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PAGE CONTENTS
MY STORY
| GOOD
STARTER CHAMS | SELECTING
A HEALTHY CHAM | HYDRATION and
HUMIDITY | FEEDING | SUPPLEMENTATION
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCESSFULLY RAISE AND/OR BREED AN
"OLD WORLD" CHAMELEON?
If you want CUTE get a kitten, for companionship
adopt a DOG, if you just want to be different ... consider a sugar glider or prairie
dog. Bearded Dragons are great "Lizard" pets. If you are ready to be a part time HERPETOLOGIST, CLIMATOLOGIST, ANIMAL
PSYCHOLOGIST, ENTOMOLOGIST, BOTANIST, and the "IST" list goes on and on... Then you MIGHT be
ready to own a chameleon. The level of commitment is much higher
than a typical pet AND they are a "hands off" animal, meaning they do
not like contact. It creates stress and can shorten their life. Why then, you
might ask, would any one choose this troublesome and demanding animal? If you
have ever WATCHED one for any length of time, you can answer that question.
Their grace and beauty is unmatched. Their skills as a hunter are admirable, their
agility and flexibility would make even the greatest contortionist's head spin.
There are over 120 known species with, each with adapted coloration and ornamentation
for their environment. I have learned, now, just how
typical my story is... My first experience with chameleons was
at Christmas 1998. My wife saw a
Jackson’s in ******** and dragged me in to look at it. She wanted to get it
for my son. I thought that’s a cool looking creature sorta like a Triceratops.
I said ok lets get it . . . BIG MISTAKE. I asked for information on this unique
animal and was told by the sales girl . . . “It’s the same thing they use in
the Budweiser commercial, only they use the females because they don’t have
horns (She knew that much anyway)”. I went to their magazine rack, and
found an edition of
REPTILES magazine with an article about them. I bought the
magazine and the chameleon.
I also bought a 10 gallon screen lid aquarium, a hood with a day and night heat lamp, a water dish, a plastic palm tree, a bag of
Reptibark, and 10 - ¼ inch crickets, all at the advice of the sales girl. When I asked the person
bagging the crickets if they were a different species or just an immature
version of the larger crickets… he could not answer. By the way they had THREE Jackson’s in ONE setup similar to the one they sold me.
Now I could tell that this was no ordinary pet. . . but I really did not know what I had stepped into.
I did what I should have done before the purchase, (the sales girl told me they just came in and did not last long so we bought one) I pulled them up on
the Internet, asked other pet stores, and bought every book I could find on them. What was supposed to be my son’s Christmas present became MY project.
After learning the inadequacy of the 10 gallon tank, I purchased a real 6 foot ficus tree, and the materials to build what I thought was “The Ideal”
enclosure for a chameleon. Measuring 24” deep by 32” across by 40” tall’
screened on two sides and the top, furnished with lots of various size branches, fake vines, and trees; and lit with two 2 foot Reptisun 5.0’s and
a 60 watt floodlight. . . I thought this is a chameleons dream castle (See
pictures on LIZARD LOUNGES
). I rigged a
humidifier to mist it two hours a day, and all of the lights were on a timer.
The whole project took about three weeks to plan and build. The poor guy lasted
about one week after completion.
I learned a lot from the experience and I also got the fever. I don’t think I will ever NOT own a chameleon or two.
I now have three veileds 1.2 and a clutch of 39 eggs in the closet. I would love to get a couple of panthers, but I have to build a cage for the newest
female veiled first.
DAVID W. PICKERING
As I said, that is an all too typical story.
If it does not match yours, then keep researching before you purchase. Even if
you have extensive herp experience, these little wonders have very
different husbandry requirements than any other herp. There are many species
available, each has very different humidity and temperature requirements. Decide
what is best for you based on your ability to maintain their environment...NOT
because they are the "cutest, most colorful, most unique, etc..." HAPPY
HERPIN'
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MY STORY | GOOD
STARTER CHAMS | SELECTING
A HEALTHY CHAM | HYDRATION and
HUMIDITY | FEEDING | SUPPLEMENTATION
Good Starter Chams
There are several species that make good FIRST chameleons:
-
Furcipher pardalis or panther
-
Chamaeleo trioceros jacksonii
Jackson's
-
Chamaeleo calyptratus
veiled
or Yemen
These are not the ONLY species that are good starter chams,
only a few of the more popular.
