Chameleons

Creating a Chameleon Habitat

~ BackwaterReptiles

If you’re wondering how to create a chameleon habitat for your new pet, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve bred and hatched thousands of chameleons, including over 20 different species. We’ve got expert advice for you as you journey into the fascinating world of these amazing reptiles.

Many people think they’d like a pet chameleon, but they don’t understand how sensitive these lizards are to their environment. Chameleons are actually not the best pet reptiles for beginning herp hobbyists simply because they have very specific husbandry requirements, so it’s important to do your research, which you obviously are if you’re reading this article!

Because one of the most commonly asked questions we get at Backwater Reptiles is how to set up a proper enclosure for a pet chameleon, we are dedicating this blog article to just that topic.

creating a chameleon habitat
Chameleons can be finicky animals, depending upon the species. We recommend you do your research before purchasing one of these amazing lizards so that you can create the right habitat.

Creating a Chameleon Habitat

What type of cage should I get for my chameleon?

Creating a chameleon habitat generally begins with selecting the proper enclosure. There is only one type of commercially produced cage that we recommend for the vast majority of pet chameleons and that’s a cage that has mesh or screen walls.

This means that you should generally avoid enclosures with glass or plastic walls to house most species of chameleon, with the exception of pygmy chameleons and a few others, which have an entirely different set of care requirements altogether.

screen cage for chameleon
This is a very good cage for a small chameleon. Notice that it has screen walls to encourage proper ventilation.

The reason a screen cage is required is that it allows air to flow freely in and out of the cage and aids in maintaining proper humidity and temperature. Glass or plastic walled cages encourage stagnant air which can lead to respiratory problems.

For young chameleons and smaller species, a cage that is 16″ x 16″ x 20″ is an acceptable size. Adults and larger species should have a cage that is approximately 18″ x 18″ x 36″ or  24″ x 24″ x 48″. The bigger the better, but you don’t have to go overboard.

There are very few species that require something larger and we actually wrote an entire article about those specific types of chameleons that you can read here.

What type of accessories are safe to put in my chameleon’s enclosure?

Most chameleons are arboreal (with very few exceptions) and very awkward and clumsy on flat surfaces, so you should put lots of climbing accessories into its cage. We recommend some plants (live or fake will both suffice) and some branches or vines. Exo Terra twistable vines are our favorite.

If you choose to put living plants inside your chameleon’s enclosure, please make sure that the plants you use are non-toxic and safe for consumption by both the chameleon and any insects you feed it.

Here are some commonly used live plants that are safe to place inside your chameleon’s cage: Ficus benajamina, Gardenia, Pothos, Mulberry, Schefflera arboricola, and Yucca. Our favorite live plant for our own chameleon habitats are Scheffleras–they hold water droplets well (as opposed to a Ficus), and have more sturdy branches (again, as opposed to a Ficus).

quadricornis chameleon (Trioceros quadricornis)
With proper husbandry, chameleons can make very rewarding pets. Here’s a young Four-horned chameleon, otherwise known as a “Quad” due to it’s scientific name: Trioceros quadricornis.

Unless you purchase your live plant from a boutique nursery, chances are it will be potted in commercial soil containing some pesticides. We always re-pot our plants in organic soil free from chemicals and rinse the plant in soapy water to wash any residue from the leaves.

Although chameleons rarely nibble on plant matter (although we have had Veiled chameleons eat leaves), the insects that are in their cage do. And what is in the tummies of the insects is by proxy in the tummy of the chameleon, so you want to be sure the plant contains no chemicals or pesticides.

We also want to mention that you don’t need to provide a water dish for your pet chameleon. They actually don’t recognize water dishes as sources of hydration and are also very rarely down on the bottom of their cage, so it is unnecessary.

Your chameleon will drink water from the leaves in its enclosure, so you just need to be sure to have a good drip system in place. We’ll go into more detail on that momentarily.

What type of lighting will my chameleon’s habitat require?

You’ll want two types of lighting in your chameleon’s habitat – a heat/basking light and a good quality UVB light. We prefer halogen flood bulbs for basking, generally in the 75w range. Avoid infra-red bulbs, and never use spot bulbs as the beam is too small and intense. A flood bulb spreads the light and heat much more effectively.

