Captive reptile mortality rate.....
- Thread starter kinyonga
- Start date
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
28.2% chameleon mortality in the first year...
timw1
Chameleon Enthusiast
I did not read the article, but I'll put my two cents in. The article referenced reptiles in general, with Chameleons (CB) having a rather high 28.2% mortality rate. I think, and I think most here will agree, is due to the big pet stores. Keeping a snake is pretty simple; keep them at proper temp and feed them what they like to eat. Snakes, and most lizards, will live a very long life with basic care. When I was a young boy (long time ago), I had lost reptiles in the house, only for them to resurface weeks/months later and be in rather good health. Heck, my son has a gecko that lived on the lamb in my bro's house for six (6) months before re-surfacing. When it did, my brother gave the gecko to my son. Fifteen (15) years later, my son still has the gecko! The big pet stores pimp the chameleons as being easily kept and cared for. They showcase them in glass aquariums without plants and basic necessities. I was in a big pet store recently and observed several chameleons living without any plants and with dirt substrate (you all have seen this). The Chams were hanging off the aquarium's screen top! These same people would sell the Chameleons to people, and advise them to care for them as they do! The people who buy them will eventually end up here asking questions on why their Chameleon is dying. This is why CB Chameleon mortality rate is so high. I am fairly new to this, and maybe why I am so passionate. I can also speak from experience: Recently we bought a CB Chameleon from a well known breeder. We contacted the breeder in advance and paid a good price for a baby chameleon we had never even seen in person. The baby chameleon was shipped to us without any prior communications whatsoever. The breeder got paid and they shipped it to us period! The breeder had no idea if we were capable of caring for the chameleon! The bottom line is $$$$$$$$ MONEY $$$$$$$$$
Alexander1
Avid Member
I agree to a certain degree, with the above statement, but to be fair, if you contact a breeder for a specific reptile your already way above customer just walking into a big box pet store and impulse buying a chameleon, it does imply you have some kind of knowledge of how these animals are bought and sold, if your a breeder, your SHOULD be asking questions and giving husbandry advise to your customers, but I also understand that becoming to involved in every single animal you sell may become too much, and some customers can slip through the cracks. Chameleons are very sensitive and should be sold that way, I agree.