Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
I kept parsons close to 10 years ago and not much has changed in the amount of information available about their care. I know that there increased availability has increased the number of keepers in the states and abroad. Believe me, I am a member of several parsons focused groups, I'm in daily contact with other experience keepers from the US and Europe, and I am not inexperience in handling wild caught animals or chameleons, with severe health isssues related to importation.
My male is not where I want him to be.
He is feeding, he is strong, he is alert during the day. He has been to an experienced vet, he has been treated and tested for parasites, he has had many adjustments in his care to try to get things just right, but it seems whatever is affecting him is specific to him, as the female is moving along as expected.
The male appears slightly dehydrated. His colors are pale and his eyes appear slightly recessed. It's impossible to accurately capture him in photos, as they always enhance the appearance of his sunken eyes and make him look much worse than he is. His urates are white and the soft tissues on top of the head are plump and full. These are indicators I use to rule out true dehydration.
I have given him water via syringe. I mist with a MistKing 30-45mins daily, and I observe him drink.
My conservation with a keeper in Europe leads me to question what others are doing.
One of his points was that subadult and adult parsons require additional water, given via syringe to the tune of 1/4 liter daily and this has to be given drop by drop on the lips, not into the mouth directly. His insistence is that their hydration needs cannot be met, past jevenile phase, by misting alone.
I am aware keeper supplement water intake with manually offering water through syringe, but are keepers finding this an absolute requirement or can misting be adequate, if offered for long enough durations and with acceptable frequency?
Many other "absolutes" were discussed, many I dismiss or sift the facts from and discard the things I know to be untrue.
This person is VERY knowledgeable and I suspect much of the communication is based on features of his personality, whereby suggestions are given as absolutes.
I can not ignore any reasonable information, since I am 8 months in with this male and still struggling to see him at optimum.
I am installing some new, very strong, German lighting, that was recommended and I see merit in. I realize that many people treat parsonii as dense shade animals and it is true that they do not enjoy hot basking, but they are documented from river margins, plantations, forest edges, and disturbed areas. At higher elevations, the atmosphere is thinner and UVB levels are not weak. The Osram Vitalux bulbs are VERY strong, but I feel, due to my animals being wild caught and the fact that my cage is 6'10" tall ( the actual occupied space inside ), something stronger and more resembling sunlight can not hurt. They will only be run for 45mins daily, per recommendations from experienced European keepers. I have a UVB meter and I can tell you that the T5s and Mercury Vapor bulbs give out next to nothing 2'-3' away, especially through dense foliage. I even have bulbs not filtered by screen and they are just not giving me the readings that I feel are stimulating to the animals.
I am anxious to compile a thread of approaches here, outlining what keepers are doing, everything from lighting, hydration, and feeding, to temperatures, light cycles, brumation, medications that were well tolerated, issues they have encountered and how they were resolved or what the outcome was, anything at all that can contribute to a body of knowledge that keepers can refer to and that can function as a caresheet.
I will start with my own approach and observations:
Supplements:
I like to use a rotation of products to ensure elements are provided in the form best utilized by the animal.
I lightly dust feeders 3 times a week with plain calcium. 2 times a month I offer Repashy LoD, and twice I offer either Dendrocare, Repashy with A, Herptivite, or Reptivite.
I really like Dendrocare, as it's designed for dart frogs, so the dosage is scaled down and designed to be used with every feeding. It proves well tolerated by montane animals.
Feeding:
My CBB babies, years ago ate mostly crickets, offered frequently, whenever there were no feeders present in the enclosure. I free roamed the crickets and hand fed roaches, as much as they would consume.
My current Wild Caught pair usually only consumes 1 large roach, such as an adult orange head, or occasionally 2-3 items, such as mantids, katydids, hornworm moths, or locusts per day. They typically refuse food until the second or third day, after eating such meals. They show fondness for blue bottle flies, Black Soldier Flies, crickets, and moths, and since these are usually offered in multiple, they will consume several initially and then find them uninteresting, until the supply is exhausted and not offered for some time. Hornworms and superworms are eaten, but with little enthusiasm.
Hydration:
My CBB pair were very young, still orangey tan, unsexed, several month old hatchlings.
They had an ultrasonic humidifier on a timer that would run 3 times a day for an hour or more, so that the foliage and screen was laden with drops of condensed water.
