Chameleon Breeder Podcast With Bill Strand

Dr. Chris Anderson joins me for a frank talk about chameleon keeping and conservation. We talk about the way international trade is set up and the laws surrounding it. Dr. Anderson explains the benefits and detriments of trade. He talks about when the system works and when it doesn't. There are no black and white answers, but listen in and you will understand the major issues surrounding chameleon keeping and conservation.

Welcome to the Outer Fringes where we explore another reptile that we chameleon people will love! Today we have Eddy Garabito, Father Blue, who works extensively with Blue Tree Monitors. 

The Carpet Chameleon is one of the best chameleon keeping candidates. When captive hatched they are hardy and easy to keep. Frank Payne, of Living Art by Frank Payne, joins me to discuss what he has learned about caring for this wonderful chameleon species.

We explore the differences in chameleon keeping regulations between the US and Europe with this interview with Jurgen Van Overbeke. Does regulating husbandry conditions improve the general state of reptile keeping?

Michael Nash has successfully implemented bio-active concepts to raise up healthy baby chameleons. In this episode he shares with us how he does it!

I bring on experienced chameleon breeders to share different approaches to raising chameleon hatchlings from hatching (or birth) to about three months of age. All three individually raise their babies. Included in today's episode is Jonathan Hill from iPardalis Chris Young from Kaizen Chameleons Sean Mcneeley from McZoos Exotics They answer my questions and then we all answer questions from our live studio audience.

Today I bring on Jonathan Hill of iPardalis to offer a breeder's perspective on the practice of selling eggs. As an educator I come at this new trend differently than a breeder who is responsible for figuring out what the right products are there for them to sell. It would be much easier to sell eggs! So, should today's breeders switch to egg sales? Jonathan says no. Watch to hear him explain the lay of the chameleon land!

Today is a serious topic where I give my take on the current amendment proposal to the Lacey Act. This amendment has serious repercussions for reptile keeping and this is no drill. It snuck by undetected in the House and now it is on its way to the Senate. This is an example of how vigilant we need to be to protect our community. I figure it is more than worth talking about this because if this passes, our community will take a serious hit and it is this community which sustains us.

If you have purchased a chameleon egg and are now preparing for caring for a hatchling, this episode will guide you through the steps to make sure that when your egg hatches you will have the highest chance of success.

If you are active in the chameleon community you know how it is when you answer the same question over and over. Is it worth it? That is something we need to answer for yourselves and today I discuss how I look at it.

We need more chameleon keepers with good husbandry having fun on social media and just being visible! As for me, I am going to experiment for the next four weeks with a new format for the Chameleon Academy Podcast!

Today we are going to talk about the kind of special care a female egg laying chameleon needs. My name is Bill Strand and my job here is to help you learn the latest in chameleon husbandry techniques and philosophy. Welcome to season seven of the Chameleon Academy Podcast!

What if there was a test that you could buy that would tell you what locale your panther chameleon was? Jonathan Hill and Ben Morrill, PhD are creating just that test and I have them on to explain how this works and how we can make this a reality!

There are a few books that are prized by chameleon keepers. And my pick for day 12 is two of the best! Both Chameleons of Africa by Colin Tilbury and Mader's Reptile Medicine and Surgery by Divers and Stahl are excellent parts of a chameleon keeper's library! They are high end books so chances are that the chameleon person in your life may not have picked them up yet! You can check them out here.

Today's pick is the Chameleon Forums 2020 Calendar which is made up from pictures of chameleons from our community! These are chameleons that you read about day to day on the Chameleon Forums. If you are not familiar with the forums then I encourage you to check out the Chameleon Forums and find a community that has been thriving since 2003!

UVB is critical to the health of our chameleons. Since we cannot see UVB light, the best way to ensure you have the right levels in your cage is to have a UVB meter. The Solarmeter 6.5 is the industry standard and is widely available. The Solarmeter 6.5 is a prized tool for any serious chameleon keeper and this makes an excellent gift for the chameleon person in your life!

Fogging is a new chameleon hydration technique for many people and is worth setting up. You don't have to change anything else about what you do to presently to give it a test run. But fogging is a great gift for the person wanting to explore chameleon husbandry at a deeper level.

A well lit chameleon enclosure makes for a happy chameleon and makes a beautifully planted cage possible! My pick for day 8 is the Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED bar which gives you that extra light that has allowed me to do crazy things like grow and bloom passion flowers in my chameleon cages!

The question commonly arises - how can I mount horizontal branches and live plants to the sides of my chameleon's screen cage? The Dragon Ledges were designed specifically for us chameleon keepers for that purpose! They consist of a brace that attaches to the aluminum screen frame and a "ledge" on the inside that transfer the weight to the brace and to the frame. The Dragon Ledges allow you to create a floating garden style cage interior that provides for your chameleon's needs!

If you have a chameleon or reptile enthusiast in your family then they may be difficult to shop for. Here is an easy solution! Ask them what their favorite YouTuber or Podcaster is and see if that influencer has a merchandise shop. You could find branded T-Shirts, hoodies, and coffee mugs that will be a surprise of a gift! And the bonus is that purchasing from a content creator's merchandise store supports the videos and podcast shows that are making our community so enjoyable and diverse.