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MY STORY GOOD STARTER CHAMS SELECTING A HEALTHY CHAM HYDRATION and HUMIDITY FEEDING SUPPLEMENTATION

My Story

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCESSFULLY RAISE AND/OR BREED AN "OLD WORLD" CHAMELEON?

If you want CUTE get a kitten, if it's companionship you seek 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 and my chameleons photo album link on LINKS PAGE). 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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Good Starter Chams

There are several species that make good FIRST chameleons:

Furcipher pardalis or panther

Chamaeleo trioceros jacksonii Jackson's

Chamaeleo quadricornis four horned or quad

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 or visit the Chameleon Journals MOAC Database from the LINKS PAGE.

literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

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Selecting a Healthy Cham

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 backstep 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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Hydration and Humidity

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 and slow to develop health problems. This can be accomplished by using several different methods, or better yet, 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.

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 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 PAGE for pictures and brief descriptions of much of the above mentioned items.

literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

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Feeding

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

Ordering either over the internet or mail order (see FEEDER links on the LINKS PAGE) or purchasing from a bait shop or pet store are all good sources.

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 page for lots of pictures and a good explanation). One obvious advantage to this is you can bring them up on a healthy diet. (see GUTLOAD link on the LINKS PAGE)

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 animals 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.

literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

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Supplementation

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 Chameleon Journals MOAC Database link and chameleonjournals.com/info/nutrition/supplements 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).

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.

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literature cited (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

This site can in no way be reproduced or copied without the expressed written permission of David Pickering. I have given credit where the author is known. If I have used any material without your permission or without the proper credit please inform me and it will be corrected.Copyright©2000 David Pickering.