Got him a tree... What do I need to worry about?

Beman

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So I got Beman a ficus tree today to be outside of his enclosure on. He has gotten more antsy the last month. What do I need to be cautious of? I attached some bendy vines to it for larger stable gripping... It is positioned in front of the window next to my desk. It is about 4 foot tall. I won't be leaving him unattended.. My biggest fear is falling.. But then I tell my self he is a chameleon and I need to let him be one lol. But please point out anything you think I need to be cautious of with this.

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He should be fine. I would just watch if you leave him unattended for a bit he may roam off. I have found my guy behind my tv on the wires a couple times as he was free ranging while I was cleaning.
Yeah no wandering off for me... We have a dog so it is a situation I want to avoid. I heard that ficus can produce sap from broken branches right? This is a mild irritant to chams? He seems really content on it though just looking out the window. :)
 
He should be fine. I would just watch if you leave him unattended for a bit he may roam off. I have found my guy behind my tv on the wires a couple times as he was free ranging while I was cleaning.
Ok so I currently have a 75 watt heat bulb over the tree hooked on to the curtain rod. What are your thoughts on the MH options? Is one better then another and do I have to have a special fixture?
 
Yeah no wandering off for me... We have a dog so it is a situation I want to avoid. I heard that ficus can produce sap from broken branches right? This is a mild irritant to chams? He seems really content on it though just looking out the window. :)

Oh ya I keep my door shut so the dogs can’t get into my basement appartment. Even though my black lab has come down when Lennon was free ranging and he didn’t even know he existed.

As for the ficus sap I’m not sure.
 
Ok so I currently have a 75 watt heat bulb over the tree hooked on to the curtain rod. What are your thoughts on the MH options? Is one better then another and do I have to have a special fixture?

I have never use MH bulbs so I couldn’t say.
 
@jannb I got Beman a ficus tree to attempt more of a free range experience for him for a few hours each day. It is not as amazing as your free ranges, but it is a beginning. I was wondering. I think you use the MH bulbs for your free range. Is there one you prefer and is there a specific dome fixture or can I just use a flukers clamp lamp? Or is this not necessary to have since he will only be out a few hours each day? I do have a 75 watt heat bulb about 16 inches above the tree. Thank you! :)
 
If he is in a window that recieves direct sun it will be a bit warmer than room temp. In the winter I put out a basking light (just a wide metal dome with 40-60w household bulb). If it is mild I don’t use one, usually will open the window to let the uvb in, too. I dont let my guys free range for too long ... a) because I have stuff to do and cant baby sit all day, and b) to make sure they hydrate, eat, bask, etc in their normal enclosure.

Charlie is a little sneak and as soon as he thinks you aren’t looking, he sneaks down to the ground or to eat dirt. That looks like it has lots of good branches so i wouldnt worry about falls. I have a large money tree and some ficus alii trees that dont have great branches yet. I added my own, but when they wall on the leaves instead of the branches it makes me a nervous wreck.
 
@jannb I got Beman a ficus tree to attempt more of a free range experience for him for a few hours each day. It is not as amazing as your free ranges, but it is a beginning. I was wondering. I think you use the MH bulbs for your free range. Is there one you prefer and is there a specific dome fixture or can I just use a flukers clamp lamp? Or is this not necessary to have since he will only be out a few hours each day? I do have a 75 watt heat bulb about 16 inches above the tree. Thank you! :)

I wouldn’t worried about UV since it’s not a full time free range. I would recommend a big coral around the bottom. They can get down and take off in a skinny minute and that would be dangerous since you have a dog.
 
If he is in a window that recieves direct sun it will be a bit warmer than room temp. In the winter I put out a basking light (just a wide metal dome with 40-60w household bulb). If it is mild I don’t use one, usually will open the window to let the uvb in, too. I dont let my guys free range for too long ... a) because I have stuff to do and cant baby sit all day, and b) to make sure they hydrate, eat, bask, etc in their normal enclosure.

Charlie is a little sneak and as soon as he thinks you aren’t looking, he sneaks down to the ground or to eat dirt. That looks like it has lots of good branches so i wouldnt worry about falls. I have a large money tree and some ficus alii trees that dont have great branches yet. I added my own, but when they wall on the leaves instead of the branches it makes me a nervous wreck.
We are good there. It receives very low light and there is not much of a temp difference in that window. Outside that window we have 20 foot trees that are extremely dense. I do have a basking light above it for cooler days. :) I am going to cover the dirt also to keep our dog out of it lol.
He seems to really like it though. I do worry about the falling thing but it does have decent branches and then I added the fake flukers vines to it for extra grabbing spots.
 
I wouldn’t worried about UV since it’s not a full time free range. I would recommend a big coral around the bottom. They can get down and take off in a skinny minute and that would be dangerous since you have a dog.
Awesome thank you Jann. I was looking at some different options today when I was at the store. They have large like half barrels that I could put the pot into so if he did crawl down and I didn't see then he would be secure. :)
 
So I was really excited about the whole tree thing yesterday and had him out on it until 5pm. Normally in his enclosure he is moving to his sleeping spot by 4:30pm. Well I noticed he had climbed more into the center of the tree instead of looking out the window. I went to get him off by presenting him with my hand as I always do to climb up on... Well he tried to eat me! So note if you put them on a tree don't do it near their sleeping time. Beman 1... Becca 0. Lesson learned :hilarious:
 
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Haha Larry just looks confused when I wake him and falls back asleep in my hand as I try to get him to let go back in his cage. I forgot about him one day while free ranging. I’m a bad owner lol
Yeah no this was not a Larry moment. He did a full aggressive display making himself huge and color change, hissed at me, and went to bite my hand all within like 10 seconds... I was like oh my god its godzilla lol. My daughter was standing there and now she is totally freaked out by him. I tried to explain that it was my fault and he has natural defense instincts, she was not having it :hilarious:
 
Yea I can see someone getting scared when the Chams do that lol my husband get scared everytime he goes by there cages. Imelda still scares me sometimes only because she has bite me and I don’t want it to happen again
 
Yea I can see someone getting scared when the Chams do that lol my husband get scared everytime he goes by there cages. Imelda still scares me sometimes only because she has bite me and I don’t want it to happen again
Yeah I would prefer to play by his rules and never experience a bite. Once he calmed back down he just looked at me like what happened lol. I still used a stick to move him from the tree to the enclosure. Did not want to chance it. LOL
 
Oh Charlie gets so sad if I take him from the tree at bed time. I can tell he is getting "his pjs on" and looking for a place to curl up. Never aggressive about going home, just sad. So I try to make sure he and the rest of the gang are back in their cages an hour or two before bedtime.

Clarice on the other hand... she snaps no matter where she is... but she is terrified of moving sticks so I have to sissy out and get my husband to handle her. She likes him, hates my stinkin' guts.
 
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