Melleri, commonly called the Meller's Chameleon, or the Giant One-Horned Chameleon, is a behemoth among chameleon species. Melleri are one of the three largest species of chameleon, and for that reason they hold the interest and attention of many Chameleon keepers; both experienced and novice, alike. Despite the massive interest in this species, there is a lack of information on the web that caters to the beginning Melleri keeper.
On the market, the most frequent specimens available are wild caught. Animals that are wild caught are often looked at suspiciously as being parasite ridden, along with quite a few other possible health issues. However, seeing as the majority of Melleri are wild caught, purchasing one of these may be a risk you have to take. In my experience with purchasing wild-caught animals, if you purchase from a reputable, honest supplier or importer that treats the animals for parasites and makes sure their specimens are healthy before selling, you should be safe purchasing the animal. Throughout the years, I have also noticed that, when purchasing wild caught animals, it has proved beneficial to purchase younger specimens. When an older animal is pulled from its environment, it is far more likely to become stressed to the point that it cant recover then a younger one.
Although it can be safe to purchase WC specimens, it is always extremely important to quarantine newly acquired animals before they are in the same area as the rest of your collection. These quarantine periods should begin with a fecal, and should often be followed by a health examination by your exotics veterinarian. If, during your quarantine period, your animal maintains its weight, eats and drinks regularly, and shows no signs of parasites or other health issues, it is safe to say a follow up examination is not completely needed.
One of the things you must keep in mind when starting up with these guys, is that their most interesting feature (their size), can also be their drawback if you are not fully prepared for it. Juvenile Meller's do best in a 24x24x48 inch cage. With Melleri it is always safer to go with the "bigger is better" way of thinking. With this in mind, if you are keeping subadults in cages, i have found it best to go with a 4ft x 4ft x 6ft cage. Moving subadults into cages of this size at this age, I believe, promotes a curious, active and adventurous Meller's that will benefit greatly from the exercise a cage of this size will bring. Some may say, that for subadult Melleri, a cage of this size is not yet necessary, but I have noticed that the adults that are not put into setups of this size until later on become a little lazier, gain unhealthy weight, and are not as active.
All of my big guys are kept in large free ranges with heavy wood perches and multiple basking lamps placed at a safe distance. They definitely seem to like an unobstructed view of their surroundings, and for this reason all adults are kept in free ranges. Seeing as most typical cham-plants are not strong enough to hold these monster chams, I use plants as cover and construct lots of "highways/routes" through the plants using heavy branches and limbs. When constructing these pathways through the plants, I like to make sure there is lots of leafy cover over the chameleon's as they sit or walk along the paths. I do this, not only because it makes them feel more secure, but also because it gives them lots of surfaces to drink from.
One of the most important things with these guys is proper hydration. They require extremely long mistings of at least 20 minutes once a day, supplemented with other, shorter mistings throughout. They become dehydrated quite easily, so you should be sure to check for signs of dehydration often. Humidity should be maintained around 70 to 90 percent, but enclosures must be allowed to dry out completely between mistings. When their space does not completely dry, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which can lead to extreme health issues, or even death of the chameleon.
Another, extremely important aspect of their husbandry is their feeding and supplementation. When taking on an animal of their size, you have to consider the amount of larger food they will consume. Silkworms, hornworms (occasionally), super worms, dubia roaches, and madagascan hissing cockroaches are all an absolute must when keeping this species. Juveniles will require anywhere from 10 to 20 appropriately sized feeders a day, while adults can be maintained on one or two feeders a day or four or five every other day. Meller's have proven to be very finicky when it comes to supplementation, and over supplementation can quickly lead to swelling of the chest, neck and throat. To ensure ideal dietary needs, it is best to properly gut load your animals feeders, and use supplementation as what it truly is; dietary supplementation. You have to remember that, in the wild, chameleons are not eating insects that are dusted by a keeper. They eat insects that eat a variety of wild foods to maintain their optimal nutrition. Another thing to keep in mind, is that, like Jackson's and other montane species, Melleri seem to be very sensitive to over supplementation of vitamin D3. You can judge how successfully you are supplementing their diet by whether or not the animal is eating dirt in its enclosure. Eating dirt out of potted plants is a very good sign that something is lacking in their diet, and you may need to adjust your gut load, or supplementation.
When it comes to basking, UV, and ambient temperatures, I keep my Mellers' basking spots at anywhere from 80 to 88 degrees, and their ambient temperatures in the low 70's. They are all kept under arcadia T5 High Output bulbs, as well. Within my group, it has become very clear that basking temperatures and ambient temperatures have a massive effect on their appetites. A chameleon within their proper temperature range should be active, alert, and eating enough to maintain their weight if they are an adult.
The basking lights should be at least a foot away from the basking spot because meller's tend to sit under the bulbs even if they are being burned (just like most species). An important thing to remember with all chameleon species is that they were not evolved under basking lights.
