Should I go with.....Captive Bred or Wild Caught Jackson

[rj1204]

I don't even know if I really have a choice here in Hawaii. We have a few breeders that sell Jackson Chameleons but most seem to only sell small babies. I am looking for a sub-adult to adult. My enclosure is an outdoor set up so I would think a wild caught would do well with the environment, conditions, and outdoor plants/bugs.

The pet stores seem to get mostly wild caught chameleons too. Occasionally, they get some babies from breeders. I noticed yesterday one pet store had 5 adult males in with 2 adult females. The males were all over the females. It is almost guaranteed whoever buys the females will have babies soon. I was told most people just take the babies to a remote area in a protected forest and let them go. I assume they probably would do as well as they would being born in the wild anyways.

It seems most people let there Jackson go when they have to move or just don't have time for them anymore. I have always been against anything wild caught, but here in Hawaii my choice is very limited. Chameleons here do have some predators, but it is significantly less compared to almost any other place. No snakes, racoons, hawks, large birds, bobcats, coyotes, fire ants, etc. and we have plenty insects. Anyways, if any local Jackson chameleon owners here in Hawaii have any advise on where the best place to purchase one, I would love to hear. I am also open to feedback on wild caught vs. captive bred.

 

[camimom]

I prefer captive bred whenever possible.

WIld caughts tend to have to be treatd for parasites, may have injuries, you cant guesttimate age very well etc, and they can have a harder time adjusting.


JMO.
GOod luck!

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I wouldnt worry so much whether its cb vs wc. I would find the person in your area or on your specific island that has the best reputation for either selling wc's or breeding jacksons. Just find a healthy specimen first and foremost. Since your in Hawaii its not like the wc's your going to be working with will be as beat up as those that are captured and held for weeks then transported 1000's of miles to another middle man only to go to the pet store. Where they are stressed and kept in communal caging situations. Personally if I lived on the islands I would find out where the largest concentrations of jacksons are found and go and find a few myself. Jmpo...

But I wouldnt release any offspring back into the wild. For one thing thats illegal and also its wrong to introduce alien species to an ecosystem. Mpo

 

[aimhigher38]

always captive bred when possible

 

[Lovereps]

I wouldnt worry so much whether its cb vs wc. I would find the person in your area or on your specific island that has the best reputation for either selling wc's or breeding jacksons. Just find a healthy specimen first and foremost. Since your in Hawaii its not like the wc's your going to be working with will be as beat up as those that are captured and held for weeks then transported 1000's of miles to another middle man only to go to the pet store. Where they are stressed and kept in communal caging situations. Personally if I lived on the islands I would find out where the largest concentrations of jacksons are found and go and find a few myself. Jmpo...

Very good points Texas Panther Man.

 

[rj1204]

Thanks for the advice. Those are definitely some great points. I have seen Jacksons on Craiglist that were literally caught the night prior. I am going by a breeders this week (in Waipahu) and if given the choice, I will get a CB.

As for releasing back to the wild, I don't think it is truly an alien species anymore. They are all over the island and just like so many other animals introduced to the island, they are pretty much considered native now.....kind of. Personally I would find my guy a home and would be more concerned of a CB being too domesticated. I probably won't get a female at all just so I don't end up with babies. I'm sure once they got out in the forests out here they would be just fine regardless.

 

[Carlton]

Thanks for the advice. Those are definitely some great points. I have seen Jacksons on Craiglist that were literally caught the night prior. I am going by a breeders this week (in Waipahu) and if given the choice, I will get a CB.

As for releasing back to the wild, I don't think it is truly an alien species anymore. They are all over the island and just like so many other animals introduced to the island, they are pretty much considered native now.....kind of. Personally I would find my guy a home and would be more concerned of a CB being too domesticated. I probably won't get a female at all just so I don't end up with babies. I'm sure once they got out in the forests out here they would be just fine regardless.

I am pretty sure that legally they are NOT considered "native". They are considered a non-native invasive species that has some impact on some of HI's endangered insects depending on where they happen to be. Some of HI's insects are considered a critical resource because they may be the only known pollinators for rare or endemic plants. So even if the general public doesn't consider chams non-native any longer I'm sure state land and wildlife agencies sure do. I would still be careful not to release or transfer a cham to the wild anywhere.

What do you consider "too domesticated"? Jax are at most 2 or 3 generations from their wild ancestors. I doubt they show any real traits of domestication. Sure a cbb jax may be more tolerant or accepting of human activity, caging, etc. but they are not domesticated. They haven't lost their natural instinctive behaviors that I can tell.