The World's Largest Collection of Meller's. The "OctoMellerium"

[ChamAllen]

Hi all,

I am in a joint project with Prehistoric Pets of Fountain Valley CA and Backwater Reptiles to produce the largest and most well populated freerange environment for Meller's Chameleon's that has ever existed!

The environments will span over 60 feet of pathways, fountains, sunning spots, misting areas and hiding places for eight lucky Melleri and will be featured in the Reptile Zoo at Prehistoric Pets.



Melissa, in the picture attached, is making an open invitation for anyone who visits Chameleon Forums to attend the Grand Opening of the one and only "OctoMellerium" on July 31st, 2014.

 

[ataraxia]

I cant wait to see pictures of this!

 

[nick barta]

Wouldn't the largest free-range Meller's be Madagascar?

Nick

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Wouldn't the largest free-range Meller's be Madagascar?

Nick

Nick

Actually a correction the largest free range would be the East African countries of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[gooofycivic]

This sounds awesome! I'm from so cal so I'll def be making a trip out there. R u planning on breeding these beautiful creàtures?

 

[ChamAllen]

Breeding?

Never even seen a Meller egg. Maybe they'll surprise us.

 

[Olimpia]

That sounds like an awesome project! I bet you'll have a lot of fun setting that up.

 

[ChamAllen]

That sounds like an awesome project! I bet you'll have a lot of fun setting that up.

Thanks Olympia. Any biological or ecological advice?

 

[laurie]

What time is the opening? I live in Montana but I will be there!

 

[ChamAllen]

What time is the opening? I live in Montana but I will be there!

We're shooting for July 31st as the Grand Opening date.

 

[ChamAllen]

Opening of the OctoMellerium Project

We're shooting for July 31st as the Grand Opening date.

Hi All,

We have a firm opening date of Wednesday July 30th, 2014.

I've attached the Press Release Poster and the Event Poster for more details.

Also, we've decided to add besides the 8 Meller's a bunch of Fisher's and Jackson's as these three species get along beautifully in my free-range enviro at home.

Hope to see everyone who can make it.

Besides the attached you might want to watch this video of the arrival of the Melleri and the way kids go crazy over these critters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2aNLkWazX8

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Hi All,

We have a firm opening date of Wednesday July 30th, 2014.

I've attached the Press Release Poster and the Event Poster for more details.

Also, we've decided to add besides the 8 Meller's a bunch of Fisher's and Jackson's as these three species get along beautifully in my free-range enviro at home.

Hope to see everyone who can make it.

Besides the attached you might want to watch this video of the arrival of the Melleri and the way kids go crazy over these critters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2aNLkWazX8

Adding multiple species to a free range especially centered around an aggressive species such as Trioceros melleri is extremely risky. I recommend reconsidering adding other species to your free range.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[ChamAllen]

Adding multiple species to a free range especially centered around an aggressive species such as Trioceros melleri is extremely risky. I recommend reconsidering adding other species to your free range.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

Hi, one of the myths I'm trying to dispel is that you can't keep disparate species of chameleons together if the environment is large enough.

Keeping a small chameleon with a large chameleon in a small cage --> Bad

Keeping two chameleons of any species together in a small cage --> Bad

Keeping 15 chameleons of 6 different species (only one male veiled though) together in a 20 ft. by 20 ft extremely wooded and vined and forested tent --> Good!

I currently have this set up in my backyard and have had two Chameleon deaths in the 14 months I've had the set up and neither one was from fighting or the stress of seeing other chameleons.

Most Chameleon owners have never had the pleasure of having a really, really big free range for their pets. Panthers, Mellers, Jackson's larger Fisher's and Oustalets all get along fine together.

It's always fight or flight problems that lead to harmful stress. My chams do occasionally express aggression when for example another chameleon steps on their tail. But they always calm down when one or the other of them back off and away.

Have you seen the Attenborough video on Meller's fighting? If not, you should look it up. I've seen my Meller's (all 8 of them) get into a fight with each other only once and they behaved exactly as in the video. Ear flapping, jousting and then one backs off.

