O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon Breeding

Hello All,
I'm new to posting on the Forums, but have looked at them from time to time while doing research. I am struggling to find much information on the O'Shaughnessy's Chameleons. I am fortunate enough to have recently been placed in charge of caring for some. I have taken care of, and currently take care of, a number of chameleon species and am not completely unaware of the complexities of chameleon care, nor am I oblivious to their needs such as lighting, supplementation, temperature, and the like. However, I am struggling to find much information on the O'Shaughnessy's specifically. Has anyone ever worked with these? If so, can you point me in the direction of literature regarding their breeding? They are so beautiful, and rare, and I would love to be able to help these little guys (not so little really) thrive in my care. So, any and all help will be much appreciated!! Mostly I cannot find whether or not they lay eggs. Thanks for taking the time to read this far

Do you mind my asking what part of the world you are in to be given such an opportunity?

Are these somehow confiscated animals that you have been put in care of, or what's the story? I am fascinated by this.

Not about breeding but a little info...click on great tabs at the too...
http://eol.org/pages/1056573/details

I am in the US, Florida actually. They were imported to the facility I work at (a reptile facility.) We were lucky enough to get some, and I'm really trying to make sure they acclimate and survive. If breeding can happen they I'll be even more thrilled, considering that their population is dwindling. I am just trying to be as prepared at possible.

Cameron B said:

Do you mind my asking what part of the world you are in to be given such an opportunity?

Are these somehow confiscated animals that you have been put in care of, or what's the story? I am fascinated by this.

Click to expand...

Cameron B said:

Do you mind my asking what part of the world you are in to be given such an opportunity?

Are these somehow confiscated animals that you have been put in care of, or what's the story? I am fascinated by this.

Click to expand...

These are actually a new Madagascar 2014 quota species. They are a legal species to keep after 19 years or since 1995 the ban. The quotas are conservative quotas and of only 250 Calumma o'shaughnessy a year and if their habitat/environment is not conserved may not stay a quota species. As this species is listed as an IUCN Red List Vulnerable species.

http://cites.org/sites/default/files/common/quotas/2014/ExportQuotas2014.pdf

GeminiChar how did you come across your Calumma o'aughnessy? I have not heard or from any of the reading seen news about the new 2014 quotas species being exported yet?

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

And thank you kinyonga. I have seen some of that info already, but not all. I have a feeling I have an opportunity to "write the book" on captive breeding here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has done it, but being that I can't find much about it, I am going to be sure to take notes so that other's may have info.

There was an article written about them in the Chameleon information Network (CiN) journal in 1999 (Journal #34). Send me an email ([email protected]) and I can help you get a copy.

Chris

GeminiChar said:

And thank you kinyonga. I have seen some of that info already, but not all. I have a feeling I have an opportunity to "write the book" on captive breeding here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has done it, but being that I can't find much about it, I am going to be sure to take notes so that other's may have info.

Click to expand...

You would be the first to the best of my knowledge to breed this species in the United States. These are one of the Parsonii like chameleons and all these species are known for their difficultly to breed.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

Motherlode Chameleon said:

You would be the first to the best of my knowledge to breed this species in the United States. These are one of the Parsonii like chameleons and all these species are known for their difficultly to breed.


Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

Click to expand...

Hmm, I was hoping for better news than that. Oh well, who doesn't like a challenge. I will do what I know and hope for the best then . Thank you all for the input!

Wow. It finally happened. Did any other Calumma or Furcifer species also come in?

I can't offer any information but I'd love to see some pictures.

Chase

Good luck with them.

Sad but this is the exact situation this species does not need to be in.

Carl

CarlC said:

Good luck with them.

Sad but this is the exact situation this species does not need to be in.

Carl

Click to expand...

Exactly..

A species that is now allowed to be imported with virtually no reported success stories with breeding in captivity. The new cites quotas are great. It is good to know they are doing things to drop wild populations back down to dangerous levels for no reason at all other than for people to get cool pets.

To the OP, I hope you have some success with them! Definitely contact Chris Anderson about that journal article.. that would definitely be a good resource to draw on. Unfortunately, it will be a lot of trial and error with keeping and breeding at this point. Contact as many of the parsonii keepers as you can, as they are probably the closest in care requirements in the U.S. (that I know of at least). Good Luck!

CarlC said:

Good luck with them.

Sad but this is the exact situation this species does not need to be in.

Carl

Click to expand...

