Bradypodion husbandry guidelines

[showjet95]

This is an email I received from my breeder in Europe that I import all of the Bradypodion from when I sent an email asking for specifics on the 3 species we are keeping here in the states. If anyone has any further questions please let me know and I will relay them to him.

Hello Paul,

here are the main points to keep South African chameleons.

Conditions for breeding South African Bradypodion pumilum, thamnobates, transvaalense: the basics

Cage: 400 x 400 x 700 mm for one pair. The best is to use a cage (for example “ReptiBreeze”) just with mesh. They need fresh air.

Temperature: night approx. 10-16°C and during day approx. 22-26°C. Under the light you have higher temperature. Important is a difference of about approx. 10° C between night and day.

Humidity: spraying water every morning and evening

Light: HQL-lamp, 50 Watt for light and warmth; 10 (winter) - 14 (summer) hours per day.

Food: all kinds of flies, home crickets, grasshoppers. Powdered every second time with calcium (“CalcaMineral”)

B. pumilum and transvaalense need higher temperature than thamnobates.
The development of transvaalense is very slow and they just in 2 year adult but can get babies earlier. pumilum grow up very fast and are adult in 9 months!

 

[Julle]

Light: HQL-lamp, 50 Watt for light and warmth;

Old fashioned HQL is OK if you can keep the animals outside most of the year.
When you keep them inside most of the year, you really need better lights.
HQL lamps has a very low UVB radiation, depending on the brand - almost nonexistent.
Sylvania is the best and some of the Osrams produced in EU.
Every Chinese HQL bulb has a bad glass, nonexistent UVB and very unstable operation.

This is why i use HID (Lucky reptile/Raptor) for light/heat, they has a much better light output and UVB production. But you need to be very careful with these, one inch too close and the animals get their eyes burned.

 

[JonRich]

So just Calcium every other feeding? What about Cal with D3? And multivitamin ?

 

[showjet95]

Julle, Im sure there are different methods that work and this is his. He has bred many generations of them with very very good success so the guidelines he tells me obviously work too
Jon, thats it.

 

[Olimpia]

What about beyond the basics? The devil is in the details, after all.

 

[Julle]

Julle, Im sure there are different methods that work and this is his. He has bred many generations of them with very very good success so the guidelines he tells me obviously work too

I didn't mean to question hi's methods, i know they work.
I also know he lives in area where he can keep the animals outside most months of the year.. This is why i wrote what i wrote.
Everyone of us can't keep them outside all year around, or even half.

 

[showjet95]

The breeder I get them from told me that depending on the weather, he keeps his outside from the end of May until the end of September, so that is no where near almost year round.

 

[markpulawski]

From what I have found these guys like pretty cool temps in winter or at least letting them go through a cool winter has it's benefits, mine have been outside in the 40's and seem no worse for wear (this just happened recently as I kept them indoors mostly at first). I have seen several accounts of outdoor enclosures for these guys where temps are moderate and animals brought in for only parts of the year. One thing I would add that Steve suggested is separating them, I kept mine in together and while pregnant and highly irritable my female injured my male when they crossed paths and he has since died. Cooler 40's through mid 80's can be outside time, my female will be going back outside once it cools down again and will stay out until it get's too warm (early April).