Stunning Giant Fischer's, Dresden!

[Todnedo]

Which one? Todd's male or mine (Dresden)??

I can't speak for Todd, but Dresden won't be a daddy till next winter. I have several clutches that will hatch before then though!

My female laid on 1/13/11 so if its a 13 month incubation it's going to be next winter for me to.

 

[CNorton]

I'm loving these Giant Fischer chameleons. Stunning chameleons!

PM me if you want to be put on a baby list. I expect little ones within the month...but they'll stay with me to get bigger for a little while.

 

[Rob G]

Awesome cham!! Love the fischers and your guy has nice coloration. Wish I had him and/ or the money at the moment to make another setup

 

[Todnedo]

Chad Put me down for a 1.2 please

 

[Cainschams]

PM me if you want to be put on a baby list. I expect little ones within the month...but they'll stay with me to get bigger for a little while.

You know I want one!!!!

 

[CNorton]

Chad Put me down for a 1.2 please

You know I want one!!!!

Duly noted.



I keep checking on the eggs and they look sooo big. I pulled out some eggs laid in February and they look tiny compared to these 12 month-ers. We'll see though, maybe I screwed something up. I'm trying not to count these babies before they hatch!

 

[CNorton]

I keep checking on the eggs and they look sooo big. I pulled out some eggs laid in February and they look tiny compared to these 12 month-ers. We'll see though, maybe I screwed something up. I'm trying not to count these babies before they hatch!

For posterity's sake, the eggs all hatched 2 months after this post.

 

[showjet95]

so how many babies do you have all together?

 

[Cainschams]

so how many babies do you have all together?

Whatever the count you gotta subtract two!!

 

[CNorton]

Paul, I do have over 15 babies but have lost several. My husbandry has been spot on so on I'm pretty sure they were just weak. So hard to know...


Not that anyone "needs" any more information on this species as I seem to bombard the forums with everything I know/learn BUT here is a video of Dresden's first courting.

http://youtu.be/Hk7fscivExE

 

[clarkrw3]

Chad, I am SO sorry you have lost a few!! I can't imagine the frustration in having everything correct and still....

I watched that video last week and the 40min one. Man when you say it's a slow approach you aren't kidding!! I kept waiting for some action You have a clutch or two from him as well correct? He is SUCH a stunning male!

 

[jannb]

Dresden is so handsome. He looks funny doing the head bob. I am sorry to hear that you lost a few. I hope the others all do well for you. They certainly are adorable.

 

[CNorton]

Dresden is finally a daddy today! His babies have taken a short 12 months (363 days) to hatch while others of the species typically have taken 14 months.

Can't wait to see the color combinations and personalities!

 

[clarkrw3]

Congrats Chad!!!! That is wonderful news. I can't wait to see how these differ from your other clutches. We need pics What do you contribute the difference in gestation period to? Where they in the same substrate and temps? Did you use any tricks that you learned in hatching the first two Gfischer clutches?

 

[Cainschams]

AWESOME!!!! Congrats on yet another successful incubation!!

 

[Seeco]

Congrats Chad!!!! That is wonderful news. I can't wait to see how these differ from your other clutches. We need pics What do you contribute the difference in gestation period to? Where they in the same substrate and temps? Did you use any tricks that you learned in hatching the first two Gfischer clutches?

Ya, spill the beans!

 

[CNorton]

The incubation method I used this time was a higher diapause temp of about 67F for less time with higher overall incubation temp not exceeding 72F.

I really hope the babies are not weaker since the shorter incubation period may have "rushed" them but then again we have no idea how long their natural incubation time is. I have thought long and hard about this and it seemed more plausible to me that a 12 month incubation would be more advantageous in the wild than a 14 month incubation. Also, talking with a biologist doing surveys in the East Usambaras, I was amazed to hear how consistent air temperatures were with very narrow temperature variances. Now factor in the stabilizing effect on temperature of being buried 10-18 inches in the ground and you've got what I guess to be about a 6degree fluctuation.


This is my thinking behind it. And like all things uncharted and unknown, here goes another round of trial and error! Please let me know what you think. Especially you, Louis! I've not heard any details on your incubation methods.

 

[Seeco]

Ooh these babies look good. My "method" is to stay as close to 70F as my exo terra incubator allows, and then just crank it up a touch at 11 months (mostly out of impatience lol). Since usually I have a year's worth of clutches in my incubator, a long diapause is not possible as the clutches are all at different phases. I do not have superpowered babies but they do all right, perhaps a little slow at first.

Nice work. Honestly they look very well developed. Big bodies, long limbs.

 

[clarkrw3]

Thanks for the pictures. WOW look at the markings on that little dude right out of the egg!! These guys are going to be AWESOME!!

 

[hallenhe]

Congrats on another clutch!