chameleonacademy.com
Aug/Sept 2023
Chameleon Academy
Journal
Happy Chameleon Keeping Experience
Different Care for Jackson’s subspecies?
AnimalCon 2023
Red-eyed Crocodile Skinks
Welcome message
Welcome to the first issue of the Chameleon Academy Journal.
My goal with this Journal is to recapture an experience. Thirty
years ago we would look forward to getting our favorite magazine
in the mail. My favorite thing to do would be to save it for Saturday
morning when I could relax with a cup of coffee and watch the sun
come up while I read the magazine from front to back. If I needed information I could go
straight to a specific article. But if I wanted an experience I read from front to back to enjoy
what the editors wanted to share. These were special times for me where I could immerse
myself in what I loved.
Information is not as scarce as it used to be. Now, if we want information , a quick internet
search churns up more information than we could hope to, or even want to, absorb! That
is an incredible change in the world. Our required skill set has switched from locating
information to sorting through the deluge of data to extract what is useful! Just looking at the
text, videos, and podcast episodes available on the Chameleon Academy, I worry that the
amount of information there can be overwhelming! We just keep adding on to our knowledge
base every year! I find that my job here is evenly split between working on pushing our
husbandry forward and simply making what we already know understandable to the person
just starting out. But, back to that experience. I love that you can enjoy good informational
chameleon videos on your phone and I love that you can bring chameleon discussion with
you to listen in the car. And, if you would indulge me, I would like to bring back my Saturday
morning quiet time with chameleons. And so I invite you to join me every other month on the
first Saturday morning of the month to relax and enjoy reading this Journal.
The Chameleon Academy Journal will present topics that will be further expanded upon in
podcasts and videos over the subsequent two months. So this journal is not a record of what
has happened, but what is to come! On most articles you will find
the date a podcast or video will be released on that topic.
We can’t go back to the way things were. But maybe I can start a
new tradition. Every other month, on the first Saturday, you’ll wake
up to the email notification that your Journal is ready. Cuddle up
with your dogs and a hot cup of coffee and enjoy this exploration of
the chameleons we love so much. It is good to have you along on
this journey!
Bill Strand
Male Trioceros quadricornis quadricornis
When we are working on what the husbandry
should be for various chameleon species we start off
with what works and then progress to what is ideal.
Chameleons, like every living being, have a certain
tolerance range in conditions under which they can
function, grow, and reproduce. The more ideal the
conditions the more healthy and long lived they can
be. Conversely, the more time they spend at the edge
of their tolerance zone the less successful they will be.
And this is why, if you consider chameleon husband-
ry an art, you want to go beyond what just works. We
know breathing and breeding is the minimum of living
life. And we push forward to give our chameleons the
maximum quality of life we can.
This takes constantly exploring new ways to get
closer to nature (at least the nurturing side!), but it also
requires constant re-evaluation of what we think we
already know. But, enough of the preamble and expla-
nation of why we are here! For this issue I am re-eval-
uating the belief that the husbandry for the Machakos
Hills Jackson’s Chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii jacksonii)
is identical to the husbandry for the Yellow-Crested
Jackson’s Chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus).
Yes, we know it works. They have been successfully
raised and bred to multiple generations in cages next to
each other and in identical conditions. But, the ques-
tion still remains, could we give more ideal conditions?
These two subspecies come from different areas. How
close are the environments of these areas, really? And,
even if they are close, are the chameleons in the same
micro-climates? These things matter significantly! A
canopy species will experience much different condi-
tions than the deep forest species 20 meters below. And
so we must explore this question by talking to someone
who has actually been there and can provide chame-
leon observations.
We are lucky to have someone that fits that de-
scription. Dr. Jan Stipala, the author of Mountain Drag-
ons, was kind enough to speak with me about whether
the conditions were different enough to warrant differ-
ent husbandry. Jan spend time traveling from mountain
top to mountain top in Kenya to study the chameleons
there. The more common Yellow-crested Jackson’s
comes from he south eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya while
the Machakos Hills Jackson’s Chameleon comes from
(are you ready for this?) the hills outside of the city of
Machakos, Kenya.
Machakos Hills vs Yellow-Crested
Jackson’s Chameleons
Should we keep them differently?
The Yellow-Crested Jackson’s Chameleon
comes from the south eastern slopes of Mt.
Kenya in Kenya.
The Machakos Hills Jackson’s Chameleon
comes from the hills outside the city of
Machakos in Kenya.
