kevs reptile house

  keeping yemen chameleons 

                               Chamaeleo calyptratus

                                    veiled chameleon

as the name suggests this chameleon comes from the Yemen area and Saudi Arabia.This means they are a dessert living animal and therefore are somewhat different to maintain from most other species of chameleon. These chameleons tolerate a much wider temperature range than most other species as in the dessert temperatures are extremely hot during the day but can drop to be extremely cold at night. At around 18in-24in for an adult male and around 10in-13in for an adult female they are one of the medium to large chameleons. sexing adult yemen chameleons is easy due to the male being much larger then the female and the casque or helmet of the male is also much larger. Younger animals can be sexed by the presence of an extra toe on each hind foot on males.  Regarded as one of the hardiest chameleons it is still not an animal for the novice reptile keeper. Its needs are very particular and if not met it will not survive in captivity.

The best enclosures for these chameleons "and all other chameleons" are the all mesh enclosures as they need good ventilation. these come in assorted sizes but for yemen chameleons the enclosure should be 36in x 24in x 36in-48in high, the bigger the better! remember these are arborial lizards so height is important and plenty of climbing branches should be provided and the addition of plenty of foliage so that they can hide away if they want to make them feel comfortable and safe. Yemen chameleons are very teritorial, and should only be kept one per enclosure even chameleons of the opposite sex will fight usually to the death. Even if the chameleons can see another of their kind near by they will stress and become ill. Introducing males and females can be very tricky and only the very experienced keeper should try breeding these chameleons. It is not a good idea to house other types of lizards with yemen chameleons either as this can also stress the chameleon espscially if the other lizards are fast moving or just very active, And if the other lizards are the right size the chameleon will see them as food and eat them!

The enclosure should have an ambient temprature of 80f - 90f with a basking area of around 95f - 105f  and ambient temprature dropping by 10f - 20f at night.although they live in dessert conditions they tend to live near water as this is where the insects live that they feed on so they still need a humidity of 50% this can be provided by spraying the enclosure 2-3 times a day. The enclosure should be lit for 12-14 hours a day by a full spectrum uv light this is essencial for the chameleon to survive in captivity

Feeding yemen chameleons is usually very easy as they take a wide range of insect foods. the key to a happy, healthy chameleon is variety! You can offer crickets, hoppers, cock roaches, locusts, wax worms, meal worms,and larger adults may even take pinky mice. meal worms should only make up a small amount of their diet as they cannot digest the hard waxy shell of the worms so they can get bunged up if they eat too many.the insects should be dusted with a good vitamin supliment and be gut loaded before being given to the chameleon. Gut loading is to feed the insects well so they contain plenty of goodness for the chameleon. Chameleons get most of the liquids they need from the insects they eat but will also drink from the water droplets that form from spraying their enclosure. Chameleons will not drink water from a bowl as they will only drink from moving water. you can now buy water features that simulate water falls which the chameleons will quite happily drink from and can look quite attractive in the enclosure.

preparing to strike out at a prey item

Some yemen chameleons are quite happy to be handled provided it is done calmly and on the chameleons terms, But alot of chameleons do not like to be handled especially as they grow larger. Some can become quite aggressive as they grow especially the males. If handling is carried out when the chameleon is young and the chameleon is not rushed it will usually remain quite tame. Never pick the chameleon up by just grabbing it. Place your hand into the enclosure and let the chameleon climb onto it in it's own time. If the chameleon is not happy it will let you know by puffing itself up and hissing, if it does this just leave it alone. most chameleons if handled will usually climb up and sit on top of your head as they feel safer the higher up they are.

If you want one of these animals to sit and watch them change psychodelic colours you will be disapointed, as they will normally only change from their normal green, brown patterns to lighter or darker shades of the same. They will not turn bright red, yellow, and orange if placed against these colour back grounds as many people believe. And if the chameleon does change to a really bright colour it is only because it feels threatened or is stressed and this is very unhealthy for the animal. If you want the animal for it's natural beauty and interesting and sometimes comical behaviour and you provide all that it needs then you will not be at all disapointed .