Help, questions on new jackson

[Maddz&Slinky]

I'm picking up a Male Jackson cham tomorrow morning and he was born with 3 legs. He climbs great and has no problem getting around. The cage the breeder has him in is a glass enclosure that is wide and shorter than your average chameleon cage. My question is, should I buy the type of cage hes already housed in (with a screen top for ventilation) or a tall screen cage? He gets around great but I'm nervous he might slip and fall or something and I dont want him to be too far from the ground. But I wanted advice on what to do ! Please and thank you !

 

[JacksJill]

It's going to be hard to find anyone with much experience with this specific problem. I'm going to go out on a limb (pun not intended) and make an educated guess. I think you could and probably should use a standard cage. Even with his limitations he still needs the variations in temperature, UVB and humidity the same as any of his 4 legged relatives. In order to accommodate him I would put more horizontal branches than normal and pad the cage bottom as insurance with something washable and change it frequently. Chameleons use their tail as a tether when climbing as long as it is healthy I bet he gets around well.

 

[andrearamirezo91]

Like Jack said, I'd go with the standard cage too. I always see my boy not using all four limbs when moving from one branch to another and using his tail instead for support. Is he missing a front or back limb? I read somewhere that they rely more on their back limbs than the front ones.

I'm one of those that was fixed on getting a glass enclosure for my chameleon just cuz they look prettier, but I'm honestly glad I didn't and I'd advice against it after everything I have read and the advice I have received on this forum. Personally, my chameleon LOVES climbing through the screen of his cage too.

Also, being arboreal creatures, I think a tall cage is a must. At this point, I'm sure the little guy has figured out how to move around and balance himself on leaves and branches. I feel like a chameleon in a short, long cage might feel extra trapped and stressed, and his health could decline rapidly. Like Jack said, I would make sure to cover the bottom with something soft and easy to clean up in case he does fall.

I went to AC Moore the other day and found these long ivy vine silk plants that you could put throughout his cage. I attached the end to the top of the cage, and kind of zig zagged it all over the enclosure using the screen of the cage and a small metal wire to attach the vines (if you do this, make sure to leave ALL the pointy sides of the wiring outside of the cage so they don't accidentally poke and hurt your cham). This could give your cham tons of layers throughout his enclosure and being soft material, they could significantly slow down a fall or even catch him if he were to lose his grip. Plus, they make the cage look beauuuutiful and are super cheap! one really long chain of these was only $4.99. Here's a pic of exactly what I got.

Good luck and don't forget to share some pics!!!

 

[laurie]

Like Jack said, I'd go with the standard cage too. I always see my boy not using all four limbs when moving from one branch to another and using his tail instead for support. Is he missing a front or back limb? I read somewhere that they rely more on their back limbs than the front ones.

I'm one of those that was fixed on getting a glass enclosure for my chameleon just cuz they look prettier, but I'm honestly glad I didn't and I'd advice against it after everything I have read and the advice I have received on this forum. Personally, my chameleon LOVES climbing through the screen of his cage too.

Also, being arboreal creatures, I think a tall cage is a must. At this point, I'm sure the little guy has figured out how to move around and balance himself on leaves and branches. I feel like a chameleon in a short, long cage might feel extra trapped and stressed, and his health could decline rapidly. Like Jack said, I would make sure to cover the bottom with something soft and easy to clean up in case he does fall.

I went to AC Moore the other day and found these long ivy vine silk plants that you could put throughout his cage. I attached the end to the top of the cage, and kind of zig zagged it all over the enclosure using the screen of the cage and a small metal wire to attach the vines (if you do this, make sure to leave ALL the pointy sides of the wiring outside of the cage so they don't accidentally poke and hurt your cham). This could give your cham tons of layers throughout his enclosure and being soft material, they could significantly slow down a fall or even catch him if he were to lose his grip. Plus, they make the cage look beauuuutiful and are super cheap! one really long chain of these was only $4.99. Here's a pic of exactly what I got.

Good luck and don't forget to share some pics!!!

What is AC More? I would love some of those!

 

[JacksJill]

What is AC More? I would love some of those!

It's like a Michaels, an arts and crafts store.

 

[dshuld]

What is AC More? I would love some of those!

I believe like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I picked up the same thing for my vet transport carrier at one of the Michaels in my area but it was $12.99 .

 

[andrearamirezo91]

What is AC More? I would love some of those!

Yup! It's like a Michaels.. it's basically an arts and crafts store... Find one near you and ask for the ivy vine garlands