Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.

Click here for Dragon Serpents
Click for ZooMed

Multiple chameleons

bkulich Aug 14, 2003 08:56 AM

Are there any types of chameleons that could be kept with more than one in a cage? I have a screen cage that is 4 ft tall, 3 ft wide and 1.5 feet deep.

Replies (9)

EthanT69 Aug 14, 2003 01:12 PM

A jackson chameleon is one.

iso Aug 14, 2003 01:29 PM

I have to disagree. Mine does not like to see any other creature near it. I put a female near him the other day and he seemed excited - she did not. I would have hated to see what would have happened if I left them alone together....imagine the stress a female would go through every time a male wanted to mate...

Perhaps if you had a 4'x3'x3' cage - heavy foliage and lots of room - two females could live together...but they would be happier alone.

I would not put a male and a female near one another - even in eye sight.

I would not put two males near each other.

As far as I know - jacksons are solitay creatures that want to look nice and be left alone. Jacksons are delecate guys at times...

If I am wrong - please let me know.

alanvines Aug 14, 2003 02:44 PM

I have five females and one male together in a greenhouse, they have all the space they could need but all congregate under one light, except the male who is constantly roaming. There are three exacte same basking spots and the temps are the same in each, yet they all {females} stay clumped together. When each of the two that just had babies had their babies they went to the opposite side of the greenhouse to do it, then went back to the others. they will roam the greenhouse if I go awhile without offering crix by hand, but I think if I hand fed them in their spot all the time they would never move. I think they all five could be kept in a much smaller space [than a small greenhouse] with no problem at all, although they must prefer at least the knowlege that they could roam around in a large space. I know this flies in the face of about everyone's opinion but that is my honest experience. As far as the females reacting to the male's advances, mine worked that out pretty fast, within a day. they never actually became stressed about it for more than a few minutes; of course they were all put into the enclosure at the same time and it would probably be different if a male or female had already established a territory and the other sex was introduced. Now the females only occasionally have to sway their bodies "no" and then they ignore each other. I have had two different males in with the five gravid females, one large and one small, at different times {the males could not tolerate each other in the least after about a week)and it has not led to any dangerous stress levels, i.e. they do not actively run away from each other and don't get upset from very close proximity as long as there is no touching, and they always have the option to go to another limb, but do not. I think two females and a male could live happily in a 6x6 cage, although bigger is ALWAYS better as far as cages go. Jackson's do each have very individual personalities though, so It probably depends on the individuals. Any two chams will excited or stressed when first put together, but as far as my jacksons experience it does not last long at all and is worth it.

>>I have to disagree. Mine does not like to see any other creature near it. I put a female near him the other day and he seemed excited - she did not. I would have hated to see what would have happened if I left them alone together....imagine the stress a female would go through every time a male wanted to mate...
>>
>>Perhaps if you had a 4'x3'x3' cage - heavy foliage and lots of room - two females could live together...but they would be happier alone.
>>
>>I would not put a male and a female near one another - even in eye sight.
>>
>>I would not put two males near each other.
>>
>>As far as I know - jacksons are solitay creatures that want to look nice and be left alone. Jacksons are delecate guys at times...
>>
>>If I am wrong - please let me know.
-----
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/alanvines2002
2.5 Jacksonii Xantholophus (two red phase fem}
14 Jacksonii Xantholophus neonatals (red-phase mothers)
2 Phelsuma M. Grandis
2.3 Anolis C. with 2 neonates
1 neonate texas blue spiny

alanvines Aug 14, 2003 02:11 PM

>>you cannot keep two males together, they can't see each other or they will be stressed. You can however keep as many females together as you want with one male, but remember they need more space the more you have, they do not like to have to touch each other AT ALL.
-----
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/alanvines2002
2.5 Jacksonii Xantholophus (two red phase fem}
14 Jacksonii Xantholophus neonatals (red-phase mothers)
2 Phelsuma M. Grandis
2.3 Anolis C. with 2 neonates
1 neonate texas blue spiny

gomezvi Aug 14, 2003 02:12 PM

>>A jackson chameleon is one.
Sometimes you can keep Jacksons together, but it has to be a big enough cage, and it depends on personality of the individual chameleon.
If you DO try this, be very careful. Watch for any signs of stress and be prepare to house separately.
Bottom line: Don't try housing multiple chameleons together unless you have some experience.
-----
Victor Gomez
gomezvi.tripod.com/sdchamkeepers/
gomezvi@yahoo.com

charm_paradise Aug 14, 2003 02:57 PM

Hi-

I am with victor on this one. What Alan is housing his Jackson's in is much larger then any one cage. I would not recommend housing a pair or trio in a 4x3x2 cage. They may look good for the first few weeks or months, but soon will go down hill fast. Hope this helps!
-----
John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

alanvines Aug 14, 2003 04:59 PM

you are right chams. Y'know the most important thing is the diligence, experience, character, and intelligence of the keeper, other than that, supply the largest cage possible and research research research. I was just saying the way my females act, they may as well be in a smaller enclosure, smaller than a greenhouse, they do all get along and are extremely healthy, your point maybe should be that I spend 247 with them. A chameleon will tell you exactly what mood they are in just with subtle body movements and color patterns. If I had to be away for lengths of time it would be very different, and I would have to be alot precautionary with them. 4x3x2 is too small indeed.
>>
>>I am with victor on this one. What Alan is housing his Jackson's in is much larger then any one cage. I would not recommend housing a pair or trio in a 4x3x2 cage. They may look good for the first few weeks or months, but soon will go down hill fast. Hope this helps!
>>-----
>>John @ Chameleon Paradise
>>1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
>>1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
>>1.1 Sambava Panthers
>>1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis
>>
>>
-----
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/alanvines2002
2.5 Jacksonii Xantholophus (two red phase fem}
14 Jacksonii Xantholophus neonatals (red-phase mothers)
2 Phelsuma M. Grandis
2.3 Anolis C. with 2 neonates
1 neonate texas blue spiny

herpersteve Aug 14, 2003 07:55 PM

I have heard that rudis chameleons can be housed together. I have never personally tried this, but I would assume it would take the same amount of attention and amount of space as a Jackson.... anyone on the forums know more on this? I'm just going on what I heard on a couple of sites and from the guy I bought my rudis from.
-----
-Steve-
2.0 Corn Snakes
1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Veiled Chameleon
1.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1 Rudis Chameleon
0.1 Giant Day Gecko
0.0.3 Red Ear Sliders
0.0.2 Sulcata Tortoises
0.0.1 Central American Banded Gecko

EthanT69 Aug 14, 2003 11:51 PM

Some of the Brookesia species you can put together.

Site Tools