DIY Baby Panther Cage
Disclaimer: This design has worked for Screameleons in the past. We have observed a higher success rate using this type of design for our hatchlings,as opposed to using 10 gallon aquariums. In no way are we implying that this type of design will work for you. We simply want to share our methods for raising hatchlings.
This “Do It Yourself” (DIY) article will focus on making cages for baby panther chameleons.
The total cost is very cheap, and chances are you already have all the items.
Here's a list of what you'll need:
(1) Empty 1 gallon jug of either water (preferrable) or milk.
(2) Duct Tape
(3) Scissors
(4) thumbnail
(5) Piece of Aluminum Screening
(6) Fake piece of vine
Step One: The Cage Frame. Cut the 1 gallon container by following the illustration below. Start by cutting the handle off the jug.
Cut (2) rectangles out of the sides opposite of where the handle used to be.
CAUTION!! Don't cut the holes too close to the edge of the container (handle side). Especially towards the top. Once the screen is secured, you want the space to be far enough so that the hatchling cannot reach out. Cutting a triangular shaped window seems to work best as it gets narrower towards the top.
Thats it, your Cage Frame is complete.
Step Two: Screening The cage. Cut out a piece of Aluminum Screen that is about the size of the two windows combined.
Fold it in Half and cut it at the crease.
Cut out a piece of tape, and tear it in half.
Place the two pieces of tape around the sides of the screen. Make sure you don't apply too much pressure.
CAUTION!!
- Watch out for the adhesive side of the tape. If you do a messy job and expose the adhesive side, the sticky part can adhere to a hatchling.
- Don't place the tape too close to the edge of the container. Keep in mind that hatchlings can climb on tape, and reach to get out.
- If you are equipped with a glue gun, you can substitute the tape with glue, which will last longer.
Continue doing the same for the bottom and top.
Mount the Screen inside the Frame. Make sure you mount from the inside. We have found that by mounting on the outside, over time crickets will collect in the sides of the screen.
Step 3: Drainage. Use a thumbnail and poke several holes on the bottom/inside of the jug. Make sure you poke from the inside out, not the other way around. It will make for better drainage.
Step 4: Cage Furnishings. Poke a hole in between the two windows. This is where you will mount the vine. Don't place the foliage too high.
CAUTION!!
Be extra careful about how you place your foliage. Because this is an open-top enclosure, you must make sure that the hatchling cannot climb out. LESS IS BETTER. Don't put too many vines in. The bare minimum to collect water drops will suffice.
Place the end of the vine in the hole.
Thats it! You got yourself a baby cage.
Sometimes, I like to cut out circular windows. But there you go. A baby panther cage.
Step 4: Double check your work! Double check to make sure that everything is secured. Make sure that you triple check the things that were highlighted in the CAUTION sections. And lastly, observe. Keep an eye on the hatchling until you can be sure of his/her safety.
Why we prefer this enclosure over others.
One of the biggest concerns about using a 10-gallon glass aquarium is the lack of ventilation. As you all know, chameleons require good ventilation, but at the same time they also need high humidity. This cage provides both, by offering a humid zone, and a ventilated zone.
Problem number two is that baby chameleons eat very small food items. And the small items such as pinhead crickets tend to drown fairly quickly. The drainage, while not perfect, offers better drainage than the 10 gallon. We’ve noticed that pinheads survive much longer.
A big advantage of this cage is that they are cheap. We house 3-4 comparable sized hatchlings in one cage. It is a lot easier to monitor food intake when they are separated into smaller groups. It also benefits the hatchlings, since they are housed together by size, and cannot be harassed by larger siblings.
You might be asking, “Can’t they escape?”. The answer is YES, it’s entirely possible. However, we have never had one escape yet. Careful placement of the foliage, and not cutting too much off the handle will help keep the babies from climbing out. With any enclosure you should observe that the animal is indeed safe. As a safety precaution, you can place the baby cages inside a 22 gallon reptarium positioned sideways.
Again, this design has worked for us. We hope that you will have the same success, or build upon this design and share it with the rest of the community. There is just so much more room for improvement in our methods of breeding chameleons.