has any one else herd of this.

[ChameleonBoy26]

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

I have heard of chameleon ranching in Florida and am not a fan. Chameleons are invasive species in North America and chameleon ranching , I think, should only happen in the species of chameleons native habitat, the chameleons species native country.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ve heard of it being done in more southern Florida and find it totally irresponsible, amongst a few other negative things. It’s things like this that give reptile keeping and keepers a bad name and reputation. These poor animals are considered invasive here in Florida and like it or not, they do interfere with the natural ecosystem. They say in the clip that chameleons are worth a couple of thousand - they are thinking about captive and responsibly raised Parson’s chameleons by keeper’s who have earned excellent reputations. They show veileds, which sadly have been devalued enough that almost no one finds it worth breeding anymore, probably because of practices like this combined with the reptile mills which keep pet stores stocked. As for the panthers, and any other type of chameleon, the price correlates with the reputation of the breeder. The better breeders can and do charge premium prices for all that they have put into breeding for the strongest, healthiest, most beautiful animals, years of experience, providing support before and after you buy from them and all they do to promote responsible keeping (and more I’m sure).
On a personal note, I have a male veiled that was found locally by some kids and by luck, found his way to me. He was quite sick with giardia when I got him and it wasn’t a pleasant experience for him or I to restore him to good health. I wasn’t even sure he’d survive. However, poor guy misses his freedom. It took him a year to accept his containment and with his screen climbing (looking for a way out) he tore most of his nails out. I believe he is and probably always will be saddened to be in a cage, no matter how big or nice I try to make it. It hurts my heart that I can’t give him the freedom he was born in and misses.

 

[Carlton]

There will always be a few who claim that ranching will replace importation of rarer desirable species that are vulnerable to exploitation. Take the collection and smuggling pressure off species such as the Parson's shown in the link. Well, just how extensive does anyone think the desire for pet chameleons actually is? Not very. It's a specialist hobby and chances are it will stay that way. Chameleon keeping is relatively complex compared to keeping snakes and other terrestrial lizards.

Obviously, introducing more nonnative animals to a totally alien landscape is a bad idea. FL is the North American poster child for those sorts of mistakes. Then there's Hawaii or Australia, just to name a few. The animal itself is bad enough, but what about the parasites, diseases, or novel strains of e coli and other gut microorganisms it introduces? The native wildlife in the area being ranched certainly wasn't consulted about any of that. The introduced animal will upset the area's existing predator-prey network. On and on. Just another example of human ignorance and arrogance. Exotic farmed animals escape their confinements all the time!

Then there are the ethical considerations. How much worse is taking a "wild" chameleon out of its native Malagasy or African habitat, shipping it, then confining it in captivity compared to taking a "ranched" chameleon from its foster habitat, shipping it, then confining it in captivity? Both have lost their liberty, lost access to the varied diet and activity they used to enjoy. Both have also been exposed to who knows how many parasites and diseases and will suffer the consequences when going through the stress of capture and confinement.