LundqvistNYR
Member
how much harder is it to keep a mellers chameleon then a panther? And I do own a Nosy Faly and 2 blue bar panthers.
mellers chameleon questions!
- Thread starter LundqvistNYR
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Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Let's see if I can word this properly. I haven't found them to be harder, but they do come with a few big differences from panthers. The big one being that nearly all inividuals are freshly wild caught, so you have to get them healthy and deal with getting them to acclimate properly to captivity. And they're less easy-going than panthers, they are more sensitive to prolonged stress. That's why they call them "the 90 day chameleon," because they can crash in those first 3 months, even if you're doing everything correctly just from the stress of captivity.
If you can get them to acclimate, then great, they're awesome chameleons to own. But it's that combo of being WC and sensitive to stress that makes them tricky some times.
The "safest" way to get into them, I think, is to keep an eye out for a long term captive that is being rehomed. Because a chameleon that has already been in captivity for a year or so is going to be much more stable, typically more used to people, etc. It would be a better introduction than going the WC route, unless you felt that you were ready for the risk. But still be ready with really large housing, have the means to mist them A LOT (you're going to be looking at misting sessions of at least 15 minutes several times a day), and large food sources.
If you're not familiar with it, take a look at Melleridiscovery.com. It's an awesome website about them, it hasn't been upated in a while but it still has really great info.
If you can get them to acclimate, then great, they're awesome chameleons to own. But it's that combo of being WC and sensitive to stress that makes them tricky some times.
The "safest" way to get into them, I think, is to keep an eye out for a long term captive that is being rehomed. Because a chameleon that has already been in captivity for a year or so is going to be much more stable, typically more used to people, etc. It would be a better introduction than going the WC route, unless you felt that you were ready for the risk. But still be ready with really large housing, have the means to mist them A LOT (you're going to be looking at misting sessions of at least 15 minutes several times a day), and large food sources.
If you're not familiar with it, take a look at Melleridiscovery.com. It's an awesome website about them, it hasn't been upated in a while but it still has really great info.
LundqvistNYR
Member
alright thank you ill take a look
Jay Sick
Avid Member
in all of the parasites i have seen i have not ever seen a bigger worm that came out of samuel when he first came home with me. I suggest nice long showers they love showers. I also suggest making sure you have access to the rite meds and a vet. At the very least a 24x24x48 cage is needed and that cutting it close and just let him be don't handle to much. when samuel came in he was in rough shape now he is doing great. took a while but totally worth it in the long run.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
This is great advice! Those of us who've kept melleri enjoy them a lot, partly because they are a challenge and partly because they are such interesting and rewarding chams. I think the main differences between melleri and other more commonly kept species is space, water, time, and just more of everything.
Most individuals just won't handle confinement in a space that's convenient for people...such as the 3'x4' attractive cage setup in a living room that might suit a panther or a veiled. They do much better free ranged in part of a room. So that creates its own issues...hanging lights from ceilings, dealing with overspray and water damage to carpets, floors or walls, escaping feeders, and creating a humid space in a human living area that is normally a lot drier. I found myself sleeping in my melleri room to loosen a head cold, but that room was too humid to leave furniture in or store much of anything long term.
Melleri use a LOT of water every day. In addition to needing a larger humidified living space, they are slow deliberate drinkers. I would commonly stand with a hand sprayer spritzing just one for 15-20 minutes every day! Sure you can automate some of the water needs, but you will still have to deal with filling various reservoirs, keeping nozzles, filters, and tubing clean, and handling drainage. None of my melleri used a dripper, but if they did it would have needed the capacity to run for an hour or so (and the capacity to catch all that drainage).
You'll simply need more of almost everything cham-related...more big trees, more large feeders on hand plus the space and attention they will need, more water, more space, more lighted area (and larger fixtures), more $$ for all the supplies and vet care if something does go wrong, more patience, more creativity, and more time.
They are very very difficult to sex correctly, so if you are looking at one for sale somewhere it could end up being an imported gravid female. That will set up a whole new situation for you to deal with. Unless a seller was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of hemipenes during defecation they CANNOT claim it is sexed.
But, all that aside, I really enjoyed the challenge of creating a mini-rainforest in a bedroom and having them roam where they wanted in it. It is great to work with a semi-social cham and observe their interactions. I have never had the luxury of selecting a cb or long term captive, just recent imports adopted from someone else. Some of them were quite gentle and almost friendly, but others were always very nervous and stressy, wanting nothing to do with me or any other creature and resenting disturbance. And when they decide to bite they can BITE! When they stressed, they got sick and it took a lot of time and careful observation to deal with them once they crashed.
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