New Pair of Melleri

[lbesok]

This past weekend my boyfriend and I purchased a pair of WC Melleri from Nick Mole at First Choice Reptiles. They both seem to be fairing well, though I am a little concerned with the larger one who is/has been showing gray/white colors with yellow stripes. "She" at two big dubia on Sat and drank yesterday and today. Tomorrow we have a vet visit scheduled. I hope to construct and get them into a larger enclosure soon. Here are some photos of them and their current enclosure:
My larger "Female":

Jared's smaller "Male":

Cage Set Up:

The sexes are not definite, but the sellers best guess. Any input or tips would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

 

[studiocham]

The white, black, and yellow combination looks like a male in courtship colors. Gravid gray females tend to have little to zero yellow display.

It's more likely that your smaller, green-dappled beast is the female. I'm told the laying season is over for the wild pops. I can attest firsthand that they can look like "he" does after laying.

Just my quick eyeballing...

 

[Washoe]

So is some gray along the spine of a Melleri normal?

 

[studiocham]

So is some gray along the spine of a Melleri normal?

Not sure what you mean- have pic?

If it's the topmost edge of the dorsum, it may be a lamp burn.

If it's an even gray "smoky" look over scales of varying sizes, not restricted to the dorsal crest, it may be beginning a shed.

If it is more a white "frost" emanating from between the scales, in the interstitial skin, it is more likely of internal origin: hormones, stress, or overheating.

 

[Washoe]

It's restricted to the dorsal crest and two small spots on his flaps. I'll try to post a pic. There's a pic of him somewhere around here, I'll see if I can find it.

 

[nightcrawler]

melleri are so awesome.
when i was first thinking of getting a cham, there was a guy at petland
who got a melleri, i wonder how its doing.

but anyways nice chams. i really like them.
how much were they each if i may ask?

 

[Washoe]

This was when we first obtained him a couple of months ago. The gray discoloration along the spine looks pretty much the same, but the flaps are a lot better now. Sorry, Ibesok; not trying to hijack.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

You have the tell-tale scratches of a Melleri owner!

Our WC male had that when we purchased him. It went away after a few sheds. Hopefully Kristina will reply. To me it seemed like a damaged or burned area that was healing during a shed, and so did not shed properly. But, as for the lobes, our male often has white edged lobes that look like they'er about to shed. DOn't know why.

 

[studiocham]

You have the tell-tale scratches of a Melleri owner!

Our WC male had that when we purchased him. It went away after a few sheds. Hopefully Kristina will reply. To me it seemed like a damaged or burned area that was healing during a shed, and so did not shed properly. But, as for the lobes, our male often has white edged lobes that look like they'er about to shed. DOn't know why.

Was the damaged area as wide as the one shown in the pic? The dealer must have been keeping Herc indoors under lamps before selling him. WCs come in with scraped dorsums ("iron maiden" export wireframe bags), which also develop black necrosis, but they do not get the white/gray lamp burns unless warehoused indoors.

White lobe frosting/edging can be unrelated- sign of overheating or even part of the seasonal courtship color. Forgot to mention earlier that an overall paling of the melleri's color can also indicate parasite blooms and infections.

 

[mary prefontaine]

those two are awsome isebok,

i love the colors and the size of these guys are unbelivable, i almost went for that instead of the panther, but i liked the coloration better on the panther but when i saw this guy sitting on your hand at the show i was awestruck and had to get a picture lol

 

[mary prefontaine]

meant to ask

do these guys bite a lot? if they do it must hurt lol

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Was the damaged area as wide as the one shown in the pic? The dealer must have been keeping Herc indoors under lamps before selling him. WCs come in with scraped dorsums ("iron maiden" export wireframe bags), which also develop black necrosis, but they do not get the white/gray lamp burns unless warehoused indoors.

White lobe frosting/edging can be unrelated- sign of overheating or even part of the seasonal courtship color. Forgot to mention earlier that an overall paling of the melleri's color can also indicate parasite blooms and infections.

From what we've been told he was long term WC. Here are photos from the day we got him. I reviewed the photos, and the white flaky shed pattern actually was not on the crests and lobes. But when he did subsequently have his first "normal" shed with us, those blackish areas took longer to shed. His lobe tips, on the other hand, looked fungasy, so we treated those with Nolvasan. The back we left alone. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pics of Herc along the way. Not until Megana arrived. But here are photos from his first day:

HERC'S FIRST DAY WITH US, WHEN WE BROUGHT HIM HOME FROM THE MOM & POP PET STORE:

do these guys bite a lot? if they do it must hurt lol

No, to my knowledge, they don't bite.

