Jackson’s Chameleons

[BetraydHero]

I have a Male Jackson’s Chameleon.
i was wondering if I get a
Female Rainbow Jackson’s Chameleon.
Would they be able to breed?
Both would be babies. Which I would think would help as they would grow up together. If of course they can breed together.

 

[Serbianchameleon]

@JacksJill

 

[GrayMadder]

I have a Male Jackson’s Chameleon.
i was wondering if I get a
Female Rainbow Jackson’s Chameleon.
Would they be able to breed?
Both would be babies. Which I would think would help as they would grow up together. If of course they can breed together.

Is that the enclosure hes in? ☹

 

[BetraydHero]

And no that is not the enclosure. This is is

 

[skywes13]

There unfortunately seems to be several issues with your husbandry just by looking at your setup. Can you please fill out this form as detailed as possible so we can help you give your little guy the best conditions to grow and thrive:

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Mendez]

Here's a thread stating that Jacksonii xantholphus and Jacksonii jacksonii interbreed naturally in the wild:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/cross-breeding-jacksons.63011/

The question then becomes: should you crossbreed them and why would you want to? I personally don't think you should crossbreed animals when there is a potential to muddy the gene pool of pure xantholphus with the genes of Jacksonii jacksonii (or vice versa) when an irresponsible person comes along claiming it is pure. Of course, who's to say that wild-caught individuals in captivity aren't the offspring of hybridized individuals. Hopefully, others pop on here and voice their own opinion. I personally do not find the appeal of hybridizing animals but to each their own.

One thing to note is that you will need to make changes to your chameleon enclosure. Based on the picture you provided, you need a much larger enclosure (2x2x4 or 18x36x36) for a full-grown xantholophus. It also looks like you are using a uvb bulb instead of a linear uvb tube. Toss out the bulb as it will cause uvb underexposure (metabolic bone disease). You are looking for preferably a linear T5 HO fixture--the most used and standardized brand is arcadia 6% T5 HO.

You also need real plants and lots of them.

Also, add more branches to the enclosure. And take out the rope hammock thing, it can catch and rip out their nails.

I would hold off of planning to breed anything until you can handle caring for them in the first place.

Fill out the form below. The more detail the better. Let's get you on the right track.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[skywes13]

Also, to answer part of your question, two chameleons should never ever be housed together whether you plan to breed them or not. That causes an extreme amount of stress to your animals & may lead to health issues along with unhappy, unhealthy chameleons in general. Chameleons have reptilian brains and don't enjoy the company of another like humans or mammals do. Breeding two different subspecies together is an extremely controversial topic that I personally don't have enough knowledge about to speak on, so I will let the more experienced keepers tackle that loaded question lol

 

[Beman]

And no that is not the enclosure. This is is

The enclosure needs some changes and if your keeping the basking temp at 95 like it shows in the picture that will kill a Jackson. You are not running the correct UVB lighting either which can lead to the cham developing MBD.

Start reading this for accurate info. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/the-jacksons-chameleon-trioceros-jacksonii/

 

[BetraydHero]

There unfortunately seems to be several issues with your husbandry just by looking at your setup. Can you please fill out this form as detailed as possible so we can help you give your little guy the best conditions to grow and thrive:

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
Photos can be very helpful.

What issues do you see with the tank?
It is completely a screen tank. It is 1.5feet deep and wide and 3 feet tall.

i have a mister every few hours and a constant drinking fountain. With vitamin in water

I have UVA and UVB lighting for 12 hours a day along with a ceramic heater bulb for night time. Longest temp tank hits at night is 78degrees and the bottom of tank.

no they haven’t been tested please explain this to me.

fed crickets every night or other night dusted with calcium done in a separate feeding tank.

And that photo is at 75degrees. Bc I was moving plants around and basking light was off as I was sweating.

 

[skywes13]

What issues do you see with the tank?
It is completely a screen tank. It is 1.5feet deep and wide and 3 feet tall.

i have a mister every few hours and a constant drinking fountain. With vitamin in water

I have UVA and UVB lighting for 12 hours a day along with a ceramic heater bulb for night time. Longest temp tank hits at night is 78degrees and the bottom of tank.

no they haven’t been tested please explain this to me.

fed crickets every night or other night dusted with calcium done in a separate feeding tank.

And that photo is at 75degrees. Bc I was moving plants around and basking light was off as I was sweating.

Above, @Mendez mentioned the most visible issues, so I may be reiterting some things already mentioned before. Having a chameleon is a constant learning experience, and we just wish your chameleon to have a nice, healthy life!

The UVB is incorrect, and will lead to an extremely painful and incurable disease called Metabolic Bone Disorder if not corrected soon. You need a linear T5 UVB light with a reflector, preferably in the arcadia or zoomed brand.

You need horizontal branches so your cham can have places to climb and explore, along with a branch 6-8'' down from the top of the screen where your cham can sit and bask. The net needs to be taken out, as Mendez mentioned it can be dangerous. The fake plants don't provide nearly enough coverage for your little guy to be able to feel safe and secure in his home. Chameleons like to hide in the trees from their predators, so the way your enclosure is setup now has your cham feeling exposed and in danger of being eaten. I would suggest looking for some already relatively filled out real plants from a local store. I will attach a link to a good infosheet of safe plants for chameleons with pictures included:
https://chameleonacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chameleon-Plants-122819.pdf

The substrate at the bottom needs to be removed as it can harbor bacteria from leftover fecal matter, decaying food sources, being too wet, etc. I would suggest leaving the bottom bare but adding a few drainage holes & bucket or something similar to catch excess water, it will be extremely helpful.

