Chameleon Breeder Podcast With Bill Strand

Anyone who has tried to take a picture of a chameleon has found out that it isn’t that easy. They actively plot against you and your Instagram aspirations. So, in an effort to figure out how I can take better pictures of my chameleons I searched out the person who is not only the most prolific chameleon photographer of our time, but her work looks great. Perhaps some of that could rub off on me with just a podcast interview and ten short years of dedicated practice. Of course, I speak of Briana O’Brien who is the photographer from Kammerflage Kreations. She fills their social media accounts with a great deal of eye candy every week.

Today I have the honor of sharing with you a part of our early chameleon community. A multigenerational breeding project in the US which started in 1967. It was modelled off of a German project that took Jackson’s Chameleons to the F3 generation and a Southern California reptile club decided to replicate the experiment. I will be bringing on Jeff Hattem who, as a young man, was part of this project. Please join me in a view into our past.

This week we wrap up our study on the Green Tree Python by me asking Patrick Holmes to lead us through the steps for us to get started with this beautiful snake. One of the most interesting things about this interview, from a high level, was seeing the parallels between our communities. You will hear some very familiar statements. Because they are the truth in all of our communities. I invite you to listen in and enjoy the conclusion of our study into the Green Tree Python with Patrick Holmes.

Green Tree Pythons are a quintessential arboreal serpent. With that arboreal nature comes some specific husbandry techniques. Today, Patrick Holmes returns to guide us through part one of Green Tree Python husbandry.

Green Tree Pythons fit the bill as an arboreal reptile with a dedicated community that surrounds it. This is important to us because they have studied there reptile as deeply as we have studied ours and we can both benefit from each other’s efforts. And, if there is one snake that would be a natural transition for us, Green Tree Pythons (or their boa counterpart, the Emerald Tree) would be top of the list for many of us.

The Nepenthes Tropical Pitcher plants are one of the most striking plants we can include in our chameleon environments. Their leaves sport ornate carnivorous pitchers at the ends and they add a flash of adventure to our plantscape. With me is Jeremiah Harris to share his expertise in this exciting genus.

Nighttime temperature drops are an important part of chameleon husbandry. Today, I talk with Petr Necas about understanding why they are important and what they mean for us providing the best captive care possible.

Chameleon husbandry is made up of many aspects including environmental conditions, nutrition, and emotional security. Everything we do that gets our husbandry closer to the optimal conditions strengthens our chameleon. Everything we do that is off weakens our chameleon. Today I talk about the cumulative effects of stress and how we should look at each one of these husbandry parameters.

Trioceros ellioti is a small chameleon from Eastern Africa. It is a charming species where the males and females are equally desirable as far as color and shape. It is a livebearing species with the typical care requirements of montane chameleons. Ease of husbandry and hardiness of this species make it a prime candidate for establishing in captivity.

Often known as Mexican Alligator lizards, the members of the genus Abronia are a beautiful and charming lizard. They are arboreal with prehensile tails and giving live birth. Jason Wagner is  hobbyist and conservationist that specializes in the Abronia alligator lizard. Jason joins me today to tell us about these amazing creatures.

Today I am joined by Tyrone Ping who is a herpetological photographer from South Africa who achieved his six year goal of photographing all the chameleon species of his home country. Tyrone comes on and shares with us a little bit about what life is like in South Africa and introduces us to his country’s chameleons and the adventures he has had recording them.

Supplementation powders are a cornerstone of our captive reptile nutrition. One of the most prominent supplements in our community has been the Repashy Superfoods line. In today’s episode, Allen Repashy, the founder and formulator, comes on and shares with us what got him started in reptiles and how that led to creating a diverse line of nearly 50 specialty supplements and diets.

Starting off with chameleons can be an intimidating time. Coming into the chameleon community you are bombarded with UVB, D3, gradients, and a wide range of passionate, yet contradicting opinions. Today I am going to review the basics to get you off on the right foot.

Today we take a close look at the Waxy Monkey Tree Frog. No, it is not a chameleon, but you will be much more successful with this species if you use chameleon husbandry rather than standard frog husbandry. And to introduce us to this unique frog is none other than Philippe de Vosjoli.

We all know, more or less, that Chameleons are suppose to stay in their cage. But what happens when you have to transport them? Whether just to the vet or to a new home across the state, or to a foreign country, or as a surprise escape in a natural disaster, you will have to plan for how this is going to work! Today I talk about transporting our chameleons.

Last week I talked about caresheets - how they were made and how we should use them. These provide guidelines for the husbandry. But then you see people breaking the rules. People you considered experts are doing it differently and then someone from left field is doing exactly what was said not to do and gloating about it. So, who do you listen to? Today, I talk about breaking the rules.

When we start with a new reptile the first thing we do is search for a care sheet. These are summaries that give us the basics of what that animal needs to thrive. But it can be confusing when you get two or three caresheets and they contradict each other. In today’s episode I talk about how caresheets are constructed and how to navigate the information they provide.

One of the most cryptic and incredible reptiles is the Uroplatus phantasticus also known as the satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko. Quite the dramatic name for such a cute finger perching gecko! Today I talk to Lawrence Erickson who has bred phantasticus for many years.

One of the most exciting things a chameleon enthusiast can do is visit chameleons in their home country. And today I am going to talk with Jan Stipala about some nuts and bolts of planning a trip to Kenya.

Chameleons perch on branches. They spend their lives on branches. So it is actually pretty important for us to give them the right branches. Today I go over branch functions, how to select the right branch for the right purpose, what woods to use and how to mount them in the chameleon cage. Alec O'Brien then joins me and discusses how he sterilizes his branches.