Some say that chameleons don’t require a source of heat, but we disagree, and our results have been impressive. We provide our chams with options and allow the lizard to choose–and you’d be amazed how often our’s will bask–even montane species (from the mountains).

Our favorite ultraviolet (UVB) bulb is a Reptisun 5.0. You can purchase these in Compact Fluorescent or regular fluorescent variations. We’ve exclusively used this type of bulb very successfully in our breeding programs.

Make sure that the plants within the chameleon’s enclosure are arranged so that your chameleon can get to within 4-6 inches of the UVB bulb. Any closer and you risk your chameleon getting burned accidentally, and any farther away and the UVB rays dissipate in quality and become nearly useless.

I tend to place the UVB lighting across the middle of the top, and the basking bulb in a corner, so that the other side of the habitat is cooler. This allows your chameleon to thermoregulate–a fancy word for letting it choose the temperature it wants.

How do I maintain the proper temperature and humidity levels?

For the most part, unless you live somewhere with extreme climates, room temperature should be a fine ambient temperature for your chameleon’s habitat.

Anywhere in the 70’s is usually ideal. However, you definitely want to make sure that the heat light you have set up on top of the cage creates a warmer area that stays around 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

We recommend purchasing a reptile temperature gun to make sure you are achieving proper heat levels within the basking area. This tool is pretty much required for any reptile owner.

chameleon care kit
Backwater Reptiles does in fact sell complete chameleon care kits. You can purchase them at the bottom of any chameleon for sale page.

As far as humidity is concerned, you’ll want to mist the enclosure daily. This can be achieved by manually spraying inside the enclosure once or twice each day. Or if you are not home most of the time, you can also buy a simple drip system that provides a steady source of dripping water into the cage.

Some people even splurge for a pricier automatic cage mister. These machines can be put on timers and you won’t even have to think about needing to mist your chameleon’s cage. Everything will be done automatically which is very convenient.

The best lower cost method is with the Exo Terra Monsoon, which is good for a few cages (4-6 or so). If you’ll have more than 4-6 chameleon habitats set up, you’ll probably want to splurge and purchase a heavier duty misting system such as Mist King, which can take care of 20+ enclosures with a single unit.

The result you’re looking for is droplets for the chameleon to lap-up, and increased humidity with the chameleon’s habitat. Persistent dehydration is one of the top causes of chameleon losses in captivity.

Conclusion – Creating a Chameleon Habitat

As you can see from this article, chameleons have very specific cage requirements. They need specific temperatures, regular misting and/or a source of dripping water, and we recommend two types of lights above their cage.

We think chameleons make extremely rewarding pets, but we also want all of our customers to be informed about what exactly it takes to make such a wonderful lizard happy and healthy in captivity.

If you’re interested in taking a foray into the world of chameleon keeping, and we hope that you are, please visit our website where we have the largest selection of chameleons in the world, along with all the required supplies we’ve mentioned in this care article.

 

Jackson’s Chameleon Care (Chamaeleo jacksonii)

~ BackwaterReptiles

Are you thinking about getting your first pet chameleon? One of our top suggestions for you is a great species for beginners – the adorable Jackson’s Chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii).

Read on to learn all about Jackson’s chameleon care, based upon our years of successful experience caring for, and breeding, these unique three-horned reptiles. When kept correctly, these chameleons thrive in captivity.

Jackson’s chameleon care

Jackson’s Chameleon Appearance

Many people are attracted to Jackson’s chameleons because of their unique physical appearance. These little chameleons have been said to resemble triceratops because the males have three horns on their head – two above their eyes and one on their nose.

Female Jackson’s don’t have horns, although they do have the potential to give birth to live babies! Unlike most reptiles, female Jackson’s chameleons don’t lay eggs. The sad side effect of this strenuous process is that female Jackson’s actually have considerably shorter lives than the males of the species.

male jackson's chameleon
This is a male Jackson’s chameleon. You can tell by his three horns.

