Littlehorn
New Member
Hi all, I guess it has been a busy year for all of us.
Just would like to do an update and share some data on the growth of the yellow-lip male parsonii that I acquired in June, 2009
1./ This boy came in at around June, 2009 at the age of 4months, the picture below was taken in Sept last year, and the total length of him is around 14cm. His diet consist of fresh molted dubias and crickets, both which will be gutload with a "cake" that I made. I do not dust calcium with my crickets
2./ Below is a photo taken back early this year around March. This boy has grown to 23cm. But the body mass has increased as he weight much more heavier than expected. The coloration of the skin has also changed after a few shed. It's starting to have a green tint right after shed, and also the top of the casque is more yellowish than other parts of the body, the nostral appendages started to grow now.
3./ This photo is taken around July. I measure the boy and it seems he has grow up quite a lot during the warmer seasons. He's now 32cm form head to tail. The coloration of the skin has a definite change and it's now a greensih yellow. Also it has became a bit territorial and will not tolerate other males into his eye sight. I have started to include pinkies into his diet (per month). He does not like dubias anymore, so I switch the diet to crickets, silkworms and grasshoppers (with the back legs cut off).
4./ This is the most updated photo of this boy. He now measures 43cm. The growth rate increased a lot, 11cm in 4 months!! Body color has changed to green, some bluish tint can be found. He refused to eat pinkies so I stopped giving him. But the good thing is he started to welcome dubias again.
My parsonii are strictly living in indoor environments, with "some" sunlight every morning for not more than 20mins. I will bring them outside for the sun for 20mins each Sunday morning (If I don't feel good under the sun, my parsonii will also not be under the sun) All my chameleons lives in a DIY cage, 2 sides with walls and 2 sides with screens.
My observation:
1./ I don't dust my feeders at all. But as you can see he looks very strong. The thing I do to avoid MBD is to gutload my feeders. My gutload includes Spinach, Honey, Bee pollen, Wheat 1pc of cuttle fish bone and 1 boiled egg. Mix together with a grinder; then I prepare some jelly powder and mix them together as well. And I set the "paste" into a baking tray and let it sit in my fridge, rdy to serve in 30mins. I cut little blocks of it to feed my feeders so I won't waste anything. The gutload can be kept in a fridge for 2 weeks (no foul smell!! @@)
2./ I find this specific male to be shocked when he sees "white" things. No matter if it's a fresh molted dubia, fresh molted cricket, a pinkie with some white fur, he will run away from it, and seriously, I mean run. There was once I tried to feed him a white moth (which came out from the cacoons of the silkworms) This boy just literally ran out from his cage.
3./ I live in Hong Kong and during the warm seasons, indoor temperature gets to 28C. overall humidity in Hong Kong is around 70% through out the year. In order to avoid the heats, more misting intervals is needed. On days where the temperature reach 30s, I have to turn on the air-con.
4./ From my view, water is much more important than temperature for this boy. Apart from the regular mistings, I also have one of the mister head connected to a dripper to provide water droplets 12hrs a day. I have seen many times that he will drink for over a total of 1 hour in a whole day.
I would say C. parsonii is not such a difficult species to keep as long as you know what you are doing and treat them with respect. A total of 5 parsonii are living in my place and I keep them without any problem so far (My Kinyongias have more problems) I think it is the same with all animals, the best way to avoid problems is to be willingly to take care of your animals and also fulfill your commitments to it.
Just would like to do an update and share some data on the growth of the yellow-lip male parsonii that I acquired in June, 2009
1./ This boy came in at around June, 2009 at the age of 4months, the picture below was taken in Sept last year, and the total length of him is around 14cm. His diet consist of fresh molted dubias and crickets, both which will be gutload with a "cake" that I made. I do not dust calcium with my crickets
2./ Below is a photo taken back early this year around March. This boy has grown to 23cm. But the body mass has increased as he weight much more heavier than expected. The coloration of the skin has also changed after a few shed. It's starting to have a green tint right after shed, and also the top of the casque is more yellowish than other parts of the body, the nostral appendages started to grow now.
3./ This photo is taken around July. I measure the boy and it seems he has grow up quite a lot during the warmer seasons. He's now 32cm form head to tail. The coloration of the skin has a definite change and it's now a greensih yellow. Also it has became a bit territorial and will not tolerate other males into his eye sight. I have started to include pinkies into his diet (per month). He does not like dubias anymore, so I switch the diet to crickets, silkworms and grasshoppers (with the back legs cut off).
4./ This is the most updated photo of this boy. He now measures 43cm. The growth rate increased a lot, 11cm in 4 months!! Body color has changed to green, some bluish tint can be found. He refused to eat pinkies so I stopped giving him. But the good thing is he started to welcome dubias again.
My parsonii are strictly living in indoor environments, with "some" sunlight every morning for not more than 20mins. I will bring them outside for the sun for 20mins each Sunday morning (If I don't feel good under the sun, my parsonii will also not be under the sun) All my chameleons lives in a DIY cage, 2 sides with walls and 2 sides with screens.
My observation:
1./ I don't dust my feeders at all. But as you can see he looks very strong. The thing I do to avoid MBD is to gutload my feeders. My gutload includes Spinach, Honey, Bee pollen, Wheat 1pc of cuttle fish bone and 1 boiled egg. Mix together with a grinder; then I prepare some jelly powder and mix them together as well. And I set the "paste" into a baking tray and let it sit in my fridge, rdy to serve in 30mins. I cut little blocks of it to feed my feeders so I won't waste anything. The gutload can be kept in a fridge for 2 weeks (no foul smell!! @@)
2./ I find this specific male to be shocked when he sees "white" things. No matter if it's a fresh molted dubia, fresh molted cricket, a pinkie with some white fur, he will run away from it, and seriously, I mean run. There was once I tried to feed him a white moth (which came out from the cacoons of the silkworms) This boy just literally ran out from his cage.
3./ I live in Hong Kong and during the warm seasons, indoor temperature gets to 28C. overall humidity in Hong Kong is around 70% through out the year. In order to avoid the heats, more misting intervals is needed. On days where the temperature reach 30s, I have to turn on the air-con.
4./ From my view, water is much more important than temperature for this boy. Apart from the regular mistings, I also have one of the mister head connected to a dripper to provide water droplets 12hrs a day. I have seen many times that he will drink for over a total of 1 hour in a whole day.
I would say C. parsonii is not such a difficult species to keep as long as you know what you are doing and treat them with respect. A total of 5 parsonii are living in my place and I keep them without any problem so far (My Kinyongias have more problems) I think it is the same with all animals, the best way to avoid problems is to be willingly to take care of your animals and also fulfill your commitments to it.
