Deremensis eggs any day now.

[rshewfel]

It's been over 4 months since my first female last mated, and she is huge. Not sure how big an average deremensis is. Being in Colorado, I only get what they send me. She was 85 grams when I got her, and currently is approaching 130. My other female is currently 83g and is 2-3 months gravid.

Anyway, she should lay any day. The eggs have hardened and she is wandering. Keep your fingers crossed for me. My last females over 10 years ago produced in the low 20s. I think 23 each. This girl is much bigger. I would be surprised with less than 30.

 

[Kath44]

Wow, good luck. Kath.

 

[Action Jackson]

Exciting! Good luck.

 

[CarlC]

Good luck! Hope she gets them laid nice and quick!

Carl

 

[rshewfel]

Thanks all. She is not digging yet, but she is definitely interested. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[Mike Fisher]

Good luck with her! I kept deremensis in the 90's with limited success. My females would get fat, but not with eggs. Obesity.

 

[rshewfel]

Good luck with her! I kept deremensis in the 90's with limited success. My females would get fat, but not with eggs. Obesity.

Thanks. I have read they get obese. I have tried not to over feed them. The females do tend to stay in one place. If I continue to have success I'll be sure to post more info.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Thanks. I have read they get obese. I have tried not to over feed them. The females do tend to stay in one place. If I continue to have success I'll be sure to post more info.

I had way too much experience with fat deremensis... Most of my females never dug a hole. They often became eggbound. It was only towards the end of my time with the species that I figured out how to prevent it. By then, I was not in a position to keep them.

All my animals did well for about a year. After that, the males lost interest in breeding/fighting. The females got massive. I barely fed these things!

I lost a lot of animals before I got it right.

I cooled them down for the winter months. They stayed really cool at night - it was a basement, so the temps got down in the 50's - sometimes the 40's - at night. I removed their basking lights during the winter months. They didn't eat much at all for weeks. Over a month, if I recall. They lost only a little plumpness. But they NEVER got fat anymore. Before, they were upstairs, and could not get a cool winter period. They would be huge and lethargic. Now, they were lean and active.

Come spring, my males were nuts - red lips, agressive, mating like crazy. Night and day.

I posted some years ago, pics of a necroscopy I did on a female - the liver was swollen and fatty. Animals that died as fresh WC had dark and smaller livers. It seemed that without this cool down period, the deremensis just kept packing on fat until they died.

I'm sure there is more to it, but a winter fast worked.

I'm going to be moving into a house with a huge basement early April. I am going to be getting back into the hobby soon - possibly this summer.

The only chameleons I want now are deremensis, melleri and jacksoni. If you get any babies, let me know - I'd probably try to buy a few of them!

good luck!

You might try to pre-dig a tunnel for her. Mine never dug unless I had one started. picky things...

 

[rshewfel]

I had way too much experience with fat deremensis... Most of my females never dug a hole. They often became eggbound. It was only towards the end of my time with the species that I figured out how to prevent it. By then, I was not in a position to keep them.

All my animals did well for about a year. After that, the males lost interest in breeding/fighting. The females got massive. I barely fed these things!

I lost a lot of animals before I got it right.

I cooled them down for the winter months. They stayed really cool at night - it was a basement, so the temps got down in the 50's - sometimes the 40's - at night. I removed their basking lights during the winter months. They didn't eat much at all for weeks. Over a month, if I recall. They lost only a little plumpness. But they NEVER got fat anymore. Before, they were upstairs, and could not get a cool winter period. They would be huge and lethargic. Now, they were lean and active.

Come spring, my males were nuts - red lips, agressive, mating like crazy. Night and day.

I posted some years ago, pics of a necroscopy I did on a female - the liver was swollen and fatty. Animals that died as fresh WC had dark and smaller livers. It seemed that without this cool down period, the deremensis just kept packing on fat until they died.

I'm sure there is more to it, but a winter fast worked.

I'm going to be moving into a house with a huge basement early April. I am going to be getting back into the hobby soon - possibly this summer.

The only chameleons I want now are deremensis, melleri and jacksoni. If you get any babies, let me know - I'd probably try to buy a few of them!

good luck!

You might try to pre-dig a tunnel for her. Mine never dug unless I had one started. picky things...

Hi Eric,

I have read a lot of your old posts on them. I look forward to you joining the hobby again.

I had a trio in 2002-2003. I had them for about 1 year. They all lived together in a 2'x3'x6' enclosure. I never once separated them this entire time. I also never once(that I can remember), noticed any aggression between them. They had a mercury vapor bulb, don't remember the wattage, a double fluorescent tube fixture, and a automated misting system that was hooked to the houses hot water supply. The misting system went off twice a day, for about 5 minutes. This was all in the basement of my house. The ambient temperature was probably around 70 degrees for the entire year.

Anyway, the two females readily bred, and each laid one clutch of eggs in the same enclosure with the male and the other female present. I had a very successful hatch rate. I'm pretty sure my temp was around 70 for 4 month. The eggs were just kept in the same basement.

The babies seamed extremely healthy. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to raise any of the babies. I gave the babies to an acquaintance of mine at the time. Long story(divorce). Anyway, this is when I left the hobby. I never even attempted to reach the person I gave the babies to. I do not know what happened to them.

I'll keep you informed on any progress I make this time. My two females seam extremely healthy, so I am hopeful.