My current pair has had numerous watering schedules provided by misting and by oral syringe, if they are also being given meds. This is at the rate of .5mls at a time. Misting shave been at least 3x 30min sessions a week, with 5-15 minute sessions offered the rest of the week, often several times a day. Currently, I ensure the animals are in direct path of the misting and run the mister for 30-45mins. The water is heated to 85F.
Medications:
I have used Panacur, injectable Ceftazidime (Fortaz), and Silvadene cream for mouth stomatitis, face rub, pinworms, and abrasions. All were well tolerated.
Health issues:
Only in WC animals, and the issues are listed above.
Lighting:
I have used a combination of LED spots, daylight (5000-6500k) tubes ( T8 and T5 ), and on the larger enclosure, a 165 watt Mercury Vapor bulb, and soon 2x 300 watt Osram Vitalux bulbs for 45mins a day.
Light schedule:
My light schedule years ago was 12hrs on and 12 off.
I have never noted a day shorter than 14 hours in nature, so I stagger my lighting now, so that there is a gradual building of intensity and gradual tapering off, totaling a 14hr day length.
Temps:
The temps vary based on where the animals originated from, but I have found 74-76F, with 80-85F basking spots acceptable for both pairs of Orange Eyes. Cooler temps result in decreased appetite, and I have never exposed them to higher temperatures.
Night temperature are between 63F and 70F.
Brumation:
I have never attempted brumation, but plan to as my animals mature and show robust health. I live in the NorthEast and have an AC unit and outside windows to utilize for temp reduction.
Enclosures:
My young, CBB pair was kept in a small, custom built, 2'x1' enclosure, made from wood, polywall, and fiberglass windows screen.
I have utilized 100 gallon reptariums for a short time with my Wild Caught pair, both animals were under 200 grams. The reptariums were poorly tolerated and the animals have done much better in a lush and brightly lit 8'x4'x6'10" enclosure.
Currently a 16'x4'x6'10" enclosure is being constructed.
Cohabitation:
I have read of conflicting reports of success and other of aggression between young animals. I housed my young, CBB pair apart.
My WC pair has been housed together in the very large enclosure, but kept separately in the smaller reptariums. I have never seen signs of stress or aggression in the animals and there are many basking spots, visual barriers, and numerous light, temperature, moisture, and UVB gradients for each animal to utilize.
Gutload:
I have used nurmerous types of fresh produce, but currently am using opuntia cactus pads as a moisture source and a dry mixture, made myself, with an ingredient list attached. The ingredients vary slightly to include different sources of fruits and proteins.
My male is not where I want him to be.
He is feeding, he is strong, he is alert during the day. He has been to an experienced vet, he has been treated and tested for parasites, he has had many adjustments in his care to try to get things just right, but it seems whatever is affecting him is specific to him, as the female is moving along as expected.
The male appears slightly dehydrated. His colors are pale and his eyes appear slightly recessed. It's impossible to accurately capture him in photos, as they always enhance the appearance of his sunken eyes and make him look much worse than he is. His urates are white and the soft tissues on top of the head are plump and full. These are indicators I use to rule out true dehydration.
I have given him water via syringe. I mist with a MistKing 30-45mins daily, and I observe him drink.
My conservation with a keeper in Europe leads me to question what others are doing.
One of his points was that subadult and adult parsons require additional water, given via syringe to the tune of 1/4 liter daily and this has to be given drop by drop on the lips, not into the mouth directly. His insistence is that their hydration needs cannot be met, past jevenile phase, by misting alone.
I am aware keeper supplement water intake with manually offering water through syringe, but are keepers finding this an absolute requirement or can misting be adequate, if offered for long enough durations and with acceptable frequency?
Many other "absolutes" were discussed, many I dismiss or sift the facts from and discard the things I know to be untrue.
This person is VERY knowledgeable and I suspect much of the communication is based on features of his personality, whereby suggestions are given as absolutes.
I can not ignore any reasonable information, since I am 8 months in with this male and still struggling to see him at optimum.
I am installing some new, very strong, German lighting, that was recommended and I see merit in. I realize that many people treat parsonii as dense shade animals and it is true that they do not enjoy hot basking, but they are documented from river margins, plantations, forest edges, and disturbed areas. At higher elevations, the atmosphere is thinner and UVB levels are not weak. The Osram Vitalux bulbs are VERY strong, but I feel, due to my animals being wild caught and the fact that my cage is 6'10" tall ( the actual occupied space inside ), something stronger and more resembling sunlight can not hurt. They will only be run for 45mins daily, per recommendations from experienced European keepers. I have a UVB meter and I can tell you that the T5s and Mercury Vapor bulbs give out next to nothing 2'-3' away, especially through dense foliage. I even have bulbs not filtered by screen and they are just not giving me the readings that I feel are stimulating to the animals.
