Do you love keeping chameleons so much that you are thinking of adding one more to your household? We talk a lot about what you should consider if you are getting your first chameleon, but a favorite topic of mine is what you should consider if you are getting your second, third, or fourth chameleon! If the thought has crept into your mind that you might be interested in another mini tree dragon hanging out, then let’s talk about what you should think about!
When you add another chameleon to your household you have advantages over when you brought home your first chameleon. You already have the food supply chain down and a care routine set. Adding another cage won’t change what you are doing much at all. But let’s review three ways this could go sideways.
1- Environment Match. Make sure any additional chameleon matches your environment (I mean temperature/humidity - not color!). If you have had success with a Panther chameleon realize you have worked with the easiest chameleon to keep. Other species might require adjustments to husbandry like lower nighttime temperature drops or high hydration requirements. This is usually is easy to learn about as there are excellent husbandry resources available. The challenge comes in creating two environments. Especially if the cages are next to each other! Unless you have two separate rooms that you can create two separate environments, make your life easier by getting a species with similar requirements. If you have a panther chameleon, consider a carpet chameleon. If you have a Jackson’s chameleon, consider a Veiled chameleon. Getting a species with similar requirements means your experience is directly transferrable. Of course, you can always just collect panther locales for the rest of your life and never run out of colors to explore!
2-Beware number creep! It is true that a second chameleon adds very little extra time to your routine. And a third or fourth chameleon starts allowing you to order feeders in bulk. But this is an insidious trap many of us find ourselves in. Since the incremental increase in work as more chameleons join our house is so small we often find ourselves overwhelmed and not sure how we got there. It crept up on us. And, somehow, we ended up working to care for our chameleons so much that we are no longer having time to enjoy them. The best time to stop adding to your collection is when you have time for more. And, yes, I wrote that correctly. Stop when you still have that excitement!
3 - The Breeding Trap. What could be better than a mini tree dragon? How about a bunch of baby mini tree dragons? Breeding is a goal for many keepers and I have to say that raising chameleon hatchlings is one of my favorite hobbies. But it is full of joy-sucking challenges if not done correctly. For example, chameleons should be kept separately. That requires a great deal of infrastructure or else you are bin raising them and the experience when the smaller ones are bullied and you aren’t able to monitor the health of each one turns it into something to get through instead of a time to be enjoyed. Breeding is a great experience, but it is a significant step to go into with serious preparation and planning.
Expanding your chameleon project can be a fulfilling effort. Like everything, the better you plan the better the experience is once you do it! With chameleons, it is true that another chameleon doesn't add a whole lot of extra effort, but being aware of what does increase - and being prepared - helps you keep your chameleon keeping enjoyable!
If you are interested in the multimedia discussion about this topic with more details, video, and podcast check out the show notes page here!
Another Chameleon? Show notes page
When you add another chameleon to your household you have advantages over when you brought home your first chameleon. You already have the food supply chain down and a care routine set. Adding another cage won’t change what you are doing much at all. But let’s review three ways this could go sideways.
1- Environment Match. Make sure any additional chameleon matches your environment (I mean temperature/humidity - not color!). If you have had success with a Panther chameleon realize you have worked with the easiest chameleon to keep. Other species might require adjustments to husbandry like lower nighttime temperature drops or high hydration requirements. This is usually is easy to learn about as there are excellent husbandry resources available. The challenge comes in creating two environments. Especially if the cages are next to each other! Unless you have two separate rooms that you can create two separate environments, make your life easier by getting a species with similar requirements. If you have a panther chameleon, consider a carpet chameleon. If you have a Jackson’s chameleon, consider a Veiled chameleon. Getting a species with similar requirements means your experience is directly transferrable. Of course, you can always just collect panther locales for the rest of your life and never run out of colors to explore!
2-Beware number creep! It is true that a second chameleon adds very little extra time to your routine. And a third or fourth chameleon starts allowing you to order feeders in bulk. But this is an insidious trap many of us find ourselves in. Since the incremental increase in work as more chameleons join our house is so small we often find ourselves overwhelmed and not sure how we got there. It crept up on us. And, somehow, we ended up working to care for our chameleons so much that we are no longer having time to enjoy them. The best time to stop adding to your collection is when you have time for more. And, yes, I wrote that correctly. Stop when you still have that excitement!
3 - The Breeding Trap. What could be better than a mini tree dragon? How about a bunch of baby mini tree dragons? Breeding is a goal for many keepers and I have to say that raising chameleon hatchlings is one of my favorite hobbies. But it is full of joy-sucking challenges if not done correctly. For example, chameleons should be kept separately. That requires a great deal of infrastructure or else you are bin raising them and the experience when the smaller ones are bullied and you aren’t able to monitor the health of each one turns it into something to get through instead of a time to be enjoyed. Breeding is a great experience, but it is a significant step to go into with serious preparation and planning.
Expanding your chameleon project can be a fulfilling effort. Like everything, the better you plan the better the experience is once you do it! With chameleons, it is true that another chameleon doesn't add a whole lot of extra effort, but being aware of what does increase - and being prepared - helps you keep your chameleon keeping enjoyable!
If you are interested in the multimedia discussion about this topic with more details, video, and podcast check out the show notes page here!
Another Chameleon? Show notes page
