Posted by:
all2human
at Thu Sep 1 16:14:22 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by all2human ]
Hi there,
I have also noted that more and more places advertise C. (T.) jacksonii merumontanus as "increasingly difficult to obtain," and although I do not have supporting evidence to make a comment regarding this claim, I can tell you that field biologists working in Tanzania, and other individuals involved in similar scientific studies DO maintain that the numbers in the wild have decreased due to habitat loss, and perhaps even over-collection. What's important here is to take into consideration that there are yearly quotas imposed by CITES (usually 500 for this subspecies). So if you think about it, it is obvious that the appearance of these lizards in the US trade decrease as the yearly quotas become exhausted. The question is this: How many more are left in the wild, and how many can CITES allow to leave the country, while maintaining a stable wild population? Perhaps someone else can provide us with their input regarding the numbers or future quotas, but until then, you are left with that which "dealers" tell you.. whether they're only trying to make a sale, or are being genuinely informative.
In any case, Mt. Meru Jackson's Chameleons are a majestic (and very challenging) subject of study, that needs attention in the wild, as well as in captivity, in order to not only possess a more educated idea about their status in the wild (and thus successfully protect them), but also to be able to establish them in captivity to reduce pressure from the wild.
I have found them to be more difficult to maintain than C. (T.) j. xantholophus, but with patience and perseverance, they can be extremely rewarding captives.
Kind regards,
Fabián
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RE: Mt. Meru Jackson's Chameleons... - all2human, Thu Sep 1 16:14:22 2005 