The panther, Jackson's, and quad are all
"tame" and fairly hardy. The veiled is probably the hardiest and most
forgiving of beginner mistakes, but has a temperament change at puberty that
makes them much more "HANDS OFF" than the others. That could be a good
thing since they are all hands off any way. Veileds just let you know quicker
that it bothers them. With a reasonable amount (by cham standards) of time and
effort, they are easy when compared to other chameleons. For specific husbandry
parameters see caresheet links.
literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
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A few things to look for when
selecting a chameleon include:
-
EYES - not sunken in,
and alert looking, always scanning their environment for food or predators
-
MOUTH - clean, free from
sores, and well lubricated
- TEETH - uniform
in color, if not this could be a sign of old age or illness
- TAIL - no visible vertebrae this is a
sign of possible dehydration , tail should be well shaped and without skin
deep grooves
-
GRASP - should be strong
-
LIMBS - not swollen and
should be moving freely without discomfort
-
SKIN - any
elongated lumps beneath the skin (possible filarial worms); any visible cuts
bruises, or broken skin; the skin should look well hydrated, not dry or
withered large black or gray areas can be fungal infections
-
FEET - free from injury,
all claws clean and free of damage
-
BREATHING - should not
be fast or deep. the mouth should not be open all the time, heavy breathing
and constant gaping are signs of possible respiratory infections
-
FECES - should be
somewhat oval shaped and dry
Chameleons do not WAG their tails when happy and healthy, nor do
they PURR. Everything about chameleons is slow including manifestation of
illness. If you have never seen a healthy chameleon, then you may find it
difficult to identify a sick one. They do move very slowly and sometimes they
will back step or stutter walk, but they should NEVER sleep during daytime and
they should LOOK ALERT. Try to look at many specimens from different sources to
get an idea what NORMAL is for one. Select CAPTIVE BORN from a reputable breeder whenever possible.
They have fewer problems with parasites, have less trouble acclimating, and you
know their exact age.
literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
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Of all of the husbandry parameters HYDRATION is the
most important. You want to ensure that the chameleon is getting plenty to drink
daily. Too little water can cause long term health problems. Proper hydration
can be accomplished by using several different methods or a
combination of methods. What you choose depends on your cage, your ability
to properly maintain the system, whether it is inside or outdoors, the time and
money you want to invest, and the species or more specifically the individual
cham's preference. Be sure that the humidity requirements for your species are
being met, and remember that any method of watering is going to at least
temporarily increase the humidity level. Do not confuse humidity with
hydration. Humidity is the amount of moisture in the
air, hydration is the amount of water consumed by the
chameleon.
Methods
-
Direct connect misting systems hook up to either the
hose or house water supply
-
Self-contained misting systems have their own water
tank
-
Humidifiers are not really for watering systems, more for
HUMIDITY level, however, if set up to they can create a DEW on leaves in the
morning or evening and many species look for that for water.
-
Drip systems designed for reptile use, that have an
adjustable valve to control drip flow. These should be set to drip onto the
leaves of plants to slow the flow and give the cham a chance to SEE it
-
Similar to drip systems are home made drip systems, using
many different styles, but the same result. You can make one with almost any
plastic container. Take a deli cup and poke a few PIN holes in the bottom,
place it on top of the cage and put water in it. You have just manufactured
a drip waterer. You can of course get much more sophisticated than that and
make one from sturdier materials.
-
It has been suggested in the past, to place ice cubes on the
top of cages and let them melt. The drips have about the right timing, but,
in my and many other chamowners experience, most chameleons PREFER WARM
water.
One of the best methods is to get a spray bottle (I use a
pump type to save my trigger finger) and spray above the chameleon onto
leaves creating a DRIP FLOW. Remember to use HOT
water in your bottle, by the time it reaches your cham it will be warm. I almost did not mention these because they are very risky,
but surely some one is going to find them anyway, SO...  WATERFALLS are sometimes used for hydration as well. They are very DANGEROUS to use
with chameleons due to bacterial growth. In my opinion, and the opinion of many
other chameleon keepers,
they are not worth the time it takes to properly maintain them. I have used
one before and they do add to the scenery in a well designed and landscaped
enclosure, BUT once again they require frequent and extensive cleaning to
remove harmful bacteria. I do no of a cham owner with much experience that
loves them, but she will tell you she breaks hers down three to four times a
week for detail cleaning. If you can do this then go ahead. See the
LIZARD LOUNGE
SECTION for pictures and brief descriptions
of many of the above mentioned items.
literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
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It is not unusual for a chameleon in a new environment to go
on a hunger strike. They CAN survive without eating for several days, so do not
panic. Give them time to settle in and get acclimated to their new home. Avoid
contact both physical and visual except to attempt to feed and water
them if you see this. Offer them many different insects...VARIETY is the spice
of life. A chameleon may eat one food every day for a couple of weeks, then turn
his snout up at it. Try throwing in some variety.
