Pitless Pygmy Chameleon

[roguekiller23231]

at my local pet store, they have a new to the market chameleon, 'Pitless Pygmy Chameleon' 'Rhampholeon nchisiensis'

they are very small, and they have about 5-6 in a small viv.

they claim that they do not need much UV lighting because they are ground dwelling chameleons, and that they can live with 4-5 in a 30cmx30cmx30cm enclosure and only need minimal heating, room temp 20-22C.

does anyone have any experiance with these chameleons, as there going pretty cheap, and would love to own a few, but not sure on how accurate there claims are (dont really trust pet shops care information)

 

[eisentrauti]

Good that you ask ! The enclosure is way too small, even for a single one. You can house for example a group of 2 or 3 in a enclosure with 40x40x60cm. They are a very cool species and if they are healthy, buy them ! The females lay very large clutches with up to 18 eggs. You can use normal fluorescent lamps with 18 Watt, they provide enough heat to get the upper part of the enclosure a bit warmer than room temperature. You need no special UV bulbs, it's enough if you supplement the feeders regularly

 

[CarlC]

Not to much to add to above. I have kept them in 29 gallon tanks in groups of 1 male and 2 or 3 females. They are PROLIFIC egg layers!!! Temps in the low 70's during the day with night drops of 5 degree's is fine. Mating occurs at dusk and the male stays attached through the night. Hatching the babies presents no problems. Keep plenty of very small insects handy. Fruit flies and baby silkworms worked best for me.

They can be prone to respitory problems so good airflow in their enclosure is a must.

Carl