Most male Jackson’s chameleons will grow to be anywhere from eight to ten inches in length. Females are a bit smaller and will only grow to approximately seven or eight inches total length.

Unlike their more colorful cousins such as Panther chameleons, Jackson’s chameleons tend to stay in the brown to green color spectrum. Most will be brown when they are cold or grumpy and they will be green when they are healthy, happy, and well-adjusted. Some Jackson’s will also be shades of yellow, but it’s safe to say your Jackson’s won’t be turning blue, red, or purple, even though chameleons do have the reputation for being able to change color on a whim.

Jackson’s Chameleon Enclosures

The most important element to keeping a chameleon of any species happy is a good environment with the proper lighting, food, and shelter spaces.

All chameleons should have mesh enclosures so that the air is free-flowing and doesn’t get stagnant. The open mesh also helps maintain proper moisture and humidity levels within the cage.

Because Jackson’s chameleons are arboreal, be sure to provide lots of foliage and branches within your chameleon’s enclosure.

A single animal can be housed in a cage that is at least three feet tall, although if you want babies, you can put a male and female together in an enclosure that is about twice that size.

female jacksons chameleon
Jackson’s chameleons are arboreal and need lots of foliage and branches in their enclosure to cling to.

Your Jackson’s chameleon should never (or very rarely) be anywhere on or near the ground of its cage, so no real substrate is required. You can line the cage with paper towels if you desire to make cleaning up feces, dried leaves, and other detritus easier, but it’s not a requirement so long as you spot clean the cage appropriately.

Lighting and temperature are very important for a Jackson’s chameleon. Keep your daytime temperatures around 80 degrees and make sure that the temperature doesn’t drop below 60 degrees at night. You can accomplish this by placing a full spectrum UV light along with a ceramic heat light on one side of the top of the cage. Just be sure that the foliage in your chameleon’s cage is not tall enough that the chameleon can get too close to the lights and burn itself.

Moisture is another extremely important component to keeping your Jackson’s chameleon healthy. You need to provide an automatic drip system or spray the foliage in the chameleon’s cage frequently so that it has a water source to drink from. Chameleons don’t recognize water dishes, so this is an absolute imperative.

Jackson’s Chameleon Feeding

Jackson’s chameleons are insectivores and will thrive on a cricket-based diet. They will also enjoy meal worms, wax worms, reptiworms, and roaches.

It is important that whatever insects you do feed your Jackson’s chameleon have been gut-loaded with the proper nutrients. Healthy insects = healthy chameleon.

Jackson’s Chameleon Temperament

Of all the chameleon species available for sale today, we think that Jackson’s are one of the most calm and laid back as far as personality is concerned.

It’s true that most chameleons do not enjoy being handled, but if you want a chameleon that doesn’t get stressed out by being taken out of its enclosure, a Jackson’s just might be right for you.

female chamaeleo jacksonii
Jackson’s chameleons have relatively calm dispositions and can be handled without too much stress.

Because they are relatively small, they tend to perch nicely on hands and their gripping claws don’t hurt like some of the larger species.

Jackson’s chameleons are also not known for being aggressive towards people. They might change color a bit or puff themselves up to appear larger, but you’d be hard-pressed to make a Jackson’s chameleon bite you.

Jackson’s chameleon care – Conclusion

Whether you’re new to keeping chameleons or very familiar with them, we’ve always had good experiences with Jackson’s chameleons. We would highly recommend these little triceratops chameleons as pets.

Ready for a Jackson’s chameleon of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Jackson’s chameleon care sheet.

 

How to Dust Feeder Insects for Chameleons

~ BackwaterReptiles

Keeping chameleons in captivity can be a challenge. These delicate lizards have very specific care requirements and need their wild habitats to be replicated as closely as possible in order to thrive as pets. Dusting their feeder insects properly is a key to keeping chameleons successfully.

How to dust feeder insects
Pictured is one of our extremely healthy female Oustalets chameleon, fed a diet of properly dusted insects.

