A-1 Reptiles
Jackson Chameleon Care
Jackson Chameleons are primarily an African and Madagascan group of arboreal, insectivorous lizard. They are found at elevations of five-thousand to eight-thousand feet. Rainfall in these areas average over fifty inches per year.
In 1972 this specie was accidentally introduced into the wild in Hawaii. They were well established in the Hawaiian Islands for many years. In recent years the Hawaiian state government has put into place laws that prohibit transport of the Jackson Chameleon from island to island and even transport to the mainland of the United States.
The laws put into place to restrict transport were due primarily to the fact that the Jackson Chameleons were eating insects that normally pollinate plants only indigenous to the Hawaiian islands thus causing extinctions of plant life that only exists on these islands. Gassing of the Jackson Chameleons was posed as an option to eliminate the Jackson Chameleon specie from Hawaiian Islands.
We do not recommend Jackson Chameleons to beginning chameleon keepers. The Jackson Chameleon is difficult at best. Veiled Chameleons are a desert specie and are highly recommended for beginning chameleon keepers. You may read more on Veiled Chameleons in the Veiled Chameleon section under care.
Jackson Chameleons live singly and individuals have their own territories. Jackson Chameleons should be housed individually. A screened enclosure should be provided to ensure proper ventilation inside the enclosure.
Most arboreal species require daily misting's to keep humidity levels in check. Cages need to completely dry between misting's in order to assure bacteria do not develop inside the enclosure causing illness or even death.
Small Ficus trees or silk foliage may be placed inside the enclosure for climbing and hiding areas.
Ideal humidity for this specie is between fifty to sixty percent. Mist the enclosure twice daily. The Jackson Chameleon will drink drops of water from the leaves in its enclosure. They will not drink from a bowl.
The Jackson Chameleon is very easy to sex. The males having three rostral horns approximately 1 1/2 inches in length. The females of this specie are lacking these horns. The baby Jackson Chameleon can be sexed at the age of four months. At this time the horns will begin to develop in the male offspring.
Jackson Chameleons should be provided a basking light of approximately eighty-five deg f and this can be achieved with a clamp lamp using a sixty watt bulb. The rest of the enclosure should remain room temperature (72 deg f).
The tip of the Jackson Chameleons tongue is like a suction cup. The Jackson Chameleon propels its tongue out and attaches it to an insect and the chameleon jerks the insect back into its mouth. The length of the Jackson Chameleons tongue is approximately 1 1/2 times the the length of its body. The tongue is logged inside a pouch under the chameleons chin.
Commercially raised insects such as crickets, wax worms or mealworms may be fed daily. Jackson Chameleons can become bored with the same diet over long periods of time and may eventually refuse to eat. Make sure the chameleons diet is varied.
Always dust with a high quality calcium powder such as Rep-Cal w/D3. Twice monthly dust with a good vitamin supplement such as Nekton-Rep. Do not dust with calcium powder on the same day you dust with vitamin supplements as calcium can block absorption of the vitamins.
Always introduce the female into the males enclosure when breeding the Jackson Chameleons. If the female is receptive she will allow the male to mount. If the female is not receptive she may gape and attempt to bite the male. She may also turn gray or black in color. If this happens remove the female from the males enclosure and try again the next week.
Breeding for the specie usually takes place in early spring. Baby Jackson Chameleons are live born in the summer months. Gestation period for the Jackson Chameleons is approximately six months. The females will produce anywhere from ten to fifty babies at one time.
Each baby is encased in a membrane and the membrane sacks are dropped from the females cloaca opening onto the ground from about a six foot height. The babies should immerge on their own from the membrane sacks and disperse. The baby Jackson's should be immediately removed after birth into their own screened enclosure.
Babies may be reared together in screened enclosures until the age of four months and at that time they should be separated into their own screened enclosures. Do not house baby chameleons in glass aquariums. I can not stress this fact enough. Chameleons of any specie do not do well in glass aquaria. Screened enclosures provide a more natural and well ventilated habitat for all chameleon species.
Baby Jackson's are light brown in color and do not turn the adult green color until about four months of age.
Baby Jackson's maybe be fed pinhead crickets and flightless fruit flies. The babies should be misted twice daily and only lightly. Spraying to much water directly on them may cause choking or even death.
All insects should be dusted with a high calcium supplement such as Rep-Cal w/D3. Twice monthly a good vitamin supplement such as Nekton-Rep should be used. Again, do not use calcium powder on the same day you dust with your vitamin supplement as calcium blocks absorption of vitamins.
A basking lamp should be provided with a basking temperature of 85 deg f. The remainder of the enclosure should be room temperature (72 deg f).
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Chamaeleo jacksonii
