Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[sally]

LOL I lied but it got you reading this didn't it!!!
Hi, thanks to all who answered my previous post! I am still interested in the Yemen!!! Despite my fear of horrid bugs lol! I still haven't quite worked out how much bug the adult Yemen eats in a week, I need to know how much this will cost. I know that I can get cheaper food in bulk but don't want to keep more than 100 bugs plus mealworms in the house and still don't know how long that would last and adult or baby cham. (sorry if I seem ignorant - I AM ignorant), I realise that a baby eats smaller bugs etc. Thank God I didn't walk out of the pet shop with the baby Yemen last week (this is what got me here on this site in the 1st place) I have found the viv I would buy (through this site - a mesh 24x24x36 high). Still need to work out how I put the equipment in on the outside of it thoughl. Keeping a cham is probably easyish once you get the hang of it but, as I have found, you need your set-up to be pretty good in the first place! If I do get this animal I will make sure its environment is as perfect as possible. Meanwhile I am still confused by what equipment to get etc. as I am hoping to buy totally everything cheaper over the net. Have bought a book from Amazon but unfortunately its written by some1 based in Florida and is not helpful is many ways. I'd love to talk to some1 over the phone about the whole thing (at my cost of course!) Any1 willing to talk to me?
ps. I am butt ugly, fat and old but truly interested in YEMEN!!!

[Rickeezee]

LOl yes the topic header made me zoom in like a vulture, naughty ole Rick. What you ding Friday night hehehehheheheh, just jesting.

Come up and see my strip light, sorry but it's your fault I can't stop now.

If you buy the crickets in smaller tub sizes for an adult Yemen you are probably looking at no more that a few quid a week, don't forget they also like locusts which ar'nt so cheap, occasional mealworms etc.

You could allways buy a Lees cricket keeper it has insertable tubes the crix climb up that are capped of at one end. just lift out and shake into feeding pot or lose in cage. Crickets will need to be dusted with a supplemnt at times can be done in the tube. Even cheaper just use the cardboard roll from kitchen towles or toilet rolls. Bung one end up with cotton wool or something. I personally wouldnt keep the crix in the amll tubs they come in, you can buy various size cricket keeprs for little money.

It is a lot of information to get to grips with when first starting out. I would urge you, as you are doing, to do as much research first as possible. Buy a few books. Look back on the topic threads here. Better to take your time and build up confidence and knowledge. Young Yemens are readily available so no need to worry about being able to obtain one, average price £35. The equipment though will cost way more!

I am in no way an expert and my experience is limited, so I can only tell of my own experiences. There are variations on how people set up their vivs for a yemen. There perhaps is no one 100% definitive way of doing this. But there are some constant basics; high level of ventilation, use a good quality UVA/B light source reptisuns are good 8 or 10's, do not use heat mats etc. Provide heat by using a basking spot lamp or simalair in conjunction with a dimmer stat. Mist the enclosure at least once a day and incorporate a water dripper system of some sort (can be done cheaply). Heat / lighting strength will also depend upon viv size.

Provide good decor and various size branches , twigs etc to exercise the yemens feet and give differnt grip diameters. Exo terra jungle vines are good but not cheap. Plenty of spots for the yemn to hide in, I use silk plants and ficus and umbrealla real plants in mine.

There is much more to it than just the above and as I said I am no way an expert, there are far more knowledgeable people on this forum than me. Hence the need to do research. I found after a while it all just started to make sense once I had understood the basic parameters. The learning curve was daunting and steep , but then it really did become easier to get to grips with. A bit of an eurka moment, the information originally was for me learnt in smalll sections e.g. lighting, heating etc than all of a sudden the information became joined up! Persevere, it is daunting at first and some information appears conflicting probably just because people have diff ideas, as a beginner and without the knowledge it is hard to make a judgement call. Give it time, I think your doing the right thing by learning first.

all the best Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[sally]

Thanks for your reply! I have been reading plenty of Forums (going back on old ones) on this website and two others. I have been reading this book- Chameleons - A complete Pet Owner's Manual! by R Bartlett (the one based in Florida that talks about set-ups for Florida etc). I have just noticed something I haven't seen before: I will quote it: 'In Captivity the Chamaeleo calypratus is a fecund species. Captive female first become receptive to mating for a period of 10 to 15 days at the ........blah blah blah.... Captive females that are not bred during that first receptive period almost always die egg-boung when they do become gravid. . What on earth is that about? I haven't seen that mentioned before and I've been reading everything I could for a week! Is that right?? I'm really bothered because I had more or less decided to get a female but and wondering now. If thats true then its awful.

[Rickeezee]

I have read the same thing in the same book, I have asked the same question as you. The overwhelming replies that I got where that if you are going to breed the yemen then best wait till she is about a year old. That the info in the book is a falacy. These are not my words but adive from others that I have received.

Even if you keep a single female she will still need to lay eggs, allthough infertile she will still produce and need to lay them.

I PMed you, If you go to the top of page click on your message box.

Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[Scott W]

I personally don't believe the 'they die egg bound if not mated' but rather atribute this to owners not knowing they were gravid and therefore not putting a nest box in with the female at the right time, then the female gets past the stage of being able to lay without complications this then often leads to death.

Personally given the choice of buying just one yemen, I would choose a male, much bigger and brighter. Temperament wise I have found both sexes to be equally tame and friendly or also equaly shy and 'hissy'.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[sally]

that was going to be one of my questions that you just answered for me! The only reason I was pro-female is because they are that bit smaller! but from what you say, a 1st timer like me is then better off with a male!

[Scott W]

I wouldn't recommend a male just because it's your first yemen, I would recommend purely on a 'visual' thing. If you did stick with a female you would be fine so long as you kept an eye on things ie. if she did show gravid colours add a nest box asap.

Although I would undestand if you would feel more confident with a male (boys of all species all less hassle!).
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Rickeezee]

Aint that the truth!
_________________
www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[varanus]

Well as discussed before, my first cham was a female Yem and she died egg bound not because she didnt have a suitable nest box as it was allways there, not because the setup was wrong as it was setup as per instructions from Rob Lane who had been here and seen the setup. Simply put she decided to produce eggs and then didnt try to lay them not that she could have as when she did die and was cut open it was a big mess basically the eggs were like they were melted plastic balls all stuck together

now im not saying that all female's will go this way or that its more or less likly to happen to females im simply shareing my own experiance in this case make of it what you will use it disregard it whatever but at least you have the benifit of hearing it from somone who has seen it first hand not a keeper myth which is what I believe Scott and Im sure he will correct me if im wrong believes this in genrel to be

I feel happy to share this on this site for many reasons mainly they are as follows.......

I couldnt be more unpopular than I am anyway so why not

If shareing this helps somone in anyway then it will make me happy

I feel confident this site will not tolerate the type of flameing that is all to common on many sites for people sharing things like this

[sally]

That's a bit gross! but you've put me off the female good and proper now!!!