Species of chams that can sometimes be housed together

ckmazdaspeed3

New Member
So, it will be a bit down the road (as I almost got kicked out for bringing a second Veiled home... needed a female too), but I was curious which species of non dwarf chams can be housed together sometimes? I think it is more fun to get chams in pairs, because of the opportunity to breed, but two chams in one (large) cage would be easier to get away with than two chams in two separate cages.

Now, I know that for the most part, chams have to be housed alone, but I have seen some threads where panthers and mellers have been housed in pairs (or more), but are there others?

Also, I understand that just because sometimes certain chams can be housed together, it is no guarantee that my pair would be cool with it... Oh, and I also know that it would require a much larger cage with multiple basking spots.
 
The secret is that every chameleon species can be housed together permanently if you adhere to two principles.
1) you have a large enough cage to have enough room for two thermal gradients, separate perches, feeding stations, basking sites, watering locations, and hiding spots. The cage has to be big enough to have two cages' worth of space (assuming you want to house two chameleons together).
2) you erect a complete visual barrier down the middle of the cage so that the chameleons can neither see each other through nor get around.

Using this arrangement you will be able to keep two chameleons in the same cage for their entire lives and not have to worry about harmful interaction or subtle intimidating that causes stress and decreased eating/drinking.

Seriously, if you want a pair of chameleons ask yourself why. They do not need the company. The only reason to have a pair is either you aesthetically appreciate both sexes or else you want to breed. If you have a male and a female they just might (probably will) breed and if you have a problem bringing in a second cage in your house what will you house 10, 20, 30+ babies in? If you just like them and it really is more about figuring out how to expand your collection under certain space constraints or parental rules then get creative on using the space to create two cage spaces. If this just doesn't fly then I am going to suggest you not push it. Just look through the history of this forum and you will see that the human desire to put two or more chameleons in one cage can hardly be contained. You get a couple people that just have to stand up and say that they have done it successfully, but the overwhelming voice says not to do it. Some of us took the advice not to and some of us had to try it ourselves. You just decide which group you are in.

Melleri: yes, people have kept them in groups, but these people are keeping them free range or in greenhouse type environments. They choose to do it to observe and allow group behavior and interaction and more natural breeding. It is not done to save space on caging

If you really want to keep two chameleons cut the space in half and look at getting a smaller species. Peacock chameleons might be a good choice for you depending on how small of space we are talking. Rudis? Bitaneatus?
 
My reason for this question was four fold: I would like to breed them depending on the species, i do like the aesthetics, curiosity is another reason for asking the question, and the GF reacts negatively to more cages... it's not so much the size of the cage, as it is the number... I do get that it is not logical, but people rarely are ;)

Also, although if possible, I would most likely try this, if it didn't work I would separate the chams immediately, but it is definitely something I would like to try with the right species and set up.

But with a list of a few species that I would be more likely to succeed with, I could do the research needed.
 
There are some species that might/can be kept together...but not as many as you might think.

If you start off with two chameleons that are not full grown, as soon as they reach sexual maturity they will likely mate forcing the female to produce eggs even if she isn't finished growing her own body.

If you have a male and female together, the male's presence will likely stress the female out and more than likely end up compromising the immune system. If this happens and you don't separate them quickly enough, you will likely end up with a dead chameleon.

In the wild, if one chameleon is bothering another one, the two can move away from each other...in a cage, they can only move as far as the walls of the cage and if they can still visually see each other there is no escape.

If your GF only wants one cage, then why not make one that is big enough for the two of them with a visual barrier down the middle of it?
 
i've seen video of certain chams housed together this is done raising them up together since babies.

don't ever house a female and a male cham together as babies or adults cause they will think of each other the same sex and won't have any intrest in mating i had this problem with my jacksons when i was in hawaii.

I have two female nosey be females together and they are fine same as two female veileds they have big cages and i've raised them together as babies so they are use to it if you try two different ones its pretty much impossible due to them being use to being alone so don't try it.

so what you are wanting to do best of luck if you are trying to mate them yes you can put them into the same cage for that but keep a close eye on them cause if the female puffs up and hisses take her out she is not ready to mate. if you have veileds be very careful cause some males will attack the females regaurdless but imo male chams are very horney and want to do the deed the trick is finding a female that wants to do the same best of luck though
 
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