Chameleon Academy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

123: The Cristifer Parson's Chameleon with Aaron Allred Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

In this third part of the Calumma parsonii series we focus on the smaller of the two subspecies, Calumma parsonii cristifer. It has parson's charm, but not all of the challenges of it's larger cousin Calumma parsonii parsonii. Even though this subspecies isn't as well known it is amazing how many people have requested an episode specifically about it! Well, here it is. Aaron Allred hails from the Pacific Northwest and has been working with cristifer for a number of years. He is a great example of someone who used the information available, figured out where to dig deeper, and was able to succeed in hatching them out multiple times. As I play this interview with Aaron, you'll get the basics such as temperature and humidity and some husbandry tips, but when I bring on these breeders, the greatest value actually ends up being hearing their answers to questions you didn't think to type into Google.

122: Breeding Parson's Chameleons with Craig Durbin Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

The Parson's Chameleon has been a tricky species to breed. But we have entered into a stage in our community's growth where we are now able to reliably complete the reproduction cycle. Today we talk to Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons about his experience in breeding Parson's Chameleons.

121: Parson's Chameleon Husbandry with Craig Durbin Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

The Parson's Chameleon is one of the most sought after species and, for good reason. It is a wonderful chameleon to keep. The challenges in reproducing this chameleon have kept the Parson's chameleon rare. But recent successes by some dedicated breeders have given us a chance to enjoy the holy grail of chameleon keeping – captive bred specimens. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons as he shares his experiences with the Parson's Chameleon.

120: Shopping With A Conscience in the Reptile Community Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

The reptile community of which we chameleon people are a part of is like any other community. It is made up of hobbyists and businesses catering to their needs. Today we are going to look into the pet business at the corporate level. I am going to talk about how we as consumers create and shape the community at that level through our decisions. And how "actions speak louder than words" is more than just a cliché.

119 Do Chameleons Make Good Pets? Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

It is easy to be smitten by chameleons. From their patterns, horns, impossibly long tongue, color change, and….just all of what they are, they are truly other-worldly and have a quick charm about them. Their popularity continues to grow through movie appearances and social media exposure. In addition, a growing community of breeders has made robust, captive bred chameleons easily available. But do they make good pets? Today we will discuss what kind of pets chameleons make.

118: Reptile Shows & Chameleons Aug 08, 2019

Show notes

Reptile shows are a blast to go to. You get to see your favorite local vendors and the national brands all in one space. Today we are going to talk about chameleons and reptile shows.

117 Building Your Own Chameleon Cage Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

Making your own chameleon cage can be a fulfilling project and a way to use all your available space for that larger than life chameleon cage. Today I talk about considerations in making your own chameleon cage.

116: Kinyongia carpenteri with Mario Jungmann Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

Kinyongia carpenteri. Most of us have not heard of this name. This is a rarely seen chameleon from the highlands of Uganda. Today we have Mario Jungmann, one of the few people to reproduce this species on to tell us about the husbandry. We may never have a Kinyongia carpenteri ourselves, but just hearing about the steps Mario took to figure out the care can help us the first time in whatever species we may bring home.

115: Maintaining Your Chameleon Cage Jul 19, 2019

Show notes

Once we set up a chameleon cage we need to maintain it and adjust if things are not correct. Today we will talk about tweaking your cage and keeping your chameleon happy.

So you got your cage, did your research, listened to this awesome podcast, and made a gorgeous garden of a cage that fulfilled the Forest Edge 4+4 method from podcast episode 114 perfectly. And then, you introduced the newest reptilian member of the family. What now? Well, I have to let you know that I have dived as deep as I can into how to take care of these little guys and I am only one of a number of people who have done so there is plenty of good information out there, but we are just learners. You have now brought the true master into your home. That is right. We must all bow before the authority of that 4 month old panther chameleon who knows chameleons 100 times better than the best of us.

Once you have your cage set-up and it hits all the numbers in the caresheet perfectly your next step is to throw away the care sheet. From this point on, you are going to adjust your cage based on the behavior of your chameleon. Caresheets are general numbers that have generally worked. You are working with a specific chameleon in your specific room environment. So, the caresheets are not wrong. But view them only as a starting point to get everything set-up. This is the third module in a three part podcast series. It started with episode 113 which helping understanding how to select the right cage type and continued to episode 114 where I introduced the Forest Edge 4+4 method of putting together an effective chameleon cage. I am going to close it off in this episode by addressing how you interpret your chameleon's behavior to refine the details. Every chameleon will be different. And they may do the unexpected. We need to adjust to their particular comfort levels.

So let's make use of that Forest Edge 4+4 method and look for behaviors and clues for each aspect to make sure our chameleon is happy.

114: Setting Up A Chameleon Cage Jul 12, 2019

Show notes

One of the most important things we will do as chameleon keepers is set up our chameleon's home. This is where our fantastical beast will need to find everything required for a happy chameleon life. Today we talk about how to set up a chameleon cage effectively and I introduce the 4+4 checklist to help simplify that process.

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