Chameleons need a cage which is big enough, hold the right temperature/humidity, and provide for their sense of security. It is a space in which we must create the environment they need to care for themselves. By the end of this episode you will have an overview of the chameleon cage evaluation process and will be able to make an educated decision when buying your chameleon cage.

Let’s start out by laying the ground work of what a cage is. The first thing that often comes to mind is that a cage keeps the chameleon from walking around the house. It contains the chameleon. While this is very true (and important), We have a much better experience when we look at the cage as a protected space where we are creating the environment for our chameleon to live. For the mindset which thinks of a cage as just to contain the chameleon the cages tend to get smaller and smaller. For the mindset that is putting together an environment, the cages get bigger and bigger. If you are putting together your first chameleon cage you are not yet aware of the decisions you will be facing in the future. But from someone who has been there and back many times with many people, I will share that the greatest joy will be had when you have the mindset of getting your chameleon the best you can.

That said, it is time to get into some specifics. And I will address these in FAQ format. By time we get to the end you will have a solid understand as to which cage to get for your chameleon!

Chameleons are solitary animals and keeping them together will cause a chronic stress that will degrade their health and could end in death. This is a slow process and it can look like the chameleons are getting along and then one, or both, will get sick unexpectedly. Chronic stress builds over time. Although certain situations will increase the tolerance chameleons have for each other, you should never plan on keeping more than one chameleon in a cage.

For most of the common chameleons that are the size of a Panther, Veiled, or Jackson’s Chameleon the minimum cage size is 2’ x 2’ x 4’ tall. The 36” x 18” x 36” is also suitable. But the saying “Bigger is Better” applies to chameleon cages. If you have the opportunity to get or make a cage larger than the minimum do it. Even extending the cage width by to 30” instead of 24” makes a significant difference for an adult male panther or Veiled chameleon. Of course, 36” wide is even better and 48” wide is better than that. Chameleons will make more use of extra width than height.

Chameleons are horizontal animals and like to move back and forth. But they are also arboreal and like to be high up. So both width and height are important. Chameleons will feel more secure if they are higher than the people and pets in the house. The distance to the floor of their cage is not as important. So if you have to choose between height and width for your age the ideal compromise would be a wider cage placed higher up. For example, a 36”x18”x36” cage up on top a dresser is much better than a 2’x2’x4’ cage on the floor. Though the ideal cage would combine the best of it all into a 36” wide x 24” deep x 48” tall cage placed on top of a dresser so the chameleon can perch above your head height!

Female chameleons should be given the same size cage as the males. This question is usually asked about Panther Chameleons where the females are smaller than males. They can be housed in smaller cage sizes such as 18”x18”x36”, but it is better to give them the same larger 2’x2’x4’ size that the male gets.

If a chameleon is old enough to be purchased it is old enough to go into its adult size cage. The only benefit to using a small cage is for hatchlings when you want to keep an eye on them. But with juvenile chameleons, like you get when you buy a panther chameleon from a reputable breeder, you should put them directly into their adult size cage. They are more than capable of finding food in a large cage. Remember, this is what they are designed to do!

A single hatchling chameleon will do well in a 16” x 16” x 30” size cage. This provides enough space you to to create a suitable environment for your hatchling while still being able to find it when it is hidden. I have, in the past, raised a hatchling in a densely planted 2’x2’x4’ size cage and it works wonderfully well! BUT do not expect to always be able to find the baby for a daily check-in! Although it works, I recommend a smaller cage to start with when you hatch out a chameleon.

But if you are putting together a cage for a hatchling and are using a smaller cage than you would for an adult be very careful about using the same heat lamps and UVB lights. Putting an adult amount of heat or UVB into a smaller cage size can blast sensitive babies in an unhealthy way. Make sure the hatchling chameleon can get away from the heat or UVB.

A screen cage is usually not the best choice for a chameleon.

Screen, hybrid, and glass cages all have a use in keeping chameleons. The more ventilation, or screen, a cage has the more the chameleon will be living in the same environment as your room. The more solid sides and insulation the cage has the more control you have over the cage environment. If your room temperature and humidity is close to what your chameleon care sheet says then you should use screen. If you need to increase humidity or temperature then you should use a hybrid or even a glass cage. When keeping chameleons indoors with central air conditioning and heating there is almost no way to keep the proper humidity with a screen cage. A hybrid cage which has solid sides and special vents for the chimney effect to give air exchange is the better option. Screen cages are ideal for times of the year when chameleons may be kept outdoors. Glass cages are the cage of choice when you need to be able to raise the temperature.

