Two-banded chameleon (Furcifer balteatus )

THE BREEDING & RAISING OF FURCIFER BALTEATUS IN UKRAINE

Found stock:

Three young males and six females were obtained in January 2012 from the public zoo.         

The keeping conditions:

Adult chameleons are kept one by one in terrariums 65x65x80cm.

Decorations and equipment: branches, live plants, water drops system and the 40 watts lamp. We don’t provide an additional heating or UV lamps.

Illumination: we provide 12 hours of day light.

Temperature: day 24-26ºC, night 21-23ºC.

Diet: crickets, cockroaches, zophobas. We don’t give vitamins, only calcium supplementation. 

Breeding:

Only three females were involved in the breeding after reaching sexual maturity.

 One female was kept together with male during the period from 24.09.14 till 01.11.14. We observed mating, but the female does not become immune to male courtship and doesn’t express “pregnant” behavior.

Meanwhile this female laid clutch on 21.02.2015 (the time from the last observed mating was 83 days).

Two other females mated once on 23.01.2015 and 16.01.2015 accordingly, then they start to show signs of “pregnant” behavior like rejection of the male, expressed in aggressive mood and color changing. Clutches were laid on 01.04.2015 and 16.04.2015 accordingly. The time from observed mating was 67 and 88 days accordingly.

Temperature of incubation: 22-24º C with diapause 1,5 month long at 16-17º C.

Weight of eggs - 1,4-1,9 gram. Size - 20-25mm / 11-14mm.

The incubation period is about 13-18 months.

Breeding statistics:

3 clutches from 3 females by 24, 25 and 26 eggs were obtained in February - April 2015.

For the moment – 16.09.2016 we have 8, 13 and 15 babies from each clutch accordingly.

The first hatched on 28.07.2016 and the last on 10.09.2016.

20 eggs are still in the incubator.

The percentage of unfertile eggs should be clear at the end of complete incubation period.

Babies mortality for the moment is fortunately ZERO!

Size of new hatched babies is 8-9,5 cm, including tail. Weight is 1,2-1,8 gram.

Babies are kept in groups (15,13 & 8) in terrariums 65x65x80cm.

The conditions are the same as for adults. They feed on small crickets and cockroaches and getting robust pretty fast.

We’ll publish more info (with author permission) about the unique experience of breeding & raising Furcifer balteatus later this year . 

STRONGLY HOPE THAT ESTABLISHING OF FURCIFER BALTEATUS IN HERPETOCULTURE COULD BE A GREAT ACHIEVMENT OF COMING YEAR.

P.S. Sergei Prokopiev is BION’s business partner since 1996 and successful chameleon’s breeder  having positive results with Chamaeleo calyptratus, Trioceros deremensis, T. hoehnelli, T. jaksonii, T. melleri, T. montium, T. quadricornis,  Furcifer pardalis,  F. lateralis,  F. balteatus, Calumma parsonii, etc.