Our Meller's mated today!!!

[Chameleons Northwest]

Greetings, Catherine. I've caught Hercules approaching Megana in his breeding colors a few times, but nothing interesting developed. Then last yesterday He was pretty persistant, and I walked in one time and he was on top of her but she was swinging her body back and forth fairly wildly and turned an awful color. I would say she is gravid and now thwarting Hercules' attentions. Her appetite is way up, as well.

We'll know for sure in a few months!

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Very cool stuff. Congratulations on achieving, catching them, and photographing this feat. Most of all thanks for sharing it with the Forums. Difinitely something you don't see everyday.

 

[PardalisGirl]

That's great

That's wonderful! How will you work the egg laying bin situation? Will you put one under their big potted plants? With the free range situation is she likely to just start roaming around that room when she is ready to lay? Wish you had video camera to capture her laying activities! Catherine

 

[laurie]

I don't know a lot about mellers but I was under the impression that you couldn't sex a mellers. I must be wrong, yea, so how does one sex a meller's?
I don't have one but just wondered. I always like to learn things I am told can't be done.

Also how big of a free range space do they have? Do you have any pictures? I really find mellers to be a insteresting chameleon. Would love to own one sometime, probably far down the road.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Our female came into Florida last winter to FLchams, where she laid about 80 eggs. Mike of FLchams then shipped her to us, after her quick recovery. So, there was no mistaking that. In fact, knowing we already had a confirmed male, Kristina of MelleriDiscovery contacted us when Mike of FLchams got his shipment in. She said there were gravid females laying eggs and that it would be a good opportunity for us to get a confirmed female. We are so glad we did.

Our male was purchased from a local Mom & Pop pet shop. Once we owned him and got him acclimated, we caught him humping the furnishing in his cage. He also would pass fresh goo from his vent. We got a sample and viewed it under a microscope and confirmed the presence of live sperm. We have a video of that microscope slide. So, again, we were able to confirm gender.

Once we got our female, our male stopped humping the furniture in his cage. We built the free range for them and they lived together for a year before deciding to take the plunge.

I'm not sure how others discover the gender of theirs, except perhaps by trial and error.

I will post photos of the free range later.

 

[laurie]

Our female came into Florida last winter to FLchams, where she laid about 80 eggs. Mike of FLchams then shipped her to us, after her quick recovery. So, there was no mistaking that. In fact, knowing we already had a confirmed male, Kristina of MelleriDiscovery contacted us when Mike of FLchams got his shipment in. She said there were gravid females laying eggs and that it would be a good opportunity for us to get a confirmed female. We are so glad we did.

Our male was purchased from a local Mom & Pop pet shop. Once we owned him and got him acclimated, we caught him humping the furnishing in his cage. He also would pass fresh goo from his vent. We got a sample and viewed it under a microscope and confirmed the presence of live sperm. We have a video of that microscope slide. So, again, we were able to confirm gender.

Once we got our female, our male stopped humping the furniture in his cage. We built the free range for them and they lived together for a year before deciding to take the plunge.

I'm not sure how others discover the gender of theirs, except perhaps by trial and error.

I will post photos of the free range later.

Thanks for the answers, that was a creative way to "check" the sex of your male. I may work up to getting a mellers by the time you are ready to sell some. Are the personalities different for males and females?

I have owned panthers, veiled, and fischers, are mellers more difficult to raise? I don't take failure with my chameleons very well so try to avoid it.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Here are photos of their original freerange. They now have a larger "L" shaped freerange in an adjacent room. But I realized I don't have photos of their new enclosure.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Well, they mated again today. This time on a high, bare, perch. It concerned me, because I thought that if Megana was not feeling gravid yet then perhaps Hercules is shooting blanks or just not getting the job done. But then I checked on the MelleriDiscovery website and read that- "Copulation lasts a few minutes and is repeated over days and weeks, sometimes months."

Hercules kind of forgot what he did last time, so this time he tried her head, lobes, underarms, etc., before finally settling on the base of her tail. When he turned around and made his way down there Megana lifted and arched her tail for him very neatly. (She looks like she's smiling but really she's chuckling and rolling her eyes. That silly Hercules. )

They are both completing sheds.

 

[chamelisa]

This is such great news. I remember when no one had any luck breeding them until Kristina Lucas had some luck and was keeping everyone posted about it. That was awesome. It is just so nice that we are gaining a lot more understanding about this species and making progress.

That female is quite a big girl compared to your male.

 

[Chase]

Are females bigger than males?

 

[PardalisGirl]

Too Cute

That is a super picture Sandy. She does look like she is smiling! He looks pretty confident in that picture. Guess that was after all the trial and error stuff. Looks like love to me. I've spent hours on the Melleri Discovery site and they really do seem to have the capacity to bond as a couple. She certainly seems to have accepted him as the "one".

I did get two Melleri last week. I'm letting them settle before snapping pictures, etc. One is a bigger sub-adult and I'm pretty sure it's a male. There is a tail bulge there for sure. I'm just waiting to see something "smeared" on a branch after a poop. Or see something swimming when I do a fecal. I named him Knopfler after Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits). He is very sturdy, strong and healthy looking. He eats anything that is put into his cage. He already has favorite basking and sleeping spots and a routine. And has already snapped a cricket or two from my hand. He did get a smashed snout prior to my receiving him. I'm putting Neosporin on it and hope it will heal. It is pushed to one side.

The other one is a much smaller juvie. Much more frail and thin looking and will take much more work to get it established. It's eating and drinking so I hope it will acclimate. I've got them in separate cages because of the huge size difference. I'm going to do fecals within the week. My husband's son and daughter-in-law had their baby last night. It was a very long and difficult delivery and Mom has to stay in the hospital several days longer than normal and is pretty weak. We have been pretty occupied with that and will be this week. Family from everywhere will be descending into the area to see Mom and the baby. Just wanted to pop into the forum and say how much I enjoyed your Melleri love story and the pictures Catherine

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Congratulations on the new arrivals and especially the new Grandchild. We will pray for your daughter-in-law that she recovers her strength quickly.

Look forward to seeing photos of the new Meller's when you do get a chance.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Are females bigger than males?

Not always. And there seems to be different size and coloration morphs with different bloodlines. I don't know if this is related to isolated family groups in the wild. The adult captive population in the U.S. seems to have a wide range of colors, size, and weights.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Update. Hercules and Megana are now separated:

The Meller's have continued to copulate every few days. Today Hercules approached Megana, in yellow and black breeding colors and flapping his lobes, and she stuck her tongue out and swayed back and forth, to decline his attentions. But he continued up to her perch and proceeded to head-butt her and try to mount her. In her gravid condition I could see that she was not able to get up on her hind legs and beat on him like she used to, so she had to swing her body out of his way and retreat. I removed Hercules from the free range, and they will remain separated for now. My intention is to keep them apart until Megana's pregnancy is resolved (hopefully with her laying her clutch)- unless they show considerable signs of separation stress.

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

i want a baby!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pure]

I'm so excited for you! You have to be awash with anticipation.