It is a big world out there and in some of those far off corners there chameleons roam free. One of the great experiences in a chameleon enthusiast’s life is to visit chameleons in the wild and we are going to start talking more and more about chameleon eco-tourism here! Today I talk with Marc Vaillant who has visited a number of places where chameleons live and we are going to get a feel for what to expect.

In this third part of the Calumma parsonii series we focus on the smaller of the two subspecies, Calumma parsonii cristifer. It has parson’s charm, but not all of the challenges of it’s larger cousin Calumma parsonii parsonii. Even though this subspecies isn’t as well known it is amazing how many people have requested an episode specifically about it! Well, here it is. Aaron Allred hails from the Pacific Northwest and has been working with cristifer for a number of years. He is a great example of someone who used the information available, figured out where to dig deeper, and was able to succeed in hatching them out multiple times. As I play this interview with Aaron, you’ll get the basics such as temperature and humidity and some husbandry tips, but when I bring on these breeders, the greatest value actually ends up being hearing their answers to questions you didn’t think to type into Google.

The Parson’s Chameleon has been a tricky species to breed. But we have entered into a stage in our community’s growth where we are now able to reliably complete the reproduction cycle. Today we talk to Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons about his experience in breeding Parson’s Chameleons.

The Parson’s Chameleon is one of the most sought after species and, for good reason. It is a wonderful chameleon to keep. The challenges in reproducing this chameleon have kept the Parson’s chameleon rare. But recent successes by some dedicated breeders have given us a chance to enjoy the holy grail of chameleon keeping – captive bred specimens. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons as he shares his experiences with the Parson’s Chameleon.

The reptile community of which we chameleon people are a part of is like any other community. It is made up of hobbyists and businesses catering to their needs. Today we are going to look into the pet business at the corporate level. I am going to talk about how we as consumers create and shape the community at that level through our decisions. And how “actions speak louder than words” is more than just a cliché.

It is easy to be smitten by chameleons.  From their patterns, horns, impossibly long tongue, color change, and….just all of what they are, they are truly other-worldly and have a quick charm about them.  Their popularity continues to grow through movie appearances and social media exposure.  In addition, a growing community of breeders has made robust, captive bred chameleons easily available.  But do they make good pets? Today we will discuss what kind of pets chameleons make.

Reptile shows are a blast to go to. You get to see your favorite local vendors and the national brands all in one space. Today we are going to talk about chameleons and reptile shows.

Making your own chameleon cage can be a fulfilling project and a way to use all your available space for that larger than life chameleon cage. Today I talk about considerations in making your own chameleon cage.

Kinyongia carpenteri. Most of us have not heard of this name. This is a rarely seen chameleon from the highlands of Uganda. Today we have Mario Jungmann, one of the few people to reproduce this species on to tell us about the husbandry. We may never have a Kinyongia carpenteri ourselves, but just hearing about the steps Mario took to figure out the care can help us the first time in whatever species we may bring home.

Once we set up a chameleon cage we need to maintain it and adjust if things are not correct. Today we will talk about tweaking your cage and keeping your chameleon happy.

So you got your cage, did your research, listened to this awesome podcast, and made a gorgeous garden of a cage that fulfilled the Forest Edge 4+4 method from podcast episode 114 perfectly. And then, you introduced the newest reptilian member of the family. What now? Well, I have to let you know that I have dived as deep as I can into how to take care of these little guys and I am only one of a number of people who have done so there is plenty of good information out there, but we are just learners. You have now brought the true master into your home. That is right. We must all bow before the authority of that 4 month old panther chameleon who knows chameleons 100 times better than the best of us.

Once you have your cage set-up and it hits all the numbers in the caresheet perfectly your next step is to throw away the care sheet. From this point on, you are going to adjust your cage based on the behavior of your chameleon. Caresheets are general numbers that have generally worked. You are working with a specific chameleon in your specific room environment. So, the caresheets are not wrong. But view them only as a starting point to get everything set-up. This is the third module in a three part podcast series. It started with episode 113 which helping understanding how to select the right cage type and continued to episode 114 where I introduced the Forest Edge 4+4 method of putting together an effective chameleon cage. I am going to close it off in this episode by addressing how you interpret your chameleon’s behavior to refine the details. Every chameleon will be different. And they may do the unexpected. We need to adjust to their particular comfort levels.

So let’s make use of that Forest Edge 4+4 method and look for behaviors and clues for each aspect to make sure our chameleon is happy.

One of the most important things we will do as chameleon keepers is set up our chameleon’s home. This is where our fantastical beast will need to find everything required for a happy chameleon life. Today we talk about how to set up a chameleon cage effectively and I introduce the 4+4 checklist to help simplify that process.

It used to be so simple. We heard that chameleons needed a 48” tall screen cage and that was that. But then it comes out that all these experienced keepers are using glass or hybrid cages of different sizes. Well, today we will talk about chameleon cages, what makes a minimum size, and when to use screen, glass, or hybrid cages.

Furcifer minor, from Madagascar, has the distinction of having the most dramatic gravid coloration. If you saw a gravid female and a non-gravid female you wouldn’t know they were the same individual. And if you saw a male and a female you would think they were different species. Furcifer minor has variety! This wonderful little chameleon is exceedingly rare in captivity, but there are successful breeding groups and their numbers are growing. Today we talk with Frank Payne who is a leader in the effort to establish Furcifer minor in captivity!

