Chameleon Breeder Podcast With Bill Strand

Most everyone who keeps a chameleon has considered some sort of a free range. We like being with our animals. And it seems obvious that our chameleons would like it better to be free to go where they please. So today we are going to talk about free ranging your chameleons. What is it like and how do you do it? For those new to this concept, a free range is loose term, but is usually used to describe the practive of having your chameleon live in your home without a cage. You have everything for a chameleon that you would with a cage, you just don’t have the six walls! I will be joined by Karen Stockman of the Chameleon Farm to discuss her experiences with free ranges. She has extensive experience with true free ranging within a human living space. That means it is not just an afternoon out of the cage, but it is a permanent living situation. If you have considered setting up a free range or have just wondered what it would be like then sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

This week, I’d like to talk about keeping chameleons in small spaces such as an apartment or a bedroom. Many of us fall in love with chameleons before we are out of our parent’s house or are living in apartments, condominiums, or Townhomes where other people are quite close. You have the passion, but having to coordinate that passion with overlapping living spaces is not always easy.

Four different breeders give their insight into the care of Trioceros quadricornis, the Four-horned Chameleon. They may no longer be imported, but there are enough clutches incubating that a new generation of quad breeders will have enough to keep this species going in captivity, at least for the near future.

One of the most exciting events in the chameleon world is the recent availability of South African Dwarf Chameleons, such as Bradypodion thamnobates, to hobbyists. These finger sized,colorful live bearers are hardy and full of character. Join us as the world's top breeder of Bradypodion, Seth Bredenkamp, introduces us to this wonderful group of chameleons.

Dr. Chris Anderson discusses life as a chameleon research scientist and hobbyist.  We talk about chameleon conservation and how the chameleon community can be part of conservation projects.

Listen in as Alec O'Brien leads us through basics of the quarantine procedure for chameleons. When bringing a new chameleon home it is important that you put them through a quarantine whether wild caught or captive bred. This allows you to test for parasites and watch for disease to ensure you do not introduce pathogens to your collection.

Wild caught chameleons come with their own special challenges. Listen in as we go over deciding whether a wild caught vs. captive bred is best for you.  If you need a new chameleon for a breeding group then we go over the selection process and acclimation steps. 

From the dinosaur-like horns to the live birth to the gentle personality, the Jackson's Chameleon is one of the most fascinating of the chameleon species.  In this episode we discuss bringing one of these wonderful creatures into your home.

Exposing your chameleon to natural sunlight brings great health benefits.  You can accomplish this in your husbandry as simply as moving your indoor cage out to the patio for a couple hours or as in depth as building a permanent outdoor cage.  Building outdoor cages is great fun and few things are as impressive as a healthy chameleon in a well planted outdoor cage!

Stick insects are one of the most fascinating of the insects chameleon keepers use as feeders.  Whether you use them as feeders or, like the rest of us, find that we'd rather keep them as pets, you'll find out here how to take care of them.  From the bizarre Australian Stick Insect to the huge Green Bean Insect to the cryptic leaf insect, you'll find no end to the wonder of stick insects!  

Carpet chameleons are a small species from Madagascar that are named for the intricately beautiful patterns they show. This species has the characteristic of being one of the few where the female is more colorful than the male. Breeding these jewels was, at one time, problematic and there were only brief pockets of success in the community. Kevin Stanford has spearheaded the effort for breeding success and is now working with 6th Captive Generation specimens. While forward movement is always built on the backs of those who have gone before us and is fanned by those who work with us, there is often one person whose efforts become a catalyst for the community. In carpet chameleons, that has been Kevin Stanford.  In this episode we talk with Kevin about his methods for successfully breeding carpet chameleons and his journey to get to this point.

Explore beetles that act as cleaner crews and food for baby chameleons.  Mantises and flies are also covered as we continue our journey into the fascinating world of feeder insects.  They aren't just meals for our chameleons, they are a completely amazing world unto themselves!

Introducing the love of your life to your reptile passion is not always an easy process.  Not everyone warms up to the idea of living with reptiles in the house quickly! But there are ways that you can ease a partner, who is new to this, into the idea.  And maybe they can even find the same passion you have!  But it may take some patience and understanding on your part to make this fly. In this episode we talk about the ten steps to introducing your partner to the word of keeping reptiles.

Nick Barta from Full Throttle Feeders joins us and talks about his business offering exotic feeder insects.  In this first of two parts, Nick and I discuss the different types of roaches, how to care for them, and what they can be used for!  One of a chameleon keeper's favorite afflictions is having feeders so awesome that it is hard to feed them off!

Welcome back to part two of our Chameleons and Water segment. In the last episode we talked about the importance of water and how to get it in the chameleon enclosure. This episode is about what to do with the water that goes into your chameleon cage once we are done with it.

Water is as important to chameleons as it is to us. They need it properly function. So I am probably stating the obvious when I say we must put a high priority on providing water in the correct form for our mini tree dragons. In this episode we discuss hydration tactics for chameleon husbandry.

Get to know the host of the Chameleon Breeder Podcast, Bill Strand. Briana Kammer returns, but this time she is in the host seat!  Inbetween talking about Bill's story, these two discuss the current chameleon community and weave in a vision for the chameleon community going forward.  Listen in to a free flowing talk about past adventures that led to this point, podcast philosophies, and future directions. 

For people who love their chameleon keeping experience this question of breeding naturally comes up.  What can be better than having a chameleon?  Well, obviously – more chameleons!  But it isn't as simple as that. We will explore the reasons, good and not so good, to breed chameleons.      

Explore the relationship between chameleons and stress.  We go over the three stress zones: Comfort, tolerance, and intolerance and then delve into different kinds of stress including stress spikes, internal physical stress, external physical stress, and emotional stress.  Most importantly, we go over the communication that chameleons give you to show that something is not right.  We often miss these because we don't speak chameleon!  Well, this is your first lesson in chameleon speak!  By learning the signs of stress you are well versed to eliminate it as much as is possible from your chameleon's life!

Explore what a career as a Veterinary Technician is like! We speak with Alec O'Brien who works as a vet tech and gives us an inside view of his job and life.  Have you considered a career with animals? Listen in and decide whether a Vet Tech is a direction for you!