My Experience With Furcifer Verrucosus

[crosscutts]

What I find strange is the ones that used to be so easy to acquire such as Lateralist and verrucosus now seem to be highly sought after . One species I’ve always been fascinated with is Quadracornius , hope the spelling is right

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I spoke briefly with someone breeding furcifer verrucosis after acquiring my first panther. Not sure how far they got in their breeding project, but I’ve taken an interest in this species ever since. Glad to see you intend to breed and I hope you are successful! Would really like to try my hand at one of these, but if I keep bringing home chameleons I’m gonna get myself kicked out of the house lol

 

[scags]

I spoke briefly with someone breeding furcifer verrucosis after acquiring my first panther. Not sure how far they got in their breeding project, but I’ve taken an interest in this species ever since. Glad to see you intend to breed and I hope you are successful! Would really like to try my hand at one of these, but if I keep bringing home chameleons I’m gonna get myself kicked out of the house lol

I have found my male verrucosus is an eager breeder, and my female is receptive fairly often. Despite Adchams stating they only lay 1-2 clutches a year, in captivity mine has laid almost as often as a pardalis. Over the course of the last year she has laid 6 clutches. Half of which were infertile.
I don’t think they retain sperm as well as pardalis. Since it seems as though if she has not mated, the clutch will likely be infertile. Clutch size seems to vary widely. I’ve had the largest clutch be nearly 30 eggs, while the smallest was 12.

My first egg that hatched had been incubating for only 9 months. The baby was small, despite the larger sized egg (when compared to panther eggs). Unfortunately this female neonate did not survive. I had her in a bioactive bin, with UVB and grow lights above. My theory is that the ambient temps were too cool at night, and low ambient humidity (hard to have high humidity in the California desert).
The second egg to hatch did not survive either sadly.

I have since switched to a exo terra with moist substrate and an ambient temp of 80 degrees, humidity 80% or higher. The newest and third baby to hatch is doing well so far. Another female. She is quite active and I think the enclosed terrarium has made a huge difference in maintaining a stable environment.
A 4th egg is currently hatching at the moment, fingers crossed it’s a male.

Hoping to work with PardonMyPardalis on trading genetics and keeping a stable CB population going!

 

[PardonMyPardalis]

I have found my male verrucosus is an eager breeder, and my female is receptive fairly often. Despite Adchams stating they only lay 1-2 clutches a year, in captivity mine has laid almost as often as a pardalis. Over the course of the last year she has laid 6 clutches. Half of which were infertile.
I don’t think they retain sperm as well as pardalis. Since it seems as though if she has not mated, the clutch will likely be infertile. Clutch size seems to vary widely. I’ve had the largest clutch be nearly 30 eggs, while the smallest was 12.

My first egg that hatched had been incubating for only 9 months. The baby was small, despite the larger sized egg (when compared to panther eggs). Unfortunately this female neonate did not survive. I had her in a bioactive bin, with UVB and grow lights above. My theory is that the ambient temps were too cool at night, and low ambient humidity (hard to have high humidity in the California desert).
The second egg to hatch did not survive either sadly.

I have since switched to a exo terra with moist substrate and an ambient temp of 80 degrees, humidity 80% or higher. The newest and third baby to hatch is doing well so far. Another female. She is quite active and I think the enclosed terrarium has made a huge difference in maintaining a stable environment.
A 4th egg is currently hatching at the moment, fingers crossed it’s a male.

Hoping to work with PardonMyPardalis on trading genetics and keeping a stable CB population going!

Great info bro and yes pets focus on breeding healthy CB verrucosus!

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I have found my male verrucosus is an eager breeder, and my female is receptive fairly often. Despite Adchams stating they only lay 1-2 clutches a year, in captivity mine has laid almost as often as a pardalis. Over the course of the last year she has laid 6 clutches. Half of which were infertile.
I don’t think they retain sperm as well as pardalis. Since it seems as though if she has not mated, the clutch will likely be infertile. Clutch size seems to vary widely. I’ve had the largest clutch be nearly 30 eggs, while the smallest was 12.

My first egg that hatched had been incubating for only 9 months. The baby was small, despite the larger sized egg (when compared to panther eggs). Unfortunately this female neonate did not survive. I had her in a bioactive bin, with UVB and grow lights above. My theory is that the ambient temps were too cool at night, and low ambient humidity (hard to have high humidity in the California desert).
The second egg to hatch did not survive either sadly.

I have since switched to a exo terra with moist substrate and an ambient temp of 80 degrees, humidity 80% or higher. The newest and third baby to hatch is doing well so far. Another female. She is quite active and I think the enclosed terrarium has made a huge difference in maintaining a stable environment.
A 4th egg is currently hatching at the moment, fingers crossed it’s a male.

Hoping to work with PardonMyPardalis on trading genetics and keeping a stable CB population going!

So eager to breed, but difficult to keep viable. Interesting.. I don’t have any personal experience in breeding panthers (or any species of chameleon for that matter) YET - I’d like to breed my cap est - but I would have definitely assumed breeding F. verrucosis is similar. Very sad to hear you’ve experienced so much loss over the course of your experience. I so hope your girl and newly hatched baby continue to do well (and fingers crossed for a male )! I am so excited to see an established captive population, hopefully in the near future! By the way, I so understand the struggle with humidity in CA’s bone dry climate.

