The Yemeni chameleon is a large enough, rather difficult to maintain lizard. Such an unusual pet today is often kept at home. It attracts with its bright appearance, interesting habits.
Spread
The homeland of the Yemeni chameleon is Yemen, as its name implies, and Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that these are desert countries, lizards settle in coastal areas, where torrential rains often occur, as well as in valleys where humidity is less, but there is a lot of greenery. They were also imported and successfully taken root in Florida and on the island of Maui (Hawaii).
External features
In his family, a Yemeni chameleon, a photo of which you can see in this article, belongs to large animals. Sexual dimorphism is noted - the body length of the male reaches, and sometimes even exceeds 60 centimeters, the females are slightly smaller, but also large.
Males have a very bright and elegant appearance: the main color is from brown to bright green. On the sides are saturated yellow spots surrounded by brown and orange stripes. On the head is a large (up to 8 cm), well-developed comb. The tail is long and biting. The hind limbs have heel spurs.
Young individuals are most often colored green. With age, stripes appear on their body. The Yemeni chameleon is capable of changing its color depending on environmental conditions and even its own mood. But the most interesting thing is that he can turn his eyes so that one of them looks forward and the other back, and at this time the lizard manages to catch insects for lunch at great speed.
Under ordinary conditions, both males and females change their color under the influence of many factors, for example, as a result of stress. Females change their color during pregnancy. Under favorable conditions, the life expectancy of this species of chameleons is 6–8 years (males) and 4–6 years (females). The reason for this difference in life expectancy is a large load on females bearing eggs (even in the absence of fertilization). The puberty of the animal occurs at six months. The female lays up to 70 eggs.
Yemeni chameleon: home content
More recently, these lizards were rarely kept in captivity, as wild individuals did not take root well even with terrarium specialists with great experience. However, later chameleons were obtained, born and raised in captivity, adapted to home maintenance. Today, most of the Yemeni lizards that are on sale are bred in captivity.
Chameleons of this species are territorial animals, therefore males who have reached puberty (at 8-10 months of life) should be kept separately. Competing among themselves, males do not get along and often arrange fights. Moreover, the content of a Yemeni chameleon with a female can be very successful.
For captivity these animals use vertical terrariums. Chameleons need good ventilation, so a special system is installed in the terrarium, which is located on one of the walls.
We equip a terrarium
You must know in advance the conditions of the Yemeni chameleons. For starters, you should consider the size of the terrarium. Based on the size of the Yemeni chameleon, choose a terrarium. On average, a vertical terrarium of at least 60 cm long, 40 cm wide, and 80 cm high per animal is recommended for this species of lizard. It is equipped with two ventilation openings covered with a net.
Vegetation
The terrarium should be equipped in such a way that the habitat in it is close to the natural: establish branches, grass, other vegetation. In nature, chameleons climb a lot, hide, and they get water by licking droplets of water. Today, in specialized stores a huge selection of attributes is presented that will create comfortable conditions for the life of a lizard.
Plants can be used live or replaced with artificial ones. In addition to their appearance, living plants create the perfect moisture balance in the terrarium.
Is soil needed?
Experienced owners believe that it is better to abandon the soil layer. It will deliver only additional chores, excess moisture will appear in the lizard's house. In addition, various insects, harmful microorganisms, pathogens can live in the ground. It is better to use a special rug or artificial turf, which is also purchased in a specialized store. Sometimes the bottom of the terrarium is covered with newspapers.
Heating and lighting
This is a very interesting pet - a Yemeni chameleon. Maintenance and care of it involves lighting and heating the terrarium. For this, two types of lamps are used. The first type is lamps to maintain optimal temperature and heating. The second type is the ultraviolet lamp needed by the lizard for the normal absorption of calcium.
Under natural conditions, the Yemeni chameleon is quite enough sun and heat, but in captivity, unfortunately, no. You must be aware that servicing and replacing these lamps is necessary in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturers. The fact is that even a still working lamp may not give the necessary amount of UV rays due to the burning out of the phosphor in it.
Chameleons themselves are able to regulate their temperature, based on external factors. On average, the temperature in the terrarium should be maintained between +27 and +29 ° C. Under the lamp where the heating takes place, the temperature ranges from +32 to +35 ° C. Thus, a heating point and a cooler zone appear in the terrarium: the lizard independently chooses a favorable place for itself. To avoid lowering or raising the temperature necessary for the life of the chameleon, the lamps should be connected through a thermostat.
Do not place them low so that your pet does not get burns. Heating and lighting must be carried out for 12 hours, at night, provided that the temperature does not fall below +17 ° C, there is no need for heating.
Water for a chameleon
Creating comfortable conditions for keeping and caring for the Yemeni chameleon, you should know that these lizards ignore drinking bowls, they simply do not notice them. Under natural conditions, they receive the necessary moisture with dew, which is collected from leaves, as well as during rains. Therefore, this fact should be noted. If necessary, spray vegetation in the terrarium where the chameleon lives from the spray gun . Today, automated spray systems have been developed that produce tiny droplets of water. In the terrarium, it is necessary to maintain moderate humidity (about 50%).
Chameleon feeding
At home, crickets are the main diet of the Yemeni chameleon. Their size depends on the size of the lizard. For example, the size of the cricket should be equal to the distance between the eyes of the chameleon. Young individuals are fed once or twice a day, the feeding frequency is gradually reduced, and adult chameleons receive food once every two days. But at the same time, it is advisable to provide free access to your pet's feed.
In addition to crickets, these large lizards do not refuse to eat grasshoppers, cicadas, earthworms, flies, cockroaches. Adult chameleons are happy to eat even naked (naked mice) and plant foods. The latter are very important for chameleons, they are placed in a terrarium, given with tweezers. Fruits and vegetables should be present in the diet of the chameleon: apples, zucchini, bell peppers, pear, melon.
Lizards should receive vitamins and calcium. This is especially important for pregnant females and young individuals. Vitamins and calcium are added to the food from one to three times a week.
Breeding
In Yemeni chameleons, puberty occurs between the ages of 9 and 12 months. If you keep sexually mature chameleons together, it’s possible to get offspring. Usually the male shows activity, and courtship games begin. At this point, make sure that the chameleons do not show aggression. Under favorable conditions, the female allows the male to look after her, after which mating occurs. Owners should be aware that this process can occur several times until the female's color changes to a darker one, which means that she is pregnant.
After pregnancy, the female becomes more aggressive. After a month, you will notice that she is looking for a place to lay eggs. She sinks to the bottom of the terrarium and chooses a place for a hole. As soon as you notice this behavior of the female, you should add a container with vermiculite and moistened fiber to the terrarium. Such a mixture is necessary in order for the female to dig a hole that will not crumble in the future. This capacity should be 30 x 30 cm in size. The female lays up to 85 eggs, which she incubates from 5 to 10 months.
During this period, a temperature of +27 ° C should be maintained. If possible, place eggs in an incubator. In this case, they are easier to follow.
A Yemeni chameleon at home is a very interesting pet that can be watched for hours. Having created comfortable conditions of detention, you will be able to observe his behavior and lifestyle for several years with your children.