Thanks to FL Chams, I have six new CH from 3 bloodlines. They have been raised with their own siblings until today, when they were moved to one large communal cage. On arrival here, they all were marked with non-toxic color dots to identify their origin clutches. While the paint dried, I provided Hydei, but no takers. They were busy settling ranks, as observed in the 2005 CB hatchlings. They showed lateral compression, swaying, raised pinched forefoot, the whole routine, ending as soon as the targeted audience showed green and broke eye contact. Each had never seen the other clutches before, so some displays were in order. It wasn't the paint color signalling to them; no two of the same displayed to each other. I gave them a hand-misting, all had a drink, and then got the feeding responses. After eating, exploring was more interesting than shouting at each other.

After lights out, I checked on them again. The red dots (my younger female's) and blues (Megana's) were scattered around the cage (a 260-g Reptarium horizontal). These two were the closest:


The two yellows had found each other and were roosting together on the same twig. It's all too new to roost with strangers.


Later, another roosting check and a light hand-misting: the red and blue pictured above had moved to share one branch, about 4" apart. It will be interesting to see if all three clutches' babies will eventually roost together. No question, juvenile melleri recognize the distinction between strangers and sibs. I hope more keepers have the opportunity to repeat the experiment.

If you're wondering why I mist even after they go to roost, babies will drink at every chance and need hydration even more than the adult melleri. I'll probably do another misting in the middle of the night for a couple weeks. This is in addition to the auto mist system.

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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

There cute...I want on now Better do my homework first.

Brian

Kristina-I have one of Megana's babies and yours seem to be so much more green. My little one is getting greener by the day, but is still very much showing it's tuxedo colors. Would you suggest that I get another ASAP for best outcome? They do drink alot. I mist 6X daily at least and it drinks it's fill.

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Julirs http://www.julirschameleons.com 2.2.50+ Veiled 1.1 Oustalet 1.2 Nosy Be 5.3.3 Pygmelions 1.0 Fischers 0.0.1 Mellers 0.1 Ambilobe 0.1 Side-Striped

That they are. Even the non-herp people around the studio are baby-talking at them and suggesting names.

If you have any questions while doing your homework, fire away!

__________________
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

Are you checking on them by day or night? The greens show most when they are in the shade or roosting by night (these are roosting pix). By day, these beasts are distinctly b/w tuxedo.

Based on my own experience, it seems that melleri pairs on up to groups do better. Same or close-aged animals are a good bet. Some people have done fine raising singletons, and every animal is unique. I'd say, read a lot, ask keepers who raised singles and pairs, and assess your individual melleri. Try showing it a photo of a calm baby melleri, and see what it does. I'll always suggest taking your cues from your own animal.

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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

Hey Kristina,

I have on of their bros from mike.

what was the name of the paint that you used to tag them?

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1.1 BB Ambilobes / 1.0 BB Ambanja / 0.0.1 Melleri / 1.1 Hypo Red Beardies

This is really interesting to me, especially because I wondered how chameleons avoid inbreeding in the wild. Perhaps if they can identify their siblings, they can avoid mating with them? Although if people can breed brothers and sisters together in captivity, perhaps they aren't that picky when it comes to mating in the wild.

Nevertheless, those little guys are awesome!

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Christen
1.0 Ambilobe/Ambanja cross

Oh no! Now I want to get another one! I've got one coming shortly, but now I'm thinking I want two....

I'm using Liquitex acrylic tube paints. The jarred Liquitex is too runny for the job, the tubed has more polymer medium/gel. Only use the colors that are ASTM certified non-toxic. Avoid Cadmium colors. Lightfastness ratings are not important, even though they are under UV lamps; the paint only stays on as long as one shed cycle, not long enough to change the pigments.

I apply dots to the hip or dorsum areas.

__________________
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,
as far as paint goes, maybe instead of liquitex acrylic, you can try tempera paint since they are using egg whites as emulsion rather than a polymer.

(it's probably safer.. just as a suggestion )

Problem with all that red, yellow, white, and blue (or any bright paint), even though they are certified, all of the bright paint colors often use toxic metal -mostly lead- as pigments.
Maybe, next time you can try colors such as yellow ochre (4 yellow) and burnt sienna (4 red). They use ground earth as pigments.

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CARE FOR VEILED AND PANTHER CHAMELEON AT:
http://chamworld.blogspot.com