Is it a ok to have 2 chameleons in one cage?

[kinyonga]

SomeRandomPerson asked..."just wondering if it is ok to have 2 chameleons in one cage.... But not when they're adults. Like would they like each other when they are young and shared a cage till they are adults?"...generally you can keep young chameleons together until they are 3 or 4 months of age as long as they are getting along. They should be separated if they start to show signs of stress or fighting. To continue to keep them together after that you risk them fighting if they are two males, mating if a male and female or eventual health issues if its two females who are sexually mature. Because of the uncertainties, I always advise that they are kept separate once they are 3 or 4 months old.

More thoughts on this though....some people say Meller's, Parson's and a few others can be kept in pairs...I have been wondering if we will eventually find that those that reproduce once a year may be kept together in pairs because there is not the need to mate to reproduce on a frequent basis?? I've kept C. chamaleons together with no problems, but veileds and panthers, I've decided need to be kept separately if you want them to have long lives.

 

[lumbasammler]

Hello kinyongia,
that´s an interesting idea, guess that may be possible.
didn´t think about it this way till now, thanks
But as already mentioned, the OP is a beginner and should not keep any chams together because he might not see if one of them is bein supressed by the other one.
Please only try this if you´re absolutely sure you can tell wether your chams feel comfortable or not.

 

[Carlton]

More thoughts on this though....some people say Meller's, Parson's and a few others can be kept in pairs...I have been wondering if we will eventually find that those that reproduce once a year may be kept together in pairs because there is not the need to mate to reproduce on a frequent basis??

I wonder if even for these more semi-colonial species if territory size still plays the dominant role? Keepers who have kept them successfully and bred them tend to house them in larger spaces. So, are we seeing tolerance because of space or because the species is actually more socially tolerant? Probably a bit of both, or the ususal "it depends".

 

[lumbasammler]

Could please explain what you want to say by "semi-colonial"?
My english is not that bad i think, but sorry, i don´t get what you mean to say

 

[Carlton]

Could please explain what you want to say by "semi-colonial"?
My english is not that bad i think, but sorry, i don´t get what you mean to say

I meant those species that have been successfully kept in small groups such as melleri. The species that may have more natural ability for living in loosely associated groups in the wild.

 

[lumbasammler]

Thanks for the explanation, i got what you meant to say now and think that it sounds logical.

 

[Olimpia]

ya i would never reccomend keeping more than one in a cage, and also dont reccomend freeranging for novice as well (actually i dont reccomend freerangingtill you get at least 10 years of husbandry knowlege on your belt)

Why? It's not all that difficult, if you ask me. All it is is supplying everything in a cage, without one. You can still keep humidity, temps, and all that good stuff at the proper level quite easily (at least in Florida, perhaps with a little less ease up North) once you get used to regulating them in a cage. And with a little creativity your guy doesn't have to be able to leave, so it's almost no different. I kept mine in cages for a year and then turned to only free ranging and my guys have done better since - they got bigger, gained much more weight, and got way more active. Free ranging isn't for everyone, but it's not daunting at all.

On this free range, which dominates nearly a full room in my 2 bedroom apartment, used to live 4 adult panthers. Two are no longer with me but the remaining two still live quite happily there. But I'm lucky in that none of them even flare up to their own reflections. Really docile guys with each other. They have their designated little territories in the room and they never bother each other.

I would also agree that two should never be kept in a standard cage and that it shouldn't really be tried by anyone that isn't really comfortable with chameleons for a while.

 

[thephotoprincess]

Why? It's not all that difficult, if you ask me. All it is is supplying everything in a cage, without one. You can still keep humidity, temps, and all that good stuff at the proper level quite easily (at least in Florida, perhaps with a little less ease up North) once you get used to regulating them in a cage. And with a little creativity your guy doesn't have to be able to leave, so it's almost no different. I kept mine in cages for a year and then turned to only free ranging and my guys have done better since - they got bigger, gained much more weight, and got way more active. Free ranging isn't for everyone, but it's not daunting at all.

On this free range, which dominates nearly a full room in my 2 bedroom apartment, used to live 4 adult panthers. Two are no longer with me but the remaining two still live quite happily there. But I'm lucky in that none of them even flare up to their own reflections. Really docile guys with each other. They have their designated little territories in the room and they never bother each other.

I would also agree that two should never be kept in a standard cage and that it shouldn't really be tried by anyone that isn't really comfortable with chameleons for a while.

I agree. I can't imagine our melleri would do nearly as well in a cage and I have created a very nice free range area for them to live in where their needs are being met. (with one year of "experience")

Unfortunately I do not have the room to free range all of our chams but I do give them free range time daily. In separate areas of course. They are much happier for it. It is more work but I am happy to do it!

 

[Carlton]

Why? It's not all that difficult, if you ask me. All it is is supplying everything in a cage, without one. You can still keep humidity, temps, and all that good stuff at the proper level quite easily (at least in Florida, perhaps with a little less ease up North) once you get used to regulating them in a cage. And with a little creativity your guy doesn't have to be able to leave, so it's almost no different.

Agree! The number of years you've kept chams doesn't really play into the decision to free range all that much. What WILL make your decision includes the right type of safe space in your home, the right species (small nervous active ones no), the right climate (it's pointless trying to free range in a home you can't manipulate so the cham has an area close to it's needed temp and humidity range), how much you have to spend or re-model to create the habitat.