Even with veiled's who are more aggressive than any other species, I can put a 5" male into my free range and he'll initially make threats against some of the other chams and after a few days he's as docile as the rest of the chams. I wouldn't however put an adult male veiled in with the other free rangers.

I know all this is counter to traditional husbandry thoughts on chameleons but my experience is extensive and counter to what is thought to be best practice.

Thanks.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Hi, one of the myths I'm trying to dispel is that you can't keep disparate species of chameleons together if the environment is large enough.

Keeping a small chameleon with a large chameleon in a small cage --> Bad

Keeping two chameleons of any species together in a small cage --> Bad

Keeping 15 chameleons of 6 different species (only one male veiled though) together in a 20 ft. by 20 ft extremely wooded and vined and forested tent --> Good!

I currently have this set up in my backyard and have had two Chameleon deaths in the 14 months I've had the set up and neither one was from fighting or the stress of seeing other chameleons.

Most Chameleon owners have never had the pleasure of having a really, really big free range for their pets. Panthers, Mellers, Jackson's larger Fisher's and Oustalets all get along fine together.

It's always fight or flight problems that lead to harmful stress. My chams do occasionally express aggression when for example another chameleon steps on their tail. But they always calm down when one or the other of them back off and away.

Have you seen the Attenborough video on Meller's fighting? If not, you should look it up. I've seen my Meller's (all 8 of them) get into a fight with each other only once and they behaved exactly as in the video. Ear flapping, jousting and then one backs off.

Even with veiled's who are more aggressive than any other species, I can put a 5" male into my free range and he'll initially make threats against some of the other chams and after a few days he's as docile as the rest of the chams. I wouldn't however put an adult male veiled in with the other free rangers.

I know all this is counter to traditional husbandry thoughts on chameleons but my experience is extensive and counter to what is thought to be best practice.

Thanks.

Hey there

I have seen what your are doing occasionally work out for short term period. However I have heard horror stories about what you are trying to accomplish with long term colonies. I have seen colonies of free ranging Trioceros melleri that were done long term (summoner12 is a good example). However I am not going to endorse mixing a large free range with multiple species long term. You said you have already had two loses in 14 months plus with occasional unsupervised fighting?

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Camsofcali]

Cool idea!!! I'm all for free ranging but I think the multiple species idea might not be best. Stress isn't always outwardly expressed by chams and they will just slowly go down hill and end up catching some type of illness from their immune systems being compromised. It might be a slow demise but it definately happens when colonies are kept. I have experience with keeping a large colony of Jackson's and they get stressed just being within sight of each other. Good luck though and maybe ill make it down to check it out.

 

[ataraxia]

I wasnt going to comment but what the hay. What has ever stopped me before...I was extremely excited to hear of this project and to now be let down.

Not all species work well together in even the largest of free ranges. You are putting lions in with feral cats. I have personally watch "not with intention" and by complete mistake a chameleon eat another chameleon. I would like to say this has happened only once but it has not. I dont have a free range but my chameleon room is 38'X12' and the predator has moved to the location of prey in that space. How you handled the melleri in the video. I have a melleri here that would teach you a lesson when showing you stress colors. Do as you wish but if one is to have a want to eat and has prey "even a chameleon" that can fit in its mouth it will eat it.

We should respect what is not willingly being forced to.

 

[junglefries]

protein upon protein

I am too uneducated to comment on this debate. However, wouldn't the cham eating the other cham experience high amounts of unwanted fat. Kind of in the same way as feeding on pinkies or wax worms? It seems that if one eats another sizeable one, that two deaths are possible. At the very least, gout?

 

[ataraxia]

I am too uneducated to comment on this debate. However, wouldn't the cham eating the other cham experience high amounts of unwanted fat. Kind of in the same way as feeding on pinkies or wax worms? It seems that if one eats another sizeable one, that two deaths are possible. At the very least, gout?

Any harm done from animal protein/fat is done with consistency/time. One meal once in a great while wont cause the issue.