New cageless/ free range enclosure

[pba110]

I wanted to do this since before I got him. I need to get a few more branches. His basking spot is like 82, I'd like more like 88.
Anyway, got the auto mister on there. he seems to be loving it. i let him acclimate to the tree over the course of a couple of weeks. No more cage!

 

[xanthoman]

great for recreation but he should have a cage , i have tried a similar arraingement several times usually with unfavorable results, you cannot count on it staying in an arraingement like that unattended, he may seem content to stay and probably will for days even weeks , but eventually he will decide to explore, and when he does , it will probably start with a nasty fall and end up who knows where, also consider this, many chams do not adjust well to cages after spending time in an open arraingement like that. learn from my mistakes, or learn the hard way , the choice is yours

 

[Olowanpi]

How do you "free-rangers" keep your Chams on/in the trees (or branches...etc.)???

My Panthers love to roam around, and I have a huge tree in my house, but they ALWAYS end up out of it, and cruising all over the house! I could never get them to just stay on a single tree! Even if you think they wouldn't be able to get down off of a really high place... they would use their tails (like a monkey) to hang and drop down to the floor! I found Max outside once, and he had just been in the living room just a few minutes before.

What's your trick? How do you keep them from traveling?

 

[Syn]

I'd like to know the same thing, Olowanpi. My chameleons are roamers.

Great setup! But I think it needs more branches or vines.

 

[Olowanpi]

Isn't there a saying... "You can't keep a good Cham in a tree..."


OH! Wait! that was... "...can't keep a good woman down!"

Oh well, close enough!

LOL!!!

Have a happy day!

 

[chrisarc]

I free range my veiled on my Lanai in 2 decent size ficus, a Pothos and a Boston Fern. He has never roamed in the six months Ive had him. I think if u provide an ideal environment providing everything they need they would have no reason to roam. No expert just my 2 cents.

 

[Fearaffect]

And the Lord said, Let there be poop on the floor, and it happened....and He saw what a mess!!!

 

[jojackson]

How do you "free-rangers" keep your Chams on/in the trees (or branches...etc.)???

Have you ever seen monty Python's 'parrot sketch'? "Beautiful plumage!"

The sketch:

A customer enters a pet shop.

Mr. Praline: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.

(The owner does not respond.)

Mr. Praline: 'Ello, Miss?

Owner: What do you mean "miss"?

Mr. Praline: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!

Owner: We're closin' for lunch.

Mr. Praline: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Owner: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Mr. Praline: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Mr. Praline: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you
show...

(owner hits the cage)

Owner: There, he moved!

Mr. Praline: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!

Owner: I never!!

Mr. Praline: Yes, you did!

Owner: I never, never did anything...

Mr. Praline: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!

(Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Mr. Praline: Now that's what I call a dead parrot.

Owner: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!

Mr. Praline: STUNNED?!?

Owner: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.

Mr. Praline: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour
ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.

Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Mr. Praline: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?

Owner: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit, squire? Lovely plumage!

Mr. Praline: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the
first place was that it had been NAILED there.

(pause)

Owner: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and
VOOM! Feeweeweewee!

Mr. Praline: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!

Owner: No no! 'E's pining!

Mr. Praline: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e
rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the
bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!

(pause)

Owner: Well, I'd better replace it, then. (he takes a quick peek behind the counter) Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh,
we're right out of parrots.

Mr. Praline: I see. I see, I get the picture.

Owner: I got a slug.

(pause)

Mr. Praline: Pray, does it talk?

Owner: Nnnnot really.

Mr. Praline: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?

Owner: N-no, I guess not. (gets ashamed, looks at his feet)

Mr. Praline: Well.

(pause)

Owner: (quietly) D'you.... d'you want to come back to my place?

Mr. Praline: (looks around) Yeah, all right, sure.

 

[Pure]

ROFL Joe!! I guess nail them huh.

LOL you guys put the free range in a room that has a door on it.

 

[bucky]

ROFL Joe!! I guess nail them huh.

LOL you guys put the free range in a room that has a door on it.

Yeah, I dont think itll be too bad if they decide to roam around in a room with a door so they cant get out and only stay in that certain confined space,but I guess it depends on what else is in there

 

[Pure]

Well any room you allow them to free range in should be Cham proofed. Block of tight places behind furniture, remove any chances of them climbing up and getting to anything breakable, and of course any and all non cham friendly animals should be removed, no kitties.

 

[pba110]

day 4 and he's stayed put, I found a new branch that's pretty huge but he seems to like it. At first I think it was freaking him out a little, but I came home today and he was sitting on it. I hand fed him a few and then let him chase some crix down. Always entertaining. He's really comfortable heading way out on the branch. Makes getting good pics pretty easy too.
What do you think?
BTW I live in a 1 bedroom apt with no other animals. The only way he can get on the ground is if he drops down.
He seems very much at ease, but I could anthropomorphawhatever

 

[luckykarma]

If you can close the door and nothing will bother him its fine. Ours guys have the run of the house but they get along. They all end up going 'home' at the end of their walk-abouts later in the day.

Just be careful he can't climb into the light.

 

[sttines]

PB,

My worry for you is that he is going to spend all his time in the window and not under his light. Free ranging has the possible( expect it to be probable) issue of them not staying under their lighting enough. Keep an eye on him but his urge to wander will overcome his knowing where the better light source is and he may think the daylight is what he wants but it doesn't allow the rays he needs through.

 

[pba110]

You bring up an excellent point. This could become an issue as he does wander quite a bit, still he does stay under the light a fair amount. With these lights what's the minimm hrs per day that's safe? He chills between 8" to 16" from the light typically. Being that it's the summer time, I allow him an hour a day at the minimum with the window opened in direct to indirect natural light. I'll keep an eye on him though. Any suggestions for a way around this?

lucky karma have you had any problems with MTB or the like?

 

[luckykarma]

These animals aren't stupid. I hope that doesn't offend anyway. Yes, they like basking in front of a window but they know when their body is being hit with UVB and when it isn't. All our animals eventually go under the UVB light even when the wander.

We've been doing a lot of discussion on how much UVB the animals actually get in the wild. These aren't desert Chams or reptiles that just bask and bask. Our guys are from the forest/jungle with filtered light.

My Chams don't ever sit all day under their lights. They regulate themselves. IMHO, constant UVB isn't always what's natural. We're even talking in the club about having the UVB come on/off during the day instead of constant on for 12 hours.

 

[jannb]

I like your free range. Your little guy looks very happy there. I free range, too. Just make sure you have your house/room cham proof because sometimes they do roam. Jann

 

[pba110]

thanks for the feedback guys. I really like the setup too. It's much nicer to not have to look through a screen when watching him move around. He's also become a lot more friendly/confident. He will run out one of those branches right up to my face expecting food.
nonetheless, I'm making sure to shut all the doors and what not when I leave.