Good morning Chameleon Wranglers! It is time for an update as to what is going on with the podcast!
Good morning Chameleon Wranglers! It is time for an update as to what is going on with the podcast! This isn’t an episode per se. It is just a short update to let you know I am working hard on season three! I haven’t just migrated to Madagascar for the winter! We have this break because I am substantially increasing what this podcast will offer. In season three I will have video companion episodes to the podcast. You will still get the podcast which can keep you company into work or during the cage cleaning days, but you will also be able to come home, and see a companion video which gives a visual to the topic. I am estimating that the new season will launch in January. I have been having a great time recording interviews and video for this new season and look forward to sharing them with you. We are going to be taking a close look at handling your chameleons, the ecology of the veiled chameleon, and chameleon anatomy. We’ll get a better feel for supplements, plants in the chameleon cage, and even how we in the hobbyist community can effectively perform some citizen science to push our collective knowledge further. I intend for this new format to be well worth the wait!
So, while I am arranging simultaneous interviews across three continents, massaging those video transitions, and trying to coax the why out of these topics, enjoy the holidays, your family, and that mini-tree dragon that makes our lives border on the fantastic! I’ll have something special for you when 2018 plops itself on our doorstep! It will be a great year to learn, understand, and pass it on!
Today we talk about dealing with the loss of our chameleon. Chameleons have so much personality and character that they easily become considered part of the family. And when the time comes for them to pass we can get confused as to how we should feel.
Today I share my thoughts on losing a beloved chameleon.
Good morning chameleon wranglers, Today we are going to talk about how to do your own fecal exam for your chameleon. Of course, there is much more to it than I can go over here, but it really isn’t that hard and we will give you a very good start. I have brought back Alec O’Brien who is a vet tech and chameleon breeder!
Today Carl Cattau and I discuss incubation of chameleon eggs. Incubation can be intimidating and I know I gravitated towards live bearers for the longest time. But hatching eggs really isn’t that bad once you understand how to pull it off. Listen in and try it yourself!
Welcome, chameleon wranglers, to a two part series on egg laying and incubation. For these topics I have brought back Carl Cattau for a an interview type discussion. When it comes to a female chameleon successfully laying eggs your job is to provide a sufficient site that meets with your chameleon’s approval.
Unfortunately, Their only way of communicating to us is either to lay eggs… or not. I have chosen Carl to join me in this discussion because he is on the forefront of getting rare species to lay eggs and hatch. Getting a species to hatch that has books written about it and Facebook pages dedicated to it is certainly an achievement, but when a species is first imported and we have to figure out how the females think. Or what combination of temperature, moisture, and diapause to incubate at we rely on pioneers like Carl who spend their time at the edges of what we as a community know. And that is one reason why this is a discussion rather than a tutorial. We are talking about a subject where the body of knowledge is scarce and the answers are oh so slowly being coaxed out. This is the exciting stage. This is where the common knowledge of tomorrow is created. It is happening in real time. Let’s listen in as Carl and I discuss laying sites and what it takes to create a space where the female will give us those precious eggs.
Today we are going to dive into cleaning products. We chameleon keepers are acutely aware of the value of cleanliness. We maintain a constant vigilance against parasites, bacteria, and fungal bizarreness. It is time we explore the cleaning agents available to us. I am bringing back Dr. Rob Coke who is the head of veterinary medicine at the San Antonio Zoo.
Today we are talking about chameleons that have fallen on bad times. Whether it is advanced MBD or a loving owner finding their life conditions have changed. Sometimes chameleons need a second chance at life. And for that I have brought on Cheryl Garcia, the lady in charge of the chameleon and reptile side of Another Chance Sanctuary.
Bio-active environments have captured many people's imaginations. It is the most true approach to creating a "slice of nature" in our living rooms. But more than just a pretty scene, bio-active environments can be more healthy for your chameleon or other reptiles. Join John Courteney-Smith and I in exploring bio-active environments!
Bio-active environments have captured many people's imaginations. It is the most true approach to creating a "slice of nature" in our living rooms. But more than just a pretty scene, bio-active environments can be more healthy for your chameleon or other reptiles. Join John Courteney-Smith and I in exploring bio-active environments!
