New Jackson's Chameleon

[Connorology]

Hello All,

So I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a male Jax from a local reptile store. Time will tell if that was the right decision, or if I should have ordered direct from a breeder.

He's in the acclimation phase now, but he seems healthy. He's been drinking when I mist him and he's eaten three waxworms, 2 roaches, and 2 crickets thus far.

I was told he was eight months old. Should he be more green or is this about par with what I should expect at this age/acclimation stage?

Any additional information I need about acclimation? I've got quite a bit of reptile experience, but not a lot with chameleons. I did quite a bit of reading prior to buying though.

 

[Rango3d]

He looks good. Congrats.
Just give him some privacy and he should settle in just fine.

 

[Connorology]

Sounds good, thanks.

 

[laurie]

Hi Ron, welcome to the forum.

This is a link to a chameleon club in so cal.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/south-bay-chameleon-keepers-sbck-july-meeting-132163/

Not sure where you live, but you can meet some fine cham people, and ask ll the questions you want. Great way to make new cham friends.

I would love to be there but I am coming down later to go to the Pomona show. You should try to make that also.

 

[SCharton74]

I have a normal green Jackson's male and a female that is (apparently) debatably red phase. Since I've gotten into Jackson's recently my experience is not what some of these guys offer but I have done a fair bit of research. It seems to me that Jackson's have a stabilized green, yellow, and blue form that shifts to browns and blacks when they're annoyed. There does seem to also be a strain of genetics with more muted colors that may start out light and get greener with age. This seems to be the experience of most who don't have the normal phase. I'd put yours in that category. He looks great. He'll green up, I bet. I do wonder about the genetics behind this. Many people seem pretty adamant that there is NO red phase Jackson gene. I've seen the more muddled ones (like yours) that have greened up but I have also seen ones that start out practically beige which do not green up. When relaxed, my female is essentially light beige with maroon eye shadow and a creamsicle orange stripe down her side. She has an extremely vague hint of green and blue right at the tip of her eye turrets but basically zero green otherwise. I'm looking forward to breeding her and seeing what she presents.

All of that is to say that there is some color variance in Jackson's so I would look for other indicators of his health like, for example, how does the growth in his horns look? Is it healthy looking? (He looks great to me.) Incidentally, if you were closer, I might ask to breed him to my female. If there are red genes, it looks like he might have some. Anyway, my thoughts. Congrats on the new purchase.

Shawn

Hello All,


Should he be more green or is this about par with what I should expect at this age/acclimation stage?

Any additional information I need about acclimation? I've got quite a bit of reptile experience, but not a lot with chameleons. I did quite a bit of reading prior to buying though.