Besides requiring a mesh enclosure or cage, a dripping and misting system to meet humidity requirements, and UV lights and heat, chameleons also require their invertebrate meals to be extremely nutritious. This means that you can’t just feed your pet chameleon any old feeder insects. You will need to make sure your chameleon’s insects are gut-loaded and vitamin dusted regularly.

So what is vitamin dusting? What vitamin dusts do you give a chameleon and how often do you need to do so? How do you go about dusting the insects?  These are all questions we will address in this blog article, so read on if you want to make sure your chameleon stays healthy and strong.

What is vitamin dusting?

The answer to this question is actually very simple.

Vitamin dusting is where you coat your feeder insects in a film of powdered vitamin supplements before feeding time.

Do you take a multivitamin pill daily? How about a vitamin C tablet every now and then? Well, dusting your chameleon’s feeder insects is basically the same concept. The only difference is that because it would stress the animal to try to get it to ingest a vitamin pill, reptile hobbyists have invented a clever way to get the animals their vitamins. By coating the insects, the chameleons don’t even notice they’re eating the vitamins they need.

What types of vitamin dusts are good for chameleons? How often do you need to dust your feeder insects for your pet chameleon?

These are questions we get a lot at Backwater Reptiles. This is because there’s no manual on how frequently dusting needs to be done and the frequency as well as type of vitamin dusts required can vary from species to species.

At Backwater Reptiles, we use five main vitamin dusts for our chameleons – bee pollen, spirulina, a calcium + D3 supplement, a calcium supplement, and Herptivite/Supervite supplement.

The general rule of thumb with baby chameleons is to dust pinhead crickets (or whatever food source you give them) fairly frequently with calcium. Babies are growing fast and their little bodies need lots of nutrients to make sure their growth process happens smoothly.

Listed below are the vitamins used at Backwater Reptiles and the schedule we subscribe to when it comes to dusting feeder insects for our chameleons.

Bee pollen

Bee Pollen Vitamin Supplement
Bee pollen can be bought in powdered form from specialty retailers and health food stores.

In the wild, chameleons eat insects that could have recently pollinated a flower. Supplementing with bee pollen is said to help avoid chameleon “hunger strikes.”

Frequency:
Babies: once monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: twice monthly

LoD (calcium + D3)

Calcium and Vitamin Supplement
This Repashy vitamin and calcium supplement is what we use at Backwater Reptiles.

At Backwater Reptiles, the type of LoD vitamin supplement we use is called “Repashy Superfoods Calcium plus LoD.”

Frequency:
Babies: once monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: twice monthly

NoD (calcium)

Powdered Calcium Supplement
This powdered calcium supplement is used frequently when feeding baby chameleons.

The kind of calcium supplement used at Backwater Reptiles is called “Repashy Superfoods Supercal NoD.”

Frequency:
Babies: 10-15 times monthly
Sub-adults: 5-7 times monthly
Adults: 2-3 times monthly

Spirulina

Spirulina Powdered Supplement
Spirulina is a powdered algae that can be purchased at health food stores or specialty stores.

Spirulina is an algae that commonly grows in freshwater ponds and lakes. The kind fed to our chameleons is dried and powdered. Any powdered spirulina will be fine for your chameleons, but we use an organic, non-irradiated, and non-GMO spirulina from www.nuts.com.

Frequency:
Babies: once monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: twice monthly

Herptivite/Supervite

Multivitamin Supplement for Chameleons
This is the multivitamin supplement used at Backwater Reptiles.

These are general vitamin supplements or multivitamins. The kind we use at Backwater Reptiles is “RepCal Hertivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamins.”

Frequency:
Babies: twice monthly
Sub-adults: twice monthly
Adults: once monthly

How do you dust your feeder insects?

The good news is that the physical process of dusting your feeder insects with vitamins is not as tedious as it sounds.

All you will need to complete the process is a small plastic bag, your vitamin of choice, and your feeder insects.

Reptile Feeder Crickets
At Backwater Reptiles, we opt to dust our crickets in a bucket instead of a plastic bag simply because we have so many animals to feed. It makes sense for us to do it on a larger scale. But a plastic bag works just fine in most cases.

