Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm always fascinated with how well put together your answers are, and your insight to chameleon keeping. Your ability to present information while coming off as neither preachy nor dogmatic is fantastic.
I know that you're also involved with a number of chameleon projects. What is your formal (if any) education in regards to chameleons?
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

Blush;;thanks for the compliments! Well, my "formal" education with chams is just from keeping them since 1996 and reading every published article and book I can find. I am a wildlife biologist by profession, so the biological aspects of critter keeping is maybe more developed. I've done a lot of field work observing animal behavior in the wild (mostly birds and large mammals), and done some wildlife rehab and rescue, so that helps too. It helps you observe captive animals too and interpret what is going on. I was an active member of CIN and spent many happy hours talking with Ardi Abate and Ken Kalisch. I've written articles for the Chameleon news e-zine. I stay involved with several cham forums to keep up on new techniques in keeping, and do a lot of writing in my job. Maybe I can keep out of the "preachy" trap because I've heard so many others go overboard with it. I am also older than many of you here, and age mellows you out a lot! You do lose the tendency to know it all and only pass on what you know is right. After all, I don't keep chams or any other creature for bragging rights or to impress. Knowledge is free for the taking...no reason to be selfish about it. I keep animals because I love them and care about their wellbeing first and foremost. I've learned to be patient and to save my personal rants for offline time too! I don't have as much time online as I'd like, so don't tend to respond to much of the conversational posts, but it doesn't mean I don't read them. Just try to help when it seems to be needed, and if I don't have an answer I don't give one. I just want to help out when I can.