 

[Sepioteuthis]

do these guys bite a lot? if they do it must hurt lol

No, to my knowledge, they don't bite.

Well anything with teeth bites...

However... Gesang is right they are not aggressive biters at all, they are very docile.
The only time I've been bitten by a melleri is when she caught my finger instead of the bug I was holding and my hand was close enough that she could just reach forward and grab my finger. She bit down gentle, clearly wasn't sure whether what she had 'caught' was really food. When I tapped her on her rostrum she let go. It broke the skin but only barely.

 

[lbesok]

Today at the vet we found out they both have nasty hook worms and are being treated with Panacur. No more light was shed upon the male female debate, I kinda like the ambiguity! We were told that we may have more trouble with the larger one for obvious reasons, but they are both in fair condition given they are newly imported specimen.

melleri are so awesome.
when i was first thinking of getting a cham, there was a guy at petland
who got a melleri, i wonder how its doing.
but anyways nice chams. i really like them.
how much were they each if i may ask?

Nick Mole was asking $100 but he gave them to us for $90 a piece from First Choice Reptiles. Granted they are WC and had a vet bill today $100+.

From what we've been told he was long term WC. Here are photos from the day we got him. I reviewed the photos, and the white flaky shed pattern actually was not on the crests and lobes. But when he did subsequently have his first "normal" shed with us, those blackish areas took longer to shed. His lobe tips, on the other hand, looked fungasy, so we treated those with Nolvasan. The back we left alone. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pics of Herc along the way. Not until Megana arrived. But here are photos from his first day:

HERC'S FIRST DAY WITH US, WHEN WE BROUGHT HIM HOME FROM THE MOM & POP PET STORE:

No, to my knowledge, they don't bite.

OMG you guys have done such a beautiful job with Herc, I would have barley even known that he was the same chameleon! Now he looks fantastic. It is such an accomplishment to turn these guys around the way you do! Keep up the great work.
You just have the pair of Mellers right, Hercules and Megana?

 

[Kat77]

I really want some Mellers. They are so gorgeous! Congratulations on your new chams!

 

[SoCaliSon]

Ibesok, You must be so excited! I would love to get a gorgeous pair of Mellers one day. I love to hear when owners take there newly acquired animals to the vet right away. Sign of a truly responsible keeper. They are going to love there new home.

 

[lbesok]

Thanks guys for all your nice comments.

do these guys bite a lot? if they do it must hurt lol

From what I understand the meaner ones won't hesitate to bite, and yes it must hurt. Both of my chameleons are very docile and have barely flared up their lobes at me, much less have attempted to bite. The worst damage they do is with their nails.
Anyone know where to get a decent, relatively inexpensive pair of gloves that will protect me all the way up to my elbows or even shoulders?

 

[studiocham]

Anyone know where to get a decent, relatively inexpensive pair of gloves that will protect me all the way up to my elbows or even shoulders?

These are the exact ones I use, Rose Gardening Gloves. They retail beween $7.95 and $10 a pair. They have gauntlets long enough for protection from even the claws of 22-inchers. Machine washable. The colors are also inoffensive to most melleri, they are the "calm" green with yellow.

http://www.shop.com/Rose_Gloves-8825300-13176224-p!.shtml?sourceid=298

Can't wait to see pix of your melleri after they've settled in!

 

[studiocham]

From what we've been told he was long term WC. Here are photos from the day we got him. I reviewed the photos, and the white flaky shed pattern actually was not on the crests and lobes. But when he did subsequently have his first "normal" shed with us, those blackish areas took longer to shed.

Yup, that looks like the necrosis that occurs from the dorsal damage, from the wire frame exporters' bags. They hold a second cloth bag inside the framed bag, which "suspends" the chameleon, but it doesn't work so well for adults. The adults tend to get all their pointy, delicate double-row conical scales (on the dorsum and rostral ridge) rubbed off by the frame, sometimes deep enough to cause bleeding.

Deeper damage like that comes off with the second or third captive shed, if the infection has been stemmed.

 

[chamlover]

Great looking chams. Again with the wusses that want to wear gloves. Come on guys, what's a little scratching between friends. lol. My mellleri is also extremely calm and gentle, much more so than any of my other chams. She/he will also put his head down on me and chill once in a great while. Mine was w/c and also needed to be treated even though the seller said he had already been treated, but it cleared up without a problem.
Good luck.

Debby