In speaking with Jan we learned of a new prob-
lem. So much of the original forest outside of Machakos
had been replaced with coffee plantations and farming
that it was difficult to tell what the natural behaviors in
the natural vegetation would be! This is a story that is
retold across the world. We go to nature to study cha-
meleons in their wild condition, but we find that their
home is gone and we can only study how (or if) they
have adapted to the deforested region and introduced
or invasive plants.
The situation with Machakos has been on my
mind because so many pictures of the area show it
dusty or farmland while the pictures of the T. j. xan-
tholophus areas seem to be lush forest. So what do we
make of this? The conversation with Jan gave some in-
teresting information. There used to be much more for-
est in the Machakos area and there are presently coffee
plantations in the area where the T. j. xantholophus live.
The elevation is within the same magnitude between
the two areas and both the original and deforested ar-
eas exist in the two areas. So it is reasonable to accept
that the Machakos Hills Jackson’s Chameleon evolved
in conditions similar to T. j. xantholophus. This is given
further weight when we observe T. j. xantholophus in the
coffee trees in its range behaving like the subspecies
around Machakos.
In the end, we appear to have arrived right
where we started. At least for this round, we conclude
that we give the same husbandry to the two difference
subspecies. But it really is more than being back where
we started. The conclusion may be the same, but we
now have explored what we thought we knew and have
given it some weight.
In this internet world where information is
easily gained with no sacrifice it is too easy to miss the
weight behind the person who challenges and evalu-
ates what they say. This is something we all must do
to ensure our future exploration is not hobbled by a
previous assumption that was not proved out. Likewise,
although I am honored by your trust in what I present, I
also encourage you to go through the steps yourself in
case I missed something. And this is why I present my
interviews to you. It is so you can explore along side me
and add your perspective to our community growth.
The interview with Dr. Jan Stipala airs on the Chame-
leon Academy Podcast on Saturday, August 12, 2023.
This is the wild habitat of the Yellow-Crested
Jackson’s Chameleon on the Eastern side of Mt.
Kenya. This is the kind of terrain we would ex-
pect an exotic looking chameleon to come from!
Image from Mountain Dragons
This is the wild habitat of the Machakos Hills
Jackson’s Chameleon outside of Machakos,
Kenya. Just a comparison of the two photos
would lead us to think that the two subspecies
would need to have different husbandry con-
ditions. It is important that we unravel these
contradictions.
Image from Mountain Dragons
Jan Stipala
Jan Stipala
Listen to the entire interview with Dr. Jan Stipala on
Saturday, August 11, 2023!
I have limited numbers of the most beautiful chameleon
book our community has. Mountain Dragons is a pho-
tographic record of the study taken by Dr. Jan Stipala
through the mountains of Kenya.
Images include forms of Jackson’s Chameleon seen
nowhere else and chameleon species most people have
never heard of! It is full of beautiful images, a fun telling
of his adventures there, and a scientific analysis of the
chameeons and their environment. Images on this page
are from the book.
This book was self-published by Jan and is available in
the US through the Dragon Strand chameleon caging
company. You can purchase a copy here:
https://dragonstrand.com/product/mountain-dragons-by-jan-stipala/
Subscriber Image Gallery
Jurgen Van Overbeke
Trioceros johnstoni
“The Johnston’s Chameleon is one of my all time
favorite species. I have kept them for over ten years
now. Although they look close to the very common
Jackson’s Chameleon, they are a totally different
species. The coloration in the males and females
are stunning. This can go from blues to reds to
orange and all the colors you can imagine!
The male you see in the picture is one I have bred
myself and is one and a half years old. It is the
Rwenzori form, also known as the Red Johnston’s
Chameleon. It originates from the Rwenzori
Mountains in Uganda and Congo.”
Calumma globifer
“This is one of the larger Calumma
species from Madagascar. Although
closely related to the Parson’s
Chameleons, it is a totally different
species. It is not an easy species to
keep and breed so it is definitely
only for experts. This is, for sure, one
of the jewels of Madagascar!”
Trioceros perreti
“Trioceros perreti is known as the
Peacock Chameleon and is also one
of my all time favorites. It is a bit of
a smaller species. It is a medium
size about the size of a carpet
chameleon and it is also beautifully
colored. Beautiful colors are seen in
both male and female. This one is
really a pleasure to keep!”
Trioceros montium
“This is a mountain species only
found in Cameroon and a favorite
of mine. I have kept and bred this
species for almost 20 years now.
