Question for Black cages

[Will Hayward]

Crickets dont seem to be able to accurately jump. It's more of just a wild leap in any direction. They almost always jump sideways more than straight up, so they tend to hit the edge of the cup and fall back in. If they manage to get out after a few jumps, it's likely that they'll have attracted the chameleons attention and the escape will be valiant but futile.

I've used 16 oz. Delis for small crickets (1/2" and smaller), and 32 oz delis for large ones.

 

[DNA]

I usually cut thigh off from the cricket before put crickets into cup for chameleon preying.
If the thigh is cut off at first, it make lead your chameleons to trouble.
I have had a big male Veiled was killed by male roach's thigh

 

[sandrachameleon]

A friend's of mine have told to me that I can not use black as colour of cages because of chameleons are scared of black. Who could tell me is it true? Thanks in advance.

I did an experiment last weekend, prompted by a thread with a similar theme, https://www.chameleonforums.com/colours-enclosures-15981/ in which I mentioned I was probably going to paint my cages black next time they're due for a paintjob (which is soon on at least one of them). Someone mentioned black may be a negative colour for the chams. Given that two are already living in an enclosure painted black on the back wall and both sides, this was a possible concern. The two panthers in the black enclosures certainly didnt seem any less happy. But I thought I should see if I could notice any behavoural differences if I was paying close attention.

So I conducted an experiment (granted, no control, lots of variables - so not a scientific experiment!)

I painted some cardboard pieces that had been cut to fit (more or less) a cage. I painted them with low VOC paint, one set red, and black on the other side, another set green, and cream on the other side. The cage that was the experiment site is painted two shades of brown currently, and houses a friendly male panther. that was a couple weeks ago - time passed, paint dried and any fumes outgassed away outside.

So I opened the cage door this morning after cham breakfast time, and my cham came down from his favourite high perch to get onto my head - a normal thing for him to do. I am his transportation system; I walk him to his favourite plant by a window in another room.

I clean his cage, more thoroughly than usual since I have to remove all the plants, branches etc. I push in the black painted cardboard, so now the enclosure is essentially black on back, left and right (front doors are clear acrylic). I put in a branch and a vine.

I bring back the male panther. He goes in without a hassle (normal behaviour - he knows the drill) and climbs up to near his basking light (again normal). I leave him for an hour. I see no change to his behavour, no changing of colour, nothing to indicate he cares that his home is now black.

I come back, he is coaxed out by bribery (kingworm). I take him to sit on his plant in th other room. i flip the cardboard so now its red in the cage.

I bring cham back. He doesnt show upset colours, but he also doesnt sit calmly on a branch. he is quite active, moving around the cage. he doesnt settle within 15 minutes, so i take him out (no bribe necessary) and back to his plant, where he settles quickly.

I switch to green cardboard. Cham goes in, no issues, seems happy, sitting on perch. no dissernable difference from original brown colour or black colour.

repeat on cream.

So, the only colour that appeared to make him unsettled was red. this could be he liked it, disliked it, didnt notice the colour but just felt active, or who knows.
But I did decide not to go with Red not that red was actually in the running, I just happened to have leftover red paint from painting the kitchen last year.

When the time comes to paint his cage for real, I have decided to pain one wall green, one wall brown, and the back wall will be "camo" with randome patterns of green, black, two shades of brown. I choose this cause I thought I might like it, and I really dont think the chameleon gives a _ _ _ _ (expletive)

 

[DNA]

Hi sandrachameleon

Thank you for your experiment. Although I don't quite understand your words for my poor English. But from your experiment I have known Red is bad, black is ok for chameleons. But from my experience, I have had a Veiled that like to eat watermelon very much. Watermelon is red, so I thought that the chameleon is different than the other at what color its scared. If one chameleon always touch and see a color that other chameleons is scared at its young time,the chameleon will seasone with the color. Any chameleon is afraid of new thing. White,green are safe colors for chameleons.


BTW. I like you are his transportation system. I aways figure that chameleons is scared of human for ever. And I think that it may make them more stress if let it get to my body, so I have never touched them. Since you could do this, you must touch it everyday. how do you do in the beginning without any stress? Thanks

 

[jukeboxpunk]

Round Enclosure

DNA's Friend!

Where did you get the caging supplies to build a round enclosure? I too am looking to design and build a round enclosure for my veiled. I think a round enclosure is better.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hi sandrachameleon

Thank you for your experiment. Although I don't quite understand your words for my poor English. But from your experiment I have known Red is bad, black is ok for chameleons. But from my experience, I have had a Veiled that like to eat watermelon very much. Watermelon is red, so I thought that the chameleon is different than the other at what color its scared. If one chameleon always touch and see a color that other chameleons is scared at its young time,the chameleon will seasone with the color. Any chameleon is afraid of new thing. White,green are safe colors for chameleons.


BTW. I like you are his transportation system. I aways figure that chameleons is scared of human for ever. And I think that it may make them more stress if let it get to my body, so I have never touched them. Since you could do this, you must touch it everyday. how do you do in the beginning without any stress? Thanks

Hi

Your English seems fine to me

My chameleons are panther (Fucifer pardalis) - I wonder if perhaps yours are vields, given that they eat watermellon. I have rarely seen my panthers eat vegetation/fruits, and at that they were only the females. My males will eat nothing but insects, and I understand this to be normal for panthers.

But you may very well be right that some fear or like different colours than others.

Two of my male panthers are unusually friendly. They choose to walk onto me. Others are much less interested in me, and I have a much harder time removing them from their cages when it is necessary. I try to never touch any chameleon, even the friendly ones, but rather let it come onto me voluntarily. For those that will never "like" me, I try to use a moveable branch - meaning i coax them onto a branch or stick and then transport them on that stick, holding the stick away from me and moving slowly.

From what I have read, male panthers are more likely to be friendly than vields of either gender. And while some vields are also friendly, many are quite aggressive. And overall, its probably best not to handle chameleons, friendly or not, to keep potential stress to a minimum.I dont think there is any way to make them get used to people, if they are naturally fearful or disliking human contact.

 

[Chameleon Company]

Worked with a few chameleons myself ...

I think that the choice of colors is insignificant with regard to chameleon behavior. Am not about to experiment with color panels, but have used plants that bloom every color of the rainbow, and never saw an issue. I also think a possible color reaction, if there was one, would be temporary.

Here we have a far bigger concern involving color, and I think it may apply to many other keepers. If your cage is ever to be outside in natural sunlight, dark or black cages, with dark or black screens, become more of an oven. The smaller the cage, the greater the effect. Reptariums are a perfect example. Many like them as outdoor cages for temporary use. On a sunny day, with little breeze, the inside temperature of the cage can be as much as 10 degrees warmer because of the dark plastic material of the cage. We now use basic mill screen (aluminum), and mill or lighter color screen frame in all or our caging. It can make a huge difference.