Just venting. Today I went into a local petstore and they had a Greater Mellers there. I know very little about them (what I read from forum members), other that they need very specific care. As per the norm s/he's in a totally inappropriate setup, but thankfully on the very bottom enclosure on the floor, so at least people aren't peeping in at him all the time. I can almost guarantee that there's no one in Winnipeg that will be able to care for him properly. Not that I'm the big cham expert here, but chameleons just aren't popular here. I bet none of our "exotic" vets (and I use that term loosely) have ever even heard of them. Just makes me sad. If I could provide a proper environment I would snap him up in a minute, but that's the problem with these big guys, isn't it?
Mellers in petstore
- Thread starter lisa h
- Start date
summoner12
Avid Member
How big is this melleri? If it's smaller than a veiled adult it is most likely a 12 or 16 months old. If that size, could live in a24x24x48 for about one more year. After that you'd need to build someting bigger.... OR put two 24x24x48 cages together to make one cage.
They aren't THAT hard to care for if you understand the basics. If you can give them a cool envirment, meaning temps. you shouldn't have a real hard time with them. It's when people keep them in warm places and don't look after them well. They need to be hydrated well and kept on a good diet. If you have other chams, and they have been healthy, you could have good success with this melleri. But before you do anything, line up a vet appointment to get it looked at, you need a fecal test done asap (if you bring him home). If you can ask the pet store, how or why they got a melleri and maybe suggest to them that they aren't good for 'new' keepers and that selling them won't be good for the animal and maybe suggest offering a care sheet... that could help them. I would tell them not to import melleri unless asked to by a customer and tell them veileds are a much better 'first time cham' for their customers new to herps.
Well *that's* not what I wanted to hear LOL. I really can't take him. Right now I'm working with someone to find a knowledgable reptile person to "flip" him, so I'll see how that goes. He's *definitely* smaller than an adult veiled, and could easily sit in my hand, plus tail (I have skinny girl hands, not big guy hands!). Unfortunately I don't even have room for a 24x24x48. If I did there would be something in it. Cool would be really easy where I live, although high humidity is a struggle. I've already talked to the owner. A month or two ago she had a very young female veiled for sale. I tried to talk her out of selling chams, and mentioned that they don't do well in petstores, her setup needed some tweaking, etc etc, but apparently that fell on deaf ears. I can't imagine why she brought in one of these. BTW, it's selling for $189 CDN! Veileds cost $100 around here, so it's a great price. Great for an impulse buyer too, unfortunately 
summoner12
Avid Member
Well *that's* not what I wanted to hear LOL. I really can't take him. Right now I'm working with someone to find a knowledgable reptile person to "flip" him, so I'll see how that goes. He's *definitely* smaller than an adult veiled, and could easily sit in my hand, plus tail (I have skinny girl hands, not big guy hands!). Unfortunately I don't even have room for a 24x24x48. If I did there would be something in it. Cool would be really easy where I live, although high humidity is a struggle. I've already talked to the owner. A month or two ago she had a very young female veiled for sale. I tried to talk her out of selling chams, and mentioned that they don't do well in petstores, her setup needed some tweaking, etc etc, but apparently that fell on deaf ears. I can't imagine why she brought in one of these. BTW, it's selling for $189 CDN! Veileds cost $100 around here, so it's a great price. Great for an impulse buyer too, unfortunately
That sounds like a young melleri. you could keep him in a 16x16x30 if you have a cage that size. Do you have a misting system? I think you could tackle this if you have the money to buy him.
this is a 16x16x30 with my young CB melleri in it.
My misting system is me Right now I have a sternfeldi and a tank of pygmies. I'm a lover of small chams. I don't have a chameleon room or anything like that (yet!).
It looks a little bit bigger than the one in your picture, but not by much. Money is not an issue, it's the space for when he's all grown up.
Right now I have a sternfeldi and a tank of pygmies. I'm a lover of small chams. I don't have a chameleon room or anything like that (yet!).It looks a little bit bigger than the one in your picture, but not by much. Money is not an issue, it's the space for when he's all grown up.
summoner12
Avid Member
My misting system is me
It looks a little bit bigger than the one in your picture, but not by much. Money is not an issue, it's the space for when he's all grown up.
I think melleri and sternfeldi have the same water requirements... but im not 100%.
summoner12
Avid Member
im not trying to make it hard for you to say no. But if you are worried and could take him... I think you could handle it.
summoner12
Avid Member
for me... having a soft spot for melleri... leaving it to die, especially if it's young, is not the option im gonna take.
I think you'd like a melleri they become very good friends.
