Chameleon Breeder Podcast With Bill Strand

The natural world holds the answers as to how we should care for our chameleons. But those answers are mixed in with dead ends and wrong turns. So we need to be smart as to how we recreate natural conditions. This is a thoughtful conversation about building environments that are nurturing for our chameleons.

This episode shares what having a pet chameleon is really like and gives you important things to think about before bringing one home. But it also talks about the unexpected ways you are changed after being a keeper for a while!

Your North Star is your personal guiding principle. It isn’t a place you end up, it’s a direction you go in. In chameleon husbandry, this means identifying what you care about most. Is it replicating nature? Ensuring efficiency? Prioritizing survival rates for breeding? When you know your North Star, it becomes much easier to filter through the noise of online forums and social media. You stop chasing every new trend or feeling like you have to defend your decisions in every debate. Instead, you build a husbandry strategy that aligns with your values and stick to it.

There is a lot to take in when you are planning to care for hatchling chameleons! I give you the five commandments that will get you started on a solid foundation!

What size cage should we use for chameleon hatchlings? As we evaluate our husbandry to provide an enriching life for our chameleons we need to start at how we care for them from day 1. I talk about how we should be starting off our chameleons from the moment they leave the egg.

Do you think it would be cool to see chameleons in the wild? In this podcast episode I talk about my top picks to see wild chameleons!

We need to go back to the wild source if we want to move our captive husbandry forward. But there are cautions and dangers in doing so that we need to avoid. Freshly back from Madagascar, I discuss how important wild environmental data is, the dangers in misusing it, and how to change our captive husbandry properly.

We all know parasites are an issue with our captive reptiles, but not all of us have a microscope or would know what to do with one if we did. Today I am going to give you the bare bones, high level introduction to parasites that requires no previous knowledge, but will make you highly effective in fighting the parasites that want to move in on your reptile.

We have always been amazed when we see an enclosure set up naturalistically with thriving plant life. There is a magic in getting lost in the details of one of these environments. It is even more powerful when the chameleon is the last thing you notice because it had so well hidden itself in plain sight (as chameleons are able to do).

Getting ready to buy a chameleon cage? Listen here first! We often don’t think about how we are going to set things up once we get our chameleon cage. After years of doing this, I’d like to share five things that can make the difference between annoyance and smooth sailing!

Here are my picks for the next steps for chameleon keepers to level up after they get comfortable with the basics of chameleon husbandry.

Do you love keeping chameleons so much that you are thinking of adding another one to your household? We talk a lot about what you should consider if you are getting your first chameleon, but a favorite topic of mine is what you should consider if you are getting your second, third, or fourth chameleon!

Doing your own parasite checks on your chameleon has long been for advanced keepers. But there is no reason why this cannot be a part of every day chameleon husbandry for anyone with multiple chameleons.Today I am making the argument for adding fecal checks to standard husbandry.

Coccidia is a parasite that can do great harm to your chameleon. By knowing the coccidia  lifecycle we are able to device medications and strategies to eradicate it. by the end of this episode you will have a working knowledge of the coccidia parasite in the context of chameleons.

Evaluate your chameleons cage set-up to find what you could improve. This episode trains you on the Forest Edge 5+5 checklist which will allow you to methodically go through each item that is important to your chameleon. This is the exact system I use when I do my chameleon cage reviews on the Chameleon Academy YouTube channel. I am sharing it with you so you will be able to expertly analyze your own chameleon's cage. This video series is supported by Custom Reptile Habitats and the Dragon Strand Chameleon Caging Company. Purchases of chameleon enclosures from either of these two companies make this series possible. Custom Reptile Habitats offers high end enclosures. I personally designed the Chameleon Academy Arboreal line of enclosures. These wide format enclosures facilitate bioactive and naturalistic environments. You can explore the enclosures here: https://customreptilehabitats.com/collections/official-chameleon-academy-products?sca_ref=4924022.2ddcdVif4X&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=affilia

What do I do to improve pet store standards for keeping chameleons? Not only are chameleons not being cared for correctly, the improper care gives the wrong message to the beginning chameleon keeper. Do we tell the pet store to up their chameleon care? Do we tell the corporation to improve their chameleon care standards? Today I discuss the the ways we can make a difference in creating a better world for captive chameleons.

Rare Genetics, Inc. is opening up a final round of test development for a genetic test for panther chameleon locale. This is a 35 minute conversation with Dr. Ben Morrill, who is actively working on a way to explore panther chameleon local forms using genetic material from their shed skin. We are very excited to see this go to market and future improvements as we put it out there for people to use in their projects.

If you keep chameleons (or any reptile) you might feel like there is change in the air. Yes, there are some major shifts happening and it is wise that we face them head on.

Quality over quantity. TC Houston started taking about small batch breeding on the Animals at Home podcast a few years ago and it started a chain reaction. I am convinced that we can make our community better by embracing these concepts.

Dart frogs are a most incredible creature! And Troy Goldberg of YouTube's Troy Goldberg's garage, joins me to share how to take care of these little guys!