Forest Chameleon.. Anyone?

[Zoey]

http://www.reptilecity.com/Merchant...eptiles&Product_Code=FC&Category_Code=LIZARDS

We are looking into getting one of these. Later this year. We are currently setting up our other cages and when we are done we are going to be trying to find a cage that would suit one of these, and purchase all the other things before getting him.

But we can't find a whole lot about them online. Anyone here know much about them?? Like how big they will get ect?

 

[dectr6]

You know that this isn't a true chameleon, right? I think it's in the iguana family, but not at all sure of that. I am sure that it's not a chameleon though.

 

[mrwendle]

You are right Dectr6, this is not a true chameleon. If you want this thing running at 40mph around your house then get it. But these things get pretty big and need a lot of space.

 

[dectr6]

If you want this thing running at 40mph around your house then get it..

That's funny... do they really run that fast? Would make my cat happy.

 

[LunaC]

Forest Chameleon - AKA Helmeted Iquana/Casque-headed Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus)
Member of iguana family. Arboreal lizard. Grows to 12-16". Egg layer.
Rarely, if ever, seen CB or CBB in the pet trade. Generally don't do well in captivity, WC imports (such as the one in the Reptile City link you provided) are difficult to acclimate and care for, stress extremely easily and not recommended for beginners.

Commonly incorrectly identified/sold as Brown or Helmeted Basilisks.

 

[kinyonga]

They are corytophanes....related to laemanctus in the family tree.

I have kept these lizards a few times over the last 15 years but never bred them. (I keep laemanctus and breed them.) They can be hard to acclimatize but once established they are no harder than chameleons to keep...at least the cristatus species. I have never seen a CB or CBB.

There are three species cristatus, hernadezii and percarinatus (sp?)....two are egglayers and one is a live bearer. The live bearer and the cristatus look somewhat similar so it makes it harder to be sure you have a compatible pair. Its very easy to tell the difference between males and females by looking at the base of the tail.

Although they do run insanely fast, they are usually quite sedate....and may hardly move for days at a time. They don't get very big...no bigger than a good-sized female veiled as a rule.

Pictures and information...cristatus...
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/...rips/Tortuguero 2004 website/corytophanes.htm

http://www.anapsid.org/cristata.html

Hernandezii has a spike sticking out of the cheek and the other two species don't...
http://www.intenseherp.com/images/gallery/Corytophanes_hernandezi_male.jpg
http://www.swissherp.org/Reptiles/Iguanidae/Corytophanes_hernandezii.jpg

Percarinatus...
http://www.intenseherp.com/images/gallery/Corytophanes_percarinatus_male.jpg

 

[Zoey]

Thank you guys for the input

 

[Zoey]

They are corytophanes....related to laemanctus in the family tree.

I have kept these lizards a few times over the last 15 years but never bred them. (I keep laemanctus and breed them.) They can be hard to acclimatize but once established they are no harder than chameleons to keep...at least the cristatus species. I have never seen a CB or CBB.

There are three species cristatus, hernadezii and percarinatus (sp?)....two are egglayers and one is a live bearer. The live bearer and the cristatus look somewhat similar so it makes it harder to be sure you have a compatible pair. Its very easy to tell the difference between males and females by looking at the base of the tail.

Although they do run insanely fast, they are usually quite sedate....and may hardly move for days at a time. They don't get very big...no bigger than a good-sized female veiled as a rule.

Pictures and information...cristatus...
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/...rips/Tortuguero 2004 website/corytophanes.htm

http://www.anapsid.org/cristata.html

Hernandezii has a spike sticking out of the cheek and the other two species don't...
http://www.intenseherp.com/images/gallery/Corytophanes_hernandezi_male.jpg
http://www.swissherp.org/Reptiles/Iguanidae/Corytophanes_hernandezii.jpg

Percarinatus...
http://www.intenseherp.com/images/gallery/Corytophanes_percarinatus_male.jpg

Thank you for this! The responses I got nearly made me not want to get it after all. I think he would be cool and a nice addition to the reptile family lol.

Thanks for the links, I bookmarked them and will go through and fully read when I have a bit more spare time

 

[GraemeShelton]

i love these guys too! they are really cool looking, but i decided to avoid them because of the survival rate. apparently its hard to acclimate them because they live in areas where there is great air pressure or something...can't quite remember...cool though.

 

[Chase]

I hear a lot of Chameleons are challenging because of the enviroment they need to live in?

 

[Zoey]

i love these guys too! they are really cool looking, but i decided to avoid them because of the survival rate. apparently its hard to acclimate them because they live in areas where there is great air pressure or something...can't quite remember...cool though.

I was just on a site and saw one and I loved the way they looked. hard to find good info on them, so I am glad someone posted links!! My BF says they look like some tiny dino you would see off of Jurassic Park.

I want to do more research and see if it really will be okay to try. He'd be $25 so its like.. if he doesn't make it then I don't have anything to show for the money and that would suck. I don't want to get him and then not be able to care for him the right way.

 

[Zoey]

haha yeah I thought the Veilds would be easy.. so much did I not know. They are a lot more challenging then I first was lead to believe.

 

[Chase]

Veileds are pretty awesome.

 

[Zoey]

Yeah they are.

When I got the Female the lady was keeping her in a Bird cage that was circular, maybe 2 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide. She hasn't grown much since September and I pitied her for being in the cage. The lady told me she would need a new cage is 2008, to mist her ONCE a day and dust the crickets every day before feeding, and to put them in the feeding cup also that she only needed 3 a day.

She left out: The cage gathered water and stunk really bad if not cleaned out a few times a day. The cup for feeding didn't work, the Chameleon hated it. She kept knocking down the drip system, making water go everywhere. And unlike I was told Zoey did NOT want anything to do with the outside of her cage.


When I got my Male the man told me that he would be fine the way he was, mist him a few times a day and buy 30 crickets a week, dust them and throw them into the cage. He had that stupid pump hooked up for the water and told me that he knew to drink from that, I've never seen him drink from it. To be honest the guy didn't hardly lie about the male. lol


So then I found this place and its like WHAT? lol I didn't know there was so much more things that needed to be done to make sure they were healthy and happy

 

[kinyonga]

LinkinParkRulez08 said..."I hear a lot of Chameleons are challenging because of the enviroment they need to live in?"....many of the chameleons are very challenging to get to live and even more challenging to get to reproduce and hatch the eggs of or even raise the babies. I

ts partly because of the environment but there are other factors too. For instance, to get the C. chamaeleons to produce you need to brumate/hibernate them.

You are aware that the forest chameleon that was/is being discussed in this thread isn't a chameleon at all but from the iguanidae family?