Newbie housing question

Randi

New Member
Hello!

I just adopted my first chameleon from a family who needed to rehome her. She is an adult female veiled, approximately two years old, and has presumably been in the same enclosure for the duration of that time. Her current enclosure is 30" x 27" x 16.5". It is entirely mesh with plastic tubing as the frame. I have tried to find the make and model online with no success. While this has seemingly been perfectly adequate for her, I am considering upgrading to this:

Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage, Extra Large, 24 x 24 x 48-Inches

To me, it does not seem like a lot more room, but to a chameleon her size, I think it would be a bit of an upgrade. I am looking for opinions if it would be worth it to upgrade her cage size, or if I should just keep her in the cage she is in since she seems comfortable enough. Basically, it is not a whole lot of extra room than what she has now, so is it worth it?
 
Yes it is worth it , get a 24 by 24 by 48 screen cage as you put a link to.
She needs that size of cage
 
Hey Randi, welcome to the forum. Glad you found us!
To answer your question, a 2x2x4 is considered a standard minimum size enclosure for a veiled chameleon. She will definitley be happier in the larger enclosure. I believe what she is in now is a "reptarium".
You may want to check out the cages at LLLreptile or DIYcages. They are slightly more expensive than a reptibreeze, but from what I understand its very much so worth it. I have no veiled experience but there are plenty here that do. Im sure they will link you to caresheets, and especially egg laying information that you will need. Female veileds will lay eggs without breeding, and if they dont have a bin to lay them in, it can be deadly.
Again welcome! Feel more than free to ask any questions you may have;)
 
From what I understand(Ive never used a reptarium) the mesh can be chewed straight through by crickets. The mesh is also hard to see through, and for light to penetrate. This gives the chameleon more privacy, which is good, but it makes it more difficult to get the temp and UVB right.
Again thats just my understanding.
Screen mesh will give better airflow, and will be sturdier. There are plenty of people who use both though. Maybe they can help more with that.
 
I use the DIY. I really like it all around. Definitely worth the money. I havnt used or even seen the LLL's in person, but I hear they are almost the exact same thing. I have heard them both recomend equaly. The only difference I hear mentioned, is the small bottom front piece, beneath the door. The LLL's rotate up, for cleaning. The DIY's are stationary, but can be "modified" (remove two screws) to work the same. So I think it comes down to silver or black:p
 
Okay, thanks! I think I will go with the DIY... it does turn out to be just a few dollars less, and on another thread comparing LLL and DIY, it looks like their shipping might be just a tad quicker as well.

The DIY cages are also available through eBay... is there a difference between ordering through their website and through their eBay store?
 
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