Bonaparte aka Hannibal

Chameleon Company

Avid Member
Wow. I was posting a reply to the thread that I had just noticed, "Weird", and I guess the thread was deleted while I was posting. A lot of accusations there that were pretty phony, but to those who showed restraint, kudos.

Yes. Same critter. And an almost one-of-a-kind story that I hope Brad allows to sit, and others avoid the silliness that plagued the first thread started by another. Please take that stuff to the BOI, btw. Some of what has gone on these last two days has a few of us itching for a "reconciliation" that would not be appropriate here. My but I am biting my tongue ....

Bonaparte was imported in early 2003. He was an Ankify, a sub locale of Ambanja. Beautiful critters. In time he earned a new nickname, but whether it was a few weeks or a few months, I do not remember. Entities alleged to have been a part of the LLC then were not, and even now are less that 2% owners, if it matters. Bonaparte was just another pretty face in the crowd before the below photo-documented incident, which created a new nickname, which eventually stuck. He became famous for it. "Bonaparte who ? Oh, you mean Hannibal". It started as a compatible breeding attempt. I let it go, and retuned to find what you see.

Never were they marketed as two different animals or bloodlines. We have had a few incidences of name changes here through the years, for many different reasons, to include renaming an animal at my Aunt's request. Again, never an attempt to mislead, and I do not believe any misrepresentation ever occured. Enjoy.

I would entertain discussion about the animal, the event, Ankify's, etc. But if the silly attacks are going to reappear, I would hope that Brad would take appropriate action, and suspend or ban those that have been fomenting them, and I do mean every malicious post.
 
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"Was". Ankify is still one of the best kept secrets of Madagascar. I've seen a half dozen of that ilk, but none for several years. It might be nice next time if someone emails me directly before all the conjecture in a thread, ya think ? ;)
 
Hey Jim,

I don't know any of the people involved and so didn't know the source of the two photos. I posted in the other thread because my original assumption was that one seller was using a photoshopped picture of someone else's animal to misrepresent something for sale. From everything I've ever seen, altering photos is very frowned upon. In this case not really a big deal since it was still your animal, but it certainly wouldn't have resulted in the ammunition for the other thread. Just my $.02
 
Beautiful chameleon Jim.

Did Hannibal actually eat that whole chameleon? Looks like a big meal.
 
Hey Brad,
No, he did not, although the appearance from the picture is that he might have been trying. As I said, he had emaciated the female by the time we realized it was a breeding gone horribly wrong. She could not be saved, so we watched the behavior and took pictures. Never seen if before or since like this. He would drop the carcass, and then move 12-24 inches away for 5-10 minutes. Then he would return, pick her up at mid-body, and hold her up in the air, like a trophy almost. Chomp down once or twice. Then drop her, and move away. This went on for the better part of an hour. Then we finally put him back in his own cage.

From that point on, while we still wanted to breed him, it was with extreme caution. Never saw the behavior again, and he successfully sired a half dozen cluthes though 2003 into 2004.
 
how long was the female in without being checked on. i would have put that female of of her misery instead of letting that continue. I can understand the intrest in the odd behavior but that is just disterbing and rewend my good mood tonight unfortunatly.

Disclaimer - im not attacking just giving an opion. :)
 
Good question Brandy,

We do not supervise all breeding start-to-finish. We do observe the first 5-10 minutes for compatability. This one started fine. Twenty minutes later it had changed for the much worse. The female was long dead in the photos. She was likely clinicly dead when I found the debacle, but I do not know. Again, it was the only time we have ever seen such out of thousands of matings, although we do not compel matings if incompatable. This one started fine. Nature is sometimes tragic in her ways.
 
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