🦎 How to Set Up a Veiled Chameleon Cage
Chameleons need a screen (mesh) cage, not glass — they require constant fresh airflow and stagnant air makes them sick. Go tall and roomy: about 2 x 2 x 4 feet for an adult veiled chameleon, since they live up high.
Fill it with climbing routes and plants. Layer vines, branches, and live plants like pothos or ficus so the chameleon can move through the canopy and hide — cover lowers their stress. Provide a T5 UVB bulb and a basking spot around 85 to 90°F.
They drink moving water. Chameleons usually ignore a standing bowl and lap droplets instead, so use a dripper or several daily mistings to water them and keep humidity up. They are a watch-do-not-handle, stress-prone pet — best for patient keepers. See our beginner reptiles guide.
🛒 Recommended supplies
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🧽 Cleaning & maintenance
The trickiest part of chameleon upkeep is the watering gear and the runoff it creates. Misters and drippers run several times a day, so all that water has to drain somewhere — sit the cage over a tray or drainage layer and empty and wipe it regularly so it does not become a stagnant, smelly, bacteria-growing puddle. Clean and refill the dripper and mister with fresh water often (biofilm builds up inside), spot-clean droppings off the leaves and floor daily, and rinse the screen. Hose down or replace live plants as needed. Avoid chemical cleaners around such a sensitive, absorbent animal — hot water, a little vinegar for glass, and good drainage do the job.
Cleaning supplies for this habitat. Affiliate links — we may earn a commission. The $/$$/$$$ badges are a rough budget guide, not live prices.