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need info on pygmy leaf chemeleons

paladin Sep 17, 2004 12:21 AM

after searching google for a while ive got a few questions. this being my first chemeleon i was wondering if they are suitable for beginners. Also, ive read some conflicting info on chameleon care in general that i would like adressed. From what ive read, in general, chemeleons do better in all screen cages for ventalation purposes. But i ran across a page concerning pygmy care and recomended a 20 gal, i believe, for a trio. they also went on to say that uv lighting was aso not necesary.

So, what do you recommend as far as setup/temps are concerned and i assume twice-a-day misting is sufficient. and any other info would be greatly appreciated. im not trying to rush into anything right now just want info to base my decision on...

thanks alot for your help

Replies (8)

roocat71 Sep 17, 2004 08:35 AM

I have the same questions too. IMO I think a screen enclosure would be ok, but it all depends on how high you can keep the humidity. I am getting 2 females next week and I have already got a 29 gallon aquarium for them - in the end I want 2 females and one male - so a 29G should be good. They need "high" humidty which I would think is at least 80 . So I went with the all glass aquarium with screen top. All I plan on using for lighting is a repti-sun 5 just for lighting up the tank and for the pothos I plan on puting in there. No plans for a basking light unless temps drop below 65 - which wont happen. For a substrate I plan on a mixture of organic potting soil with shredded coconut (spelling?) husks. Maybe add some moss here and there with some dead leaves, a few fixtures, and probably a couple fake vines in a few corners.

Anyone have a care sheet for these (R. brevicaudatus)? I asked the breeder today about it but havent got a response yet.

-roo

scott202 Sep 17, 2004 06:33 PM

Hi I can help you out a little bit. The tank is the way to go. I started out with 5 and they are all doing really good.I have a reptile floresent light bulb the coil kind I think it is a 15 watt. Now for the substrate, I have been using the reptibark with a small little tray on one end of the tank, with black soil in it with a live plant they like to crawl in the soil I have some branchs in there so they can climb on. Now for the food I give them fruit flies & pin head crickets and I powder the crickets but it doesn't stay on them that long.They're doing really good I had to seperate a small male, he kept on trying to fight with the leader male, now him and a female have there own tank.As for the vet I dont think you want to spend more than the chameleon is worth it may sound cruel but the reality is they dont live long to start with plus they are so small it is going to be a guessing game for the vet and it would be too hard to give something that small a shot to start with so if you see one getting sick take that one out from the rest and hope for the best. Hopefully,it will live with a little extra TLC. I had a small male getting really small because the big male would not let him eat, he kept on picking on him.Well I hope this will help you out and good luck... Scott.......

lele Sep 17, 2004 09:26 AM

Hi,

My opinion is that pygmy are not really a beginner cham. It can be difficult to manage their environment but the bigger problem is that because of their size it is even more difficult than a larger cham to determine health problems. Once/if you do find a vet who not only knows about these creatures but can diagnose and treat will be hard - to say the least. I talk from experience. My trio - cb from a a very reliable breeder - died within a 2 week period. I had them for about 5 months and they were 4 when I got them. By the time I saw signs of trouble in my larger female my vet, who knows chams, could not determine the problem though we tried some things. In 2 weeks all three were dead. I found an out of state vet who agreed to do a necropsy on my little male but my car died (UGH) on the way to have him preserved for the trip.

OK, that was long but since you are considering them I felt I should share. I am sure others on this forum will tell how easy they are - sooner or later they will need vet care so we will see then. Another cnsideration for you is their life span. it is only 2 or so years. Unless you get them young, but not too young, you may only have them for a matter of months. If you buy at a show they will surely be older. Also, their is little known about required supplementation and UVB needs for these.

As for cages, yes, the pygmies need a humid environement and a screen enclosure is not appropriate. I had my 3 in a 29h tank. Other chams (veiled, jax, etc.) need a screen enclosure so the humidity does not get too high.

Hope this helps!

lele

-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (both MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog (for summer)
0.5 Mad. Hissers (for summer - all girls, no little ones, whew!)

TylerStewart Sep 17, 2004 06:03 PM

Here's a caresheet that was linked from adcham:

http://www.martinsreptiles.co.uk/ukchams/stumptailcare.htm

It's one of the more detailed about them that I've seen. Adcham.com also has a profile on them, just not too detailed, and it says that they have live birth (they lay eggs that hatch in about 60-65 days). There's just not so much to know about them, they're not like traditional chameleons in their care. Check out the links, and if you have any more Q's feel free to shoot me an E-Mail.
-----
Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

AtelerixMel Sep 17, 2004 07:49 PM

Unless my four years of zoology have failed me, live birth means that the baby is born from a placenta, pouch, or egg inside the mother's body. Not eggs that have been sitting around outside for 60 days.

I couldn't see where on adcham it said they were live birth. If you are refering to "in situ" that just means that they left the eggs where they were layed in the tank.

TylerStewart Sep 17, 2004 08:22 PM

I didn't write Adcham.... I just noticed at the top of the Brev profile where it says "Brood: Live" that it was incorrect. I'm not saying they were live birth, just pointing out the mistake on Adcham. Don't get excited, your "4 years of zoology" didn't fail you. My R. Brev eggs usually hatched in 63 days, give or take.
-----
Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

AtelerixMel Sep 17, 2004 09:00 PM

Ahh...I see where you got that from. Yeah, I don't know what they're talking about. Sorry if I offened you, I didn't mean to be a smart ass. I was just excited that I finally knew about something on this forum, instead of always being the one asking questions!!

Best regards,
~Melissa Stewart

P.S. Nice looking lizards!!

epollak Sep 19, 2004 07:43 AM

You're right. It's an error. We describe it as egg-laying in the R. brev. profile but at the top of the page it says "live." I'm fixing that right now. Thanks, for finding the error.
Ed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology,
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Editor: www.adcham.com

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