Kinyongia matschiei hatching

[Carlton]

Thanks everybody! Here's some new pics. He came out with all the yolk sac absorbed, big and healthy. I love how defined his bands are when he is a little stressed out.

BEAUTIFUL Mike! Great little chams!

 

[Mike Fisher]

A total of five hatched so far, with a couple more pipped. I might be crazy, but I think I can sex them already based on the patterning they show. The babies patterning pretty much looks the same as the adults with the females being mostly green with light banding, and the males having very dark banding with tiger striping that goes all of the way down the tail.

Been feeding them bean beetles, rice flour beetles, and fruit flies. The first few of them to hatch have warmed up to me and go out of their way to climb on my hand for a lift out of their enclosure. They seem pretty friendly as far as hatchlings go.

I'll try to get some new photos up soon.

 

[ThePantherBaron]

Congratulations! Looking beautiful. What an incubation period!!!

 

[rshewfel]

Very cool! Congrats Mike

 

[laurie]

Pictures

As promised the pictures

https://www.chameleonforums.com/franks-thread-127251/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/kinyongia-matschiei-owners-129152/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-does-giant-fischers-chameleon-look-like-79105/

Sorry, I had to add this one.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/k-matschiei-v-s-t-quadricornis-89637/

 

[Mike Fisher]

Thanks for the links Laurie! I like the quad-fischer thread.

 

[laurie]

Thanks for the links Laurie! I like the quad-fischer thread.

Anything for a friend. I like that thread also.

 

[Mike Fisher]

Thanks everybody for all the kind words! A few more photos. These guys sure like climbing out of the bin as soon as I open it. One of them checking out the wiring.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Mike great that KCK is still going through you. That is a great group of Kinyongia you have got going as well. If I was not preparing for Calumma and Furcifer from the new Madagascar quotas I would start considering keeping more Kinyongia again. The baby Kinyongia matschiei look great!

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[DeremensisBlue]

This is a HUGE accomplishment. This deserves a round of standing applause. Such a great species!

 

[Mike Fisher]

This is a HUGE accomplishment. This deserves a round of standing applause. Such a great species!

Thanks. I can't take all of the credit though, https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/cnorton/ paved the way with this species.

These hatch over a longer stretch than what I'm used to. The first ones to hatch may be about a month ahead of the last ones. Sorting by size before the clutch finishes hatching will be a new one to me.

Even after they pip, they might stay that way for three or four days before they venture out of the egg. Not use to that either. I've been checking on them about three times daily because I don't want the babies climbing all over the other eggs because the eggs are super hydrated and I don't want them to get popped. The eggs are so full they have stretch marks.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Thanks. I can't take all of the credit though, https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/cnorton/ paved the way with this species.

These hatch over a longer stretch than what I'm used to. The first ones to hatch may be about a month ahead of the last ones. Sorting by size before the clutch finishes hatching will be a new one to me.

Even after they pip, they might stay that way for three or four days before they venture out of the egg. Not use to that either. I've been checking on them about three times daily because I don't want the babies climbing all over the other eggs because the eggs are super hydrated and I don't want them to get popped. The eggs are so full they have stretch marks.

Chad did a lot, he even consulted me a bit about how to start his Kinyongia matschiei breeding program. After his great work though with fingers cross maybe he'll return to his breeding program and continue to breed Kinyongia matschiei while raising with his family. This maybe is going to give you another breeder to collaborate with Mike. Kinyongia matschiei is a great species and is absolutely worthy of a breeding group of more than just the handful of keepers that are keeping this species now.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Mike Fisher]

After his great work though with fingers cross maybe he'll return to his breeding program and continue to breed Kinyongia matschiei while raising with his family.

I have been in personal communication with Chad and I have hope that he will return to his work with this species. I am in contact with several other breeders that are incubating eggs, so if all goes well we will have a multitude of unrelated bloodlines to move forward with.

More people would be breeding them in the US if the demand and price for CB offspring was at least comparable to Pardalis. It has to be a labor of love to breed them at the moment.

I've been in and out of the hobby long enough to know that today's cheap and easily available chameleons can be considered endangered within the span of a few short years. I predict that this will happen with many of the fischeri species and if we do not get a large enough CB population going over here, we'll be out of luck.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Mike

I have talked with a couple other Kinyongia breeders who have mentioned that they are considering making a comeback. It is great to have other breeders to to occasionally collaborate with.

The demand is an issue, and is a topic that has been brought up time and time again. All the species in the genus Kinyongia can be placed into that category if your looking for a non Veiled or Panther chameleon that has much different features to offer. The genus Kinyongia is the way to go. There actually is a market for the odd cryptic looking chameleons in the reptile crowd and Kinyongia fit that profile.

As far as conservation of Kinyongia habitat the Usambara Mountains were being considered as a possible world heritage site. There is conservation action going on in that area in the form wildlife studies and other conservation action. However the other mountain ranges that are home to the genus Kinyongia I am not as well acquainted with their situation.

Here's some material about conservation of the Usambara Mountains and that region (more Kinyongia habitat) becoming a world heritage site.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2085/

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Mike Fisher]

Second clutch of these just finished hatching. I have about 40 babies from two different bloodlines. 100 percent hatch on both clutches. Loving these guys.

 

[Chameleonmaster]

That's great news Mike! How long did you have to wait for this clutch to hatch? 15 months again?
It's so crazy, when i had k. boehmei eggs they only took 6 months to hatch!

 

[Mike Fisher]

Yup, 15 months to start hatching, plus each clutch took four to five weeks to finish hatching.

 

[Chris Anderson]

Congrats, Mike. That's a nice sized group!

Chris

 

[Todnedo]

Good job Mike and keep up the great work.
They are an amazing species

 

[Action Jackson]

Great news Mike. Good job! I hope you are able to find homes for all those. They are a really cool species.