What enclosure does a chameleon need?

Types of enclosures

Cons:

  1. Not great for low humidity places

  2. Can be punctured

  3. Cheaper brands can be flimsy

  4. Mist spray can hit the walls if you don’t add a background

Pros:

  1. Great ventilation

  2. Low price point

  3. Easy to move

  4. Lots of different brands available

Screen enclosures

Hybrid enclosures

Pros:

  1. Easier to control temps & humidity

  2. Provides visual barrier between enclosures

  3. Sturdy

Cons:

  1. More expensive

  2. Harder to move

  3. Fewer brands carry them

Glass enclosures

Enclosure size recommendations

The recommended enclosure size for a Veiled, Panther, or Jackson’s chameleon that is 3+ months old is 24”x24”x48” (61x61x122cm). It is best to get that enclosure size to start out with so that you can provide your chameleon with the proper UVB and temperature gradients, avoid spending extra money on multiple enclosures, and prevent stressing out your chameleon by moving them to a new enclosure multiple times. If the enclosure is set up correctly, your chameleon will feel safe and have no issue finding their food once they have a few days to get settled in. Remember baby chameleons can find their food out in the wild jungle without any problems!

Cons:

  1. Hard to find a big enough size

  2. More expensive

  3. Very heavy

  4. Hard to attach branches

  5. Could have poor ventilation

Pros:

  1. Hold heat and humidity well

  2. Commonly available in European countries

My recommendation for new keepers: ZOO Med xl reptibreeze

This is my favorite enclosure to recommend to new keepers because it’s relatively low-cost compared to other enclosures, it’s the recommended size, it’s readily available, and does well for most environments and species. If you live somewhere dry, this enclosure could still be a good option because you could wrap the sides with shower curtains or a vinyl background (Code: NEPTUNE10) to help hold in the humidity.

Hybrid enclosure recommendation: Dragon Strand

This enclosure is the Ferrari of chameleon enclosures. It’s what I use for Luna and it’s amazing.

Where should you put your enclosure?

  1. The enclosure needs to be up off of the ground. Chameleons are arboreal, tree climbers so they feel safest when they are up high above our eye level. Most people put them on a night stand, table, or shelving unit. This is what I use.

  2. Put your enclosure in a low foot traffic area.

  3. Keep your chameleon in an area that will be safe and away from kids and pets. Chameleons are prey (not predators) and can be easily stressed by “creatures” larger than them.

  4. If you put them by the window you’ll need to monitor the temperatures closely. Keep in mind that windows are built to cancel out UVB so your chameleon will still need a UVB bulb.

  5. Chameleons need total darkness at night so put them in a room you don’t mind keeping dark at night. LED lights, TVs, and computer screens should be okay but you can always put a sheet or blanket over the enclosure if it’s too bright. Just try to avoid bright overhead ceiling lights.