Cohabitating Deremensis?

[luevelvet]

Hey everyone,

We're expecting a pair of Deremensis in tomorrow and one thing we were wondering was, do make/female pairs *need* to be separated or can they be housed together? We can accommodate either scenario, it's really a matter of space efficiency.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Luis

 

[chamelisa]

I kept a trio but each had their own cage. The female was aggressive toward males.

 

[jack29]

i've heard they are very aggressive if kept together

 

[merumontanus]

Hi Luis,

You will find that, as with many other Trioceros, they are more tolerant toward conspecifics compared to other genera, but I would still suggest you keep them separately if you can. They all have distinct personalities (as all chameleons do), so you may be fortunate enough to get a compatible pair. Nonetheless, I would keep a very close eye on them if you're going to keep them together, as one may begin to overpower the other one gradually (they are very sedentary, so you may not notice the "agression" clearly or immediately, until one stops eating).

Furthermore, I assume the ones you're getting are wild-caught given that captive-hatched or bred are not common, which is a bigger reason to keep them separately-- especially during acclimation.

Cheers,

Fabián

 

[franklin]

i've kept a pair for two years in the same cage.if they have many vegetations generaly there isn't a problems..

unfortunately the female was lost last week...she was gravid too

 

[Eric Adrignola]

gravid females dying is very common. About two years before she died? Did she simply stop eating a few weeks ago? Was she still looking healthy when she died?

I woudl very much like to know,a s I have worked with deremensis for a very long time. I have a lot of experience with their strange quirks.

Always keep separate cages, or have a divider to install in their cage if needed. They do very well in very large cages, even in groups. But their behavior is highly variable and seasonal. They might be fine in a small cage for 9 months - and then the females will turn on the males for two months. And then the males will turn on the females for a few months. And then the males will court the females to death for a few months....

They like being in visual contact, but they NEED to be able to get away if they can.

IF you give them an entire room, they will stay near each other most of the time - so they do seem to prefer to be at least in visual range.

My reccomendation is to get two cages, and put them next to each other. Introduce them for mating purposes when they are acclimated. If you can afford a really big cage (walk in size), that should work in the long term.

I have two CH that I got from Fabian a little while ago. They sleep right next to each other, and spend most of the day within 6" of each other. BUT, the male put a superficial bitemark on her tail - so it's time to separate them! Even though they PREFER to be near each other all the time, there is still danger.

 

[luevelvet]

Thank you the replies everyone.

Fabian and Eric,
I'm thinking a custom cage is in order to accommodate these quirks. Aside from free ranging, what size cages would you recommend?

I've yet to work with these and as excited as I am, I always feel that nervousness that comes from a lack of experience with a particular species.

Luis

 

[merumontanus]

Obviously, the bigger the better, but as sedentary as they are (the parsonii of the Trioceros), they do very well in smaller cages (18x18x36 for each should work for an adult, with a 48" tall being ideal). In the winter, if cooled down (which is recommended for longevity)-- and I mean cool-- they won't move from a specific branch for a couple or a few days, drinking as usual but decreasing their food intake considerable.

Eric, didn't you mention yours were eating only an insect or two a week during the winter months?

You'll absolutely love deremensis, Luis. especially their unusual feeding behavior and intriguing morphology. Having kept quadricornis successfully, you'll do just fine with these provided they arrive in good condition. As Eric will tell you, watch out for overfeeding-- especially with females-- as they are eating machines and very rarely discriminate, which can lead to rapid obesity and problems with oviposition (which is already problematic in captivity).

Cheers,

Fabián

P.S. Photos required!