Most beginner advice groups say that chameleons must have screen cages. This comes from the time decades ago when we were finding out that aquariums were horrible ways to keep a chameleon. We discovered that screen cages worked better than aquariums and that morphed into the saying that only screen cages will work. That is great in Southern California, but in colder and dryer climates, screen cages will not provide a chameleon with what they need as far as environment. And solid side cages were the bulk of what was used in Europe. Below are a number of educational links from me, top keepers, breeders, and a scientist to try and educate the general community. Read these and you will be further ahead than most social media group admins.

Chameleons can react to a reflection if the reflection is clear enough. But most chameleons will quickly learn to ignore the ghostly chameleon that stays in its own bush and never actually invades their territory. If there is a notice of the reflection it is often when a chameleon first get into the cage. After an acclimation period they settle in. Reflections are worse when the room outside the cage is darker than inside the cage and when the cage lights are further away from he glass or acrylic surface. For example, if you got a cage with an acrylic door then you would place your daylight strip close to the front of the cage to minimize the reflection. You would also do you best to have the bright room lights on until the cage lights shut off for the day. I use cages with acrylic fronts extensively and there is no chameleon that did not settle in. And this is like in nature. They see each other in nature and they accept that other chameleons have other territories. The fight is on when the other chameleon dares to go into your chameleon’s territory. This is why your chameleon can accept whatever reflection there is of the chameleon over in the next bush, but will freak out if you put a mirror into the cage. The mirror has invaded your chameleon’s territory.

You should make your own chameleon cage if you want to build one larger than what is available commercially. If you want one that is 2’x2’x4’ or smaller than buying one would be a better option. These, of course, are for the general public. If you have a garage full of tools and material around then making a cage is a great project! But if you are trying to save money then you’ll only end up saving money if you do not count the cost of tools, equipment, and excess material that wasn’t used. If you want to build a cage for fun or pride of craftsmanship than those are very good reasons to build your own chameleon cage. If you are building your own chameleon cage because they just don’t make one that will fill the space you have then that is the best reason! If you would like some guidance as to what to build into your cage then review the next section on how to shop for a chameleon cage and just incorporate the best combination of features into your cage!

To shop for a chameleon cage you will need to decide on a number of parameters. Your choices will depend on your chameleon and your environment. The cage selection process has been greatly complicated by an influx of options  so let’s go through some scenarios.

First, what size are you looking for? As said before, bigger is better. The most common size, at least in the US, is the ReptiBreeze XL screen cage at 2’x2’x4’. This is a cheap cage and is made well enough to last the lifetime of your chameleon. But there have started to come available other larger cage sizes from 36” to 48” wide. The 2’ wide cages have been used successfully for chameleons for decades and so it is a good place to start. Although bigger is better, going bigger has a significant jump in price and so where you start will depend on the budget that can be allocated. The bottom line is it is worth it to get the biggest cage possible.

You will, most likely, have to get your cage online because retail stores do not often carry appropriate size cages unless it is a reptile specialty store. And then you will be faced with a wide array of options. Here are something to consider

We talked about matching your cage to your environment. But there are a number of material combinations to consider. If you have a screen cage that has one solid side then that solid side will be useful to block mist from your mister from hitting the wall behind your cage. If the only solid side is an acrylic piece in the front of the cage then that is meant for visibility and has no functional purpose beyond that. A cage with solid sides and back with a screen front will be effective in keeping the wall of your house from getting errant mist on them, but will be only slightly effective in raising the internal humidity. If you need humidity retention you will need solid walls, back, and most of the front. This is the only way to really hold in the humidity. But make sure there are vents near the bottom of the cage and a screen top. This produces the chimney effect and gives you the necessary air exchange. Note the you can take a cheap screen cage and turn it into a hybrid cage that retains humidity by putting coroplast or shrink wrap window insulation over the screen sides. So you can easily custom make a hybrid cage from a screen cage.