 

[Mike Fisher]

I cooled them down for the winter months. They stayed really cool at night - it was a basement, so the temps got down in the 50's - sometimes the 40's - at night. I removed their basking lights during the winter months. They didn't eat much at all for weeks. Over a month, if I recall. They lost only a little plumpness. But they NEVER got fat anymore. Before, they were upstairs, and could not get a cool winter period. They would be huge and lethargic. Now, they were lean and active.

That's good to hear. Knowing this, I might try them again in the future. Pretty much how I've been keeping my Kinyongia except for the basking light removal.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Yeah, I went through a divorce back in 2009/2010. Initially, I went all-out with my chameleons. Things were looking good for my hobby, until I realized that I was still miserable. I had a hole in me, figuratively speaking, and I was trying to fill it with more hobby-related things. Didn't work. I look back and realize that I was not taking proper care of my animals due to my depression. I was always excited to get more animals, but I wasn't happy in the long run. It sucked.

I got that taken care of by going to nursing school and getting an awesome job. No more depression plus a lot more income. All good for my chameleon hobby!

I close by mid-April. I want to partially finish my basement for reptile purposes. I think I may acquire some roach colonies right off the bat to get prepared. Once Im settled, I think I'm going to start work on new setups. Deremensis and melleri are really my main interests - maybe jackson's, quads, etc... cool weather chameleons.

When I had chameleons in the past, I always focused on breeding big veileds as a means to fund my hobby. To heck with that. I'm going to just focus on the weird tree lizards from Africa. That's what I enjoy most.

 

[CarlC]

Come on Eric don't leave out werneri.

Carl

 

[rshewfel]

Yeah, I went through a divorce back in 2009/2010. Initially, I went all-out with my chameleons. Things were looking good for my hobby, until I realized that I was still miserable. I had a hole in me, figuratively speaking, and I was trying to fill it with more hobby-related things. Didn't work. I look back and realize that I was not taking proper care of my animals due to my depression. I was always excited to get more animals, but I wasn't happy in the long run. It sucked.

I got that taken care of by going to nursing school and getting an awesome job. No more depression plus a lot more income. All good for my chameleon hobby!

I close by mid-April. I want to partially finish my basement for reptile purposes. I think I may acquire some roach colonies right off the bat to get prepared. Once Im settled, I think I'm going to start work on new setups. Deremensis and melleri are really my main interests - maybe jackson's, quads, etc... cool weather chameleons.

When I had chameleons in the past, I always focused on breeding big veileds as a means to fund my hobby. To heck with that. I'm going to just focus on the weird tree lizards from Africa. That's what I enjoy most.

Well glad your back. I have been back at it for 5 months now. I'm trying to pick up were I left off. I almost started with melleri, when I initially could not find deremensis. I glad I did not, however, I don't have the room.

Im working with sternfeldi, deremensis, and lateralis. The lateralis have been a struggle. They all developed a respiratory infection. I lost all my males within the first month. The three females I have left look ok at times.

If you get deremensis, keep me posted. Best case scenario, mine wouldn't be ready for 7-8 months. She has not begun digging though.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

I'll be moving in mid April. I figure I can have the small area of the basement rough-finished (insulation and framing) done this summer if I find the motivation. I want CB melleri and deremensis when they're available. If I get set up, I'll grab WC melleri when I am ready. I really love melleri, and had great luck with WC animals. Heck, have WC melleri and deremensis been coming in? I thought Tanzania closed it's exports of chameleons.

 

[rshewfel]

I'll be moving in mid April. I figure I can have the small area of the basement rough-finished (insulation and framing) done this summer if I find the motivation. I want CB melleri and deremensis when they're available. If I get set up, I'll grab WC melleri when I am ready. I really love melleri, and had great luck with WC animals. Heck, have WC melleri and deremensis been coming in? I thought Tanzania closed it's exports of chameleons.

Yep, you can get WC. They pop up on kingsnake every couple months. Talk to Carl. Sounds like he knows when the next shipment is coming.

 

[rshewfel]

One question for you Eric. How big do these guys get? My 2 males are 73g and 65g. They look a healthy weight.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Hope it works out for both Robert and Eric. I am working/keeping Trioceros deremensis too. My last breeding female passed away and I am looking to pick up a new female. However my male is still going strong, a giant and doing great in the greenhouse!!

Kind Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Eric Adrignola]

One question for you Eric. How big do these guys get? My 2 males are 73g and 65g. They look a healthy weight.

I couldn't tell you. I don't remember anything about the weights of my animals. It's been so long.

 

[CNorton]

Eric! Glad to see you back on chamforums! I am so glad for you that you seem to have your things back in order for you to keep again! Such great advice about the deremensis. Winter cool offs are a must for several of the montanes.

Yep, you can get WC. They pop up on kingsnake every couple months. Talk to Carl. Sounds like he knows when the next shipment is coming.

I believe the animals coming in are not from TZ but rather from other African countries that have melleri. I'm not aware that deremensis come from anywhere other than TZ...so if you're seeing those up for sale- that's strange.

 

[rshewfel]

I believe the animals coming in are not from TZ but rather from other African countries that have melleri. I'm not aware that deremensis come from anywhere other than TZ...so if you're seeing those up for sale- that's strange.

No, I'm pretty sure it's Tanzania. As far as I know, Tanzania opened back up. Mine are wild caught. I purchased them in October. I have seen them on kingsnake several times since then.