snitz427's experience with Calumma parsonii cristifer

I purchased a male CP Cristifer in May of 2021 who unfortunately was already in late stage renal failure when he came into my care (from a severe tongue/mouth infection followed by a very lengthy treatment of two antibiotics by previous owner under vet guidance). He died within 3 weeks, only presenting symptoms in the last week. He was taken to an extremely reputable (chameleon specialist) vet for bloodwork, but he very quickly declined that day before the bloodwork returned. Let this be a testament to the importance for routine mouth inspections, as larger feeders can so easily cause bites and scrapes within the soft mouth.

A few months after his passing, I acquired an 8 month old female CP Cristifer from the legendary Craig Durbin at Primo Chameleons. Layla is 2.5 years old and 189g as of 3/2023. She went into brumation from Nov '22 through spring '23, eating extremely infrequently (often over a month between small meals), with very little activity. She had access to dubia 24/7, but chose not to eat.

Her 4’x2’x6’ enclosure consists of two ficus alii trees in a bioactive setup. She enjoys hunting isopods in the leaf litter, and silkworms are her favorite food. An 80 degree basking light is provided for a few hours in the morning and is occasionally used. Her enclosure is a clearside dragonstrand with 2 screen panels and 3 solid sides to keep humidity up while still allowing air flow. She is misted for 1 minute in the morning and 7 minutes in the evening. Supplements are provided 1x per month, with light calcium provided only with dubia or superworms.