Meet Pellinore the Meller's

[dinomom]

After an 8 month wait and much preparation (including getting him his own AC unit among many other things) my boy is finally here.

He is named Pellinore after the King in The Once and Future King (Arthurian legend) whose sole job was to pursue the Questing Beast (which was essentially a dragon). Nori for short, Japanese term for seaweed which is of course green, and a nod to Japanese heritage of his breeder.

He is a brother to Jann's Santo, therefore also about 3 years old.

He's in breeding colors now which is why he is not bright green, but he is still very beautiful to me! He was heavily socialized from birth so as soon as the enclosure opens he runs over and scrambles up an arm.

He is a superb hunter or happy to eat from a cup or hand as well.

He has been here only 3 days and I am unreasonably in love already.

Will get loads more pics once I have let him settle a bit.

 

[MissSkittles]

Congrats on your big beauty! Gorgeous enclosure too!

 

[dinomom]

Congrats on your big beauty! Gorgeous enclosure too!

Thank you! I am looking forward to many adventures.

 

[Tkrd69]

Great looking chameleon, he's so cool I gotta wear

 

[kinyonga]

Nice looking chameleon! Nice cage set up too!
Do you know if it's a make or female?

 

[dinomom]

Nice looking chameleon! Nice cage set up too!
Do you know if it's a make or female?

WELL now there is the question. They are a "little" hard to sex. Dale gave me a 90% chance male when I picked him out. But then when he saw today's pic said.."don't freak out but you might have a gravid female". He is going to check his records later to be sure. When I was there one of them had an enormous poo followed by displaying a pair of hemipenes; I think he records this. Also 2 obvious boys got a little too close to each other and started fanning their ear flaps and jerking heads. Pretty impressive display.

Thank you re: enclosure. Since I had 8 months to get ready for it I was able to get some of the plants grown out and so forth. It has awesome fans that keep air moving and vary the humidity. Nothing too good for this little boy! (girl?)

 

[kinyonga]

Kristina Francis used to be able to sex them...but her site Melleri Discovery is no longer running.
This might help though...see post #10
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/sexing-melleri.27684/

 

[Sonny13]

He’s (maybe she) is absolutely stunning and beautiful, congratulations. And what an amazing enclosure Is it an Tamura design?

Enjoy

 

[jannb]

Welcome Pellinore! It will be so exciting to get to see one of Santo’s brothers or sisters here on Chameleon Forums! Beautiful enclosure!

 

[BuddyHollytheCham]

Your chameleon and enclosure are amazing!

 

[dinomom]

He’s (maybe she) is absolutely stunning and beautiful, congratulations. And what an amazing enclosure Is it an Tamura design?

Enjoy

Yes it is, and I got his "deluxe" personalized version. The electronics are on a Herpstat and are insane; for example, the lights ramp up and down for an hour just like sunrise and sunset. Lamp is on at 5% at night to simulate moonlight. Fans come on hourly for a few minutes, longer in the AM to clear out fog. I am relying a lot on recreating the exact conditions the cham has been accustomed to before changing ANYTHING.

 

[dinomom]

Kristina Francis used to be able to sex them...but her site Melleri Discovery is no longer running.
This might help though...see post #10
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/sexing-melleri.27684/

Thank you Kinyongia, very helpful but even a little more confusing....

Nori has a black spot behind ONE ear.
Seems to have white spots (male) but has the lip on the front of the cloaca (female) has seemingly prominent hip bones (female). I noticed very visible hip bones in one of the chams I looked at and commented on it; I was feeling for "lumps" and they were obvious. But Nori's seem to be between; I wish I had the others to compare to now.

I hope Jann can weigh in on these characteristics on her male!

 

[dinomom]

Welcome Pellinore! It will be so exciting to get to see one of Santo’s brothers or sisters here on Chameleon Forums! Beautiful enclosure!

Thank you Jann!

