husbandry. EDIT: if you have the front-opening door style tanks, you can likely sell that for as much as, if not more than, the cost of a simple screen cage.

@ferretinmyshoes nailed it with the size issue....now imagine if 3 of the walls were "closed" in. poor lady would be so cramped in there!

 

[rbb2282]

I started out with the Exeterra glass cages. Great fire raising babies, juveniles and females. But I have seen my male panther chameleon"see" a cricket in a reflection. And slam hi to Unger into the glass. That can't be good. But much easier to keep their humidity levels correct. But I have noticed and chameleon in a screened cage climbs all over that screen, even upside down. And that can really mess their nails up. And those are important for them and badly damaged, will never grow back. My Ferndale panther lost 6 nails! Before I got her. Good thin g she's healthy with a good grip.

 

[Olimpia]

The thing with glass is that, like your own house windows, you get a mirror effect when it's darker outside than it is inside. So if you keep a glass tank in a basement where the only light in the room is the light sitting on the tank itself it is going to create that effect.

However, if you keep the tank in your livingroom where there is nice, bright ambient light then you're not going to have that problem. I know some people live like vampires with all their curtains drawn all day but if you're not like that then it should be easy lol.

 

[reptileguy112]

Once it gets a little older you should put it in a full screen or partial screen.

 

[ZiggyStardust]

My twopennorth!!

I have an Exo-Terra glass terrarium with a screen top, front opening double doors. The back and both the sides are covered with plants so not a problem, however, like one of the other posters, I have actually seen my young panther fire at the glass doors because he has seen an insect reflected in them. It has happened more than once and also, maybe because of the lighting in the room, he actually caught sight of himself and fired up and rocked like you wouldn't believe!

I was more concerned with him thinking that the food items were on the doors when they weren't and him injuring his tongue when I was out at work and not there during the day.

My solution?

I bought two small fabric like ivy shaped artificial tumbling plants that have suckers on them, which I can attach to the inside of the doors during the day when I'm out, so that he cannot see any glass at all. This seems to have worked really well.

However, he is moving into his big boy 2x2x4 Reptibreeze before Christmas so I won't have this worry anymore.

 

[eat2muchrice]

They have anti glare film, like the stuff for our cell phones and laptop screens. I have done a search, but can not find large sheets or rolls. Maybe you can have better luck searching. Let me know if you find something.

 

[eat2muchrice]

Something like this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anti-Glare-...ojection_Screens_Material&hash=item3ce0579690

 

[johnnyev]

I use exo's & cover the back & sides with either cork bark panels (expensive, but looks great) or coco panels. Not only does this stop reflection, but the animal can climb on them & you can grow plants up them too.

 

[Carlton]

I started out with the Exeterra glass cages. Great fire raising babies, juveniles and females. But I have seen my male panther chameleon"see" a cricket in a reflection. And slam hi to Unger into the glass. That can't be good. But much easier to keep their humidity levels correct. But I have noticed and chameleon in a screened cage climbs all over that screen, even upside down. And that can really mess their nails up. And those are important for them and badly damaged, will never grow back. My Ferndale panther lost 6 nails! Before I got her. Good thin g she's healthy with a good grip.

Reflections can be visible to a cham if the angle of the lighting happens to be just right or if a window happens to be in the right spot. I had a male veiled who displayed to one glass panel of a terrarium pretty consistently. Took me a while to figure out what was going on. When I blocked the glass with a piece of board he figured out how to push the board loose and STILL kept looking for that rival cham. Even if there isn't a reflection problem glass can (not always I know) create problems for some chams. Some paw at it endlessly trying to get somewhere else. Some shoot at items outside the glass. Some feel too exposed to view. Just things to consider if your cham seems stressed in a glass enclosure.

 

[ZiggyStardust]

Reflections can be visible to a cham if the angle of the lighting happens to be just right or if a window happens to be in the right spot. I had a male veiled who displayed to one glass panel of a terrarium pretty consistently. Took me a while to figure out what was going on. When I blocked the glass with a piece of board he figured out how to push the board loose and STILL kept looking for that rival cham. Even if there isn't a reflection problem glass can (not always I know) create problems for some chams. Some paw at it endlessly trying to get somewhere else. Some shoot at items outside the glass. Some feel too exposed to view. Just things to consider if your cham seems stressed in a glass enclosure.

Absolutely superb post Carlton, and what I was trying to say in mine, but with some other great factors added.