Millers Chameleon

[khinchy25]

i am thinking about getting a Mellers chameleon. i have a few chameleon panther chameleons and i was wondering if the Mellers would harder to keep? all my chameleon right now are very friendly and i would like the same if i get a Mellers chameleon. does anyone have any tips or would like to share what there Mellers chameleon is like.
Thanks

 

[bfisher31]

I think you're talking about a Mellers Chameleon? Sorry I dont have any tips or tricks, as I do not keep Mellers. Although, I do know Mellers are one of the hardest chameleons to keep. Just make sure you do all your research before purchasing a Mellers chameleon, please don't purchase one of a wimb.

 

[khinchy25]

thanks for the written back. i found a really good website on the mellers chameleon.
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

 

[nick barta]

They tend to be gentle giants, very friendly, need longer drink times, need larger cages or free range, and if you buy wild caught (95% of all Mellers advertised are WC), most surely will be a short lived relationship; I would STRONGLY advise captive hatched,captive bred, or a Wild Caught that has been with the owner about a year. Most sellers will list the animal as "acclimated well, eating and drinking well." All they are saying is that the animal doesn't appear to be dying. If you get a Mellers from a forum member that has gone through getting rid of the parasites, the first vet checkups, and the animal has been stable for a minimum of 6 months, but better for a year or more, you will be happier than buying a WC Mellers.

Nick

 

[Carlton]

thanks for the written back. i found a really good website on the mellers chameleon.
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

Yes, this is the place to go for good info on melleri. Be prepared for a much bigger space commitment (adding just another cage to the space you already have for your other chams won't be enough!), a big increase in the amount of water needed, a wider variety of larger feeders, and basically just more attention and time (you'll be spending a lot more focused time on providing drinking sessions in particular) needed.

Not all melleri are gentle, so if you can possibly meet a prospect do so. They are still chams, so don't expect something like a bearded dragon that is completely tolerant of constant handling. They still need their space. Imports can be in really poor shape, but as they are strong, can hide their problems for months before crashing. Some are fine from the start, but be selective...they are not that hard to find.

 

[ChamAllen]

Melissa and Mitchell Meller are my pride and joy.

I have 14 Chams. 2 of them are Mellers.. I work from home so I have the time to care for them.

My advice is to purchase only large green ones. Minimum 1 1/2 feet in length. The juveniles, as pointed out, do not necessarily acclimate well.

Definitely not an animal for a cage. Needs free range environment.

Most of the time the Mellers are social and can be keep together.

They are a joy to watch and to feed.

Melissa is currently eating about 100 crickets a week, 20 roaches and 20 superworms, so you need a budget of about $5 per day to feed them.

See pics attached.

 

[CLP]

The juveniles, as pointed out, do not necessarily acclimate well.

Only thing I would disagree with. I don't have Mellers as of yet but have been doing as much reading and research as I can in preparation. From what I have read, if you are going to get a recently imported WC, then juvenile is better. The suggestion for getting a WC that has been in the previous owners care for 6-12 months is to ensure they are well acclimated and that any serious health issues like the heavy parasite load they tend to come in with has already been resolved.

I would suggest reading the Melleri discovery site in its entirety and then decide if you still want a Mellers as their care is somewhat different from the more "typical" species. Room and water requirements being two big differences.

 

[ChamAllen]

Young Meller's are a gamble

I've had several young Meller's and they are difficult to care for.

As soon as I started getting Meller's, bright green and over a foot and half long I've had nothing but exceptional results.

 

[khinchy25]

Thank you everyone for your help. i am still considering buying one but i dont want to buy WC.