Males look like a dragon with
the sail fins and horns. Trioceros
montium is a stunning species and,
by far, one of the most beautiful to
keep!”
Jurgen Van Overbeke is a former zookeeper who has held a long time fascination
with chameleons. He lives in Belgium breeding a number of rare chameleon species that ensure that his only
vacations are every day to the chameleon room! Today he introduces us to some of his favorite chameleon
species. Jurgen will be discussing some of the growth he has seen in the European chameleon community
over the last 30 years on the September 8 episode of the Chameleon Academy Podcast!
Five Hints
For a Happy
Chameleon
Keeping
Experience
It is very easy to get excited about chameleons. And just like everything else that excites us
it is very easy to think that more of what is good is better! You all know the story. You fall in
love with something and you get obsessed with it! Since you are here reading a magazine
about chameleons you are the type of person to know how easy they can become an addic-
tion! You get fascinated with chameleons, and then learn just how many different types of
chameleons there are. And then you go down a rabbit hole of learning about nutrition, para-
sites, geography, biology and all sorts of other -ologies. You somehow convince your spouse
to go on vacation to Madagascar and are trying to figure out how to convince them that
“pardalis” would be a cool middle name for your new baby. Yep, typical story.
We find great joy in chameleons. This excitement often leads to expanding your collection
and it is not uncommon for keepers to graduate into becoming chameleon breeders. Unfor-
tunately, it is also not uncommon for keepers to get in over their head, become burned out,
and have a stress level higher than enjoyment. But we love chameleons so much we don’t
recognize the situation for what it is! Although people often do something enjoyable until it is
no longer enjoyable and then try something else ad infinitum, there are ways to avoid burn-
ing out. If you keep these five things in mind you will maximize your enjoyment and minimize
your stress. As someone who lives this day in and day out I can attest to their effectiveness!
It isn’t easy backing into these things, but if you start with these in mind you will have a
much greater sense of fulfillment in your chameleon experience!
Male Ambilobe Panther Chameleon
Go Beyond Minimum Cage Size
My first thing suggestion is to get a cage that is 50% or 100% larger than the minimum cage
size you find on the care guides for your selected species and gender of chameleon. If your
minimum is listed as a 2’x2’x4’ cage then get a 3’x2’x4’ cage or a 4’x2’x4’ cage. Or go larger if
you are handy with tools. This can be tricky as abnormal age sizes are not readily available,
but you also don’t have to do this right away. You can start with the minimum cage size. In
fact, that might be easier because most of the voices on social media do not have experience
with cages beyond the minimum. But, have it in your mind that you will be upgrading after
the first year. This isn’t as disruptive or expensive as it sounds. You certainly can totally up-
grade the cage to a high end larger cage, but you can also just add on another 2x2x4 screen
cage to the one you already have to double the space. The logistics will be different in each
situation. But let’s go into why we should do
this.
Our challenge as the creators of our chame-
leon’s environment is to give them as many
micro-climates as possible. Micro-climates
are the small spaces that give us more or
less of light, heat, humidity, or security. The
more space you have to work with the more
micro-climates you can offer your chameleon
and the more they can take care of them-
selves. If you have room for one more cage
next to your first cage consider expanding the
cage for your original chameleon instead of
getting another chameleon.
Keep only half of what you are able to keep.
So, how could you figure out what a good
balance is between the excitement of collect-
ing and the fulfillment of a quality life for your
chameleon? Do an analysis of how many cha-
meleons you could keep in the space, money,
and time you have available. Then make your
maximum number of chameleons to be half that. The thing that sneaks up on chameleon
keepers the most is the time it takes to properly care for them. I encourage automation, but
the more clever you get in having your set-up take care of itself the more detached you be-
come. We generally gauge whether we can expand our chameleon keeping project with
respect to whether we have enough money or do we have enough space to put in another
minimum sized cage. But I am going to raise a big flag here and say you need to jealously
guard your time. Even if it just a little bit more, those little bit mores add up. And we think it is
no problem to just add another chameleon. The additional time is immaterial. And this, in a
vacuum is correct, but it is not hard to find breeders and even keepers who spend their en-
Female Yellow-lipped Parson’s Chameleon
tire free time taking care of all the chameleons. Figure out how many chameleons you could
take care of during the time you have. And then don’t let the number of chameleons you keep
go above half that number. This will give you time to sit, enjoy, and engage in deeper learn-
ing.
Indoor/Outdoor cages for your chameleon.
