A few questions about Jackson's

[fimbriatus]

Hello,

I have experience keeping panther chameleons, and currently have 5 in my classroom (high school biology). I want to get a pair of jackson's to add to the classroom and have a few questions.

Would an adult male be comfortable in an 18'' x 18'' x 36'' cage? What if it is a jacksonii jacksonii?

I use arcadia 6% T5 bulbs, is that too much? There will be plenty of plants and shaded areas where they could get out of the uvb.

As far as supplementation, is this pretty standard, "Use calcium (without D3 or phosphorus) twice a week, a multivitamin once a month, and calcium with D3 once a month."
Can any Jackson's keepers recommend vitamin brands/share their schedule?

I am leaning towards getting a pair of jacksonii jacksonii if I can find a nice captive bred pair. Does anyone know any jacksonii jacksonii breeders?

Thank you!

 

[Andee]

Adult male cage size I am unsure on. I know a female is usually fine in that size cage.

The lighting is fine.

I use Repashy LoD twice a week for my Jacksons and then use plain calcium for two other feedings.

Definitely not a lot of captive specimens available, especially if you are looking for a breeding pair. A lot of specimens that are captive that are available are usually related in some way, because they aren't easy to breed in captivity. Usually it takes A LOT of time to successfully raise jackons babies and A LOT of space. They also need tons of humidity compared to panthers and absolutely need automatic misters. Their misting sessions should be no shorter than 4 minutes and I definitely recommend 10 minute sessions at least in the morning. Most jacksons benefit from a humidifier of some sort. I definitely would never recommend jacksons as a species to keep in a classroom. They are relatively shy and don't do well with multiple people looking at them or handling them. I mean my female jacksons only likes me, while my panther male likes pretty much me and mom and then everyone else if he's outside his cage.