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| Name: |
Jem
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Age: |
Two years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Ambilobe Red Bar Panther Chameleon
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| Home: |
Illinois, USA
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Oh,
where to begin! My colorful little Jem - named after the wonderful James
Carstairs - is certainly a little gem to behold. Meeting him was a complete
accident, I had only visited his store (Animal Island) to get advice for my
baby pastel ball python. And then I saw Jem. I fell in love with him
instantly once I was able to hold him. I just had to have him, the beautiful
twelve-inch creature that sealed my fate in obsessing over his (unfortunately
expensive) species from then on.
Upon bringing him home, I knew he was special. Most chameleons tend to be
independent, rather preferring solitude, but clearly not all are like this.
Every time I walk by his cage, he "paws" at the glass for me. He genuinely
enjoys being held, and he has even chosen me over food several times. He
truly reminds me of a human toddler!
What does he eat? I have fed him crickets, hornworms, superworms, and one
dubia roach so far. His favorite seems to be the hornworms, but
unfortunately, their expense adds up quickly and he seems to be addicted to
them. Upon eating one, he won't take anything else. I am always worried that
he'll starve himself rather than eat something he prefers less, so I am lucky
that the superworms seem all right to him as of now. Hopefully that'll stay
true. But it is amazing to see him take down something with that astonishing
tongue of his!
How do chameleons drink? Chameleons are known to only notice water that
moves, typically in "rainrops," which is why I must spray the sides of his
cage pretty frequently. But, once again, Jem proves to be my special boy ...
Though he does drink the normal chameleon way, I will often find him drinking
from the small puddles that accumulate on his cage floor as well, which I at
first found alarming. But when I realized he was not dehydrated at all
(sunken eyes are a sign of that, which he didn't have) and just different, I
started to find the oddity adorable.
I absolutely love Jem to death and he's a very cool and delightful animal to
own. The only time I ever saw him angry was when my dogs walked by him (he
hates them, haha; he always has the belief that they'll try to harm him). And
even then, instead of hissing and thrashing, he just huffs and turns a bright
red while puffing himself up to look bigger and opening his mouth wide. But
he has never bitten anybody, and has never really tried. The worst this
reptile can do is poop on you sometimes! Which he has. Oh, well ...
To take care of this child is not as hard as some people hype it up to be.
First, you need a tall (and fairly) wide cage like in the video below. It is
more popular, and so some say, healthier to use a cage with those "mesh"
sides, but Jem came with glass and it seems to be working so far. Then you
want to get your chameleon some branches as chameleons will seldom make use
of the floor. And it works to your preference to buy either a fake or real
tree. I use real trees, but make sure the tree you get is free of toxins and
is over all chameleon-proof as they may consume the leaves. A must is two
reptilian bulbs, one for UV-rays and one for heat. Jem and I call these the
"Almighty Sun Gods." Another must is chameleon calcium powder and vitamin
powder that you lightly sprinkle on their live prey and either hand-feed to
them or place in a container in the cage. These powders should take turns
each day. I certainly have a chameleon-shaped spot in my heart, and I can't
imagine life any other way.
Watch Jem on YouTube in Baby Loves His Mommy.
View more images of Jem!
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Talk about Jem in Pet Talk!
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