Chameleon Academy Contributions

Bill Strand is one of the most influential and most stable stars of the Chameleonoculture education in the United States. His famous Chameleon Breeder's Podcasts has been recently modified to Chameleon Academy, continuing the highly acknowledgeable, meaningful, necessary and extremely successful work on improving the captive conditions of chameleons in the US and worldwide. I'm proud to call Bill a friend, we have published some common publications and done some important community work together in mutual cooperation and support. I'm privileged and honored to have been invited by Bill to contribute to his Axademy and share some knowledge, ideas, projects and observations from the wild and from captivity. Wish Bill success with his great Project of Chameleon Academy and enjoy his teaching on the website Chameleonacademy.com and using the same named app available in the Applestore. 


Episode 159: Of The Chameleon Academy Is Dealing With Nighttime Temperature Drops

Nighttime drops are an important part of chameleon husbandry. Today, I talk with Petr Necas about understanding why they are important and what they mean for us providing the best captive care possible. 


Episode 108: Meller's Chameleons Part 1

One of the most impressive of chameleons is the Meller's Chameleon. Trioceros melleri is the largest of the African chameleons. With recent captive hatched specimens available in the US, Canada, and Europe more keepers have access to this special species. But there are extra preparations necessary to keep them healthy. Today I start the discussion with the top breeders of Trioceros melleri who have graciously agreed to share with you their methods for success.


Episode 100: Challenging Ourselves and Growing in Chameleon Knowledge

It has been quite a ride so far and we have learned so much in the process. These last years have been an incredible growth period for me. And growth means you have to constantly challenge an re-evaluate what you think you know. If there are holes in the story you hold on to or leaps of logic that are trying too hard then a good challenge will flush those out! Today I look back on the challenges that I have done for myself. I re-evaluate my stance on water and hydration being used to wash out chameleon eyes. I then talk about the challenges we have with Vitamin A and working with the influx of new keepers into the chameleon community. The community is shifting away from taking pride in research to demanding quick answers. How will we answer the challenge of simplifying a complex concept? Well, this all is why the next 100 episodes will be packed full!


Episode 92: Veiled Chameleon Feeding

Food and water fuel living creatures. Understanding the right fuel for your chameleon is critical to their health. Today we explore the diet of the Veiled Chameleon in the wild and how we can feed them a healthy diet in captivity. 


Episode 91: Veiled Chameleon Lighting

Chameleons are energized from the sun. To keep them in captivity we must replicate the sun's light, warmth, and UVB. Today we talk about what Veiled chameleons need from their light source. 


Episode 90: Veiled Chameleon Husbandry - Natural Environment & Cage

Many thanks to Petr Necas, Martin Wendsche, and Petko Dvorak for sharing their experiences with both Chamaeleo calyptratus and Yemen. It has been a challenge to find travelers who have been to Yemen AND were Veiled Chameleon keepers/breeders. This was important because only keepers of Veiled Chameleons would understand the importance of questions we would ask. Thanks also to Alexandera Urbancova who was kind enough to offer audio translation of the Slovakian answers from Petko. 

Episode 89: Naturalistic Hydration for Chameleons

It is time to revisit our understanding of hydration in chameleons. We are well aware of hydration during the day, but that is only half of the story. Today we are going to talk about hydration over the entire 24 hours in the day to form a holistic approach to a captive hydration strategy. 

Episode 88: Veiled Chameleons in Florida

The veiled chameleon is one of our most hardy and adaptable chameleons. With its wide-spread representation in the hobby It is no surprise that this lizard has had an opportunity to escape into many different environments. Florida, it seems, suited it well and we now have a viable chameleon population on the continental United States.

Episode 87: History of the Veiled Chameleon in Captivity

Veiled chameleons seem to be everywhere you would expect to find a pet chameleon and some places you wouldn't. but it wasn't always this way. Today I explore the origins of the veiled chameleon in captivity. Join me as I speak to the people who brought this chameleon to us! In the podcast we heard from Ron Tremper and the courtyard he kept his veilds in. This is it!


Episode 86: Veiled Chameleon Taxonomy and Ecology

Chamaeleo calyptratus, the veiled chameleon - this gorgeous and hardy chameleon is many people's introduction to the fascinating world of chameleons. In this podcast series we explore their history, ecology, and husbandry. Today we learn about the taxonomy and where they are from.


Episode 83: Kenyan Xantholophus Jackson's Chameleons

In the United States, the Large xantholophus Jackson's Chameleons we see are almost all from a feral population on Hawaii. But this magnificent chameleon originated in Kenya, Africa. The newly started Kenyan Xanth Project is spearheading the effort to bring back the founder genetics. In this episode we learn about the natural environment of Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus, the yellow-crested Jackson's Chameleon, from world renown chameleon expert and author, Petr Necas who is, at the moment of this episode release, in Kenya studying them in the wild.
My projects:   ARCHAIUS   │   CHAMELEONS.INFO