>>I have talked to many people and it seems that no chameleon can ever be able to be kept together without some sort of consequences. Even the mellers chameleons seem to have their little bickering fights.
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Like any animal, they are individuals and may arbitrarily decide they dislike each other. I was told to house my R. brevicaudatus communally when I had them, but I had a male who stressed living in a densely planted enclosure with a single, aggressive female. I had to house him alone to keep him happy, and introduce/remove him for breeding. Tolerant species are not solely comprised of tolerant individuals. The key is being observant, knowing your animals (being able to tell when they are most stress-free, be it in pairs, trios, or singly), and then acting on it immediately. Not tomorrow, not when you get home, not when the new cage arrives, but NOW.
As for melleri, I have been told (no solid data) that those collected from different locales will fight on sight. Mates and clutchmates are another story, and even they have their individual preferences. They are such a sensitive species that a bad personality mix is fatal, either from direct conflict injury or a stress-related cause later. Melleri or any cham species in cohabitation are not for hobbyists just starting out. Both take a lot of attention and problem-solving from experience, and to be completely safe, the keeper needs to be present while the chams are active all day.
>>I have given up on this idea becasue i do not want to cause any strss or harm to these beautiful animals.....
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This is for the best, and the best reason.
Best of luck with the new cham you choose,
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Kristina Francis
www.melleridiscovery.com
ulse of the Maggots)