I hope you can weigh in on the gender clues, ear black spots, hipbones, white spots and where the lip of the cloaca is for comparison. That is..assuming Santo is totally confirmed as a male?

Give Santo Pellinore's regards LOL

 

[Sonny13]

Yes it is, and I got his "deluxe" personalized version. The electronics are on a Herpstat and are insane; for example, the lights ramp up and down for an hour just like sunrise and sunset. Lamp is on at 5% at night to simulate moonlight. Fans come on hourly for a few minutes, longer in the AM to clear out fog. I am relying a lot on recreating the exact conditions the cham has been accustomed to before changing ANYTHING.

That sounds fantastic, shamefully I can’t get them (price wise) to Europe. Love to live following the same principle, but electronics are the key that.

 

[jamest0o0]

Beautiful, I love the variety of plants you used. Refreshing to see a change from the usual Home Depot mix haha.

Regarding mellers, are people still keeping them in groups like they used to? Or has the opinion on that changed? Just curious!

 

[kinyonga]

The spots behind the flow I'm sure was proven to be wrong in the end.

This might help...or add to the confusuion?
https://www.adcham.com/html/veterinary/vet-endoscopic-kramer.html

 

[jannb]

Thank you Jann!

I hope you can weigh in on the gender clues, ear black spots, hipbones, white spots and where the lip of the cloaca is for comparison. That is..assuming Santo is totally confirmed as a male?

Give Santo Pellinore's regards LOL

I don’t know much at all about sexing Melleri. Dale is pretty good at it. Most of the old time Meller keepers left the forums and Melleri years ago. There’s one girl still left that‘s from Canada, but I can’t think of her name and she hasn’t been on lately. https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/mawtyplant.42095/#about

Dale and I are not 100% sure Santo is male but the girl I got him from says she saw his man stuff when he was taking a poop, a year or so ago. I did look behind his flaps today and one he had nothing and the other he had 3 dots near the bottom of the inside of the flap in the shape of a smiley face.

 

[dinomom]

Beautiful, I love the variety of plants you used. Refreshing to see a change from the usual Home Depot mix haha.

Regarding mellers, are people still keeping them in groups like they used to? Or has the opinion on that changed? Just curious!

Thank you!
The group I went to see has a very large free-range for part of the day and then individual cages the rest of the time so I guess yes and no.

I don’t know much at all about sexing Melleri. Dale is pretty good at it. Most of the old time Meller keepers left the forums and Melleri years ago. There’s one girl still left that‘s from Canada, but I can’t think of her name and she hasn’t been on lately. https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/mawtyplant.42095/#about

Dale and I are not 100% sure Santo is male but the girl I got him from says she saw his man stuff when he was taking a poop, a year or so ago. I did look behind his flaps today and one he had nothing and the other he had 3 dots near the bottom of the inside of the flap in the shape of a smiley face.

Sad everyone left because there are no babies nor imports.

I did send her a message to at least try.

That is a very cool identifying mark on Santo.

The spots behind the flow I'm sure was proven to be wrong in the end.

This might help...or add to the confusuion?
https://www.adcham.com/html/veterinary/vet-endoscopic-kramer.html

Hubby scopes birds all the time, sex organs are very visible. With cham would risk this if trying to breed but not for a pet. Anything invasive could bring infection risk.

If we can't figure it out otherwise, might try rads, that would show testicle if enlarged/active which might be possible now in breeding season.

 

[Lindasjackson]

He or she is beautiful! I love your enclosure as well! Congrats!

 

[dinomom]

Update-already had a health issue. I noticed a swelling on the "lip" or juncture of the mouth. (picture).

Dale said he had never seen this problem

So I examined the mouth using qtips with diluted betadine. There was something linear between his cheek and gums-possibly a cricket leg but could not tell. Once I got that out and cleaned very well, the lips appeared normal. I think it was really irritating him though like when we get meat between our teeth.

I could not see (using magnification) any gum involvement thankfully.

Another example of being vigilant as I have no doubt this simple thing would have progressed without treatment.