Starting a Breeding Colony 101

DonKeesh

Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello All,

Exactly how does one start a breeding project? If I want to work with a very rare species such as Crypticum (if even available) what is the protocol for starting out? Do you start with a single pair or more? How do you keep new blood when breeding future generations? Is there anyone in the U.S. working with Crypticum currently?

Thanks!
 
I would look into breeding something easier then a calluma species if you have never bred chams before.
 
I have bred panthers in past, I have the general idea of how to be successful, I am wondering how do you keep new blood coming into the colony of a very rare species? Do people eventually have to line breed? Thanks!
 
Panthers are pretty easy to breed relatively speaking. Not saying you're not up for the challenge, but it's not much of a comparison. People keep new blood coming in by importing WC. Line breeding is an often controversial subject, some do and some don't. I believe madagascar is closed from exporting ATM so it might be a while before anything new pops up in the US.
 
Panthers are pretty easy to breed relatively speaking. Not saying you're not up for the challenge, but it's not much of a comparison. People keep new blood coming in by importing WC. Line breeding is an often controversial subject, some do and some don't. I believe madagascar is closed from exporting ATM so it might be a while before anything new pops up in the US.

Thank you for the response, what is a typical starting point, 2 pairs? 2 male 3 female? Etc.?
 
i would build a good relationship with an importer so that when they get imports you could request specific animals and possibly get first choice.

As for how many I guess it would depend on your budget and setups. You have to remember that WC’s should go through a quarantine period so how many can you keep away from each other.

Edit: I would like to change what I said a bit. ANY newly aquired animal should go through a quarantine period but it is even more critical for wild caughts.
 
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