Chameleon Academy Podcast

Supplementation is a complicated subject. We still don't even understand what humans need for nutrition, much less what a chameleon needs. Most of what we do with chameleons comes from trial and error. The more trials, the more errors we can weed out. Today I start a series on the basics of supplementation so we can all understand what we are trying to do with all those powders.

It is a big world out there and in some of those far off corners there chameleons roam free. One of the great experiences in a chameleon enthusiast's life is to visit chameleons in the wild and we are going to start talking more and more about chameleon eco-tourism here! Today I talk with Marc Vaillant who has visited a number of places where chameleons live and we are going to get a feel for what...

In this third part of the Calumma parsoni i series we focus on the smaller of the two subspecies, Calumma parsonii cristifer . It has parson's charm, but not all of the challenges of it's larger cousin Calumma parsonii parsoni i. Even though this subspecies isn't as well known it is amazing how many people have requested an episode specifically about it! Well, here it is. Aaron Allred hails from t...

The Parson's Chameleon has been a tricky species to breed. But we have entered into a stage in our community's growth where we are now able to reliably complete the reproduction cycle. Today we talk to Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons about his experience in breeding Parson's Chameleons.

The Parson's Chameleon is one of the most sought after species and, for good reason. It is a wonderful chameleon to keep. The challenges in reproducing this chameleon have kept the Parson's chameleon rare. But recent successes by some dedicated breeders have given us a chance to enjoy the holy grail of chameleon keeping – captive bred specimens. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Craig Dur...

The reptile community of which we chameleon people are a part of is like any other community. It is made up of hobbyists and businesses catering to their needs. Today we are going to look into the pet business at the corporate level. I am going to talk about how we as consumers create and shape the community at that level through our decisions. And how "actions speak louder than words" is more tha...

It is easy to be smitten by chameleons.  From their patterns, horns, impossibly long tongue, color change, and….just all of what they are, they are truly other-worldly and have a quick charm about them.  Their popularity continues to grow through movie appearances and social media exposure.  In addition, a growing community of breeders has made robust, captive bred chameleons easily available.  Bu...

Reptile shows are a blast to go to. You get to see your favorite local vendors and the national brands all in one space. Today we are going to talk about chameleons and reptile shows.

Making your own chameleon cage can be a fulfilling project and a way to use all your available space for that larger than life chameleon cage. Today I talk about considerations in making your own chameleon cage.

Kinyongia carpenteri. Most of us have not heard of this name. This is a rarely seen chameleon from the highlands of Uganda. Today we have Mario Jungmann, one of the few people to reproduce this species on to tell us about the husbandry. We may never have a Kinyongia carpenteri ourselves, but just hearing about the steps Mario took to figure out the care can help us the first time in whatever speci...

Once we set up a chameleon cage we need to maintain it and adjust if things are not correct. Today we will talk about tweaking your cage and keeping your chameleon happy. So you got your cage, did your research, listened to this awesome podcast, and made a gorgeous garden of a cage that fulfilled the Forest Edge 4+4 method from podcast episode 114 perfectly. And then, you introduced the newest rep...

One of the most important things we will do as chameleon keepers is set up our chameleon's home. This is where our fantastical beast will need to find everything required for a happy chameleon life. Today we talk about how to set up a chameleon cage effectively and I introduce the 4+4 checklist to help simplify that process.

It used to be so simple. We heard that chameleons needed a 48" tall screen cage and that was that. But then it comes out that all these experienced keepers are using glass or hybrid cages of different sizes. Well, today we will talk about chameleon cages, what makes a minimum size, and when to use screen, glass, or hybrid cages.

Furcifer minor, from Madagascar, has the distinction of having the most dramatic gravid coloration. If you saw a gravid female and a non-gravid female you wouldn't know they were the same individual. And if you saw a male and a female you would think they were different species. Furcifer minor has variety! This wonderful little chameleon is exceedingly rare in captivity, but there are successful b...

Trioceros montium. The two horned chameleon. The mountain chameleon. Is one of those incredibly decorated Cameroon chameleon species with crests and horns. It is no longer imported, but there are small pockets of breeders working with it. One of them is the team of Tyler Gordon and Kristen Zeller at Cage the Chameleons in Medicine Hat, Alberta Canada. Today we talk to this dynamic duo about their...

One of the basic environmental husbandry conditions is humidity. This is one of the more difficult of our conditions to dial in. In this episode we talk with Mario Jungman from the Netherlands about how he has refined his husbandry with humidity as a critical element.

In the first part of this series we talked about the natural history of Trioceros melleri and the housing strategy. Today we will talk about husbandry. And that is how you set up their cage to replicate the conditions they need as well as nutrition. Our three breeders are back to help us get started in the right direction. Dale Tamura from the United States, Martine Desjardins from Canada, and Jam...

One of the most impressive of chameleons is the Meller's Chameleon. Trioceros melleri is the largest of the African chameleons. With recent captive hatched specimens available in the US, Canada, and Europe more keepers have access to this special species. But there are extra preparations necessary to keep them healthy. Today I start the discussion with the top breeders of Trioceros melleri who hav...

Today we explore the concept of co-habitation in chameleons. For the purposes of this podcast, co-habitation is more than one chameleon living together in a cage. If the chameleons have physical access to each other it is cohabitation. By the end of this episode you will understand the "why" behind advice regarding co-habitation.

Welcome to a fascinating episode of the Chameleon Breeder Podcast where we will look into the development of a veiled chameleon in the egg. Dr. Raul Diaz is about to give us a tour of what goes on during incubation! Just what is going on inside a chameleon egg during incubation? That is a question just about every chameleon breeder has asked themselves. I am excited to say that, as a result of the...

We spend a great deal of time focusing on what goes into the mouth of our chameleons, but there is just as much happening at the other end of the system. And sometimes things can go wrong. Today, Dr. Rob Coke comes back on and we talk about prolapse, sperm plugs, and constipation.

In west Africa there is a line of volcanic mountains that starts in the Gulf of Guinea and makes landfall in the country of Cameroon. Upon these ancient volcanos has arisen some of the most incredible chameleons found nowhere else. Today we talk with Walter Tapondjou, a scientist whose research work focuses on the bizarre and beautiful chameleons of Cameroon.

A relatively new feeder to the reptile world is the Black Soldier Fly. There are many marketing names given to the larval stage of this insect. Today we are joined by Lauren from Symton, a company that breeds and sells the BSF to the reptile community. She will be giving us an introduction to the Black Soldier Fly!

Mark Scherz is a scientist who studies the chameleons, frogs, and other reptiles and amphibians of Madagascar. Today he brings us with him on his latest expedition through interviews and audio journals recorded while he was in the forest. We learn what his team does and what daily work is like in the field. This expedition explores Montagne d'Ambre, a mountain in the northern tip of Madagascar. Al...

In 2017, scientist Mark Scherz led a research team to Montagne d'Ambre in the northern tip of the island to study the difference elevation makes on speciation in chameleons and other reptiles and amphibians. During that expedition, he took an audio journal so that we on the podcast could go along with him and experience what a scientific expedition was like.