Just put your insects in the plastic bag along with your vitamins and seal the bag shut. Then shake the insects around in the bag with the dust for a few seconds until you can see that they are visibly coated with the dust.

Now your feeder insects are ready to be eaten!

A quick tip – if you are feeding your chameleon dusted crickets, be sure to feed them to the animal quickly after the dusting process has been completed. Crickets have good hygiene and will clean themselves of the dust as quickly as they can, so the sooner they are eaten, the more vitamins the chameleon will ingest.

Vitamin Dusted Crickets
When your feeder insects are coated like these crickets, they are ready to be served to your chameleon.

How to dust chameleon feeder insects – Conclusion

A healthy, happy chameleon will require supplemental vitamins in its diet. This can be achieved by dusting your pet chameleon’s feeder insects with a number of multivitamins.

 

The Biggest Chameleon Species

~ BackwaterReptiles

A while back, we wrote about the four largest chameleon species and you learned that the biggest chameleon species in the world is the Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii).

Now, we’re going to tell you a bit more about the gigantic Parson’s Chameleon and why we recommend that only experienced reptile enthusiasts keep these gorgeous and impressive lizards.

Parson’s chameleons are usually a blue-ish greenish teal in color with accent colors of brown, yellow, or green. There are two main varieties seen in the reptile trade: orange eyes, and yellow-lips.

Orange eyes are much more common, and are named so because their eye turrets are a bright, vivid orange color.

Yellow-lips are far less commonly seen in the hobby. Males have yellow trimming on their lips with diagonal stripes along their sides, while females are similarly patterned but generally lack the yellow-lips.

The Biggest chameleon species
This is one of our male Yellow-lipped Parson’s chameleons, the biggest chameleon species in the world. Notice how large he is in comparison to a forearm.

Males Parson’s are larger than females, although not by much. Males also have pronounced  nose bumps or protrusions, whereas females do not.

So, we’ve already established that the Parson’s Chameleon is the biggest chameleon species in the world, but how large is it really?

Well, they can reach lengths of up to 30 inches and weigh anywhere from a pound to two pounds. This might not seem like a lot, but when compared to what other chameleons weigh, it’s monstrous! It’s possible that they are not the longest chameleon in the world, but they are certainly the biggest chameleon when it comes to overall mass.

They also have thick, bulky torsos with very strong limbs. In fact, if you ever get the chance to hold one, it might be wise to wear gloves as they have sharp toe claws and can grip hard enough to leave marks and draw blood, although we think it’s worth it!

Often times, it is said that Parson’s chameleons can get as big as a small house cat. This is only partially true as they can get as long as a small cat, but definitely will never weigh as much or be as bulky. They can definitely live as long as a house cat though – some have been reported to live to well over twenty years of age!

Because of their large size, it would make sense that Parson’s chameleons require a large enclosure. A full-grown male or female being housed solitarily should have a mesh cage that is at least 24 inches long and 48 inches high, but the larger the better.

Parson’s are arboreal and will need as much space as possible to climb, so considering how big the animal can be, vertical space is definitely important. Make absolutely sure the vines and branches are strong enough to support their weight easily. Also make sure they cannot wrap their claws all the way around the entire vine/branch width, as this can cause issues for them.

Largest Female Parson's Chameleon
This is our resident female Yellow-lipped Parson’s chameleon. She laid us a clutch of 68 healthy eggs earlier this year!

In addition to requiring a large cage, we don’t recommend Parson’s chameleons for  beginners because they also need large food items. In the wild, it has been reported that Parson’s eat small birds (finches), so they definitely have appetites and will need to be fed accordingly.

At Backwater Reptiles, we feed ours large roaches, large crickets, and large hornworms. If your Parson’s is particularly well-trained, you might even try feeding it pinkie mice, but it’s usually hard to get chameleons of any species to eat on cue, especially if the food item is already deceased.

Parson’s chameleons are quite rare in the reptile hobby and breeding world for several reasons. Probably the most impactful reason is that these chameleons are listed as “near threatened” on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.

What this ultimately means is that trade and exportation of these large lizards has been strictly regulated since 1994. It wasn’t until just recently that legal export quotas opened up in their home country of Madagascar, but there are still very few of these animals for sale in captivity, and that’s probably a good thing. Regardless, it’s always best to start with captive bred animals if possible.