ACHETUS DOMESTICUS, or
the house cricket is one of the best food items. They are readily available and
easily gut loaded (see breeding the house cricket page). meal worms, waxworms,
king meal worms, and silkworms are also used frequently and available thru the
internet (see feeder links on LINKS PAGE).
Methods of Obtaining Feeder Insects
-
Another method of gathering food is a FIELD SWEEP. This is
done by going out into a field with a net and brushing it close to the
ground. Close it up or empty it into a collection container and sweep again.
BE CERTAIN
WHERE YOU ARE SWEEPING IS FREE OF PESTICIDES Virtually any
bug is FAIR GAME to a chameleon. Most chams
will not eat the BLACK BEETLE that the meal worms turn into, nor will they
eat ladybugs. Experiment with your cham and see what they like.
-
Breeding your own insects can be fun and interesting, and
most insects are fairly easy to breed. (see BREEDING CRICKETS
and
other breeding projects
for lots of pictures and good
explanations). One obvious
advantage to this is you can
bring them up on a healthy
diet. (see
GUTLOAD)
see
Notes on Feeder Insects
Methods of Feeding
-
One fun and interesting method of feeding is hand feeding.
This is done by holding the bug either in forceps or your fingers, where the
cham can see it. Give them time to find it and watch for the 5 phases of
feeding (see MYTHS, MISCONCEPTIONS, AND FOLKLORE PAGE for explanation and
pictures).
-
Another method is to free range the prey insects or let them
loose in the cage. this method allows the chameleon to get exercise and to
HUNT (they are natural hunters) for prey. Be sure not to leave loose prey
insects in with a sick or injured chameleon. Some insects are very
aggressive and a sick chameleon often is not willing or capable of self
defense. This method can allow escapees if your enclosure is not tight
walled. It also makes it difficult to monitor the animal's intake, but the
hunting and exercise are both very beneficial to your animal.
-
Finally the last method I will cover, bowl feeding, involves
using a dish to place the prey insects in. You can use many different
dishes, but make sure the feeder insects cannot easily escape. The obvious
drawbacks to this method are that it does not allow the animal to hunt, nor
create exercise for them. It does make it easy to monitor how much is eaten.
This method is probably best used for emergency feeding of a sick animal, or
with new hatchlings.
literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
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DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
AVAILABLE
Rep-Cal
Calcium
Herptivite
Miner-All
Indoor
/ Outdoor - Developed for Chameleons
T-REX
Calcium Plus Cricket
Food, Bone-Aid Liquid
Calcium, Bone-Aid Calcium
Powder
Bone-Aid Calcium
Tablet, Solar Drops (Pure
Vitamin D) Hydro-Life (Electrolytes)
Vitamin
supplementation can easily be overdone, and should be used in a very
limited and tightly monitored regimen. See the
http://www.chameleonjournals.com/vet/vetcare.cgi?index on the links page for a good description by Ken
Lopez D.V.M.
The best
technique is to "gut load" your feeder insects with a healthy
diet.
Miner-all
is considered the best supplement by more chamowners. It was developed by a chameleon
breeder, especially for chameleons, with an indoor version ( with D3) and
an outdoor version (without D3).
Another great line of
Chameleon supplements
developed by a vet
specifically for chameleons
and now expanded for other
herps, is the Quantum Series
by
Susan Donoghue, VMD,
DACVN.
Information on thee products
can be found on their
website at:
http://www.herpnutrition.com
A good
lighting system and frequent exposure to natural unfiltered sunlight is
safer than adding powdered or liquid
synthetic D3 supplements, the UVB wavelength allows all reptiles the
ability to regulate their own Vitamin D levels by endogenous synthesis as they
would in nature, and eliminates risk of vitamin D3 overdose (highly toxic) from
synthetic sources.
literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
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