Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys!

First of all, maybe I should introduce myself since I'm new in this forum. Well, my name is Viktor, I'm eighteen years old and live in the south of Sweden. My great intrest is reptiles, and in the last five years or so i've kept some different gecko, varanus and agamid species and now I'm about to take my very first step into the great world of Chameleoons =)
I hope we'll get a long well, and you'll probably be seeing a lot of my in this forum in the future!

I just sold off a few of my coleonyx-geckos, and this monday I'll be picking up a chameleon from the reptile store in the city where I live. It's a Bradypodion tavetaus or something like that.. I think the common eng. name is Dwarf Fisher.
I've been doing a lot of background research now, though it's hard to find a really good homepage.. And this weekend I'll be decorating the terrarium for the little fellow.
I would just like to ask you guys if you have any tips before I buy, any good links? If you have any experience with this species please share =)

Have a nice day!
Greetings for Sweden

Are you 100% sure that you know EVERYTHING you can possibly know about that species? That is a dwarf chameleons species, and all dwarf chameleons have a reputation for being wild-caught. If you've done your research you should know that's a terrible place to start for a beginner chameleons keeper. They also have VERY high attention requirements to their humidity and temps, as well as an exceptionally well-made enclosure.

I would strongly reccommend, even to a veteran herper, to start with a veiled, panther or jacksons. Even the easiest of chameleons are just as hard, if not harder to keep than the most demanding snake, gecko, or any other reptile (with the exception of some of the cage requirements fr the larger reptile species).

So try to think about that whole situation and maybe reconsider the species you'll be buyubg.

Could you tell us EXACTLY what you have setup for the cham? It should be setup and ready to go BEFORE you get him.

Just give us the type of cage, how big the cage is, the temps and humidity, lighting, plants and furniture inside the cage, and anything else you wanna throw in.

in any case, welcome (soon) to the chameleon addiction!

Hey!

Well, I've been reading whatever info i could get hold of from the internet, links i've found from this forum and so on. There isn't very much info about this species..

The setup, for a couple of months will be a 24x16" and 16" high glassterrarium, so called visioncage in the US i think..
Lighting: Repti glo 8, aswell as a 40W bulb for additional heat/basking. The bulb is placed on one end giving the lizard it's need for themal regulation.

I will not install any rain-system, but will mist the entire setup twise daily, and the substate (peat moss) will help to keep the humidity high.

I will decorate with a lot of branches and sticks with some plastic plants, and maybe one or two smaller "real" plants =) haven't decided yet.. well well, guess it doesn't really matter that much =P

And ofcourse, as with every new reptile i've bought, the setup will be complete and fully "tested" a couple of days prior to the arrival of the new lizard.

Anyhow, this chameleon is very nice, small size and so on.. I know that dwarfs usually are alittle more delicate than others maybe, but since I've kept a number of other lizards in the past I thought I would be able to care for this one aswell..
And the other thing is the setup.. I'm going to build a larger one in august when I've finished my summertime-working.. But i dont think i'll have any room for a setup larger than 32x25x32" and I think that'll be to small for a veild, and I dont find the jackons very good looking..

Very greatful for any tips!
//Viktor

the setup ill build could just aswell be 2x2x4 feet.. What is the best choise you think? More bottomarea - 2,6x2 feet, with a height of 2,6feet, or the higher option 2x2x4 ft.?

Viktor

Sorry about posting in the wrong area... don't know how that happened. lol The Fisher's set up and temps is very similar to a Jackson's chameleon. Information on the Jackson's is much more common than Fishers. Dofferences are that Fishers like their set up with more plants in there. Really pack them in but still leave space to bask and walk around. Only dust with calcium once a week, vit powder once a month. They can be very picky with their food, they like a wide range. If fed the same thing too long, they will tire of it and stop eating. I find that feeding something new once or twice a week keeps him interested in food. The temp for the dwarf should be around 72-75F. Basking spot only slightly higher than that. But if you see him always sitting under the light, you can try upping the overall temp of the room. They also require high humidity levels. If you live in a humid area it makes this much easier. His room has a humitiy of about 70% in the summer and 50% in the winter. Be sure to test yours. They require a lot of water. I have a dripper system that I let drip all day long. One drip every 3 seconds about. Drainage is a must. That's all I can think of at the moment. If you have any questions, just ask.