Male Parsons Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)
Notice the diagonal accent stripes on this male’s sides.

The rarity of the Parson’s chameleon means that it comes with a steep price point. Most chameleon species have been captive bred in the U.S. for long enough that that they are not too hard to come by at reptile expos or through private breeders.

But due to the toughness of acquisition as well as the lack of captive breeding projects, Parson’s are still extremely expensive, particularly when compared to other pet chameleon species, often times fetching a price of $1,500 to $3,000, depending upon the locale.

So now let’s assume that you can meet the requirements mentioned above – you’ve got the large cage, you can supply the large food, and you can meet the steep price point. We still recommend that only owners who have kept other species of chameleons own Parson’s chameleons.

Parson’s are particularly delicate, despite their large frames. They stress easily and don’t reproduce in captivity as readily as other species do. And just like all chameleon species, they require high humidity, and a dripping/misting system so that they’ll drink water. They drink a lot of water.

Calumma parsonii - biggest chameleon in the world
Large adult Parson’s chameleons require an equally large enclosure.

Biggest chameleon species – Conclusion

While Parson’s Chameleons are highly sought after due to their large size, magnificent coloration, and rarity, Backwater Reptiles would like to stress that these animals do best when kept by an experienced reptile hobbyist.

If you think you are interested in one of these chameleons, Backwater Reptiles does have Parson’s Chameleons for sale. We’re always here for questions or pictures of the exact Parson’s chameleons we offer.

How Do Chameleons Drink?

~ BackwaterReptiles

How do chameleons drink? It’s a fair quesiton, and you’ve definitely come to the right place. Did you know that chameleons won’t drink water from a traditional water dish? In fact, they’ll usually die of dehydration before they’ll do so! This isn’t because they’re stubborn or stupid animals. Rather, it’s because chameleons don’t recognize a dish of still water as a source of hydration.

chameleon drinking water
Here’s one of our female yellow-lipped Parson’s chameleon mid-drink.

We all know just by seeing how clumsy chameleons are on flat land that they are arboreal lizards. This means that they spend most of their lives in trees and by extension, drink water while they are in the trees.

How do Chameleons Drink in the Wild?

What happens in the wild is that when it rains, water trickles and drips down upon the leaves and branches in the trees. Chameleons will recognize there is water present based on the moisture they are feeling and the drops they observe hitting the surface around them, and will lap up the water droplets with their tongue.

So, it would make sense that they can’t comprehend that the dish you place on the floor of their enclosure actually contains water. It’s just not natural to them.

chameleon drinking

So, you might ask, if I can’t leave a water dish for my new pet, how do I get my chameleon to drink water?

How do Chameleons Drink in Captivity?

The simplest method is to use a drip system. You can go as fancy or as inexpensive as you want. If you’re on a tight budget, you can simply get a plastic deli cup and puncture a hole in the bottom. Fill it with water, place it on top of your chameleon’s screen cage, and – voila – dripping water! A drip every second or so is a good rate. You don’t want a constant stream of water, or too slow of a drip.

Make sure the drops are landing on either a branch, or a leaf. If you want to spend a bit more money or get something that is specifically made to drip water for reptiles, try a drip system offered by Zoo Med called “Little Dripper.”

We also highly recommend misting your chameleon’s enclosure for added moisture and humidity. You can do this manually with a spray bottle a few times daily (mist until water droplets appear on the leaves), depending on how dry it is where you live, or you can purchase an automated misting system if you want to go the fancy route.

parsons chameleon drinking water
Chameleons have a sticky coating on their tongue that helps catch insects. When they drink and lick leaves and sticks for water, they can get “slobbery,” which is visible in the picture. :-)

Some species of chameleon seem to drink for long stretches (Parson’s, Jackson’s, Meller’s), while others are like camels, and don’t seem to require as much (Veiled and Oustalet’s come to mind).

Thanks for reading our article about how chameleons drink water. If you have any questions regarding chameleon hydration, feel free to ask in the comments.