Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I might be spelling that wrong. The small pet store that I go to received two adult female Chameleons in very bad shape. They do not do any direct importing themselves and I do not know what company they purchased them from. They have their own breeding program for the most common reptiles like Beardies, Leos, Corn Snakes, and some other species of Kings, Ratsnakes, etc... They do occasionally buy imported animals from the wholesalers as I'm assuming is the case with the Chameleons. It's possible they were Captive Bred but doubtful. I remember when they first came in and were not yet up for sale. I walked by and was drawn to the enclosure, they were beautiful Chameleons. Until I saw their faces. They both had a lot of damage to their mouths. No way from the short shipping time getting from the Wholesaler to the Store, it looked like long term damage that was left untreated. I'll let the store worry about dealing with the Wholesaler that shipped them in such a condition. Needless to say they did not stay on the display floor for long since they were freaking out the customers and needed to be isolated for treatment. So I only saw them once and the following week they had been moved to the back room. One of them did not survive, but the other one did survive and is doing great. They are treating her mouth daily and the infection is gone. The remaining scabs and scar tissue is starting to slough off. She'll never have a pretty face, the problem was left untreated too long. They just want her to have a good home at this point. They have offered to give her to me once her treatement is completed if I am interested, and I most certainly am. I found a screened cage on www.ExoticLizard.com that is 2 feet by 2 feet and 4 feet tall. It is $99 plus shipping (if I buy 3 of them). Is that an OK size for an adult Oustalets? It's the biggest one I could find online w/out going to Cages By Design which are amazing but out of most normal people's price range. She's eating crickets, mealies, waxies, roaches, and whatever other assorted insects they have offered to her. Guess she's a great eater. This would be my first Chameleon so I want to be sure I have all my facts before bringing her home. I'm having a really hard time finding any information on these guys. I have not found a single care sheet, maybe because I'm spelling it wrong? I did find one site that bred them but forgot to save in favorites and now can't find them again. No care sheet, but they said follow a Panther Chameleon care sheet. That should be easy enough to find. Does anyone here have an Oustalets? I'd love to see photos and hear of any tips you might find that I won't see on the Panther care sheets. Sorry this is such a long post. I'll post pictures of my new girl when I get her home, not sure how long her treatment will take, or if they will give her to me sooner and let me continue the treatment myself. Thanks for reading and I look forward to getting to know you all!
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (working on a name)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

I made my post too long so I'll nutshell my actual questions here...

1) How do you spell Fucifer Oustalets, is there a common name? I'm having trouble with pulling up info doing online searches.

2) Any links to websites with info on these species would be greatly appreciated.

3) If I can't find a caresheet, is it OK to use a Panther Chameleon care sheet instead?

4) Planning to buy a Screened Enclosure for $99 plus shipping, 2 ft by 2 ft by 4 ft tall. Is this a good price and a good size for one adult female?

The rest of the post was background on the Chameleon I am getting. Nutshell there, I've been offered a free Chameleon who arrived injured and is undergoing treatment for a mouth injury. She is doing good.
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (working on a name)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

oustaleti are the longest cham in the world so you will a big cage. so i dont think that a 2-2-4 will work.
they are located in the same place as panthers so the care will be similar.
you can email
calumma@aol.com since they breed oustaleti they can tell you all t5he info you need.

The pet store manager did say something about there being a Giant Chameleon but that this wasn't it, it was a smaller one. So maybe I've gotten the name wrong. She did say it was an Oustalets. Could there be more than one type of Oustalets? Or maybe I've got the wrong name all together. I'll hold off on buying a cage until I find out for sure. I only saw her once and don't have a clear image in my head of what she looked like. She certainly wasn't an unusually big Chameleon, she was smaller than the Panthers they had there. So maybe she's not full grown yet if she is one of the "big" ones. Is there a website that sells cages larger than 2x2x4 for Chameleons or will I have to build one if she is they big kind?
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (working on a name)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

i have no clue about this species but i would do like alejandro said and email them. they have some on thier site.

http://www.calumma.com/oustalet's_chameleons.htm

-jonathan

Yes, that was the site I had found but forgot to save and then could not find again! Thanks! They recommend a cage size of 30" by 18" by 3 feet tall for an Oustalet's. The cage I was looking at would be 6 inches less as far as width, but would be 6 inches deeper and a foot taller, so I'm pretty sure it would have as much or even more actual space in it.

I did search for over 3 hours last night using diff search engines and typing in various names. I found one site that said the males of this species get to be 2 or more feet long, but the females are only half that size. This is a female, so she shouldn't get that big.

Another site listed 4 different "morphs" of Oustalets: Ambanja,Ambositra, Tananarive, and Tulear. I do not know what the difference is, they didn't say.

Sounds like there is not a lot of info on this species because it is not as colorful as the other species in the pet trade so not as many people care to own them.

I'll keep looking and will be sure I have my info straight before bringing her home.
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (working on a name)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

You should go to the chasmeleonjournals.com, pick a catagory, then you can click on the pics of chameleons on the left side, that will bring up a list of cham's, including names. Then you can decide what it is you have. Sometimes the Verrocous (spell?) can be called the giant, but this web site should help you.

Thanks, I'll do that once I pick her up. I don't actually have her yet. I'll also post a picture here so maybe someone will recognize the species. I did see her once, but it was when she first arrived at the store which was a while ago and I don't remember exactly what she looked like. All I know is she's supposed to be an Oustalets. But they've gotten things in before that was misslabeled by the wholesaler, I don't know if the manager was going by what the wholesaler said or if she knows the species good enough to just know it's an Oustalets.
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (working on a name)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

Might I inquire as to what petstore and area you live in b/c I think I am near you and might know this petstore in which you are refering to. If so I can go to the store and give you a positive I.D.

I live near Buffalo NY (in Tonawanda if you are local to the area). The pet store where she was is Markheims on Sheridan Drive. The reptile manager, Kim, has now taken her home to give her the daily treatments to her mouth so she's currently not at the store. If you are local, and you go to the store, maybe Kim can tell you more about her. Could you tell from a verbal description? She said she's peach colored in a good mood, and charcoal colored in a bad mood. I know you can't tell a chameleon by it's color alone. She tried to find a picture in one of the books but then said it didn't look too much like her. Please let me know if you are local and do go talk to Kim. Thanks!
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramasu)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

Yes I am local I live near Buffalo as well, I am in Cheektowaga and I know exactly where Markheims is.

Great! Let me know if you stop in and talk to Kim. I haven't had a chance to tell her that I do want the Chameleon yet. Not sure if she's offered her to anyone besides me. I'm going to go in on Wednesday to tell her I do want her and try to get some more information.

If you are not already a member of the WNY Herp Club, please consider joining. We have speakers at our monthly meetings, and do behind the scenes field trips. We have picnics in the Summer and an annual Show in the Fall (we had one in September, maybe you even went to it). We have discounted rodent sales (if you have anything that eats mice or rats) and we are starting a library with some of the high end books that would be nice to read but kind of expensive to buy on your own. We just got a microscope so might be providing fecal checks for members down the road. Our membership card will get you 10 percent off purchases at several local pet stores including Markheims. We meet at Medaille College just down the street from the Zoo at 7:30 on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. You do not need to be a member to come to the meetings, they are open to everyone.

If you did go to the show you might have seen me. I had many of my pets there for the kids to play with, including my Carptet Python "Bear" who I was walking around with for a while...

This is actually a picture from the 2003 show, I didn't get any this year...

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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
0.0.3 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (no names yet)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramasu)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
0.1 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)