Can you put two chameleons together?
- Thread starter hlolear
- Start date
Chase
Chameleon Enthusiast
Only reason I would is for breeding attempts. I would not house Veileds together under any circumstances, maybe two females together, but I'd observe them all the time to make sure they were ok. Maybe you could put something in the middle of the cage to make it two seperate cages?
LPR08
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
No, like others have said, it would be easier to build a huge cage with a divider in the middle and make two large cages instead. Two males will most likely fight with each other over territories unless you have a room-sized enclosure, and two females together might make it harder to keep an eye on each one's egg laying statuses and such.
Keeping multiples can be done, but it's more work that it's really worth and it's certainly not recommended unless you have a fair bit of experience under your belt.
Keeping multiples can be done, but it's more work that it's really worth and it's certainly not recommended unless you have a fair bit of experience under your belt.
pinsetter1991
New Member
ive seen free-roamers get along good if they aren't two males. male and female, or female and female, but inside a cage would be hard, might end up stressing them out... or fighting. my guess is that it probably depends on the cham personality though, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.
FrankTheTank
Established Member
That is indeed a large cage but still more of the exception rather than the rule. This could still be a problem for an inexperienced keeper and should not be recommended by any means. Veiled chams are more territorial. I've never owned Jackson's so I cannot say how they are. But that still wouldn't be suggested no matter the species.
okiroo
Avid Member
No is the safest and easiest answer but there are exceptions.
I suggest if you really want chams together get a pygmy colony. BUT if you truly feel the need to own chameleons together use a large free-range. Males and females will breed male on male may fight so females together would be your best bet. More or less its risky and not worth the trouble. A thread just a few days ago showed someone owning a millers and a veiled. One got eaten.
I suggest if you really want chams together get a pygmy colony. BUT if you truly feel the need to own chameleons together use a large free-range. Males and females will breed male on male may fight so females together would be your best bet. More or less its risky and not worth the trouble. A thread just a few days ago showed someone owning a millers and a veiled. One got eaten.
Deevo
New Member
Can you? Yes. You can do what ever you want with your chams. Is it recommended? No!
Why would anyone even want chams in the same enclosure if they know there is a small chance of something bad happening, fights, one getting more food then the other, one literally eating the other etc. You can argue that they see each other all the time in the wild roaming around but there is a reason chameleons generally live longer in captivity.
Doing something like this girl had done below is a good example but still only for somebody with lots of time and experience. Also her cage needs a lot more live plants imo lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpiAv_WKxi4
Why would anyone even want chams in the same enclosure if they know there is a small chance of something bad happening, fights, one getting more food then the other, one literally eating the other etc. You can argue that they see each other all the time in the wild roaming around but there is a reason chameleons generally live longer in captivity.
Doing something like this girl had done below is a good example but still only for somebody with lots of time and experience. Also her cage needs a lot more live plants imo lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpiAv_WKxi4
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
I'm always hesitant when I read "huge cage," as that means a lot of things to different people. A 6' x 3' cage might be considered huge by some and still be way too small for two chameleons as large as veileds to cohabitate in.
This is one of those things where I think that if you have to ask you're not ready to experiment with keeping chameleons together!
So like others have said it'll be better and easier in the long-run to make the cage large enough to divide by two and have the two individuals separately.
This is one of those things where I think that if you have to ask you're not ready to experiment with keeping chameleons together!
So like others have said it'll be better and easier in the long-run to make the cage large enough to divide by two and have the two individuals separately.
DanSB
Avid Member
This is in no way scientific and based solely from observations of what others are doing but I think this is a genus specific question as to whether or not it is even worth trying.
Excuse my spelling of genus names.
Chamaeleo, seem to be very territorial, don't bother.
Furcifur, seems to be possible with enough room and close observation but watch the male female mix and individual personality.
Trioceros, generally seems to work with only 1 male and lots of room if watched closely. Mellers seem to be the exception and do ok in large areas together. Of course allowances for individual personality.
Thy pygmy genus's both seem to do well in groups but still be very careful about keeping multiple males.
I'm not sure about caluma, kiniyoga, or the tiger chams I haven't read enough accounts. (I feel obliged to apologize for the genus spelling again here).
I don't know if there is any benefit to keeping chams together where possible. Common wisdom here says no, there is no benefit outside of pygmies. But I'm not sure this can be said with any kind of authority across the board for every other genus or species.
For Veileds the answer is no, don't do it.
Excuse my spelling of genus names.
Chamaeleo, seem to be very territorial, don't bother.
Furcifur, seems to be possible with enough room and close observation but watch the male female mix and individual personality.
Trioceros, generally seems to work with only 1 male and lots of room if watched closely. Mellers seem to be the exception and do ok in large areas together. Of course allowances for individual personality.
Thy pygmy genus's both seem to do well in groups but still be very careful about keeping multiple males.
I'm not sure about caluma, kiniyoga, or the tiger chams I haven't read enough accounts. (I feel obliged to apologize for the genus spelling again here).
I don't know if there is any benefit to keeping chams together where possible. Common wisdom here says no, there is no benefit outside of pygmies. But I'm not sure this can be said with any kind of authority across the board for every other genus or species.
For Veileds the answer is no, don't do it.
