New To The Boards --- Have A Question

[Yuki]

Ok, so I'm sort of lost and don't know where to place this but I have someone offering a trade on a "Supposedly imported mellers chameleon" for one of my 30g tanks =/
I'm trying to get a picture but I was wondering if I should take it or leave it and if there is any other name for mellers besides "Mellers Chameleon"

 

[PardalisGirl]

Melleri....

Quite a few of us her keep Melleri (Mellers). Wild caught imports require a lot of attention and physical care to become properly acclimated. Their survival requires this attention. Have you had a chameleon before? Are you able to afford the time and possible expense (vet visits) it would require? There is a good chance that it has some sort of parasite issue since it is a wild caught. This is one issue that has to be addressed. Those of us who have taken on this great responsibility feel well rewarded for the effort. It's not something to make a quick decision over. There are lots of posts on this forum about Melleri. The website Melleri Discovery is also an excellent resource. They are a fabulous species but a bit tricky.

 

[Yuki]

Quite a few of us her keep Melleri (Mellers). Wild caught imports require a lot of attention and physical care to become properly acclimated. Their survival requires this attention. Have you had a chameleon before? Are you able to afford the time and possible expense (vet visits) it would require? There is a good chance that it has some sort of parasite issue since it is a wild caught. This is one issue that has to be addressed. Those of us who have taken on this great responsibility feel well rewarded for the effort. It's not something to make a quick decision over. There are lots of posts on this forum about Melleri. The website Melleri Discovery is also an excellent resource. They are a fabulous species but a bit tricky.

I've had chameleons before, yes. I wasn't too sure about this particular species though and needed to know if I should go for it. The guy says its 5 years old but then again, I dont know how long he's even had it. I guess, based on the things you told me, I'll try to find out more info and go on from there (How long has he had it and has he taken it to the vet, etc). So far though, with you noting the info about the "wild caughts" I will likely say no
Sad to me, cause I looked up pictures and some of them are just beatiful, but I don't wanna harm the poor guy if I don't know what I'm doing and can't care for it. I've got about 20 crested geckos, a house gecko, and a savannah monitor... I guess it may not be a good idea to take in a chameleon anyway haha

I'll keep this page updated on what I decide to do. I'll likel say no though. I need the money more for the next rep show in LA. I need supplies and other things

Thanks for your input!

 

[chamlover]

Hi,

As you can see i also love the melleri species and usually the only way you can get one is w/c. Although i do know that someone on the forum, quite awhile ago, had melleri babies. Just because it is w/c doesn't mean you shouldn't get it just means you need to proceed w/ CAUTION. I've rescued quite a few of them, from the reptile shows, some of them make it, some don't. But the most important thing with these guys being w/c is you need to deal with the added stress, dehydration, and parasites. If you've had chams before you probably have a good idea on how to do this. Also these guys need a LARGE amount of space once they are full grown. So, don't give up on the idea is you really want one, just do a little more research and be CAREFUL from whom you buy. Also unless he got it as a baby or juvie, he can't have a clue as to how old it is. Just so that you know, at 1 show i bought 3 w/c Nosy Bes. 1 adult female, 1 adult male, and a juvie female. The adult female i've had for 2 years and she has never laid eggs inspite of being mated numerous time. I'm convinced, as is the vet, that she is over her prime.
I was a little dissappointed at first but she has turned out sooo swwwweeet it really doesn't matter anymore. She looks sooo olld now though and she is having a hard time holding on. But she will live out the rest of her life, whatever that may be, with us. Good luck with your search. I wish i could recommend someone to you but over in the NE i haven't found anyone that raises c/b melleri.

 

[Carlton]

Ok, so I'm sort of lost and don't know where to place this but I have someone offering a trade on a "Supposedly imported mellers chameleon" for one of my 30g tanks =/
I'm trying to get a picture but I was wondering if I should take it or leave it and if there is any other name for mellers besides "Mellers Chameleon"

Actually, being up front about imported is good. Someone chaiming a captive bred melleri would be a warning that they don't know anything.

Melleri can be great and can also be heart breakers. If you are really interested in this species (can you tell I am biased?), can offer a large space (they can do well in a free range clump of potted trees), and can get some more info from him maybe you can do this. The Melleri Discovery has lots of great ideas and info you can use to check the cham over before deciding.

I've found if you ask direct yes/no questions its easier for him to tell you what YOU want to hear. If you talk around what you want to know he may end up telling you a lot more.

For example, ask who his vet was (if he never took it to a vet you'll find out), how big his habitat was (whether he knew anything about chams at all), what he fed it, what humidity level it preferred, how it prefered to drink, how the cham behaves around people (hiding, bluffing and puffing up, or not really minding), what its general color looks like (black spotted most of the time means a stressy one). What has it's body weight been since he had it.

A healthy acclimated melleri can be a real joy, as some are quite social and tolerant. A stressed dehydrated one can crash over and over with different health problems and you'll end up with vet bills and heartache at the end.

 

[chamlover]

I agree with Carlton. I've done numerous rescues with them but the one that was the worse was one i picked up in a NY show and he looked so bad i didn't think he would make it home. He did and for 3 months continually improved, gained weight and looked terrific, but then something went horribly wrong and within 1 week he had passed. So be very careful when choosing. If you could, i would do a search for a captive bred one before i would try a w/c. Especially if you don't have much exp with them.