FaunaBgirl
New Member
What are your favorite outdoor trees to put your chams on to let them have the comfortable feel of freedom. Tried and true replies only please.
Tree exposure question
- Thread starter FaunaBgirl
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lele
Avid Member
I guess it all depends where you live. I had Cyrus on a dwarf apple tree today while I was doing some work. The "spurs" that the buds grow from are easy for him to grip and it is just beginning to flower so he was very pretty on it. Of course I never took my eye off him. I am sure I don't have to say that but things can happen fast. There have been horror stories of birds (large, like hawks) snatching a cham as the keeper "only looked away for a second." We have little worry about that here because of how are property is setup't put them on anything with branches higher than you can easily reach - or you'll be pulling out ladders or climbing a tree to retrieve your cham! lol!!
FaunaBgirl
New Member
Lele, I have nightmares about the birds plucking Fractal away. We have big menacing crows here. lol I was looking at a Fugi apple tree, only 4 ft tall. My instinct was to get it, but I decided to come here and see if there was a better choice. I know someone on here does this all the time. What kind of trees are they using? (without importing from chameleon homeland) <G> What kind of hibiscus are you others using?
lele
Avid Member
So do you mean getting a tree for in his cage or letting him roam outside. Any hibiscus is great. If you live in the north you generally get the smaller potted ones (this is for inside cage), but hibiscus in general are safe (to eat) and as someone noted a veiled will eat the flowers. Luna used to eat the peach color flowers and not the darker orange! lol!!
As for outside trees the cham won't care as he just wants to roam - just be sure you can reach him easily at all times
Juli, I live in semi-rural NH so have hawks, owls, herons (on a river, but no osprey) and some snakes. First thing is that owls hunt at night
If you put your cham on the grass in a an area where there are snakes - well, that simply would not be too bright - 
I have a 5-6' Viburnum that was Luna's shower tree. She would just sit there in the mist (she preferred that setting
). For showering Cyrus he loves the blueberry bushes and since they are less than 5' and I am standing right there, there is no chance a hawk or even a large crow would come near IF they'd even see him. Yesterday when I had him in the apple I was a few feet away and again he is wandering in a mass of low branches not out and exposed. In fact, about 4' away from where he was climbing are orange slices I put out for the orioles - neither paid attention to the other.
On another forum there were a couple of those sad stories but they all had one thing in common - the keeper left, if only for a minute. It is less often an animal getting it as that they climbed of their "usual" tree and disappeared. The places I put Cy, he has no access to a larger tree - unless he jumped and with his bad eye and funky feet there is little chance -
There are times I'll bring him out and then realize I didn't bring my camera. As tempting as it is to "just run inside" I either do without or bring him with me.So the long and the short of it is to choose your tree carefully, nothing that has poisonous/toxic fruit, use common sense and never, ever, ever take your eyes of him/her.
I just dug up a couple pics of Luna (gravid) in her Viburnum. The first day she was on it she ate a berry (safe, but tart) and she was not happy! Kept her away from eating red things for a while - then she had her first strawberry!
FaunaBgirl
New Member
As I believe our guys absolutely need the real sun, I take Fractal out, but keep him on me at all times. I just thought it would be nice to have a small tree that I can drag in and out of the house for him to do so. I have no land in this apartment, thus, looking for a better place to live for Fractal's sake and my desire to grow things. Knowing the animal world as I do, I know predators wait for that unwatched second to swoop.... so no fear of error there where I'm concerned. But thank you for the mention, because it is key for all keepers.
My instinct about the apple tree was right, thank you. :} I have a perfectly lovely avocado tree, but since I know it's poison to birds, I'm thinking it applies to chams. Correct my thinking if I am wrong, please. He always runs to it. lol
My instinct about the apple tree was right, thank you. :} I have a perfectly lovely avocado tree, but since I know it's poison to birds, I'm thinking it applies to chams. Correct my thinking if I am wrong, please. He always runs to it. lol
FaunaBgirl
New Member
Avocado tree (and fruit) is poisonous to pretty much every animal (including horses, sheep, cattle, cats, dogs, etc...) except.... you guessed it right, to humans
So much for hopeful thinking. lol The one tree I already own, Fractal's forbidden fruit. lol
Hempa
New Member
If you handfeed him you can lure him out. But he´ll probably be angry when he realize that he is out of his cage and sitting on you.
The way I lure my cham out is this:
Place your hand in front of the cham (slightly under him). And then show him a cricket. When you see him focus on the cricket you move it backwards. He will most likely follow and step onto your hand. Let him have the cricket and take him out.
The way I lure my cham out is this:
Place your hand in front of the cham (slightly under him). And then show him a cricket. When you see him focus on the cricket you move it backwards. He will most likely follow and step onto your hand. Let him have the cricket and take him out.
FaunaBgirl
New Member
I've used a smaller ficus that I hold up to the bigger one and coax Fractal onto it when he's in a mood. I run him to his cage from there. It works well. But once he sees he's been put back inside his cage he goes mad. lol He's very much more responsive to my words now. He's learning and I'm enjoying our relationship more and more each day. But he's also smarter to my tricks.<G>