With half your time spent caring for your chameleon you have half your time to consider how
to increase quality of life. One thing that could do wonders for your chameleon is outdoor
time. And I do not mean just taking the indoor chameleon cage and putting it outdoors. That
is a quick way to kill the plants, the chameleon, or both. But the benefits of natural, unfiltered
sunlight are indisputable. The natural ebb and flow of humidity and the gentle breezes are
magic for chameleons when they have the
ability to regulate their time in the sun or
shade. The best situation you can create for
your chameleon is to have both an outdoor
and indoor cage.
A very nice outdoor cage would be a large,
cage around 4’ x 4’ and 7’ tall heavily planted,
and sitting on bare soil. Most every informa-
tion source out there describes an indoor
cage and you do have to be careful as outdoor
husbandry has important differences. I go
over outdoor cage husbandry in some other
podcast episodes so refer to those to be able
to put one together. Even if you can only use
it a short time during the summer an outdoor
cage will be a significant bump up in your
chameleon’s health.
First Time Breeding? Keep only four baby
chameleons.
Breeding your chameleon is a next step many
people take. Even if they only do it once for
the experience breeding, done wrong, can
be a deeply upsetting experience. The huge problem with breeding chameleons is that the
babies do not like to be kept with each other and will passive-aggressively bully and com-
pete with each other. This means they should be separated for proper husbandry. Having
one cage space for each baby can get expensive, will take up a great deal of space, and eat
up a great deal of time to maintain. The reason why so many breeders raise babies in a bin
together is because it is much more convenient. They have developed skills to know who
to separate when. And this is a constant judgment process you must go through or else you
may will come home to damaged bodies from being bitten, tail ends nipped off, and smaller
ones growing more and more slowly due to being intimidated by the bigger ones.
Single hatchling Panther Chameleon Cage
So, how can you experience the joy of breeding without taking on this enormous infrastruc-
ture building and time commitment? It is simple. To have a good experience breeding for
the first time I suggest finding someone nearby that can take newly hatched babies and you
keep only four. And I don’t mean family and friends or someone from the classifieds. I mean
an experienced member of the chameleon community who is local and has experience
raising hatchling chameleons. If you are just wanting to experience of breeding, incubating,
and raising up hatchlings it is so much nicer to raise up four hatchlings while learning rather
than 30. The greater the number you are working with the more diluted your attention and
the more homogeneous and simple each cage husbandry has to be. You only have X amount
of time and you either spread that over 30 or spread that over four. Remember, my goal with
this episode is not to tell you how to be a successful retail breeder who is able to produce a
couple hundred panther a year. My goal in this episode is for you to maintain enjoyment and
happiness in keeping chameleons. You can have the breeding experience and maintain the
initial enjoyment if you limit the babies you are raising to a small and manageable number.
Only keep the babies that you have time to spoil. I like using 16”x16”x30” cages or, better yet
to hold them until 6 months old I use 18” x 18” x36” cages.
And, finally, my fifth suggestion for keeping happiness in chameleon keeping is to breed at
least one feeder insect. The easiest to look into are dubia roaches, or an equivalent roach
species if your area won’t let you keep dubia. But you can also try super worms, black soldier
flies, or silkworms depending on what you have available as far as land or mulberry trees.
The purpose for this is two fold. First, learning
about taking care of a feeder is a novelty and
challenging. And you get to see the satisfac-
tion when your chameleon enjoys a special
treat that you raised up yourself and know
it is nutritious because you fed it yourself! It
also gives you a buffer against not being able
to get feeder shipped in due to heat, freezing,
or natural disaster. If you only have a cou-
ple chameleons you may have the problem
of over production, but here is where it is a
good thing to start thinking with a business
mindset. You do not want to slow production
so just sell the excess either to chameleon
people or on the local classifieds to any rep-
tile keeper around. You would be surprised at
how much easier it is to make money raising
roaches than it is to raise chameleons!
This is a very fun product to do with kids as
well and can easily turn into a fascination.
Once you have had success with dubia roach-
es try some isopods. Those are the pill bugs
Dairy Cow Isopod
you played with as a kid. And once you find out how many different varieties of isopods there
are you can easily get sucked up into the isopod collecting world. And so if you have that na-
ture of a collector, feed it with isopods instead of chameleons. It is just as fulfilling, but much
cheaper and the care is much easier!
