Chameleon Cage suggestions?

Hopefully everyone had a nice Holiday weekend. Mine was decent

Anywho, I guess I will hit the ground running here. I am building a pair of 4'x2.5'x2.5' Chameleon cages and I assembled the skeletons out of PVC. I am using an Ultrafine Fiberglass screen for now. I don't plan on leaving free roaming crickets in the enclosure so they should not be an issue (chewing through it/etc). Some cage builders use fiberglass screen, some do not, but from my research I have not seen that it will have any detrimental effects on the chameleons health. The only issue with that style is that a large or particularly strong cham may be able to tear through it, or that bugs can chew through it.

That aside, I have not applied to screen to the skeleton yet. I have been contemplating on how to attach it to the PVC. Initially I was going to line all the sides with dual adhesive Velcro stripping but that is not economical cost wise (Velcro is ridiculously expensive for something invented so long ago). Instead I am now looking and doubling over the edges of the screen and running eyelets through at every inch or so and using plastic fasteners to hold each piece to the skeleton. I know that some pre-fabricated PVC style cham enclosures come with a screen that is sewn into the dimensions of the cage with a zipper on one side to access the animals. I do not have a sewing machine, nor do I think I could sew the "skin" together properly even if I did.

As for the door, I plan on building it out of a second PVC frame and hinges on one side, and use weather stripping on the interior to ensure there is no open gap around the edges of the doorframe.

I am also assembling a misting system that will be automated and a drip system for drinking. I have support beams across the top of the enclosure to mount a spot light for basking and to mount fluorescent UVB bulbs.


I guess what I am getting at here is, does anyone have any experience with building PVC cham cages and if so, what did you use for the walls? Am I missing anything here in my general design/outline? I want to ensure that whatever I build it is collapsible and rebuildable, so I can make it larger or smaller simply by swapping out the skeleton....

I have seen several designs for PVC cages while searching around the net but none of them use fine screen, most are iguana or bird cages with metal or wide rope mesh. Obviously that would not hold any type of insect inside of it so it is out of the question. So... suggestions anyone?

Thanks in Advance.