danscantle
Member
Last spring I got a hold of some young Bradypodion thamnobates via Chameleons International and finally crossed off a species I've wanted to work with since I was a child. There were on the small end when I received them, basically only able to eat Drosophila hydei and bean weevils, but they put on size quickly and spent the late spring, summer, and early fall soaking up sunshine and bugs on my porch in Washington, D.C.
Last Thursday, one of my females - who has always been a beast (even as a 2.5month old she had baby-making hips) produced 28 perfectly formed, vibrant, active little monsters. You read that right, twenty-eight.
That was a real milestone in a quest that traces back around 20 years into my childhood, considering these are bona-fide east coast-bred Bradypodion (as opposed to gravid imports). This species was utterly worth the wait. Small, colorful, and personable - with crazy spikes and bumps scales that seem more like they belong on some long extinct dinosaur than a 8" chameleon.
Here's a shot of the nightly cuddle puddle.
Last Thursday, one of my females - who has always been a beast (even as a 2.5month old she had baby-making hips) produced 28 perfectly formed, vibrant, active little monsters. You read that right, twenty-eight.
That was a real milestone in a quest that traces back around 20 years into my childhood, considering these are bona-fide east coast-bred Bradypodion (as opposed to gravid imports). This species was utterly worth the wait. Small, colorful, and personable - with crazy spikes and bumps scales that seem more like they belong on some long extinct dinosaur than a 8" chameleon.
Here's a shot of the nightly cuddle puddle.