I am anxious to compile a thread of approaches here, outlining what keepers are doing, everything from lighting, hydration, and feeding, to temperatures, light cycles, brumation, medications that were well tolerated, issues they have encountered and how they were resolved or what the outcome was, anything at all that can contribute to a body of knowledge that keepers can refer to and that can function as a caresheet.
I will start with my own approach and observations:
Supplements:
I like to use a rotation of products to ensure elements are provided in the form best utilized by the animal.
I lightly dust feeders 3 times a week with plain calcium. 2 times a month I offer Repashy LoD, and twice I offer either Dendrocare, Repashy with A, Herptivite, or Reptivite.
I really like Dendrocare, as it's designed for dart frogs, so the dosage is scaled down and designed to be used with every feeding. It proves well tolerated by montane animals.
Feeding:
My CBB babies, years ago ate mostly crickets, offered frequently, whenever there were no feeders present in the enclosure. I free roamed the crickets and hand fed roaches, as much as they would consume.
My current Wild Caught pair usually only consumes 1 large roach, such as an adult orange head, or occasionally 2-3 items, such as mantids, katydids, hornworm moths, or locusts per day. They typically refuse food until the second or third day, after eating such meals. They show fondness for blue bottle flies, Black Soldier Flies, crickets, and moths, and since these are usually offered in multiple, they will consume several initially and then find them uninteresting, until the supply is exhausted and not offered for some time. Hornworms and superworms are eaten, but with little enthusiasm.
Hydration:
My CBB pair were very young, still orangey tan, unsexed, several month old hatchlings.
They had an ultrasonic humidifier on a timer that would run 3 times a day for an hour or more, so that the foliage and screen was laden with drops of condensed water.
My current pair has had numerous watering schedules provided by misting and by oral syringe, if they are also being given meds. This is at the rate of .5mls at a time. Misting shave been at least 3x 30min sessions a week, with 5-15 minute sessions offered the rest of the week, often several times a day. Currently, I ensure the animals are in direct path of the misting and run the mister for 30-45mins. The water is heated to 85F.
Medications:
I have used Panacur, injectable Ceftazidime (Fortaz), and Silvadene cream for mouth stomatitis, face rub, pinworms, and abrasions. All were well tolerated.
Health issues:
Only in WC animals, and the issues are listed above.
Lighting:
I have used a combination of LED spots, daylight (5000-6500k) tubes ( T8 and T5 ), and on the larger enclosure, a 165 watt Mercury Vapor bulb, and soon 2x 300 watt Osram Vitalux bulbs for 45mins a day.
Light schedule:
My light schedule years ago was 12hrs on and 12 off.
I have never noted a day shorter than 14 hours in nature, so I stagger my lighting now, so that there is a gradual building of intensity and gradual tapering off, totaling a 14hr day length.
Temps:
The temps vary based on where the animals originated from, but I have found 74-76F, with 80-85F basking spots acceptable for both pairs of Orange Eyes. Cooler temps result in decreased appetite, and I have never exposed them to higher temperatures.
Night temperature are between 63F and 70F.
Brumation:
I have never attempted brumation, but plan to as my animals mature and show robust health. I live in the NorthEast and have an AC unit and outside windows to utilize for temp reduction.
Enclosures:
My young, CBB pair was kept in a small, custom built, 2'x1' enclosure, made from wood, polywall, and fiberglass windows screen.
I have utilized 100 gallon reptariums for a short time with my Wild Caught pair, both animals were under 200 grams. The reptariums were poorly tolerated and the animals have done much better in a lush and brightly lit 8'x4'x6'10" enclosure.
Currently a 16'x4'x6'10" enclosure is being constructed.
Cohabitation:
I have read of conflicting reports of success and other of aggression between young animals. I housed my young, CBB pair apart.
My WC pair has been housed together in the very large enclosure, but kept separately in the smaller reptariums. I have never seen signs of stress or aggression in the animals and there are many basking spots, visual barriers, and numerous light, temperature, moisture, and UVB gradients for each animal to utilize.
Gutload:
I have used nurmerous types of fresh produce, but currently am using opuntia cactus pads as a moisture source and a dry mixture, made myself, with an ingredient list attached. The ingredients vary slightly to include different sources of fruits and proteins.
