CNorton
Avid Member
K Matschiei = Matschie's Two-horned Chameleo = East Usambara Two-horned Chameleon = Monkey-tailed Fischer's Chameleon = Giant Fischer's Chameleon
I got Bella from a petstore down in San Diego. Yes, the one Kent visits from time to time! The shipment of Giant Fischer's that came in June '09 brought in many unhealthy specimen but when I saw this little girl in the store...I had to have her. The cage she was in was littered with her poop which told me that at least she's eating and pooping which really is saying something because these guys have to make it all the way to California from Tanzania.
She came to me in good health. No parasites on first fecal. How'd I get so lucky?
Unfortunately, I did not have a male waiting for her at home. Tylene has a beautiful male name Malachite and remarkably, he agreed to conjugal visits. In late November, Bella made a 3 day visit with Mal. He head bobbed and approached slowly...she made no objections and remained the same color. Mal never got too close under observation!! We never observed any copulation or any noticeable coloration that would lead us to believe there was any copulation. But then again, who can observe a chameleon closely for 3 days?
Now fast forward to late January and someone's getting fat.
I was reluctant to reduce her feedings by too much but I also didn't want her to become obese. She would voraciously consume any and all feeders in sight. During Feburary, I racked my brain thinking that if she had at all "done the deed" she would have laid by now. But she was not digging and I could not see any bulges on her belly that looked like eggs.
Now fast forward to mid-March. After I observed some dirt on the floor of her enclosure I got the hint.
After 4 days of digging, she finally laid 26 eggs!
I am now going to have to play the waiting game to see if they are fertile or not. I will candle after a few weeks to see if I observe anything.
Noticed the dates I took her weight:
9/30/09: 45grams
2/1/10: 65grams
3/1/10: 68grams
3/15/10: 64grams
3/17/10: 45grams (just after laying)
I am trying to record everything I do and take notes as I am not aware of any successful keepers of this species other than Tylene (ponders) and Peter Kraemer (in Germany). If you have a Giant Fischer's Chameleon, please let me know!
I got Bella from a petstore down in San Diego. Yes, the one Kent visits from time to time! The shipment of Giant Fischer's that came in June '09 brought in many unhealthy specimen but when I saw this little girl in the store...I had to have her. The cage she was in was littered with her poop which told me that at least she's eating and pooping which really is saying something because these guys have to make it all the way to California from Tanzania.
She came to me in good health. No parasites on first fecal. How'd I get so lucky?
Unfortunately, I did not have a male waiting for her at home. Tylene has a beautiful male name Malachite and remarkably, he agreed to conjugal visits. In late November, Bella made a 3 day visit with Mal. He head bobbed and approached slowly...she made no objections and remained the same color. Mal never got too close under observation!! We never observed any copulation or any noticeable coloration that would lead us to believe there was any copulation. But then again, who can observe a chameleon closely for 3 days?
Now fast forward to late January and someone's getting fat.
I was reluctant to reduce her feedings by too much but I also didn't want her to become obese. She would voraciously consume any and all feeders in sight. During Feburary, I racked my brain thinking that if she had at all "done the deed" she would have laid by now. But she was not digging and I could not see any bulges on her belly that looked like eggs.
Now fast forward to mid-March. After I observed some dirt on the floor of her enclosure I got the hint.
After 4 days of digging, she finally laid 26 eggs!
I am now going to have to play the waiting game to see if they are fertile or not. I will candle after a few weeks to see if I observe anything.
Noticed the dates I took her weight:
9/30/09: 45grams
2/1/10: 65grams
3/1/10: 68grams
3/15/10: 64grams
3/17/10: 45grams (just after laying)
I am trying to record everything I do and take notes as I am not aware of any successful keepers of this species other than Tylene (ponders) and Peter Kraemer (in Germany). If you have a Giant Fischer's Chameleon, please let me know!
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