Rudis Chameleon

chuka1212

New Member
I am looking for some information on the Rudis chameleon. I have a 30 gallon all screen reptarium with UV lighting, heat lamp, dripper, etc. I have just been looking around for the right chameleon.

At the pet shop the other day I spotted a Rudis Chameleon, and I was intrigued, it is very healthy and a very attractive chameleon.

My searches on the internet have revealed relatively little information on this creature...

Could anyone impart some general advice on their care?

I also came across several statements and wanted to your opinions:
I read they don't do well in screen terrariums... is this true?

I also heard they require more humidity than veileds and other species.. around 80 to 90 percent, in fact. This seems like a difficult leve to acheive.

I also heard they can be finicky about taking crickets... has this been your experience?

Thanks a ton in advance for the help, and I look forward to being a member of these forums as I advance in chameleon keeping.
 
I had a few rudis about ten years ago. Their really not that hard to raise and take care of. The main thing is to NOT buy WC. These usually have a heavy parasite load and even if you do get rid of them, your likely to have a short lived animal. I think Nick Mole at first choice reptiles has some CB. You can find CB if you do a little hunting. FLchams may also have some. I wouldn't buy the one at the pet shop unless you can be sure it's not wild caught, which it most likely is. I always kept humidity around 55 to 60 percent with no problems. These are great little chameleons with a great personality and the red phase rudis are stunners. Good luck. David
 
Thanks so much for the information, it was great, I am very pleased and hope that once I gain some more experience I can give back some good info.

To Dectr6- Thanks for bringing up avoiding wild caught chams... That will be the first question I will ask when I go back tomorrow. Glad to know they are not as delicate as I thought.

To Justin carl- Thanks for the links. i had already done a rudis search but never found answers to the specific question that I asked, and I did miss a couple of those threads, so thanks.

So just to make sure - an all screen terrarium is ok? I have never used one, and wonder if the humidity is an issue.

I am also wondering if this would be a good setup to control humidity:

I want the bottom to be moistoned moss, a dripper equipped on top that drips into a water dish in which I will have an air stone connected to a pump. I also plan on having live plants and on two daily mistings.

Does anyone foresee any problems with this setup?
 
I use all screen with mine they are all doing fine. I spray mine down 3 time a day. They like it not to hot and humid. They are all WC but I have done fecals and treated them with no problem. I would make sure the dish of water is not to deep or is covered. They are a pretty hardy chameleon and seem to do pretty well in captivity. Well from my experience with them.
 
Thanks! I will be sure to do that. How do you do a fecal? I am guessing a vet would have to do that. How much did it cost? What were the treatments?

Sorry about all the Q's...
 
I do all of my own fecals. If your not sure about it best to have a reptile vet do it. See if him/her will show you what they are doing. That is how I learned. You could also get one of the Klingenberg books on reptile parasites. I Dont leave home with out mine. It usually cost around $20-30 to do a fecal. So its not to bad. But then a little more to treat if need be.
 
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