I took pix this morning that may help show the difference between the two pale breeding season colors. It's kind of a lousy pic otherwise; the male is really hard to photograph because he is shy. In general, breeding males wear yellow, black, and white. Gravid girls have very low % yellow, mostly gray, black, and white. There is a transition phase of about 2 weeks where they slowly lose their usual green and yellow (what you see here) after becoming gravid/breeding contact. Some go green again shortly before oviposition.

In other words, if you have a melleri showing high yellow with monochrome b/w, it's probably male... probably.

The female is coloring up gravid, in the foreground. The male in his breeding-season daily colors (which is less contrasting than his fired-up actively courting display).



Her creeping-in gravid color is paler from the dorsum down. Some love scratches are still barely evident a black pinpoints:


Bucket feeding, showing her greener ventral surfaces and limbs:


Back to work for me!

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

Beautiful Mellers

Thanks! Do you keep them, too?

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

The ongoing effort to illustrate the color differences of males and females...

Here are known genders, from left to right:

receptive female color....................... male in courtship display... unreceptive female color


Note the tail posture of the unreceptive female: arched at the base, but not in the friendly way. It's the territorial/aggressive display. She starts out with the typically male display of tail rolling and knocking, but she's definitely female.


What I'm wondering is, "Does the receptive female not approve of this male, since she's avoiding him, despite her color?"

Is she taking a visual clue from her unreceptive roommate? Both girls ate in his presence, but neither wanted anything to do with him. They have seen him briefly for a few minutes every few days, and show the same reaction each time. The elder of the two started showing receptive color, but she may just be responding chemically to any old courtship visual...?

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

Kristina,

Your work with this species is fantastic and fascinating to me.
I love your methods, I love your approach and I love that you share these observations with us.
There is (in my opinion) a huge amount to be learned by simply monitoring, feeling, and getting to know these animals.
Please continue to update us.

-Brad

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http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
Dedicated to promoting superior care for Veiled Chameleons

Hey Kristina, I have to agree with Brad.
I love hearing your observations and the pics that accompany them!

I worked with Melleri years ago and believe I had 2 females...
I had to give them up before finding a known male.

Please keep up the good work!
T.

Thank you, Brad and Tokoloshe, for the encouragement. Between drying layers of this sculpt, I get to observe and post. I'm fortunate to be next to them all day (either in the studio or my "perch" in the house) to catch these things, and manage them (testing receptivity). You are right, more daily observation is needed for the advancement of diurnal lizard keeping.

Tokoloshe, I remember you from mellerichams. I'm so sorry you had to give up your females, but it's great to see you back in the hobby.

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

Ouch! I have been sitting at the computer, with Hercules on my head, processing antiques photos for an upcoming sale when I opened the forum homepage, saw this thread, and clicked on it. Hercules saw your photos, Kristina, and immediately charged down the front of my face toward the computer screen. Great photos! he said, as he left several pinholes in my nose and eyebrows.

He wanted to be held today. That's not always the case, but often. This afternoon when I approached the free range he came to the front edge and lifted his forelegs to be picked up. So I brought him into the office. It seems he'll sit forever on my head. Unless he sees some nice Melleri photos. I had no idea he was paying the least bit of attention (since I can't see him on top of my head).

Our female, Megana, has been sporting the receptive colors you show in your female here. But Herc has been blue-green lately.

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Free facial piercings with purchase of melleri.

Maybe Herc will color up in courtship again, if he sees more pix or a mirror?

The receptive color is very similar to the off-season color both genders can wear.... except receptive green has very, very low % yellow (like gravid females).

Thanks for sharing the story, painful as it was!

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

This is simply an amazing photo, showing the true colors of both genders.
This post should be made sticky, very very helpful indeed!