The feature that you need to get answers to before you buy is how drainage is handled. Where does the water go? The mist and fog come in from the top and they go down to the bottom of the cage. What then? And this is worth me going into detail because one of the highest levels of chameleon keeping misery is dealing with drainage water. There are a number of approaches and most are not good so huddle up and let’s talk. First of all, I actually run a chameleon caging company called Dragon Strand. And so I professionally evaluate and create chameleon cages. I will explain my approach which is replicated to some extend by some others. I have a plastic floor plane which lays on top of the aluminum floor frame. This blocks the chameleon from getting out the floor, but is not water tight so water flows out of the cage. I include a drainage tray with every cage. This drainage tray sits under the entire cage and collects the water. With the larger cages I often include, standard, a screen floor panel that you can use in place of the plastic panel and this gives essentially 100% direct drainage into the tray. To my knowledge, the Dragon Strand cages are the only chameleon cages that come with drainage trays. You will have to improvise with other cages. With the ZooMed Reptibreeze, for example, there is no drainage tray available. They do sell substrate trays, but these go inside the cage and will keep water, poop, and escaped feeder insects together in an unhygienic soup. The ExoTerra 36”x18”x36” screen cage comes standard with a substrate tray. So, in these cages you will have to figure out what to do with the waste water. Do not let the water sit in the cage with the poop. If you go to chameleonacademy.com I have built guides and suggestions for trays designed for other uses that you can purchase and use for drainage trays, but you have to find some solution. The nice things about Dragon strand, ZooMed, and ExoTerras is that the designs have a flip up service door under the main door which allows easy access to the floor panel so it can all be serviced. Carefully study whichever cage you are considering and see how you deal with the floor panel and the waste water. If it is a water tight solution then what drain will you install to get water out of the cage? Paper towels and puppy pads are a poor plan for soaking up water. You are still keeping water, poop, and escaped feeder insects where they can be eaten by the chameleon as a bacteria laden pill. There are ways of making other cages work that do not have service doors or have water tight floors or don’t have drainage trays, but have that plan together before you purchase the cage. Know where the water goes and how you will deal with it.

And last, you want to be aware of what parts will rust. On Dragon Strand cages there are no ferrous parts that will rust. You can test this by running a magnet across metal parts. Often you will find, on cheaper cages, the hinge pins or screws will be magnetic and rust. It could even be the screen itself. The cheaper the cage the more likely you’ll have some parts that will rust. This is not necessary a major concern unless you are keeping the cage outdoors long term. Of course, this is what I personally do and so the cages I mean allow me to use my cages outdoors, year around, for many years. I have some outdoor cages going on 8 years now. If you are getting a cage for indoors this won’t be as much of a concern.

I list this because mounting branches and potted plants up where chameleon needed them was a huge checkbox when I started Dragon Strand. I invented, and patented, the Dragon Ledges that allow you to retrofit standard screen cages with anchors o the sides and back that you can lash branches and plants to and create a floating garden style approach. All Dragon Strand cages come with these anchors standard. Cages from other manufacturers will require you to lash branches and such to the aluminum frame I a screen cage or just get your drill and screws out for a hybrid cage. Things get tricky when you need to attach to glass. Whichever cage yo go with it pays to figure out your branch mounting strategy first.

And there is your crash course on shopping for chameleon caging. I acknowledge that there is a lot to learn. Rest assured that most people do not get the information I just shared. They buy the first cage they are recommended and they always seem to figure it out from there. So, absorb what you can from this podcast, but do not stress out if you don’t catch everything. Catch as much as you can and do the research you can,  but do not worry. You will figure it out along the way.

Now, you have another ace in the hole. I do live sessions twice a week where you can come and ask any questions in real time. Ingram on Tuesdays at 5PM Pacific and YouTube on Saturdays as 12 Noon Pacific. So, come with your questions and you can get answers in real time.

Beyond that I invite to join the Chameleon Academy Newsletter by going to the chameleon academy dot com website and filling in the pop up or going to the newsletter menu item. There are so many facets to the chameleon Academy outreach that the newsletter is the only place that ties it all together.

This is the latest episode! Go to the Panther Chameleon Homepage here Panther Chameleon Podcast  for previous episodes!