Chameleon Breeder Podcast With Bill Strand

Welcome to an exploration of the world that both we and chameleons live within. We are honored to have John Courteney-Smith share with us a preview of his upcoming book. It is part 1 within the new Elements series: Fire – The Sun, its use and replication within Reptile Keeping. Today, we will talk about light and its importance to us as chameleon keepers.

Today I interview Helen Kairo from Anatomika about chameleon anatomy, MBD, and what goes on under a chameleon's skin. Helen is no stranger to the chameleon or even reptile world. If you have seen postings on social media of bright pink skeletons or beautiful images that show a window into the internal organs – that is Helen Kairo. She is actively sharing her love for anatomy and teaching. Today we get to know Helen, her art, and her outreach through her online business Anatomika. Here is our interview together.

Metabolic Bone Disease is a terminal condition. But, if caught in time, the chameleon’s life can be saved.  Today we talk about living life with a special needs chameleon. Cheryl Garcia runs the reptile section of an animal rescue called Another Chance Sanctuary in the state of Ohio. Her daily duties are to manage the rescues when she is not traveling across the country picking up reptiles too sick to ship. One thing she sees on a consistent basis is Metabolic Bone Disease. If you have been following our series on MBD you know this is a condition where the body does not get enough calcium. The most visible effect of this is rubbery bones and the degrading of the skeleton structure. It is a painful condition and, by time the inexperienced keepers gets the clue that something may be wrong, the chameleon could have gone through multiple bone breaks and jaw disfigurement. The point the keeper decides to get veterinary help, or give it to a rescue, plays a great factor in what the rest of this chameleon’s life wil

Nutritional disorders in chameleons, like Metabolic Bone Disease, are a result of us not providing natural conditions. Today, John Courteney-Smith joins me to discuss preventing illness through proper environment. Welcome, chameleon wranglers, to episode 95 where we are continuing our discussion into Metabolic Bone Disease, or MBD. MBD is important enough to get multiple episodes worth of attention because it is so prevalent in our hobby of chameleon keeping. The good news is that it is preventable and that education is readily available.

Metabolic Bone Disease, or MBD, is one of the chameleon world’s leading causes of death. And it is completely preventable. Join me in the “Scare Away MBD” campaign and let’s make MBD a story we tell from the chameleon dark ages. In this first episode we are joined by Dr. Rob Coke, the head veterinarian from the San Antonio Zoo who explains what MBD is and what is going on.

More and more chameleon breeders join our ranks every day. And you may be one of those curious about starting a chameleon breeding business. There are scores of instructional materials on how to start a business. But we have an extra twist that our product is a living creature. And with that comes added responsibility. Today we will talk about the basics of pricing your chameleon babies and how your choices affect much more than how quickly you sell the clutch.

Food and water fuel living creatures. Understanding the right fuel for your chameleon is critical to their health. Today we explore the diet of the Veiled Chameleon in the wild and how we can feed them a healthy diet in captivity.  

Chameleons are energized from the sun. To keep them in captivity we must replicate the sun’s light, warmth, and UVB. Today we talk about what Veiled chameleons need from their light source.

The Veiled Chameleon is one of the most popular chameleons to keep as a pet. Their hardiness makes them an ideal first chameleon. But they are still a chameleon - and that means some special attention needs to be put to their set-up. Today I go over the basics of Veiled Chameleon husbandry to get you started in the right direction.

It is time to revisit our understanding of hydration in chameleons. We are well aware of hydration during the day, but that is only half of the story. Today we are going to talk about hydration over the entire 24 hours in the day to form a holistic approach to a captive hydration strategy.

The veiled chameleon is one of our most hardy and adaptable chameleons. With its wide-spread representation in the hobby It is no surprise that this lizard has had an opportunity to escape into many different environments. Florida, it seems, suited it well and we now have a viable chameleon population on the continental United States.

Veiled chameleons seem to be everywhere you would expect to find a pet chameleon and some places you wouldn’t. but it wasn’t always this way. Today I explore the origins of the veiled chameleon in captivity. Join me as I speak to the people who brought this chameleon to us!

Chamaeleo calyptratus, the veiled chameleon - this gorgeous and hardy chameleon is many people’s introduction to the fascinating world of chameleons. In this podcast series we explore their history, ecology, and husbandry. Today we learn about the taxonomy and where they are from.

Today we are talking about taming your chameleon!

Today we are talking about Furcifer lateralis, the carpet chameleon, and its status in captivity. I’d like to give a big welcome to Kevin Stanford, Frank Payne, and Tim Marks for making up our chameleon round table discussion!

In the United States, the Large Xantholophus Jackson’s Chameleons we see are almost all from a feral population on Hawaii. But this magnificent chameleon originated in Kenya, Africa. The newly started Kenyan Xanth Project is spearheading the effort to bring back the founder genetics. In this episode we learn about the natural environment of Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus, the yellow-crested Jackson’s Chameleon, from world renown chameleon expert and author, Petr Necas who is, at the moment of this episode release, in Kenya studying Jackson’s Chameleons in the wild.

Today we are going to talk about a special handling case and that is when the chameleon is scared – or angry- enough to bite you. The only time you should ever handle a chameleon who is scared enough to want to bite you is if it is required for medicating them for their health. There may come a time when you will have to deal with a chameleon who has gone way beyond annoyance with your antics. Should that time come, you’ll need to know how to handle this fiery tree dragon.

Today we have a roundtable discussion on Facebook and its effect on our community. I have asked Elise Stein, Dru Reeves and Nathalie Norris to join me and share their views. Elise built up our largest group The Reptile Enthusiasts. Although it is a general reptile group we chameleon people have pretty much claimed her as a citizen of our community. She also has an offshoot called The Chameleon Enthusiasts. Dru is the head admin for the community’s largest chameleon specific group, Chameleon Central USA. Nathalie is one of our most active moderators and can be found on a number of different groups including Elise’s and Dru’s listed above. All three are supported by a large group of admins and moderators that are here to help you. And I feel it is time to revisit chameleons on Facebook. I invite you to listen in on our roundtable discussion.

Chameleons are tricky things to hold in that we don’t actually hold, them, but allow them to sit on our hand. Today we talk about handling your chameleon.

Good morning Chameleon Wranglers! It is time for an update as to what is going on with the podcast! Good morning Chameleon Wranglers! It is time for an update as to what is going on with the podcast! This isn’t an episode per se. It is just a short update to let you know I am working hard on season three! I haven’t just migrated to Madagascar for the winter! We have this break because I am substantially increasing what this podcast will offer. In season three I will have video companion episodes to the podcast. You will still get the podcast which can keep you company into work or during the cage cleaning days, but you will also be able to come home, and see a companion video which gives a visual to the topic. I am estimating that the new season will launch in January. I have been having a great time recording interviews and video for this new season and look forward to sharing them with you. We are going to be taking a close look at handling your chameleons, the ecology of the veiled chameleon, and chameleon