ChamMan7 said:

Exactly..

A species that is now allowed to be imported with virtually no reported success stories with breeding in captivity. The new cites quotas are great. It is good to know they are doing things to drop wild populations back down to dangerous levels for no reason at all other than for people to get cool pets.

To the OP, I hope you have some success with them! Definitely contact Chris Anderson about that journal article.. that would definitely be a good resource to draw on. Unfortunately, it will be a lot of trial and error with keeping and breeding at this point. Contact as many of the parsonii keepers as you can, as they are probably the closest in care requirements in the U.S. (that I know of at least). Good Luck!

Click to expand...

These are a CITES quota species. If the species are deemed by the CITES review of significant trade to be a species of urgent or of possible concern or not fit for the trade for the hobby due to population problems in the wild. The species most probably are not going to be kept as a CITES quotas species. This new trade in Calumma oshaughnessy is a managed trade it is not an under the radar black market trade in chameleons. That stated breeding groups would be a great idea for people who plan to keep and breed this species.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/cites-review-significant-trade-129331/

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

Kent67 said:

Wow. It finally happened. Did any other Calumma or Furcifer species also come in?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what else we got in for certain, I just know what I was given to care for. I believe that is the only uncommon species.

Chase said:

I can't offer any information but I'd love to see some pictures.

Chase

Click to expand...

I cannot promise any photos, since they belong to the company I work for and not for me personally. But if they do decide to post some I will be sure to post a link. They truly are very beautiful though, and eating and drinking and looking very healthy. I am going to take things slow and do my homework before I do anything else of course.

ChamMan7 said:

Exactly..

A species that is now allowed to be imported with virtually no reported success stories with breeding in captivity. The new cites quotas are great. It is good to know they are doing things to drop wild populations back down to dangerous levels for no reason at all other than for people to get cool pets.

To the OP, I hope you have some success with them! Definitely contact Chris Anderson about that journal article.. that would definitely be a good resource to draw on. Unfortunately, it will be a lot of trial and error with keeping and breeding at this point. Contact as many of the parsonii keepers as you can, as they are probably the closest in care requirements in the U.S. (that I know of at least). Good Luck!

Click to expand...

I sent Chris an email the second I saw that post. I hope I have success as well. If we can find a way to reproduce them in captivity, maybe they can stop exporting them all together. Either way, I have the best intentions, and will do everything in my power to keep them healthy...breeding is a secondary thought really.

GeminiChar said:

I sent Chris an email the second I saw that post. I hope I have success as well. If we can find a way to reproduce them in captivity, maybe they can stop exporting them all together. Either way, I have the best intentions, and will do everything in my power to keep them healthy...breeding is a secondary thought really.

Click to expand...

I never got an email from you. Check the address you sent it to and resend. Happy to send you the article.

Chris

ChamMan7 said:

Exactly..

A species that is now allowed to be imported with virtually no reported success stories with breeding in captivity. The new cites quotas are great. It is good to know they are doing things to drop wild populations back down to dangerous levels for no reason at all other than for people to get cool pets.

Click to expand...

I have no problem with the species being exported. The assessments say this species is stable enough to handle limited export.

My issue is this is a very difficult species to work with. With the limited numbers of animals that will be exported the very few animals that will arrive in the US would be best off in the hands of very experienced keepers. I am in no way trying to slam the person who started the post. As described it is their job to care for them. They are not their personal animals.

Chances of these animals getting past 6 months in captivity are slim to none if the keepers need to ask questions like is it a egg layer of does it give live birth.

Carl

A species that is now allowed to be imported with virtually no reported success stories with breeding in captivity. The new cites quotas are great. It is good to know they are doing things to drop wild populations back down to dangerous levels for no reason at all other than for people to get cool pets

Click to expand...

Edit- --removed first comment- I got confused and thought these were the "elephant ear" chameleon and I think i knew a guy who bred those once.---

Just because nobody had success doesn't mean much when it is 20 years later and the window for opportunity was only a few years, and there were many species coming in to choose from, and prices were pretty cheap so incentive wasn't super high for many species to even seriously try.

The same could be said of most lizards that are wild caught today- even those collected for many decades now. Not much successful breeding going on outside of a few species. But not a lot of trying going on by those with knowledge and resources either, as they are too cheap.

I agree with you on the rest though- if limited collection could negatively effect wild population density, then it is pretty stupid to bring them in as pets. Hard to understand why laws would change and allow this.