When you say water fountain do you mean an actual fountain from the store? Or a dripper system? Water fountains are not recommended for chameleons as they also are a breeding ground for bacteria. A dripper is preferred, you could even make a diy one out of a plastic bottle with holes poked in the bottom sitting on top of the screen positioned above a good plant to catch the water droplets.

The ceramic heat emitter is not necessary and actually could be more harmful than helpful since jackson's prefer a nice temperature drop at night, closer to something in the 50-60s. The daytime temperatures should range somewhere between 68-75 degrees with the basking temp being no greater than 80-85 degrees.

A fecal test could be important especially if you got your cham from a pet store or any other sketchy sort of website like for example LLLreptiles. However, your chameleon seems to be younger in age which is a good sign, meaning it is likely he is not wild caught which is good because the chance of parasites drops down. Parasites are a pain to deal with, extremely harmful to your chameleon and also can be extremely expensive for you as the owner with vet bills, medicines, sanitizing/redoing your enclosure, etc.

Are you gutloading your crickets? Where are you getting them from? How many crickets? What type of supplementation? Can you take a picture of the supplements? Why in a separate feeding tank? That's not very common for chameleons, it would be best to either put the crickets in a cup, a feeder run (either diy or purchased) or put some on the screen and let your cham hunt them down. Chameleons prefer a variety of different insects to feed on, so you should look into getting him some other bugs too. Here is a sheet with different feeders & also how to correctly gutload your feeders:


75 degrees is actually a nice daytime temperature for your species of chameleon, so that's good. It seems like you have various misconceptions about caring for your cham so I will attach a caresheet on jacksonii xantholophus from a good website you should visit to learn more about chameleons on:
https://chameleonacademy.com/wp-con...-Yellow-crested-Jacksons-Chameleon-091320.pdf

I think this is all I can say right now according to the information you have given so far, but please fill out the form mentioned earlier so we can point you in the right direction for other areas of your husbandry. This may seem like a lot or like it's overwhelming, but it's all simply constructive criticism so you can give your little guy the best life possible! If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask, I'd be glad to answer them or point you in the right direction.

 

[Livingstons Lizards]

Here's a helpful chart from the chameleon academy. Its important to remember were they come from. Xans are from the base of Mt Kenya but still rather high in elevation. The climate on the mountains/ hills is very similar across East Africa as they are montane forest isolated by dry savanna and make up what us collectively known as the Eastern Arc Mountains. The days are dry and warm, humidity in the 50-60% range and temps in high 70s, low 80s. Peter Nachas mentions visiting Mt Kenya are saying it was warming in the Xan habitat that higher up were you find jack jacks. Basking around 85. At night, as wind comes in off the Indian Ocean, not being evaporated by the savanna heat, hits the mountains dropping the temperature and raising the humidity. Towards the bottom of Mt Kenya it drops into the 50s & 60s. There are records from higher elevations reaching below freezing at night and snow regularly occurs in the peak of Mt Kenya.

 

[leedragon]

What issues do you see with the tank?
It is completely a screen tank. It is 1.5feet deep and wide and 3 feet tall.

i have a mister every few hours and a constant drinking fountain. With vitamin in water

I have UVA and UVB lighting for 12 hours a day along with a ceramic heater bulb for night time. Longest temp tank hits at night is 78degrees and the bottom of tank.

no they haven’t been tested please explain this to me.

fed crickets every night or other night dusted with calcium done in a separate feeding tank.

And that photo is at 75degrees. Bc I was moving plants around and basking light was off as I was sweating.

The object in bold are wrong.

 

[JacksJill]

I have never crossed one subspecies of Jackson with another but I can go over the risks in mixing distantly related gene pools. There are threads on here about panther oustaleti crosses. They have an over lapping range in the wild. From my reading none of the crosses matured into adults. There is no mention I have ever found of the offspring breeding. If they had matured they would likely be sterile as almost all hybrids are unable to breed.

When distantly related lines of the same species are bred it can produce vigorous healthier offspring by reducing the occurrence of recessive traits from inbreeding. You see this in mutt dogs being in general healthier than many purebreds. However this example is within a species not outside of one.

When you cross outside a species you risk making incompatible genetics. There is hesitation to breed the highly inbred Hawaiian xanth individuals with the normal Kenyan xanths (Yellow Crested Jackson's) as they may suffer outbreeding depression. It doesn't mean they are sad but rather that they have incompatible adaptations. I'm fairly certain this is why we have never seen xanth x jack jack crosses. There differing sizes is an issue to start, the females of the larger species would not respond to the smaller males of the other. I have seen a jack jack male display for xanth females but the females were prepared to fight him and had the size to do it and seriously hurt him. The smaller females would not be able to successfully carry the larger embryo of the other species. The coloring of the jack jack females and their horns would discourage the xanth males. I have not seen a xanth male display for a jack jack female.

I read everything I can on Jackson's I have never read of any successful crosses or attempts. I personally wouldn't risk the lives of any of my animals for such a dubious experiment. Regular pairings are risky enough.