DanSB
Avid Member
I have been considering my options of chameleon species if I were to set up a breeding project. I have made up my mind I am going to do it, but when I do I want to do it right and am in the very early stages at present with an expectation of at least 6 months to a year before I am even ready to purchase another Chameleon.
There are more than a few species of chameleon and there seems to be a huge variety available in the pet trade. I would like some suggestions for species that would be good to look into.
I have some things in mind and some limitations as follows:
I want to work with chameleons that are not commonly found as captive bred or are difficult to come by period. My goal would be to help the community establish captive bred populations on species that are either often imported as wild caught or are becoming difficult to find.
As someone who is new to this I would also need to consider if a species is exceptionally difficult to breed or requires an expert. I have quite a bit of experience in general animal husbandry so I wouldn't stick me in the beginner category but I do know enough to know some species require a person with years of species specific experience to get even limited success.
I have a room of about 120 square feet I can dedicate solely to the project. I also have a decent sized yard but the area has relatively high traffic and there are quite a few neighborhood cats who like to visit. (I will never discourage cats from visiting as there is a distinct correlation between cats and rodents in my area, I have lots of fruit and nut trees that rats love)
Financial investment is another consideration but not as big. I don't intend to even purchase Chameleons to breed until I have all the equipment and some money set aside for vet visits not to mention making sure Pipin my Senegal is the picture of health first. If I decide on something expensive it just means I wait longer.
I currently have a Senegal but don't want to let the impulse buy that got me into chameleons in general dictate where I go with this.
The question I have is given what I outlined above does anyone have suggestions for species I should consider? I am very open minded and am just looking for the opinions of people who know more than me about the diversity and what the hobby might need.
There are more than a few species of chameleon and there seems to be a huge variety available in the pet trade. I would like some suggestions for species that would be good to look into.
I have some things in mind and some limitations as follows:
I want to work with chameleons that are not commonly found as captive bred or are difficult to come by period. My goal would be to help the community establish captive bred populations on species that are either often imported as wild caught or are becoming difficult to find.
As someone who is new to this I would also need to consider if a species is exceptionally difficult to breed or requires an expert. I have quite a bit of experience in general animal husbandry so I wouldn't stick me in the beginner category but I do know enough to know some species require a person with years of species specific experience to get even limited success.
I have a room of about 120 square feet I can dedicate solely to the project. I also have a decent sized yard but the area has relatively high traffic and there are quite a few neighborhood cats who like to visit. (I will never discourage cats from visiting as there is a distinct correlation between cats and rodents in my area, I have lots of fruit and nut trees that rats love)
Financial investment is another consideration but not as big. I don't intend to even purchase Chameleons to breed until I have all the equipment and some money set aside for vet visits not to mention making sure Pipin my Senegal is the picture of health first. If I decide on something expensive it just means I wait longer.
I currently have a Senegal but don't want to let the impulse buy that got me into chameleons in general dictate where I go with this.
The question I have is given what I outlined above does anyone have suggestions for species I should consider? I am very open minded and am just looking for the opinions of people who know more than me about the diversity and what the hobby might need.
