Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

sally · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:52 am Post subject: Yemen Chameleons

Hello people, I have just signed up and would appreciate some advice!

I've always loved reptiles but never kept one, particularly because I can't stand handling or keeping the bugs to feed them. Today I was in a pet shop buying food for my guinea pigs and got chatting to the staff about their selection of baby Yemen Chameleons. The girl said she doesn't touch the bugs, she just tips one in when necessary. She also said they only need cleaning out about every 3 months! This got me interested but sounds too good to be true. I have checked the internet and notice that apparently they can grow as big as 2 ft long (she said about a foot!).

This is my problem, I don't mind keeping a small box of bugs in the house but a box of 8 crickets in that shop costs £4 and it seems that doesn't last a week, although I'm sure I can buy them over the net much cheaper. When the chameleons grow to adulthood though, how much bug do they consume - does it cost a fortune to feed them? If I had to I could breed my own bugs in the shed reluctantly though I must say! (with assistance from my evil son who has no fear and would enjoy watching them being murdered by a chameleon)

Also, do they bite? She said they didn't, but I do worry about a 2 ft long adult taking a piece out of my finger!

I thought it was a beautiful creature but am worried about committing myself to an animal that is perhaps going to take up a lot of time! since my dogs are my first love! children 2nd and husband last!! lol!

Sorry this post is so long! would really be grateful for advice please!!!

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:53 am Post subject:

I dont think they actually get to be two foot long. £4 for 8 crickets sounds a bit mental to me (even if they were locusts still spenso) . Try Livefood UK website for insect prices and quantities, for just one chameleon it would not be worth the effort breeding crickets, would actually be cheaper to order crickets of the net e.g. a bulk bag of a 1000 is approx £6.90 if my memory is right.

When young a Yemen would need far more than one cricket being feed now and then (if I have interpreted your comments from the pet shop correctly). Less required when adult. May I suggest searching the amazon website there are some good books out there re; yemen chameleons that will give lots of info. Ditto website searches and asking questions on here, try searching back to all the chameleon topic posts on here lots of questions and answers. The main thing that I would politely suggest is fully reading up on the yemen if you are going to get one. They are one of the easier chameleon species to keep but still require specific housing, tempretures, lighting, feeding and supplementation programmes etc. Don't want to put you off but is best to start out in the right direction. It's not as complex as it at first sounds once the basics have been grasped and there is a wealth of information available. Hope this has been of some help Smile

Rick

sally · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:54 am Post subject:

Thank you for replying so soon, you answered a lot of my questions, I was going off the idea but now I'm back on. The girl in the pet shop said the young Yemen needed about 12 crickets a week. I notice you said they need less food when they get older, does that mean that when fully grown they eat less than that or have i misinterpreted what you said. Also, I note that you can bulk buy 1000 crickets for £6.90 but what on earth do you do with all of them. Do you house and feed them in their own tanks or something?

I fully intend to research thoroughly the subject, but in the first instance I am asking the basic questions that will put me off or on the Yemen. I already have specific info on housing etc. from the captivebred website. Like I said previously, I still want to know just how many crickets I would have to give an adult Yemen per day - I am trying to work out whether or not I am going to have a problem keeping shedloads of bugs in the house - I undrestand that they stink and anyway, I find them repulsive but can get around it for the sake of keeping such a beautiful animal, as long as I don't have to keep too many of them - 1000 sounds horrific!! (I'm scared of bugs, lol) (pathetic I know)!

I am going to do as you suggested and search back on the topic on here. Also will look at Amazon. You have been very helpful, thanks!!! Will post back more, when I find out more!