Trioceros montium. The two horned chameleon. The mountain chameleon. Is one of those incredibly decorated Cameroon chameleon species with crests and horns. It is no longer imported, but there are small pockets of breeders working with it. One of them is the team of Tyler Gordon and Kristen Zeller at Cage the Chameleons in Medicine Hat, Alberta Canada. Today we talk to this dynamic duo about their work with this rare chameleon.

One of the basic environmental husbandry conditions is humidity. This is one of the more difficult of our conditions to dial in. In this episode we talk with Mario Jungman from the Netherlands about how he has refined his husbandry with humidity as a critical element.

In the first part of this series we talked about the natural history of Trioceros melleri and the housing strategy. Today we will talk about husbandry. And that is how you set up their cage to replicate the conditions they need as well as nutrition. Our three breeders are back to help us get started in the right direction. Dale Tamura from the United States, Martine Desjardins from Canada, and James Killey from the United Kingdom share their hard won elements of success.

To start off, I’d like to say that much of what we go over is the same husbandry that you would perform for any chameleon. We are going to start at the beginning so we are comprehensive. But it won’t be long before some of you who have been around for a bit will start thinking that this care information sounds suspiciously similar to the care information I share about just about any other chameleon species. And that is because Meller’s Chameleons are….chameleons. Just like most other chameleons, once you dial in the basics the difference between species is just some subtle shifts. Tweak day time humidity and set the right night and day temperature levels and figure the appropriate UVB levels you’ve taken care of the bulk of the species available to us. That said, we are going to start at the beginning and work our way forward.

One of the most impressive of chameleons is the Meller’s Chameleon. Trioceros melleri is the largest of the African chameleons. With recent captive hatched specimens available in the US, Canada, and Europe more keepers have access to this special species. But there are extra preparations necessary to keep them healthy. Today I start the discussion with the top breeders of Trioceros melleri who have graciously agreed to share with you their methods for success.

Today we explore the concept of co-habitation in chameleons. For the purposes of this podcast, co-habitation is more than one chameleon living together in a cage. If the chameleons have physical access to each other it is cohabitation. By the end of this episode you will understand the “why” behind advice regarding co-habitation.

Welcome to a fascinating episode of the Chameleon Breeder Podcast where we will look into the development of a veiled chameleon in the egg. Dr. Raul Diaz is about to give us a tour of what goes on during incubation!

Just what is going on inside a chameleon egg during incubation? That is a question just about every chameleon breeder has asked themselves. I am excited to say that, as a result of the work of Dr. Raul Diaz, we now know. And we are lucky enough to have the scientist himself speaking with us today. I am pleased to bring you, Dr. Raul Diaz.

I’d like to encourage you to check out the show notes to see a progression chart of embryonic development of the Veiled Chameleon. It is nothing short of amazing to think about what is going on inside the egg.

Thank you for joining Dr. Diaz and me today. Have a great day and we’ll meet again next Friday for our weekly chameleon fireside chat.

We spend a great deal of time focusing on what goes into the mouth of our chameleons, but there is just as much happening at the other end of the system. And sometimes things can go wrong. Today, Dr. Rob Coke comes back on and we talk about prolapse, sperm plugs, and constipation.

In west Africa there is a line of volcanic mountains that starts in the Gulf of Guinea and makes landfall in the country of Cameroon. Upon these ancient volcanos has arisen some of the most incredible chameleons found nowhere else. Today we talk with Walter Tapondjou, a scientist whose research work focuses on the bizarre and beautiful chameleons of Cameroon.

A relatively new feeder to the reptile world is the Black Soldier Fly. There are many marketing names given to the larval stage of this insect. Today we are joined by Lauren from Symton, a company that breeds and sells the BSF to the reptile community. She will be giving us an introduction to the Black Soldier Fly!

Mark Scherz is a scientist who studies the chameleons, frogs, and other reptiles and amphibians of Madagascar. Today he brings us with him on his latest expedition through interviews and audio journals recorded while he was in the forest. We learn what his team does and what daily work is like in the field.

This expedition explores Montagne d'Ambre, a mountain in the northern tip of Madagascar. Although it is a popular tourist destination, only the entrance to the national park has been well studied. The peaks and other side of the mountain are new to herpetological science. And this is where Mark takes us. We will listen to field reports, frog calls and nature's sounds directly from Madagascar in this episode series!

In this second part of the podcast series, we join Mark on the Eastern side of Montagne d'Ambre as he continues his studies. His purpose is to determine how much the change in environmental conditions due to elevation develops different species.

In 2017, scientist Mark Scherz led a research team to Montagne d'Ambre in the northern tip of the island to study the difference elevation makes on speciation in chameleons and other reptiles and amphibians. During that expedition, he took an audio journal so that we on the podcast could go along with him and experience what a scientific expedition was like.

At this episode 100 milestone it is time to reflect on where we have been and how we have grown over these last 99 episodes. I share my growth in the area of chameleon hydration philosophy and describe other challenges we are up against as the chameleon community.