Conclusion
I have been keeping, breeding, and studying chameleons for many decades. But I have also
been studying the community and I know the entire community is affected by the trends or
the things that people are bragging about. Back in the 90s is was all about how many spe-
cies were on your species kept list. But today I am very happy to say that more and more
people are taking pride in the quality of their husbandry. This is one of the most promising
shifts in the history of chameleon keeping. And I don’t think it is a coincidence. It is the natu-
ral order of things. We first learn how to keep them alive. We then learn how to reliably breed
them. And then we start turning our thoughts to how to care for them the best possible way.
And this leads us to quality of care. But this isn’t a progression you have to make as an in-
dividual. That is the community’s progress. You starting now means you don’t have to figure
out how to keep them alive. Just follow the instructions. You don’t have to breed a chameleon
to consider yourself an expert. Now breeding a panther chameleon, at least, is relatively sim-
ple. Sure, it takes a lot of work and you do need to build skills to do it, but it is not a mystery.
We know how to do it. It is an advanced recipe, but it is still a recipe today. So there is no
reason for you to have to prove anything by breeding chameleons. It can be for enjoyment
if you decide to do it at all. But we are at the point where we are turning our eyes away from
sterile enclosures and creating beautiful environments where we watch heat, humidity, UVB,
and hydration. In today’s community the bragging is in the creation of the environment. And
the very cool thing about that is that you can stay on the path of enjoyment and be a full par-
ticipant in the stage the chameleon community is in right now.
This article is an abridged version of the July 29, 2023 audio podcast episode of the Cha-
meleon Academy Podcast. You may listen to the entire episode on any podcast player.
The Collector Mindset vs. the Husbandry Mindset
The collector mindset is when the chameleon world is like a candy shop to you.
Lots of bright colors and dragon shapes all over and you want to collect them all. What hap-
pens as this goes on is that you only do the minimum size cage so you can fit more cages in
the space you have. And when you get more skilled and can effectively create cage interiors
where you can keep a chameleon healthy in a smaller cage you start using smaller cages
to be more efficient. Breeders do this as well, but that is a different situation. The collector’s
mindset is based on the excitement of adding names to your species list. And if you look
at what your chameleon cages look like you will probably find the cages looking more and
more sterile and easy to maintain. Please do not feel like I am judging you. I am still pulling
myself out of that stage and am in no position to judge anyone. I am warning you as to where
the collector mindset leads. It is not a path to fulfillment. It always needs more.
The husbandry mindset, on the other hand, is exciting to figure out how to make
the chameleon’s environment higher and higher quality. Your challenge includes figuring
out how to run the hydration cycles based on your chameleon’s individual needs. You have
plans on how to give a bigger space or how to add an outdoor cage for the warmer weather
months. And you have time to observe and deeply pay attention to your chameleon’s indi-
vidual needs because you are not spreading your attention across ten chameleons in sterile
enclosures. What the husbandry mindset does is obsess over the internal environment and
the quality of life your chameleon has.
Do you see how there is a very real mindset difference between the collector and
husbandry mindsets? It could also be termed the quantity and quality mindset. The collector
mindset keeps you superficial with your chameleon while the husbandry mindset takes you
deep into the art of chameleon herpetoculture. With the collector mindset you are proud of
how many chameleon species you have kept. With the husbandry mindset you are proud
with the beauty of your environment, the longevity of your chameleon, and the subtle behav-
iors you are seeing.
Now, realistically, there is no 100% collector and 100% husbandry mindset. In reality,
we are all a certain mix of collector and husbandry mindsets. And if you recognize these
forces playing on you then you make sure that you have balance.
Collecting isn’t inherently bad. Collecting becomes a problem when it compromises
quality of husbandry to accommodate quantity of chameleons. Collecting has a strong do-
pamine response. It feels good. So just keep a watch on that drug. Make sure you keep it in
control and are making deliberate decisions that lead you where you want to go.
A Thought for the Day...
TIME FOR ANIMALCON 2023!
On September 15-17th, Animal content creators from around
the world will gather on Orlando, Florida for the second
annual AnimalCon Conference. This is a chance for creators
to get to know each other in person an then for fans to meet
their favorite YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagrammers, and, yes,
even podcasters!
The conference consists of multiple sessions where a
moderator and panelists discuss a certain topic. AnimalCon
is the brainchild of Brian Barczyk who could be seen tirelessly
running around making sure everything went smoothly!
I suspect that I will not be able to do my usual YouTube live
session on Sat, Sept 16, but I promise to be posting events
throughout the event and will see if I can find a time to go
live and give you a tour! I’ll give as much advanced notice as
possible but this would be a good weekend to stay close to
YouTube!
