I adopted a Jackson's

[Goatsniper]

Well, I joined the forums last night, pulled an all nighter, reading everything available, with the intent to purchase a baby panther this week or next for my birthday. Going through the "for sale" forum, I couldnt help but think that it would be against my morals to buy a $400 baby, when there are awesome lizards out there that need a home. So, I drove up to LA from San Diego, and picked up a 1 year old male jackson's. He is healthy and well kept. The poor kids mom was making him get rid of his lizard. He's got another home now, where we are going to take good care of him. I'm a Bio major, and I am intrigued by some of the cages I have seen on here. Hes still a little dude, so I'm gonna keep him in the cage hes in now, but I am going to purchase some fresh trees and stuff for him tomorrow morning, and hook him up with some foliage to chillax' in. I felt kinda bad for him on the way back to San Diego, because the 5 South is a really crappy freeway with some gnarly bumps, and my bmw sits on rims w/low profiles. But hes good to go, and sleeping. Thanks to Danny for hooking me up with this little guy, and taking good care of him while he was yours. I took a pic of him right when I got home, before I cleaned up his new area in the man cave.

 

[Tiberius]

He looks good, I'm sure he'll be happy in his new home

 

[chameleonkev]

That's a good thing to take on a chameleon, a lot of people who arnt interested in learning about the species do that and they arnt properly cared for so he sounds like a lucky boy, and he looks great by the way! I'm looking for a male my self for my two females

 

[IronHulk]

Grats Bro ! I love JAcksons, With their prehistoric look , He looks good.

 

[Goatsniper]

cool thanks guys. I'm really excited to get his plants and vitamins goin. Ill be documenting everything in a book, keeping track of seize and amount of food, gut loaded foods used, temperatures throughout the day, vitamins used, and everything else i cant think of at 1:40 am. I'm glad this dude is already healthy, cuz it doesnt seem easy to bring a jackson back from an emaciated state or something worse. I did it with a Mali Uromastyx, but he is a very unique animal. There is also a reptile specialist vet down the street that charges $40 for a checkup and a quick fecal sample. Im gonna take him in next week for a check up, i dont wana stress him out too much. the car ride from LA to SD was enough for one week. Do any of you guys breed your own crickets? I did it years ago when I was breeding indonesian white's dumpy tree frogs, and then i stopped because it was sooooo stinky. Im gonna do some research on breeding crickets and see if its worth it. I live right down the street from a petstore that sells wax worms, silk worms, meal worms, super meal worms, giant meal worms, and crickets. Im gutloading some super worms for my Mali with blueberries right now, but these guys are huge and my new chameleon is too small to munch these i think. It would be like me swallowing a full grown red tail boa, without bbq sauce....gross... anyways, thanks guys. bed time. bio 131 in the am! woohoo!

 

[chameleonkev]

I don't do crickets they just stink to much but dubi roaches I do breed and banana roaches and they are so easy it's unreal, well worth looking into and my chams love them including my jacksons

 

[Goatsniper]

Damn. I was hoping no one would suggest roaches. I did pest control for a while after highschool and it created a very very deep hatred for them. But I'll look into it.

 

[chameleonkev]

haha roaches are a lot easyier and the Dubi's carnt climb a plastic tub so easy to contain we're as I'm constantly finding crickets around the house

 

[Goatsniper]

Ok... Do these dubia roaches move fast? Banana roaches fly. Screw that. Nope not doing flying roaches. I'd rather go back to the middle east than have flying roaches in my house. Roaches and electricity. Hate them both. If the dubias are slow movers like hissing or brown backs, I can deal with that. If they move quick or fly, the chameleon will just have to go without!!!

 

[chameleonkev]

Yea pretty slow, slower than crickets anyways.there is probly videos on u tube, I no there is on how to breed crickets and locust witch are pretty helpful.also they feed on a dry food mix so you haven't got to keep geting leafy greens and cleaning out all the time, all I do is change there tub and egg crates once a month

 

[Goatsniper]

Hmmmm. Sounds O.K. I guess. I'll check into it more tomorrow. Are the good on pizza? =P

 

[Goatsniper]

OK. So I just got up and set the little dudes cage back up. In the light, I noticed a orangish turd on a leaf, which I believe means he was dehydrated. I washed out and filled up his "little dripper" and timed it to about 1 drop every 2 seconds. He was so thirsty he scooted right over to it and literally opened his mouth and did a keg stand of water drops. I counted 9 drops that he swallowed. He then moved over to where I positioned his temporary heat lamp. He's sitting about 18-20 inches from a 75watt. i guess i ran out of 50s. ill pick some up after class. We have decided to start from scratch, so I am going to the LLL today after class and getting a new cage, a crap load of their chameleon branches and some natural plants. and as im looking over at him now, hes doing another water keg stand. should i let him drink all the water he wants? and is the orangeish turd something to be super concerned about?

 

[Goatsniper]

oh yea.... and i also gave him 1 cricket and two small sized meal worms for breakfast. these were the meal worms i was feeding blueberries for my uromastyx. Im gonna pick up some crickets and wax worms in between classes, gut load the crickets and keep him happy with a few wax worms for this afternoon and breakfast tomorrow.

 

[redsfandrew]

Food

Super worms are also a very easy feeder. They don't smell near as bad as crickets. I would say superworms and dubia are the way to go. They are easy to breed and raise. Try not to feed too many meal worms. They have a harder exterior that can make swallowing a pain for your cham. Good Luck!

 

[Goatsniper]

yea i held onto the tip of the first one incase he couldnt chew it all the way, he mashed the hell out of it. I had no idea chameleons had such gnarly teeth. after the water and the bugs, hes cruisin around like a sub adult lizard should be. school time.

 

[laurie]

Looks like you will have a happy camper. I would let him drink all he wants. He will stop when he is ready. The orange is showing dehydration, so the water is good. It sure helps that he is so willingly sucking down the water. Congrats on a great new cham.

 

[melonman]

I know its not reccomended but ha can chow down like as many mealworms you give he eats like no tomarrow ..(maybe just because he had got bored of crix).....for the cruising hell do that all day...but when you see him on the door its cause he asking to sit on his little door....
Thanks for the good home you gave him..

 

[Goatsniper]

heres how he is gonna be for the day. light has been positioned there for about 2 hours, so i think i got the temp right for today. ill check back on it between classes.

 

[Goatsniper]

quick update #7130, walking out the door i noticed he took a fat turd and it looks perfectly healthy. so nevermind on the orange poop. and your welcome melon dude. hes a cool little lizard.

 

[Zubi]

HAHAHA, Fat turd man I would hate to be the kid who has to give away his cham, at least he went to a good home