Experience...what is it and how do you get it?

[bridgofaith]

I am curious as to everyone's personal experience with these animals. What have you experienced and how have you dealt with it? Do you feel confident in your abilities? I know some people are new to chams and may have some questions. I know others that have kept them for many years and have a great deal of knowledge to share. Sometimes it helps to know WHO has dealt with a particular issue when you need help.

I have had chameleons since 2005 and only seriously began keeping them since 2009. During this time I have seen and experienced many different issues. MBD, coccidia, parasites and treatment, infections, pneumonia, force feeding, injections, tongue injury/loss, euthanasia, breeding, egg laying, eye infections/injuries; just to name a few. There are many problems that can arise. Some are simple to correct others are not. It is ALWAYS best to have an experienced cham vet on call. I am blessed to have Dr Alfonso.

I have also been blessed to work with multiple species such as: Panthers, veileds, melleri, hoehnelii, ellioti, and kinyongia. Not an extensive list, but more than is typical.

No one can say they have encountered every scenario that could occur with these animals, that's impossible. What is your experience? It may be very similar or even more involved. Even if you have far less expererience and just beginning your cham journey, you have something to offer. We are always learning and moving forward with the care of these animals.

 

[Ace]

i have no real experience

i only had the privilege to care for a female jacksons, male vieled, and now a male panther-technically i cared for 3 different species but thats just b/s to me....i i never dealt with any medical problems with the chams i had and the one cham i have at the moment.....but that doesnt mean i shouldnt prepare or it, yiu never stop learning when you raise these animals, you mite have a routine on the gerneal care, but there is always something new to learn from them....i guess in experience i suck...but in research i feel im intermediate...i never go beyond my knowlegde and little eperience i have...and people need to understand just because you r a "Senior Member" does not mean you are an expert...and to prove it ...im a great example

JMHO

 

[jastate09]

My first chameleon was a Jackson and I've been keeping panthers and veileds since 2002. Use to breed both but downsized allot the past couple of years and no longer breeding. I’ve dealt with most of the issues above and then some. I’ve had chameleons with tongue issues, eye issues, parasites of all types. I’ve dealt with gout, uri and mbd. I’ve had to force feed and give injections multiply times. I'm very interested in seeing other's experience.

 

[Carlton]

I have kept a variety of cham species over a long long time so have seen firsthand the major changes in husbandry (or even lack of) that have occurred. That gives some perspective to how I think about them which is important. I've learned that different chams can require different setups or experimentation not the exact same treatment every time. I also read all about the "side topics" to their care including the requirements of their cage plants, feeder nutrition, climate patterns in their wild habitats, carefully researching the structure and appearance of their wild homes too. I like to experiment with caging, free-ranging, humidity, and structure too. Thinking about how a cham or even other herps and birds behave in similar wild situations helps me to re-create a better home for them in captivity. I have always kept birds and am constantly reminded how similar they are.

My chams have mostly been wc imports or rescues (verrucosus, jacksoni, melleri, cristatus, fischeri, deremensis) so feel a bit more experienced dealing with injuries, stress, dehydration, and acclimation issues. I've kept several cbbs including veiled and jacksoni but haven't seen many of the health issues others list. Maybe because I've been lucky, but also maybe because I am careful (and in moderation) about gutloading, feeder variety, and supplements.

My professional background is wildlife biology so possibly that scientific or herp behavioral thinking and observation keep me out of trouble. But, I have not bred any species so never offer anything other than the most basic advice on those topics.

 

[jannb]

I laid eyes on my first chameleon in the summer of 2004 when my daughter came home from college for the summer with one. At first I thought what does she want with that thing????? Then I quickly fell in love with it. By the next summer she came home with several and the summer after so many they wouldn’t all fit in the house. My daughter has always traveled a lot with her boyfriend of 7 years so I was always the cham-sitter. She’s had mostly panthers and Melleri. She also has a Bearded, a Leopard Gecko and a Chinchilla.

Unfortunately, I have had to help her deal with death, euthanasia and many surgeries and all types of sickness. She bred panthers for a while but stopped when she moved to GA for grad school so I’ve also had to pet sit panther babies…….which by the way are much smaller than veileds……kind of like my little Elly. Her chameleons have had tongue problems, eye problems along with the amputation of an eye ball (Jr. does fantastic with one eye). Some of her chams have had coccidia and all other types of parasites including the worms under the skin that have to be cut out. I’ve seen MBD, RI, prolapse, gout, bloody stools, missing toes, nipped tails and various infections just to name a few. Right now her WC 7 to 8 year old panther Vega has been paralyzed from the waist down for months. He’s also had mouth rot and surgery to fill in a hole in the roof of his mouth.

I didn’t get my very own chameleon until 2007 when my husband surprised me with Luie. Other than Luie having a brown spot on his mouth when he was young and having coccidia twice, my animals have been fairly healthy. I got Camille in 2008 and Camille has laid several clutches of eggs….two fertile and I’ve raised a clutch of 27 babies and now my little preemie Elly. Elly’s little eyes are very sensitive to the UVB bulb and I have to take her outside a lot for natural UV and have spent countless hours moving her all over the back yard to keep her temperature at 80.

I also have a Cuban Knight Anole than lays infertile eggs about every three weeks from spring to fall. She has also been very healthy.