If any of you are able to travel to Orlando and enjoy the
creators in our community then come on down and say hello!
I will be releasing an episode after I get back giving you a
complete run down of what went on. You can expect that
episode to release on Saturday, September 23!
Last year I had a great time meeting other creators and fans
of the Chameleon Academy. Come if you can, watch out for
my spontaneous live sessions while there, or tune in for my
review the Saturday after! For more information you can learn
about AnimalCon here---->
https://animalconusa.com/
Product Recommendations
This section is for products I am currently using and recommend. Many of them will have affilate links and/or
coupon codes. If they are available then I will be compensated for any purchase at no cost to you.
I have tried many bioactive soils. It really is hard to tell the difference sometimes. The one that I have settled
on is the Terra Firma from thebiodude.com. I like the consistency and my plants are growing strong in it. It
is formulated to not need a drainage layer. I have been using it for months without a drainage layer and I am
pleasently surprised! It doesn’t hurt that they are available in 36 qt. bags. Above you can see how well my
plants are doing. This is a cage for a panther chameleon. We in the community are working more and more
with bioactive environments. The next article is about crocodile skinks and that very well may be where my
next order of Terra Firma soil goes to!
Click the Terra Firma Product image to go to the product.
On check out, use the coupon code CHAMELEON10 for 10% off your entire order! (except for certain
cages)
We go through inventory spikes and dips with UVB bulbs.
And it is quite annoying to not be able to find the bulb you
need when you need it. So I just stock up when they are
available and then I don’t have to worry about them being
available when I need them. If you use T5 24” fixtures then
you can get the Arcadia 6% or 12% from TheBioDude.com.
Click on the product images to go to the product pages.
Today I am featuring some favorite products from TheBioDude.com. Josh Halter,
the founder, is one of those CEOs who care about their employees. His company
specializes in creating bioactive environments which I am doing more and more
of. He also carries lighting, misting systems, and other dry goods. The coupon
code CHAMELEON10 will get you 10% off of your entire cart (except for select
cages)
The Outer Fringes!
Tribolonotus:
The Crocodile Skink
I love dragons! I can’t imagine many people in the reptile world don’t share the same love! Chameleons are
incredible, but there are so many other amazing species out there and I explore them through the Outer
Fringes episodes! More than just a species profile, I come at it from the perspective of a chameleon person
so you know what chameleon keeping skills you have transfers over!
At this point I am beginning my exploration of this genus. And,
yes, there is a high likelihood I might get involved with Tribolo-
notus ! So, I invite you to come along as I build up a knowledge
base. To start with, I did an interview with a breeder. I record-
ed an interview with Christopher Musi who works with both
Red-Eyed and White-Eyed Crocodile Skinks. They are officially
named Tribolonotus gracilis and Tribolonotus novaeguineae. Of
the ten species of Tribolonotus, these are the only two signifi-
cantly represented in herpetoculture. This episode is sched-
uled for release later in August, and I encourage you to listen in
there so you can hear where I am getting much of my informa-
tion!
Tribolonotus are not on CITES and come in on a regular basis.
They aren’t that expensive and can be purchased for around
$150 to $200 each for wild-caught and $250 and up for captive
hatched. Acclimation seems about standard. And that means it
is challenging and requires deparasitization. Definitely a chal-
lenge to get a group of these established. But they appear to
come in healthy enough to be able to make it. Obviously, there
is a little more of a challenge for deparasitization being terres-
trial. We chameleon people tend to forget how we have it a
little easier when the poop of the chameleon we are deparattizing drops three feet down and the chameleon
never goes near it. Now try that in a humid environment with a lizard walking all around. So, save the bioac-
tive planted cage for after the quarantine period!
The most significant aspect of Tribolonotus for us chameleon keepers is that they are terrestrial. So it is time
to learn how to exercise those bioactive enclosure skills we have been working on lately! You might think
they are aquatic, but they only live near water.
So, yes, they need a water bowl or water nearby
and they require high humidity, but they do not
require a swimming feature in their cage.
After talking with Christopher I got the impres-
sion the environment was similar to a typical
montane environment without the steep night-
time drop. They like an ambient environment
in the mid-70s F (24 C) with a basking bulb
around 85F (30C). Though they are happy with
the nighttime down to the high 60s (20 C) so
they do not need the drop that some montane
chameleons would require. The reason why I
mention a chameleon species is for those of you
who have a chameleon or reptile room. Because
of how the entire room heats up you often have
Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink
Christopher Musi
White-Eyed Crocodile Skink
Christopher Musi
a warm room or a cool room. The Tribolonotus
will do well in your cool room! They require high
humidity (70-90%) and so, solid side hybrid cag-
es are a good choice for most situations. As far
as the size of the cage, Christopher recommends
a cage with a 30” x 12” footprint and 12” in height.