Rickeezee · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:02 am Post subject:

Hi

You can buy pre-packed small tubs of crickets for between £1.80 up to £2.50 (approx figures). Depends where you buy them from. Probably the best way to buy them if you have just one chameleon. The pre-pack could last a couple of weeks, depending upon what size they are and how many the cham is getting through. I would not keep them in the pre-pack tub though as they don't like being to crowded, just buy a cheap plastic cricket keeper to keep them in, that would suffice for one cham and ther ammounts of crickets involved. Cheaper to buy in bulk but quite a lot of work in housing them, feeding them etc. The most important thing to remember is to ensure the insects are well fed (called gutloading), no good feeding an insect to the cham if it is low in nutritional value. I use organic wheat bran mixed with a small ammount of milk powder and a small ammount of T-Rex calcium plus cricket food. And plenty of fresh veg. The crickets will need to be dusted with a calcium / vit / min supplement prior to feeding, again the frequency will depend upon growth rate of the cham, and also when adult when producing eggs if female. There is a whole welath of info on this subject in previous threads on here and on websites and good books are to be had. They will explain in more detail the chams needs.

It is hard to give an exact number of crickets that should be fed to the
cham. Depends upon age of cham and size of cricket best way to find out is by seeing how many the cham eats. Twelve a week does not sound
much to me, how big / old are the baby chams in the shop and what size
crix are they feeding to the chams? I am in no way an expert but I can
tell you Yemens grow very quickly quite amazing really.

Try Livefood UK for more details / prices on crickets the site also has good care infor on crickets etc. Locusts are enjoyed by chams to.

You are doing the right thing by learning as much as you can first rather than impulse buying of a cham.

Have fun Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

Nerys · Contributing Member Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 171

my young yemens are getting through a 2 boxes of crickets a day at the moment... have them in two tanks right now... so thats two boxes a day between 31 chameleons.. stage two crix... thats about 10 a day each, + the get fruit flies..

my adult female yemen will eat 20-30 large brown crix in a sitting... and she gets that a few times a week, on top of locusts, mealies, waxies.. the odd pinkie...

my adult male eats less, but even still gets through about half that i would think...

they can be very agressive, both my adults hiss, gape, headbut, and would probably take it to a bite, but i have normally got a hold on them by then so they can't do so... i do know people with totally tame yemens also though...

have you thought about crested geckos?? they are more hand friendly overall i would say (well, mine are..) also, if you get the diet right, you can keep them without having to buy crickets..

a friend of mine who posts on here, tanya, does that, and seems to get on just fine Smile

the light/heat/uv requirements of a crestie are easier to handle too!

these are some of mine.. there is a huge variation in colour, you can keep more than one per tank, they don't need bugs necessarily, and you can handle them.... even my mum held a crestie.. and snakes make her physically sick!

N

Rickeezee · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject:

Nice pics cute!

Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

Nerys · Contributing Member Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 171

but heres some pics of yemens too... these hatched the other week at mine..

this egg actually contains twins...

twin 1 leaving the egg, you can still see the green of twin 2 inside the egg..

a week or two on...

this is mum, Sammy, taken the other night..

and the dad, who i have had since he was a few weeks old, he turned three this new year Smile

in this pic, he is about 18months - 2years or so i think...

a size comparison... him as a 4 week old baby sat on my hand, and him as an adult!

great creatures though!

Nerys

Rickeezee · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:10 pm Post subject:

Wicked pics, how cool are the pics of the twins! I am a tad envious (actually quite a big tad). Excellent very cool.

Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

cornfan · Key Member Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 262

Yep, I have a crestie - Eric - I bought him from scott w and he's a little prince. I don't do bugs and specifically have reptiles that don't require bugs (i.e. snakes and tortoises). Eric's the only lizard I have and was chosen specifically for the non-bug issue. He's also particularly cute and wonderfully friendly
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Regards, Tanya

Reptile Lover

Nerys · Contributing Member Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 171

seem to be doing ok so far too.... saw one eat a big stage two crix and two flies in 5 mins last night!

just to add... i think the box of bugs you saw in the shop, 8 for £4 were probably locusts... which makes more sense... but i would still say an adult cham would take more than 12 a week...

N