Pardon the intrusion to this forum, I am not a chameleon breeder/keeper per se. But I would be remiss if I did not comment on this thread, which I found by happenstance.
First, I'm very disappointed in the desire of some individuals to support the collection of an IUCN Redlisted species. F. labordi are not legal to export out of Madagascar, regardless of the country of destination, without the proper export and import permits. I can't describe how many hoops I had to jump through just to get CITES permits to export blood samples of this species, so I suspect that nearly 100% of them you find in the pet trade are illegal.
Second, this is a very poor candidate species for captivity. They are an annual species, living for only about 4-5 months during the wet season. It is no surprise that historically when they were legal to export, they were extremely difficult to keep alive for more than a few months. Most people chalked this up to poor husbandry practices, but we now know it's simply a part of their life history.
My completely bias advice is to avoid spending a large sum of money on a chameleon that will not live very long for you in captivity, and at the same time, you would not be supporting the demise of this fragile species. Given its unique life history, you can imagine that large population disturbances (like collectors taking them) before reproduction can result in catastrophic population declines.
I know they are beautiful animals, and I understand the desire to see them and actually have one to admire on a daily basis, but this species simply is not an ideal one for you. Sorry I am not the bearer of better news.
thats a shame.
wish i did now they were WC animals,but my interest in them is growing,i will try to get some at the next show