Talking with Tribolonotus keepers and reading
care guides it seems a little confusing as to
whether they are solitary or have some sort of
social structure. You hear equal parts that they
are solitary, but also that they appear to care for
their young. Generally speaking we assume a
reptile should be kept individually unless we can
detect a definite advantage they get from hav-
ing another of their kind around. The absence
of fighting is a poor measuring stick as that just
measures whether we can detect it. We are woefully poor at detecting the internal stress levels of reptiles
who hide their feelings. So, at this time, I will go forward with the assumption that they do best individually,
but have a tolerance for each other. And acknowledge there is a huge question mark regarding how they
deal with babies! And, please remember, this review article is not a care guide! This is a chameleon guy
looking into another species with the evaluation lens honed through figuring out how to care for obscure
species of chameleons. So this is me bringing you along the journey of discovery with me. Listen to the
breeders for reliable husbandry. I just bring the questions to be answered!
Tribolonotus will eat any of the standard appropriately sized feeder insects we use for chameleons so feed-
ing will not be a whole lot different. Crickets, black soldier fly larvae, dubia roaches, or any other insects will
keep your skink happy. As they are terrestrial, any bioactive clean-up crew better be smaller than they would
bother eating or you will have a tough time keeping a population there! Christopher recommended dwarf
white isopods with the springtails.
You can’t talk husbandry with a chameleon person without discussing UVB and D3. Tribolonotus are cre-
puscular meaning they come out during the dusk and dawn. I can’t find any UVI recommendations, but it
looks like Arcadia Shade Dweller UVB bulbs
are popular. We in the chameleon world are
a little spoiled because if the intense work
done in figuring out effective UVB levels which
allows us to use a variety of UVB lights with
just a guide as for how far they should be from
the basking site. I have not found reliable UVI
numbers and that is probably because we as a
community have not figured that out. We don’t
have tested UVI numbers for most reptiles! It
took years and generations of breeders across
the community to extract the standard effec-
tive basking level of UVI 3 for the most com-
mon species (Panthers and Veileds). So the
balance between UVI and dietary D3 will be an
exploration for many other species, including
Tribolonotus. Christopher uses plain calcium to
dust his feeders with an occasional calcium with D3 dusting.
If you are interested in these little dragons then definitely
check them out with me. I have an interview with a breeder
coming up and that is a good place to start. Now, I always ask
about the community and whether there is much breeding. It is never a good thing when a reptile in the
pet trade is not part of CITES quota control. This means that exporters can ship as many as they want. The
IUCN Redlist lists the Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink as Least concern so there may be some time before exports
get shut down. Whenever there is trade in a species humans have overdone it and the species gets CITES
listed. But they could easily list it with zero quota. The point of this analysis is that now may be the right time
to get involved with this lizard if it is of interest to you. Now, while they are relatively available is the time to
start a breeding colony and learn how to do it. Learning how to breed them when they are $800 each is a
painful way to go. Will exports be curtailed or shut down next year or ten years from now is known by no
one. Countries slamming shut and species disappearing from captivity is a common occurrence. It happens
with chameleons, geckos, and every reptile group. But I, personally, get very nervous when a species I am
interested in does not have CITES control. That species is ripe for protection and you do not know how hard
it will come when it does!
I hope you are enjoying coming along this exploration of another amazing reptile species. Please join me
and Christopher for our interview on August 25 on the Chameleon Academy Podcast!
Crocodile Skink Cage Set-up
Christopher Musi
Crocodile Skink Cage Set-up
Christopher Musi
Baby Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink
Christopher Musi
A curious White-Eyed Crocodile Skink
Christopher Musi
Podcast
Release
Schedule
By subscribig to the Chamleeon Academy Podcast on your podcast provider, you will get
both the Chameleon Academy Podcast and the Panther Chameleon Podcast. The Panther
Chameleon Podcast is also available as an independent show. This was done as the Panther
Chamleeon Podcast is produced specifically for the beginning chameleon keeper. Each epi-
sode leads them through answers to the most ocmmonly asked questions during the begin-
ning stages. The episode that airs on the Chameleon Academy Network often has additional
commentary for the advanced keepers. Each podcast alternates release weeks and so there
will be an episode of one of them each Saturday. The planned schedule here is subject to
change considering the adventurous life a chameleon content creator lives!