I think you'd like a melleri
they become very good friends.Aren't they the "puppy dogs" of chameleons? I have a hard time leaving anything to die in a petstore. I took in a flapneck a few months ago. Lived just short of it's 30 day health guarantee. I know it was in a better environment while it was with me, but I only prolonged the inevitable. Too bad you weren't on this side of the border -- I'd pack it up and send it to you. <sigh>
summoner12
Avid Member
lol I think you should do it. They are puppies in that they watch you.. and learn you and know when they'll get food and all that. if in a free range they will sometimes come down to see what you are doing. Not so much to see YOU, but to explore the area. They think they own everything they can see from their spot.. so they want to check it out. With a free range, the best way to keep them put is to have what they need, high up. basking spot should be nice and high so they can survey the area. This is true with cages.... but melleri want to look at everything and will leave the free range if they think there is something more appealing across the room. Henry does this. I find him on top of my desk because it is a tad higher up than his high perch. I think he does this more when it's 'too hot' in his free range. But I have his basking lamp controlled by a computer now, so it doesn't get too hot anymore.
hes 600g, im not sure how he didn't knock this over...
haha Henry looks naughty! With 7 of them I see how you have a soft spot for them. Do you breed them?
Just out of curiosity, what do they need in terms of humidity and high and low temps? Besides turning a whole room into an enclosure, how do you free range them so they get enough humidity and UV (but esp humidity)?
Just out of curiosity, what do they need in terms of humidity and high and low temps? Besides turning a whole room into an enclosure, how do you free range them so they get enough humidity and UV (but esp humidity)?
summoner12
Avid Member
Humidity is pretty easy with the misting, real ficus, scheflera and pothos that are in the room. you wanna keep humidity up to like 50%.... but it can go up and down. I mist often through the day and don't think I've ever had a hydration issue.
My free range isn't a tree in the corner with a single light over it. and it isn't a room full of trees either lol. I used a wire mesh racking system. under the rack is a tray to catch all water and the lights are on the top of the rack. I have plastic curtains around the back and sides to keep misting spray inside of the range and off the floor.
my range is "L" shaped. the long side is 9' and the 'boot' of the "L" sticks out 3'. The width of it all is 3'.
My free range isn't a tree in the corner with a single light over it. and it isn't a room full of trees either lol. I used a wire mesh racking system. under the rack is a tray to catch all water and the lights are on the top of the rack. I have plastic curtains around the back and sides to keep misting spray inside of the range and off the floor.
my range is "L" shaped. the long side is 9' and the 'boot' of the "L" sticks out 3'. The width of it all is 3'.
Tputtwhatwhat
New Member
are there pictures of your free range in a thread? I'd like to see it, i want to own a melleri someday
chamlover
New Member
Ok i vote you go for it too. lol. Once you've had a melleris, you will be forever spoiled. They are fabulous creatures. We're going to be embarking on a free ranging room for them soon as well. Can't wait. Hoping to get some more melleris in within the week. 3-4 we'll keep for our breeding project.
withlime
New Member
I really love all of our Melleri. I feel like they have the most personality, and they really learn to recognize and trust you.
If you do decide that you have the space, I would talk to the pet store first though and find out where it came from and how long they have had it.
I'm pretty sure I know where it came from, as there aren't too many suppliers in Canada. It will be wild caught, for sure I don't have the space, and I have cats, so free range is out of the question (although a certain hairless cat of mine loves to share the basking lamp with any chameleon that will let her!). I am so angry at this shop owner. She got these new "fancy" reptile display boxes and is now filling them with a variety of creatures ready for the impulse buyer. Our market is already flooded with Leopard Geckos, and Bearded Dragons, and now she's going to bring in more "exotic" things. There's a reason even reptile stores don't carry stuff like that here. I'm sure neither she or her staff have any knowledge on any of these, let alone Melleri. I'll go in there tomorrow and see if the owner is in, and visit the little guy or gal. More to visit. The owner already knows what I think of her bringing in Chameleons.
I don't have the space, and I have cats, so free range is out of the question (although a certain hairless cat of mine loves to share the basking lamp with any chameleon that will let her!). I am so angry at this shop owner. She got these new "fancy" reptile display boxes and is now filling them with a variety of creatures ready for the impulse buyer. Our market is already flooded with Leopard Geckos, and Bearded Dragons, and now she's going to bring in more "exotic" things. There's a reason even reptile stores don't carry stuff like that here. I'm sure neither she or her staff have any knowledge on any of these, let alone Melleri. I'll go in there tomorrow and see if the owner is in, and visit the little guy or gal. More to visit. The owner already knows what I think of her bringing in Chameleons.
