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| Name: |
Balder
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Age: |
Six months old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Nosy Be Panther Chameleon
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| Home: |
Fremont, California, USA
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This
is Balder. Balder was hatched in November, 1999 and is a Nosy Be
Panther Chameleon. Shown here, he is six months old. Balder's parents come
from the Nosy Be region of Madagascar. Panther Chameleons from this
region are often spectacular shades of blue, as you see on Balder.
Contrary to common belief, chameleons do not change color to blend into
their surroundings. Chameleons will 'fire up' to show their emotions,
however. They way that chameleons do blend is through their motions - if
in a plant, they will sway in the wind to emulate leaves, which makes
them difficult for their predators (and human owners!!!) to see. This
photo was taken the morning after the very first time Balder ever had a
female visitor. His wife, Maureen, should lay the eggs sometime in July
(16-30 days after mating) and the babies will hatch 6-9 months after
that. Balder likes to eat. He eats mostly crickets, but also enjoys
silkworms, and likes to hang out in our garden (we watch him carefully)
and eat spiders, flies, and anything else he can catch. His tongue
reaches approximately 2.5 times his body length, so he makes a lot of
suprise attacks on his prey. Balder will grow to, perhaps, 8-10" long,
snout to vent, and will live about five years maximum, which is
unfortunate. I wish they lived longer!
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