My new cham!

Doodleh

New Member
He was sold to me as a fully grown side striped, he's about 2 inches long.
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Wow! Nice bitaeniatus! :eek:

They are one of my favourite species to work with. Chock full of personality in a compact size. Keep her cool and humid and she'll do well for you.

The true bitans can be hard to sex and I'm thinking you might have a female there. Post a pic without the tail base area covered up and I might be able to say either way.

Good luck with the new kid. Post more pics as she? settles in.
Cheers!
T
 
here's some more photos of him, after a good night sleep hehe.
He was rubbing his eye a little yesterday but I've kept an eye on him all day today and he's not done it once. So things seem to be fine. He's eaten, had a lovely long drink, and been to the toilet ;D hehe.
Does he look healthy enough?
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Hello Hello :)

He was rubbing his eye a little yesterday but I've kept an eye on him all day today and he's not done it once

As you already know, chameleons do this to remove debris and such from under their eyelids. A shower won't hurt if you see her doing it again. Or a longer mist session.

He's eaten, had a lovely long drink, and been to the toilet ;D hehe.

LOL! Poos are always good! I've found that my true bitans don't have huge appetites compared to some of the other members of that family and I tended to feed mine every other day or so. That said, it's good to hear she's eating and at this point I'd offer her appropriate sized bugs daily. She's probably wild caught and who knows how she was kept before you got her. Once she's settled in and has found her "routine" you may find that she doesn't need or want to eat all the time.

Does he look healthy enough?

Yes. I think so. Nice bulgey, clear eyes. Colours are bright - well as bright as a bitan gets! HAHA! In all of your pics, it looks like you've caught her exploring her cage and generally being active. It's hard to judge by only a few pics, but I think you've got a female there. In the third pic, she looks a bit chubby - maybe she's gravid. Again, I'm only going by a few pics and could be waaaaaaaay of base with my guess.

Have fun with your new pet! She's awesome.
Cheers!
T
 
Oh my!
How can you tell the difference from male and female? the person I bought him/her from said that it was male. When he/she is in her cage she goes pretty much black and white with black kind of squares.
If she is female, and gravid, how do I treat her? I've heard that they give birth to live young, so would this mean she would deffinately be fertile? (She has been housed with males and females.)
I have recently lost a female veiled because of her laying eggs, so I'm a little worried now!! If you could give me any advice that would be great!
 
Hello again! :D

First off, I think the best advice I can give is don't panic! You're doing fine! And I'm happy to help and answer questions any time.

If she is female, and gravid, how do I treat her? I've heard that they give birth to live young...

Yes, you are correct, the bitaeniatus are live bearing chameleons and if she is gravid, there isn't much you can do. Offer her lots of healthy, gutloaded bugs. Give her proper temps and humidity. Try to keep handling to a minimum. All stuff you would normally do with a chameleon!

... so would this mean she would deffinately be fertile? (She has been housed with males and females.)

You betcha! Maybe not though. Again, I have to put this disclaimer on; I'm only commenting on your animal from 4 pics. I could tell you for sure if I saw her in person. Ohhh, my kingdom for a teleporter! LOL! :D I digress, a lot of literature about the bitaeniatus says they breed multiple times a year or don't really have seasons in which they do mate. I haven't found this in my collection - for me they are seasonal breeders. I'm a firm believer in cycling my animals and I'm sure my bitans have fallen into the rhythm along with all my other bitan related critters.

How can you tell the difference from male and female?

As I said before it can be tricky with the true bitans but there are subtle differences with their tail base. Looking at the last pic you posted, I think you've got a female. I'll dig up some sex comparison pics of my bitans for you as a reference... as soon as I find my CD! Argh. I'll try and find my notes too, but gestation for my ladies was about 4 months.

When he/she is in her cage she goes pretty much black and white with black kind of squares.

Slightly stressy colours, but normal. I wouldn't worry about that, beyond letting her be.

Remember, chameleons have been giving birth for thousands of years, they know what to do. As much as it's cool to watch them give birth, I let my girls be on birthing day.

Hmmm... I've probably created more harm than good with my advice and thoughts eh.

Good luck! Don't be shy about questions either.
Cheers!
T
 
As promised... sex reference pics of chameleo trioceros bitaeniatus.

Male: Notice the broader tail base right at the vent.

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Female (juvenile):

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Minutes old: If you have a female and if she is indeed gravid, this is the size of the babies. I'd hazard a guess and say the one on my fingertip is a girl.

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Hope this helps some
Cheers!
T

Slow growth data? My little dig at someone with bad husbandry.
 
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