Calumma nasutum

[Ekona]

I moved this female to a 12x12x18 zoo med with naturalistic walls, twigs, plants etc. She took on some cool camaflage colors. I've read chameleons don't change colors to match surroundings, but only to show mood. I think they change colors to match surroundings as well.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

I moved this female to a 12x12x18 zoo med with naturalistic walls, twigs, plants etc. She took on some cool camaflage colors. I've read chameleons don't change colors to match surroundings, but only to show mood. I think they change colors to match surroundings as well.

I believe that through adaptation, when they are stressed, like in the wild, and a predator comes by, they get stressed, but because of adaptation, their stressed colors or calm colors match their surroundings.

 

[Ekona]

I believe that through adaptation, when they are stressed, like in the wild, and a predator comes by, they get stressed, but because of adaptation, their stressed colors or calm colors match their surroundings.

Yes, that make perfect sense. Not like they could turn into any color that one could place them in. Would have to be colors which mimic various places in a natural forest environment to which they are adapted. Yet within those parameters, I observe their ability to change colors to mimic lichens on a branch quite perfectly, then turn almost completely black if they have moved into a dark, shaded part of the vivarium, or lighten up in a well lighted area of the viv. I have observed this in T. j. x and T. j. j. as well. It's as if they can visually observe their natural immediate surroundings and change colors to match, whether stressed or calm.

 

[Ekona]

Today I one of the female C. nasutum shed. Interestingly, she ate her shed. I know other lizards do that, but didn't know chameleons did. I learned something! Are other species of cham known to eat their sheds?

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Today I one of the female C. nasutum shed. Interestingly, she ate her shed. I know other lizards do that, but didn't know chameleons did. I learned something! Are other species of cham known to eat their sheds?

She is wild caught, correct? Maybe the wild caughts do that so that they leave less of a trace for predators.

 

[Ekona]

Today I observed one of the C. nasutum vigorously bite and chew on a small branch/twig stub until it bit off a small piece of bark and then ate the bark. It didn't appear as if it mistook the bark for a bug (no tongue zap). It just went a the stub with it's mouth and chewed until the bark came off. Never seen that happen before. Anyone else ever see that?

 

[Ekona]

...I should add, it have been feeding very well on FF so don't think it was a matter of "I'm so hungry, I could eat a shoe (or bark)...

 

[Ekona]

Just saw a post on Chameleon Central USA FB of someone's panther cham gnawing and eating grapevine...

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Panthers tend to do it, I don't know about nasutum.

 

[Ekona]

Thanks, CJ, and yes, it appears Calumma nasutum do as well.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Could it have to do with a lack of something? Such as fiber?

 

[Ekona]

Could it have to do with a lack of something? Such as fiber?

Quite possibly. Perhaps eating bark is something various chams do normally (frequently or infrequently) in nature to supplement insect food items? I'd never heard of or observed it before, so found it interesting that I saw it with the nasutum and then the pardalis. And other species will eat leaves/greens as well (veiled).

 

[kinyonga]

They will also eat soil at times. Veileds are famous for that.
Panther chameleons are well known for branch chewing.

 

[Ekona]

Update. I was able to obtain a male and now I can see difference between M/F clearly.

Here is the new male in neutral mood

Here is the male displaying - twice I have put him and a female together and both times he takes on this beautiful white, green and turquoise color. I've not see a photo of a male C. nasutum with these colors before.

Here is what a female looked like when displaying to the male. I was totally amazed by her color transformation and the way scales on her head lit up in blue/white.

Here is a video of the same:

 

[OldChamKeeper]

She's not liking him today.... lol

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Congratulations about finding a male. Best of luck with these smaller Calumma species. They are amazing little chameleons.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Ekona]

She's not liking him today.... lol

She must have seen him flirting with one of the other females earlier in the day..

 

[Ekona]

Congratulations about finding a male. Best of luck with these smaller Calumma species. They are amazing little chameleons.

Thanks, Jeremy. They really are fascinating. I would hope to breed them, and will certainly try. Is it known if this species has been successfully bred in the US (or elsewhere)? Anyone who has, by all means chime in or PM me.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Thanks, Jeremy. They really are fascinating. I would hope to breed them, and will certainly try. Is it known if this species has been successfully bred in the US (or elsewhere)? Anyone who has, by all means chime in or PM me.

This species (knock on wood) is considered one of the easier species of the genus Calumma to breed. They "Calumma nasutum" have been bred by a about a half dozen breeders here in North America. They have small clutches and relatively not nearly as difficult incubation's (not that lengthy incubations and no diapauses) as compared to other species in this genus.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Ekona]

Jeremy, Good to know! I would welcome any information or sources of information on the procedure for mating, incubation parameters and methods.