I SWEAR I will finagle a way to bring one of these gorgeous guys home some day! Watch this space

I was told previously that basic husbandry requirements are pretty similar compared to pardalis, have you found that to be the case? I know this species tends to come from a more arid area of Madagascar. I’m wondering if they might prefer RH a bit on the lower side, below 50% or so.

 

[scags]

So eager to breed, but difficult to keep viable. Interesting.. I don’t have any personal experience in breeding panthers (or any species of chameleon for that matter) YET - I’d like to breed my cap est - but I would have definitely assumed breeding F. verrucosis is similar. Very sad to hear you’ve experienced so much loss over the course of your experience. I so hope your girl and newly hatched baby continue to do well (and fingers crossed for a male )! I am so excited to see an established captive population, hopefully in the near future! By the way, I so understand the struggle with humidity in CA’s bone dry climate.

I SWEAR I will finagle a way to bring one of these gorgeous guys home some day! Watch this space

I was told previously that basic husbandry requirements are pretty similar compared to pardalis, have you found that to be the case? I know this species tends to come from a more arid area of Madagascar. I’m wondering if they might prefer RH a bit on the lower side, below 50% or so.

I keep them pretty much identical to my panthers and Oustalet’s. The only difference is that I provide a warmer heat lamp. So they have access to a higher temp basking area- same with the ousties. Although I think they’d probably do just fine without the increased basking temp.

I have read that they benefit more from a colder night time drop. Which actually happens naturally here in the Cali desert climate. It might be 80 during the day, but down to 40s at night. Obviously I don’t let my temps swing that much, but the garage converted reptile room does drop down to upper 60s at night, which I think is fine for all of them.

I’m going to keep working with the Verrucosus. So far both recently hatched chams are doing well. I believe both are female (damn, haha). More eggs will hatch in the coming weeks I’m sure. Hopefully there will be a few males in there.

I think as adults a RH around 50 would be ok, but I do know that while the southwestern portion of Madagascar is considered arid, the humidity can be quite high from coastal air coming in. There is also a good chance that many verrucosus die during the dry season, and only their eggs underground survive.

I think a hot dry environment but with good misting would be an appropriate way to keep them. I think keeping them similar to veileds would work as well. Dry with a hot basking area- but access to good hydration- if that makes sense?

They’re a wildly underrated Cham. Hopefully more people breed them in the future.
Good luck with you cap Est! Those are stunners.

 

[Shauna_T]

Hermes

He is stunning!!! How big do they get?

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I keep them pretty much identical to my panthers and Oustalet’s. The only difference is that I provide a warmer heat lamp. So they have access to a higher temp basking area- same with the ousties. Although I think they’d probably do just fine without the increased basking temp.

I have read that they benefit more from a colder night time drop. Which actually happens naturally here in the Cali desert climate. It might be 80 during the day, but down to 40s at night. Obviously I don’t let my temps swing that much, but the garage converted reptile room does drop down to upper 60s at night, which I think is fine for all of them.

I’m going to keep working with the Verrucosus. So far both recently hatched chams are doing well. I believe both are female (damn, haha). More eggs will hatch in the coming weeks I’m sure. Hopefully there will be a few males in there.

I think as adults a RH around 50 would be ok, but I do know that while the southwestern portion of Madagascar is considered arid, the humidity can be quite high from coastal air coming in. There is also a good chance that many verrucosus die during the dry season, and only their eggs underground survive.

I think a hot dry environment but with good misting would be an appropriate way to keep them. I think keeping them similar to veileds would work as well. Dry with a hot basking area- but access to good hydration- if that makes sense?

They’re a wildly underrated Cham. Hopefully more people breed them in the future.
Good luck with you cap Est! Those are stunners.

Thank you so much for that man!! My first boy is a locale cross. PERSONALLY, I love locale crosses but I totally get that not everyone feels the same. Just based on that (AND the fact that everyone seems to want pure lineage in a female), I won‘t be breeding him. A year from now however, I’d love to breed my cappy boy! He’s already so gorgeous and I had the HARDEST time finding a pure breeder. I’d love to keep cap est lineage going in CA, but that’s going to take a lot of work on my part.

 

[PlanetRemulak]

He is stunning!!! How big do they get?

They are so closely related. I’d imagine about as big as a male panther,

 

[scags]

They are so closely related. I’d imagine about as big as a male panther,

Verrucosus are on the larger side, supposedly between a panther and oustaleti in terms of size.

 

[scags]

Thank you so much for that man!! My first boy is a locale cross. PERSONALLY, I love locale crosses but I totally get that not everyone feels the same. Just based on that (AND the fact that everyone seems to want pure lineage in a female), I won‘t be breeding him. A year from now however, I’d love to breed my cappy boy! He’s already so gorgeous and I had the HARDEST time finding a pure breeder. I’d love to keep cap est lineage going in CA, but that’s going to take a lot of work on my part.

I understand both sides of the pure vs cross argument.
It reminds me of the Endlers Livebearer fish from South America. You have the people who want to keep the different locales pure in captivity, and then you have the people who are crossing them to create new crazy lines.
I think both are good. I would hope there are people that are keeping pure lineages. Madagascar has one of the fastest growing human populations, and the highest rate of deforestation. These chameleons are at risk. So it’s good for people to keep pure lines in captivity. But without DNA tests, I doubt many are truly pure. Most females you cannot tell locale.
But my hat goes off to those that are doing it.
But I also think the crosses are cool. These animals won’t ever be put back into the wild- so there is no risk of genetic contamination to the native wild populations.

 

[PardonMyPardalis]

He is stunning!!! How big do they get?

A little bigger than panthers