Chameleon Academy Podcast

Parson's chameleons are famous for how much water they need. But how you provide it depends on where you live. In this Parson's Chameleon Month episode, I'm joined by Robin Villere of Nealon Reptiles. Robin keeps Parson's in a very humid climate, and I keep mine in a dry one. So Robin's challenge is getting water out of the system, and mine is constantly adding it in. We compare our approaches to...

Parson's Chameleons deserve more than a month — but this week we're tackling one of the biggest questions in their care: should you keep them outside, and if so, how do you do it safely? Joining Bill this week is James Cross, a master carpenter with years of firsthand experience keeping Parson's Chameleons outdoors through the swing of hot summers and cold winters. Together they dig into why outdo...

Parson's Chameleons aren't hard to keep alive — but getting them through a full life cycle, from wild-caught acclimation to successful breeding, is another matter. In this episode, Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons joins the show to share what fifteen-plus years and over 20 clutches have taught him. We cover: How Craig got started with Parson's in 2010, and what he had to figure out the hard way Wh...

Have you ever thought about keeping a Parson's Chameleon? As exciting as the thought of that is, you are right to think twice. Today I am going to walk you through an introduction that will give you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to pursue a Parson's Chameleon

Ideal chameleon husbandry is a direction, not a destination. Just because our chameleon is alive, doesn't mean we can stop growing in how to improve our husbandry. In this first episode of season 11, Bill Strand lays out the concept of the tolerance zone and how understanding it can make us better keepers of chameleons.

What actually matters when you're starting with chameleons? Not the nice-to-know stuff, but the fundamentals that determine whether you succeed or struggle. In this episode, I walk you through the six core priorities that will carry you through your first year, from setting up your cage before your chameleon arrives to finding an exotic vet NOW (not during an emergency). I'll also cover the most c...

Starting with chameleons has never been more overwhelming. You're drowning in contradictory advice from social media, TikTok, and now AI—all delivered with equal confidence. How do you know who to trust when the beginner sounds more authoritative than the expert? In this episode, Bill explores why the beginner experience feels so chaotic in 2025, introduces the "information firehose problem," and...

Every chameleon keeper moves through three stages: learning the fundamentals, understanding your unique path, and eventually passing knowledge forward to others. In this episode, I map the entire chameleon keeper's journey—from the panic of keeping your first chameleon alive, through the exploration of finding your own approach, to the fulfillment of giving back to the community. If you are intere...

Small Chameleons eat small food! Today we take a look at some of the unexpected challenges of feeding mini-chameleons!

Dr. Michael Nash speaks to us about the challenges setting up the lighting for Mini-chameleons!

Dr. Michael Nash is back on the Mini Chameleon Podcast with some essential discussion on keeping your mini chameleons properly hydrated! He shares his extensive keeping and breeding husbandry to ensure even the smallest chameleons receive the best care.

Bill Strand introduces Dr. Michael Nash to discuss the launch of the Mini Chameleon Podcast! Hear about their excitement for the new show and what listeners can anticipate from future episodes.

Join Dr. Michael Nash as he talks about enclosures for for mini-chameleons!

A number of Chameleon Academy memerbs are starting a fun project with a rare chamleeon species from Madagascar, Furcifer bifidus. Listen in on how we are structuring this breeding project.

Welcome to thie new miniseries on the smaller species in the chameleon world. From the carpet and jewelled chameleons to the smallest Calummas and Brookesia and, of course, babies of any species, this new mini series delves into the specific husbandry needed by the smallest members. This show is hosted by Dr. Michael Nash who has extensive experience with these mini-chameleons.

The natural world holds the answers as to how we should care for our chameleons. But those answers are mixed in with dead ends and wrong turns. So we need to be smart as to how we recreate natural conditions. This is a thoughtful conversation about building environments that are nurturing for our chameleons.

This episode shares what having a pet chameleon is really like and gives you important things to think about before bringing one home. But it also talks about the unexpected ways you are changed after being a keeper for a while!

Your North Star is your personal guiding principle. It isn't a place you end up, it's a direction you go in. In chameleon husbandry, this means identifying what you care about most. Is it replicating nature? Ensuring efficiency? Prioritizing survival rates for breeding? When you know your North Star, it becomes much easier to filter through the noise of online forums and social media. You stop cha...

There is a lot to take in when you are planning to care for hatchling chameleons! I give you the five commandments that will get you started on a solid foundation!

What size cage should we use for chameleon hatchlings? As we evaluate our husbandry to provide an enriching life for our chameleons we need to start at how we care for them from day 1. I talk about how we should be starting off our chameleons from the moment they leave the egg.

Do you think it would be cool to see chameleons in the wild? In this podcast episode I talk about my top picks to see wild chameleons!

We need to go back to the wild source if we want to move our captive husbandry forward. But there are cautions and dangers in doing so that we need to avoid. Freshly back from Madagascar, I discuss how important wild environmental data is, the dangers in misusing it, and how to change our captive husbandry properly.

We all know parasites are an issue with our captive reptiles, but not all of us have a microscope or would know what to do with one if we did. Today I am going to give you the bare bones, high level introduction to parasites that requires no previous knowledge, but will make you highly effective in fighting the parasites that want to move in on your reptile.

We have always been amazed when we see an enclosure set up naturalistically with thriving plant life. There is a magic in getting lost in the details of one of these environments. It is even more powerful when the chameleon is the last thing you notice because it had so well hidden itself in plain sight (as chameleons are able to do).

Getting ready to buy a chameleon cage? Listen here first! We often don't think about how we are going to set things up once we get our chameleon cage. After years of doing this, I'd like to share five things that can make the difference between annoyance and smooth sailing!