Statues

[SocialNumb]

I have a thing for Gargoyles and I was wondering if it would scare (I haven't bought it yet) my young Cham If I were to put one in her enclosure. I see other people are using Buddha statues which are really nice but my 2nd choice.

Thoughts?

 

[Lathis]

Maybe. Some chameleons might not be bothered but some will. My Jax was very nervous about anything that looked like a face - even round things that looked like eyes. It can be a very subtle stress reaction, not necessarily puffing and hissing.

You can try it but you will want to monitor his reaction carefully. Plus be aware that one day it could suddenly start bothering him.

Do you have a good sense of his stress colorization and behavior? It can be different for each cham. Some will go a light or dark, some will pop spots or stripes, some will look normal but may stop eating or start hiding.

 

[SocialNumb]

From what I can tell so far she puffs up whenever I do something she doesn't like. For example moving anything around other than the little water collector at the bottom of the cage makes her mad. When she's scared she'll kinda shrug back almost like a person, giving the shoulder. Color wise I've only seen her sleep color, hunting color, chill color and basking color. If she has a stress color I haven't noticed it. She's barely three months so IDK if that makes dif.

If I had a Statue I'd test it out before spending the money, that's why I'm asking. Though I get they're all not the same. Maybe I should borrow one and check her reaction first. If possible.

 

[reptileguy112]

For a sec I thought you meant gargoyle gecko. If you get one just know that it might stress it and it might not

 

[Lathis]

If you don't have it yet, I'd save the money. Yes, it would look kind of cool, but trust me, you will want/need that money later. Expenses ALWAYS come up for chameleons.

 

[SocialNumb]

Well I got her big girl cage and lights and I'm just trying to fill it up before it's time for her to occupy it. It's like I better do what I'm going to do before she gets in there. Little control freak.

Seems like a lot of space to fill, this 24x24x48. Darn, my plants have some growing to do too. I saw these big sandblasted branches im thinking about getting. Do you know, or anyone know, if they're safe? It's like a small tree without leaves and I assume it will last for a long time. I think it would be more interesting than just putting branches across the cage, cover more area too. Along with live plants as well. They say they'e "untreated, and are aquarium and pet-safe".

 

[Lathis]

Well I got her big girl cage and lights and I'm just trying to fill it up before it's time for her to occupy it. It's like I better do what I'm going to do before she gets in there. Little control freak.

Seems like a lot of space to fill, this 24x24x48. Darn, my plants have some growing to do too. I saw these big sandblasted branches im thinking about getting. Do you know, or anyone know, if they're safe? It's like a small tree without leaves and I assume it will last for a long time. I think it would be more interesting than just putting branches across the cage, cover more area too. Along with live plants as well. They say they'e "untreated, and are aquarium and pet-safe".

Good idea to get everything ready before hand!

Yes, the sandblasted branches are safe. I had one in my Jax's cage, and it was a magnet for mold since the surface was so porous. I was constantly scrubbing and baking it, trying to keep it clean. I eventually tossed it. It was expensive, too. You will want to wash them off anyway. I like ivory liquid dish soap (the white squeezy bottle kind) for cleaning sensitive surfaces. It's a pH neutral, easy to rinse detergent.

More climbing surfaces are always a good addition. Lots of branches and vines. If you have woods nearby, you can cut new branches from trees and arrange them in any pattern you want with zipties - much cheaper than purchased driftwood. Cutting live branches lasts longer than dead ones and also bring less chance of bugs.

Your plants will grow faster than you think and fill in the emptiness, but you can always supplement some artificial plants in the meantime. Add a 6500K grow light to your lighting to keep your plants happy.

 

[SocialNumb]

Oh no, that's out then. Mold, no way. Time to go scouting then.

I did get a 6500K grow light. Waiting on it actually, in transit.