Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was told it was 1 but im not sure. i was also told they should eat meal worms every 2 days. was this info ture.

That is most defenitly a senegal chameleon. It was the very first chameleon I ever had, I think I named him something lame like Senegal. I had him for such a long time, and he became so tame I would just walk to the front of his cage and he would come right to me! Hard to beleive, but true. Thay make wonderful pets chameleon wise, and I would reccomend feeding him calcium dusted crickets, mealworms, and any other non psisunus creepy crawly you can find. Just a note: Senegal chameleons live in a very humid region, and require constant misting. Take care! -Michele-
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2.0 veiled chameleon (zebe and Godzilla)
4.0 cinnamin blue face button quial

I beg to differ about Senegals being good pets. This is one of the most imported species. Very few live! Over the years 100's of thousands have been imported. The proof they do not do well is there is no captive breeding. Very few people have been lucky enough to get them to breed. Some eggs are hatched each year from females that either come in gravid or produce eggs from retained sperm but that is it.

The parasite load this species carries usually kills them in the first couple of weeks. This is usually a shy species that stress's very easy.

Senegals come from many differant types of enviorments that making a statement such as they ned to misted constantly is misleading. The area's they come from have defined rainy seasons. Humidity should not come from constant misting except for certain times of the year. You would be better off using a humidifier to keep the air humid.

The species is cheap which makes it easy for alot of new keepers to buy. The Vet costs usually are much more than the cost of the animal. Once this is realized by the keeper the animal is not given proper treatment and dies a slow death.

Besides the parasite issue's this species can be a very picky eatter. The preferred food item is flies and locusts. Both of these items are very abundant in Africa and not so easy to obtain in captivity year around.

Yes, I do agree when you say that most of the senegals imported harbor many parasites, but a juvenile that has been treated for parasites and is kept in healthy conditions can be quite hardy. They may be hard to breed, but that has little to do with their care. The senegal I had lived for over 2 years, only yo be killed by a racoon that tore apart his outdoor sunning cage. You also said that senegals are picky eaters. To get them to eat you just have to get them stimulated to new foods. Proper lighting and repti electrolyte serum stimulates their appetite. Mine ate anything from cb crickets to outdoor spiders. You have your opinion on how they are difficult to keep, and I have mine telling that if they are treated for possible parasites and are cared for under healthy conditions they can live a healthy life.
Thanks -Michele-
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2.0 veiled chameleon (zebu and godzilla)
4.0 cinnamin blue face button quail

Hi Michelle,

Yes, I do agree when you say that most of the senegals imported harbor many parasites, but a juvenile that has been treated for parasites and is kept in healthy conditions can be quite hardy.
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Very rarely are juviniles collected. You see alot of juviniles when the adult population has been taken already. The people collecting the animals could care less if they grab adults, babies or juviniles from the bushes. They get paid the same either way.
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They may be hard to breed, but that has little to do with their care. The senegal I had lived for over 2 years, only yo be killed by a racoon that tore apart his outdoor sunning cage.
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So in your opinion it is ok to keep taking from the wild populations? If your goal is not to breed the animal its life as a chameleon was wasted. All the trauma it went through to get to your house meant nothing.
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You also said that senegals are picky eaters. To get them to eat you just have to get them stimulated to new foods. Proper lighting and repti electrolyte serum stimulates their appetite.
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How many people are going to go to the efforts you did? Not many. If they buy a $25 dollar animal not many people will spend the money to get it going. The biggest issue with chameleons is that by the time a problem is noticed it is usually too late.
I said that the species can be a picky eater.
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You have your opinion on how they are difficult to keep, and I have mine telling that if they are treated for possible parasites and are cared for under healthy conditions they can live a healthy life.
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What I said was not an opinion. It is fact that 99% will die before they have been in captivity for 6 month's. This does not account for the thousands that die even before they make it to the collectors. It doesn't account for the thousands that have died while in the collectors holding facilities. It also doesn't account for the thousands that have died while being shipped to the importers. Don't forget about the thousands that have died while waiting to be bought at the importers. There is also the thousands that have died in deli cups or overstuffed tanks at reptile shows and pet stores.

I forgot it's all worth it because of the 100? that might live more than 6 month's in captivity.

Carl

Mealworms are not a good staple food for any cham species. Some occasionally OK, but they are relatively hard to digest due to the chitin. Chams need a much more varied diet than "a few every 2 days". Carlc is right...they tend to be in bad shape due to parasites and can be fussy eaters. Their wild habitat range is huge and varies a lot so it is hard to predict what climate any one particular individual is used to. I don't consider them a good beginner species. We know a lot less about their husbandry than say veileds or panthers. They often get treated badly by wholesalers because they are cheap to replace. Very sad.

Dear Carl,
Now that you have informed me on the hundreds of thousands of senegals that die in exporting and shipping, I now understand the difficulty of keeping this chameleon. I guess I was lucky enough to get a healthy chameleon, And it had a nice appetite and attitude to go with it. Dont worry, I didnt just forget about him when he passed, he was my most favorable chameleon.I guess I just reccomended this animal to be a good chameleon becuase of the low price and temperment. But all chameleons are different. For instance, most panthers cost a fair amount of money, while senegals range anywhere from $20.00 and up. Some male veiled chameleons are very territorial and harsh, while senegals are shy and sometimes can be quite friendly. I just reccomended this chameleon becuase of the low price and temperment, when really all those thousands of chameleons were sufferenig during shipping. The chameleon you buy shouldnt nececarily depend on the price of it, but by the temper, health, and longetivity of the chameleon. You are a VERY knowlidgable person, and I have learned alot about senegal chameleons from you. Sorry for the misunderstanding, and thanks for the knowledge and facts!
Sincereley,
Michele
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2.0 veiled chameleons (zebu and godzilla)
4.0 cinnamin blue face button quail

Hi Michele,

I don't want you take anything I wrote the wrong way. I am not trying to slam you at all. You should be proud at how long you had yours.

You are one of the lucky few to have done well. I tried working with this species a couple of times now and have gotten as far as hatching 55 babies. The 77 total eggs came from a female believed to belong to senegalensis. You really don't want to hear what it took to get this female eating reguarly.

I am by no means saying it isn't a species that shouldn't be imported. Things just need to change regarding the amount of animals imported. Here are 3 countries listed quota's:

Benin 10,500 ranched(really wild caught)
Ghana 1,500 wild
Togo 2,500 ranched 5000 wild

This is only 3 countries. Senegalensis can be found throughout most of equatorial Africa. Ranched is just a fancy term for holding them long enough to pick out the weak so they don't die during transport.
There is only 1 liscensed Chameleon breeding farm in the world and it is located in Tanzania.

There are far better species for the beginner to work with. I always tell someone new that the species that they should work with is the the species they can easily provide for. Jacksonii, Pardalis, Lateralis, and Oustaletii do well. They do even better if purchased as a captive bred. Yes the cost will be higher but chances are you will be getting a animal that is not infested with parasites and all the other problems associated with wild caughts.

And again nothing against you personally Michele.

Carl