how hard is free range?

[Canadianforever]

i have a young jacksons and he seems really stressed when ever he is in his enclosure but when he is out he seems super calm and easy going so iam now thinking of doing a free range for him any one wanna tell me the pros and cons?

 

[junglefries]

The pros and cons can largely depend on your enviroment, especially kids and pets. Jacksons are notoriously easily stressed. If I was in your shoes, I would make him his own little area. You will probably have to make some compromises to make it happen though, but well worth it in the end. Just my two cents, worth two pesos. It really does depend. Fill out the how to ask for help form, and let's see if there is something making him uncomfortable cagewise first.

 

[Canadianforever]

his enclosure is bang on for everything ive seen and read he is in a 2x2x4 repti breeze on top of a 2x2 laundry room skink that i siliconed a funnel to the bottom of to drain all water into a bucket. humidity is 87% in the cool area (cool mist humidifyer keeps it there) and ranges from high 80's and drops a bit between misting never below 50% tho temps are basking 83.4 (that is a small area of the enclosure) and the rest ranges from 78 to 72 degrees right under the cool mist is a large potho and under the basking spot is a 3-3.5 foot umbrella tree the rest is sticks various sizes with fake vine with leaves wrapped around a majority of the sticks and on the ground is a bromaide (excuse my spelling) and all the lighting is uvb bulbs except the basking spot it is a 40 watt house bulb. my jacksons eats small crickets with calcium once or twice a week and cal+D3 once a month.


with all that he seems to be alot calmer and less stressed when allowed to roam the tiny potho that we have hanging in the living room (growing it out for a another cham i should be getting some time soon)

 

[Psychobunny]

You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want.
Just keep in mind, they like to be above your eye level, the higher the better.

You don't have to go crazy and turn your living room into a jungle, like I did, the more you put into it, the more they will like it.

Here is a quick pic of my free range, which is made of 46'' long parrot ladders wrapped in vines, and suspended from the ceiling.
Each cage has it's own "access road", and the ladders form a circle, like a highway loop.
You can see I have a hanging UVB, 12% for them to bask, and the heat from the fixture on top of the cages provide them with enough
warmth. They can also get water from the top of one of the cages, and there are always a few crickets climbing around.

My guyz love it:

 

[junglefries]

Death from above! Mr bunny. I heard of being bombed by birds, but by your chams is another story. I bet it is fun feeling that one hit your shoulder. Watching tv and your popcorn goes all schrapnel! Looks interesting and fun. The only thing missing is a nerf gun war between you and your cham. MEDIC!

 

[Psychobunny]

LOL!! haven't been poop on yet, I do like to wait until they have had their morning poop before letting them out.
No TV in this room, it's all been taken over by the chams, I don't even know why I bother to keep the furniture, no one ever sits on it!!

 

[junglefries]

Excuse me Mr Cadburry, but is that an Odyssea T5 HO Hood on the left side of the picture. With the thread the other day, and the $45 price of a 4 bulb unit, I have to admit I am curious to try. Will start with plants first, to see how good they are. Don't want any exploding mercury vapor on my little dudes and dudettes.

 

[Canadianforever]

was thinking of making the free range in my reptile room and make the one corner a jungle lol i was thinking of putting an indoor pond under the free range but that could end badly both with a cham above and iam into carnivorous fish such as piranha, wolf fish ect

 

[Psychobunny]

Excuse me Mr Cadburry, but is that an Odyssea T5 HO Hood on the left side of the picture. With the thread the other day, and the $45 price of a 4 bulb unit, I have to admit I am curious to try. Will start with plants first, to see how good they are. Don't want any exploding mercury vapor on my little dudes and dudettes.

"Dudettes"!!?? LOL

Dont remember what brand of light that is, but it's a twin tube 12% UVB and I used my Solarmeter to determine the right distance, so if one of my dudes (I dont have any dudettes!!) want to bask under it, they are getting about 6% UVB.

Got it from Todd, of LYR fame.