The one pet shop I visit sometimes and also bought my female from 2 years ago always has their veiled chamelons with a portion of their tail missing. They all look very healthy and seem freindly, but I'm wondering why they do this. I haven't asked them, but will the next time I go in there. Its about an hour drive for me. The only thing I could think of why they do it is perhaps they need less calcium. I don't know just seems odd. Maybe its the breeder they get them from. I'll post a pic of my girl in the next day or two. She has a few inches missing, but other than that she is a beaut!
Is it common to remove a part of the tail?
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Colin
New Member
A missing part of the tail is a result of a poor husbandry!!! Lots of small animals raised together in one viv to save money, thats all. The animals get stressed and bite each other, or they shoot a tail behind a leaf out of mistake, thinking its food... nothing to do with calcium. I would not buy at such a pet store or the breeder they buy there animals of. It's a shame. Just my opinion..
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Well I guess when I bought that animal there I sort of rescued it then. Another pet I feel I rescued was a lepord gecko that looked like a pack-man frog. All the pet shop would do is feed it as many wax worms as it could eat every day. I bought him and put him on a diet and he actually live for 16 years afterward.
Cainschams
New Member
Its not completely poor husbandry. Lots of breeders raise babies together especially in the first month or so. Even the some of the bigger companies. Also at shows they put babies in the same enclosures to save room. If you have 200 babies for sale at a show you cant house them all seperate. This is just part of raising babies together. THings happen.
Kat77
New Member
Losing part of the tail could be pretty debilitating to the chameleon, especially if it is "a few inches". That is an awful lot. I'm sure the pet store isn't lopping part of the tail off themselves, (at least I hope not) it probably has to do with the chameleons getting a little rowdy with one another.
Colin
New Member
Its not completely poor husbandry. Lots of breeders raise babies together especially in the first month or so. Even the some of the bigger companies.
These kind of injuries don't happen in the first month or so, as they can not bite very hard at this age. By the time their jaws are strong enough for serious biting they should have been seperated already!
Also at shows they put babies in the same enclosures to save room. If you have 200 babies for sale at a show you cant house them all seperate. This is just part of raising babies together. THings happen.
Well, I never go to shows with that many animals, usually not more then 50 pardalis. Everyone of them is sitting in his own little fauna-box under the table. I've got a special show-viv with six big chambers all decorated with life plants and just fill them up after selling a animal. This is a bit more work, sure, but it's much better for the animals. So it is possible, and for a good breeder (no matter how big),loosing tails in fights is defo not just part of raising babies together. You hear this all to often: I've got 200 babies, so no problem if some got peaces of their tail missing or if some die because of the stress at showes...Sorry but I hate this sort of thinking, makes me sick...
These kind of injuries don't happen in the first month or so, as they can not bite very hard at this age. By the time their jaws are strong enough for serious biting they should have been seperated already!
Also at shows they put babies in the same enclosures to save room. If you have 200 babies for sale at a show you cant house them all seperate. This is just part of raising babies together. THings happen.
Well, I never go to shows with that many animals, usually not more then 50 pardalis. Everyone of them is sitting in his own little fauna-box under the table. I've got a special show-viv with six big chambers all decorated with life plants and just fill them up after selling a animal. This is a bit more work, sure, but it's much better for the animals. So it is possible, and for a good breeder (no matter how big),loosing tails in fights is defo not just part of raising babies together. You hear this all to often: I've got 200 babies, so no problem if some got peaces of their tail missing or if some die because of the stress at showes...Sorry but I hate this sort of thinking, makes me sick...
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Cainschams
New Member
I have 200 babies so no problem if a few get beat up or pass away. I dont think this way either. Yes, when raising babies together a mishap is always possible and it is part of it wether a good practice or not. Ive hatched 3 clutches and by no means think I am some kind of expert. In the first clutch which were seperated by 1.5 months I had a little girl with a bitten tail and one that i think has some eye damage. This is why I personally am getting out of raising babies together. Because of 2 mishaps. So I dont think I would condone that type of thinking either. I am with you. I think from hatching they should all be raised by themselves. Ive seen Screameleons and the Nozakis with cages well occupied with babies at shows and I am sure things have happened. Honestly if I was at a show and you had all your babies seperate and had what I was looking for I would buy off you instead of even screameleons just because of the fact.
I wasnt condoning raising babies together and when I said things happen it wasnt in the attitude of, OH WELL. We are typing so its hard to figure out tones of how people meant to say it.
I wasnt condoning raising babies together and when I said things happen it wasnt in the attitude of, OH WELL. We are typing so its hard to figure out tones of how people meant to say it.