Triceros melleri is an absolutely fascinating chameleon to keep in captivity. It is by no means a "beginner" chameleon, but with proper research and attention to detail, they are extremely rewarding and very enjoyable to watch grow and develop. Of all the species I have kept, these guys have proven to be my absolute favorite and they have an extremely sweet, gentle disposition that you can not help but love.
On the market, the most frequent specimens available are wild caught. Animals that are wild caught are often looked at suspiciously as being parasite ridden, along with quite a few other possible health issues. However, seeing as the majority of Melleri are wild caught, purchasing one of these may be a risk you have to take. In my experience with purchasing wild-caught animals, if you purchase from a reputable, honest supplier or importer that treats the animals for parasites and makes sure their specimens are healthy before selling, you should be safe purchasing the animal. Throughout the years, I have also noticed that, when purchasing wild caught animals, it has proved beneficial to purchase younger specimens. When an older animal is pulled from its environment, it is far more likely to become stressed to the point that it cant recover then a younger one.
Although it can be safe to purchase WC specimens, it is always extremely important to quarantine newly acquired animals before they are in the same area as the rest of your collection. These quarantine periods should begin with a fecal, and should often be followed by a health examination by your exotics veterinarian. If, during your quarantine period, your animal maintains its weight, eats and drinks regularly, and shows no signs of parasites or other health issues, it is safe to say a follow up examination is not completely needed.
One of the things you must keep in mind when starting up with these guys, is that their most interesting feature (their size), can also be their drawback if you are not fully prepared for it. Juvenile Meller's do best in a 24x24x48 inch cage. With Melleri it is always safer to go with the "bigger is better" way of thinking. With this in mind, if you are keeping subadults in cages, i have found it best to go with a 4ft x 4ft x 6ft cage. Moving subadults into cages of this size at this age, I believe, promotes a curious, active and adventurous Meller's that will benefit greatly from the exercise a cage of this size will bring. Some may say, that for subadult Melleri, a cage of this size is not yet necessary, but I have noticed that the adults that are not put into setups of this size until later on become a little lazier, gain unhealthy weight, and are not as active.
All of my big guys are kept in large free ranges with heavy wood perches and multiple basking lamps placed at a safe distance. They definitely seem to like an unobstructed view of their surroundings, and for this reason all adults are kept in free ranges. Seeing as most typical cham-plants are not strong enough to hold these monster chams, I use plants as cover and construct lots of "highways/routes" through the plants using heavy branches and limbs. When constructing these pathways through the plants, I like to make sure there is lots of leafy cover over the chameleon's as they sit or walk along the paths. I do this, not only because it makes them feel more secure, but also because it gives them lots of surfaces to drink from.
One of the most important things with these guys is proper hydration. They require extremely long mistings of at least 20 minutes once a day, supplemented with other, shorter mistings throughout. They become dehydrated quite easily, so you should be sure to check for signs of dehydration often. Humidity should be maintained around 70 to 90 percent, but enclosures must be allowed to dry out completely between mistings. When their space does not completely dry, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which can lead to extreme health issues, or even death of the chameleon.
Another, extremely important aspect of their husbandry is their feeding and supplementation. When taking on an animal of their size, you have to consider the amount of larger food they will consume. Silkworms, hornworms (occasionally), super worms, dubia roaches, and madagascan hissing cockroaches are all an absolute must when keeping this species. Juveniles will require anywhere from 10 to 20 appropriately sized feeders a day, while adults can be maintained on one or two feeders a day or four or five every other day. Meller's have proven to be very finicky when it comes to supplementation, and over supplementation can quickly lead to swelling of the chest, neck and throat. To ensure ideal dietary needs, it is best to properly gut load your animals feeders, and use supplementation as what it truly is; dietary supplementation. You have to remember that, in the wild, chameleons are not eating insects that are dusted by a keeper. They eat insects that eat a variety of wild foods to maintain their optimal nutrition. Another thing to keep in mind, is that, like Jackson's and other montane species, Melleri seem to be very sensitive to over supplementation of vitamin D3. You can judge how successfully you are supplementing their diet by whether or not the animal is eating dirt in its enclosure. Eating dirt out of potted plants is a very good sign that something is lacking in their diet, and you may need to adjust your gut load, or supplementation.
When it comes to basking, UV, and ambient temperatures, I keep my Mellers' basking spots at anywhere from 80 to 88 degrees, and their ambient temperatures in the low 70's. They are all kept under arcadia T5 High Output bulbs, as well. Within my group, it has become very clear that basking temperatures and ambient temperatures have a massive effect on their appetites. A chameleon within their proper temperature range should be active, alert, and eating enough to maintain their weight if they are an adult.
The basking lights should be at least a foot away from the basking spot because meller's tend to sit under the bulbs even if they are being burned (just like most species). An important thing to remember with all chameleon species is that they were not evolved under basking lights.
Triceros melleri is an absolutely fascinating chameleon to keep in captivity. It is by no means a "beginner" chameleon, but with proper research and attention to detail, they are extremely rewarding and very enjoyable to watch grow and develop. Of all the species I have kept, these guys have proven to be my absolute favorite and they have an extremely sweet, gentle disposition that you can not help but love.