This podcast interview is the first of two episodes which reviews John's book "The Arcadia Guide to Bio-Activity and the Theory of Wild Re-Creation.
This week we dive into parasites that infect chameleons and our tour leader is Sean McCormack.
Can chameleons be successfully kept in the classroom environment? Bill talks to Jason Mintzer of Valley Vista High School in Southern California who uses his love for chameleons to help his teaching. Join us as we talk about how he was able to pull it off!
Mark Scherz is back to give us some insight into what it is like being a scientist in the wilds of Madagascar!
Venus Fly Traps aren't the only carnivorous plants! There is a whole world of plants to get their nutrients from insects! Join me and Peter D'Amato from California Carnivores as we explore these fascinating plants! This is truly walking on the Outer Fringes!
An episode reviewing strategies and thoughts on housing baby chameleons. I will discuss breeders having hundreds of eggs and the keeper with one select 3 month old chameleon.
Chameleon's eyes are nothing short of fantastic! But they also have a maintenance plan that needs to be followed for optimal health. In today's episode, Dr. Rob Coke DVM and I discuss ocular health in chameleons.
Today we are going to be talking about gutloading the feeders for your chameleon. This conversation is loosely based on the end chapters of his book “The Arcadia Guide to Reptile & Amphibian Nutrition”.
Today we hear from a Thorsten Negro who puts together tours of Madagascar specifically for Chameleon enthusiasts! Not only do you enjoy the sights and take incredible pictures, but you experience the natural environment that our chameleons come from!
Bacteria are all around us and our chameleons. Some bacteria helps us in a symbiotic relationship and some bacteria can kill us if it takes hold. Chameleons have the same life challenge so obviously, it is important we understand bacteria and how to treat infections. But what exactly is bacteria? Isn’t it all around us? When does bacteria turn dangerous? We are going to answer these questions and more today as we dive in to understanding the relationship of bacteria and our chameleons.
Mark Scherz is back to talk about what he saw first hand regarding the differences between Furcifer habitat and Calumma habitat. Mark is a scientist whose life mission is to finish describing the reptile and amphibian species of Madagascar.
Marita De La Pena, the Deadly Tarantula Girl, comes on to take us to the Outer Fringes with a talk on arboreal tarantulas! Tune in to learn about these fascinating creatures and learn more about the people that can't get enough of them!
Both vitamins and minerals are critical components to our chameleon's health. This is the second part of our nutrition series where we focus on minerals. This episode is based on John's book The Arcadia Guide to Reptile and Amphibian Nutrition.
John Courteney-Smith is the Reptile Products Manager at Arcadia-Reptile. It is his job to push captive husbandry as close to optimal health for our reptiles and amphibians as possible – and make that products that allow this to be carried out. He is also the author of a set of books which address the many aspects of keeping healthy reptiles in captivity. Last month, in episode 55, we discussed his first book, The Arcadia Guide to MBD and its elimination in captivity. And if you haven’t heard it, I suggest going back and catching that one! Today we are going to go over his second book, The Arcadia Guide to Reptile and Amphibian Nutrition. It is a huge topic and will not fit in one podcast so we will break it up. This episode we will concentrate on vitamins. Of course, all vitamins and minerals work together and must be in balance so it is impossible to discuss one without the other. There is a great deal of overlap!
One of the most beautiful chameleon books available is Mountain Dragons by Jan Stipala. It is a photo journey across the wilds of Kenya and it has a rich variety of pictures of both chameleons and their habitats. I am very pleased to be able to introduce you to the author and photographer of this book!
Join me as I talk with Mark Scherz and we learn about how chameleon species are determined and how they get their names! Mark studies the herpetofauna in Madagascar and gives us a fascinating insight into the life and work of a scientist studying chameleons!
Welcome back to the Outer Fringes! Today we explore Poison Dart Frogs with Joshua Willard of Josh's Frogs! In this episode Josh will give us a introduction to these beautiful frogs and get us going in the right direction to keeping them healthy!