August 4: Should I buy a Chameleon Egg?
I will be updating this episode and officially re-releasing it. I
have gone back and forth on egg sales over the years. But I lay
out the pros and cons specifically for the beginner.
August 18: Selecting a Healthy Panther Chameleon
Pet stores and reptile expos are still active sites for the selling of
panther chameleons. This episode points out what you should
look for when you are selecting a chameleon in person.
July 29: How to Stay Happy as a Chameleon Keeper
I have five pieces of advice on how to keep the joy alive in your
chameleon keeping hobby. It is so easy to go too far, too fast
and burn out. Let’s see if some life lessons I have learned could
help others avoid the same mistakes I made!
August 11: Should we keep Jackson’s subspecies differently?
Do Machakos Hills Jackson’s and Yellow-Crested Jackson’s
come from the same environments? Should we continue to
keep them identically? To answer this question we go to Jan
Stipala who has been there personally to study chameleons!
August 25 Outer Fringes: Tribolonotus Crocodile Skinks!
When it comes to looking like dragons, the Red-Eyed and
White-Eyed Crocodile Skinks go above and beyond. There is no
way I could consider having done the community justice if I did
not do a profile on Tribolonotus!
September 15: Is Shipping a Chameleon Safe?
At first thought, shipping a chameleon seems like a strange
thing. But it has been done safely for decades. I go over why
this works and what you can do to make it as safe as possible!.
September 1: How to Read a Care Guide
Care guides are just starting points! I introduce listeners to how
care guides are made and how they should be interpreted. I
also explain why some care guides contradict each other. This
episode helps retain sanity in the new chameleon researcher!
September 22: AnimalCon USA 2023
What happens when you get animal influencers from all over
the world into one convention center? When this episode airs I
will have just come back from AnimalCon USA and will give you
a run of what all happened.
September 8: A Talk with Jurgen Van Overbeke
Jurgen is a regular contributor to the Academy. He is a breeder
in Belgium and is one of my contacts whenever I want to know
what is going on in Europe. Today he comes on and we talk
about where we are going as a global community.
Live Session Schedule
Live sessions allow you to ask questions in real time and just hang out with a community of
people who love chameleons!
@chameleon-academy
Tuesday nights
at 5-6PM Pacific
YouTube
@chameleonacademy
Saturday Afternoons
at 12-1PM Pacific
The Closing Word
Thank you for joining me here for the inaugural issue of the Chameleon Academy Journal. I
hope you were able to enjoy it as it was intended and maybe even learned something new.
2023 has been an amazing year. It started with a trip to Madagascar which was an
absolutely amazing experience. I can guarantee you that I will have regular episodes and
issues encouraging all of you to make the trip at least once. It isn’t as intimidating as it seems
at first! But many of you were with me along the way. At least where there was internet
connection! The Ranomafana rain forest and places in Adasibe had a good enough internet
signal that I was able to go live with you there with me as I walked through the forests
looking for chameleons! Those are still on the Instagram account if you want to find them.
The reason why I bring Madagascar up is that it was a personal growth experience. And
that is what this is all about. Whether it is challenging what we think we know, figuring out
how to word our experiences for the next generation, or exploring other species, this is all
what keeps our passion in chameleon and reptile fresh and alive. And this is what I hope to
bring you through the Chameleon Academy. I will share my journeys and explorations with
you and you come along with me and make it fun! Learning is great and personal growth
is fulfilling. I would do this even if I did not have the Chameleon Academy outreach. But,
honestly, it just isn’t as much fun when you don’t have friends to share it with! I appreciate
you being here!
And with that, I think it is time to close off this issue. If you are on Instagram on Tuesday
evenings or YouTube Saturday afternoons please stop by and say hello during the weekly live
sessions. It is time for me to sign off and time for you to go and
appreciate how lucky we are to be able to connect with nature
through these amazing tree dragons!
I’ll see you next time!
Bill Strand
Inset image is me in Madagascar with an Orange-eyed Parson’s Chameleon.
Opposite Image is a beautiful sunset across the water in Madagascar.
Back cover is an adult male Yellow-Lipped Parson’s Chameleon
When we try to pick out anything
by itself we find it is bound fast,
by a thousand invisible cords
which cannot be broken, to
everything in the universe
- John Muir