Fischers chameleon care

[pippin]

Hi guys first post here Im from the uk and getting ready to covert a built in bookcase I have into a 4x4 viv, I am going to split it in half to make 2 4x2's I am then going to put a male Jacksons (xanth) in one side and probably a fischers in the other and there isnt lots of care sheet about them so I was wandering whether you guys could tell me a bit about heat cage size price etc. That would be really great
Thanks in advance

 

[Carlton]

Hi guys first post here Im from the uk and getting ready to covert a built in bookcase I have into a 4x4 viv, I am going to split it in half to make 2 4x2's I am then going to put a male Jacksons (xanth) in one side and probably a fischers in the other and there isnt lots of care sheet about them so I was wandering whether you guys could tell me a bit about heat cage size price etc. That would be really great
Thanks in advance

What subspecies of fischeri? That enclosure might be a bit small for the larger K. matschei and one or two of the smaller subspecies may not want the same level of humidity as the jax, or want a slightly warmer climate. Make sure they can't see each other.

 

[pippin]

ok thanks what are the different subspecies if fischers?
so would these two be able to live next to each other even if seperated with thick wood between the two vivs?
thanks

 

[pippin]

Bump! anyone got any infomation on their availability and price?
thanks

 

[pippin]

Bump! help would be highly appreciated!

 

[Cainschams]

http://chameleonnews.com/05DecKroo.html

Here is a really good article on K. multituberculata. If this isnt the species you have care is the same for the other Fischers species besides cage size.

 

[pippin]

Thank you helps lots I would like the one you mentioned but that is the biggest isnt it? If so would it still be able to fit in a 4x2?
Thanks for your help

 

[Cainschams]

Thank you helps lots I would like the one you mentioned but that is the biggest isnt it? If so would it still be able to fit in a 4x2?
Thanks for your help

They arent the largest. K. matschiei (Giant Fischers or Monkey Tail Fischers) are. K. multituberculata (Standard Fischers) are in the middle while K. boehmei and tavetana (dwarf fischers) are the smaller of the complex.

They would be fine in that size cage.

 

[pippin]

ok thanks I prefer the bigger chameleons to the smaller ones so would the K. matschiei be ok in that size cage and as only a piece only a thick wood would be seperating them would it be able to live next door to the Jacksons? As some heat/humidity might go in to the cage.
thanks for your help

 

[jojothefirst]

Did you get my response on reptile forums in the chameleon thread?
I own k.boehmei and highly recommend getting a kinyongia. There not easy to get hold of over here. Jamie from chameleoco gave me some good advise and used to keep "multis" so maybe be able to source some for you.

 

[Ferdy Timmerman]

Would these chameleons be the first ones you'd keep? There are easier species to start of with. And no offense, but buying and reading a good chameleon book might be a better strategy than trying to find everything on the internet...

 

[Carlton]

ok thanks I prefer the bigger chameleons to the smaller ones so would the K. matschiei be ok in that size cage and as only a piece only a thick wood would be seperating them would it be able to live next door to the Jacksons? As some heat/humidity might go in to the cage.
thanks for your help

IMHO a 4x2x2 will be much too small for a K. matschiei, and personally I would not put a K. multi in it either. The 2 K. multis I had were very active and used every inch of their 4x3x5 cage.

 

[Carlton]

Would these chameleons be the first ones you'd keep? There are easier species to start of with. And no offense, but buying and reading a good chameleon book might be a better strategy than trying to find everything on the internet...

Depending on the books available I'd disagree. Yes there are some great books out there now. Husbandry discussions on this forum are often more current and thorough than the husbandry described in commonly available books. Plus, you can hear about different approaches to husbandry problems, hear results of vet treatments and medications, ask questions and weigh the various alternatives people try.

 

[Ferdy Timmerman]

Depending on the books available I'd disagree. Yes there are some great books out there now. Husbandry discussions on this forum are often more current and thorough than the husbandry described in commonly available books. Plus, you can hear about different approaches to husbandry problems, hear results of vet treatments and medications, ask questions and weigh the various alternatives people try.

Maybe, but the internet also makes people lazy, plus there's too much useless information around. A book (or scientific paper etc.) will tell you where different chameleon species are from, and should give you a much wider view on them as a group. Some people tend to just buy a few chameleons and then going to a forum to figure out what species they actually bought and how to care for them (if they are able to do so at all). If you own and read proper books/papers, you should be able to determine the species before you buy an animal, and know something about environmental factors in the wild. For someone with basic reptile husbandry knowledge (which in my opinion you should have before taking on the challenge to keep chameleons), that is sufficient to start with. A forum offers many useful tips and tricks, as well as some info that is very difficult to attain in the wild (such as incubation temperatures and vet treatments like you mentioned). But how do you separate useful from useless advice if you never did some research into an animal's background?

 

[pippin]

ok thanks guys what subspecies would be able to fit in there?
As to chameleon experiance I have panther chameleon and some kenyan pygmys and would had have kept jackson for quite a while before hand so this in no way would be my first chameleon!
jojo- no I didn't get a reply on RFUK and what do you mean by multis is that refering to the subspecies of fischers?
thanks

 

[Carlton]

ok thanks guys what subspecies would be able to fit in there?
As to chameleon experiance I have panther chameleon and some kenyan pygmys and would had have kept jackson for quite a while before hand so this in no way would be my first chameleon!
jojo- no I didn't get a reply on RFUK and what do you mean by multis is that refering to the subspecies of fischers?
thanks

Kinyongia multituberculatum...more commonly available in the hobby and the second largest subspecies. Very pretty chams!

 

[Carlton]

Maybe, but the internet also makes people lazy, plus there's too much useless information around. A book (or scientific paper etc.) will tell you where different chameleon species are from, and should give you a much wider view on them as a group. Some people tend to just buy a few chameleons and then going to a forum to figure out what species they actually bought and how to care for them (if they are able to do so at all). If you own and read proper books/papers, you should be able to determine the species before you buy an animal, and know something about environmental factors in the wild. For someone with basic reptile husbandry knowledge (which in my opinion you should have before taking on the challenge to keep chameleons), that is sufficient to start with. A forum offers many useful tips and tricks, as well as some info that is very difficult to attain in the wild (such as incubation temperatures and vet treatments like you mentioned). But how do you separate useful from useless advice if you never did some research into an animal's background?

You can't. We can never reach every single cham keeper either through the best books or a web forum. Lazy keepers will still not do the basic homework. Careful, conscientious learners will do both. All we can do is keep up with the literature so we know what's being published, keep our community writing, and hope newbies find us.