Chameleon Academy Podcast with Bill Strand

Today we journey to Madagascar with Carl Cattau! Welcome Chameleon Wranglers to a new series here on the podcast! We are going to start talking with people that reverse the standard chameleon keeping formula. Instead of bring them to live with us, they go and spend some time in the chameleons’ natural habitat. I bring them on and see if we can get an idea of insights that only being there brings.  So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of Chameleon Adventurers!

Join us for a discussion on maintaining large collections. Nicole cares for a group of over 200 reptiles and has some valuable insight as to how to take care of a large collection of chameleons.

Join me and Dru Reeves as we talk about Chameleons and Facebook. Specifically, the Facebook page Chameleon Central USA! With a free mentorship program and a new Chameleon Central Aid Society, this group is more than just digital discussions. Check the files for reference material and ask for a personalized mentor to help you get started with your chameleon!

A chameleon keeper's guide to keeping Emerald Tree Boas! We continue with our interview with Ralph Chapman who is a chameleon guy who keeps and breeds tree boas - including the Emerald Tree Boa. Listen in as he guides us through Emerald Tree Boa care and husbandry! 

Arguably one of the top most beautiful snakes in the world, the Emerald Tree Boa captures the imagination of many reptile enthusiasts. Its husbandry is a bit tricky, but we chameleon keepers have most of the hard parts already taken care of with what we already do for our chameleons! This week I interview Ralph Chapman who breeds Emerald Tree and Amazon Tree Boas to pay for his chameleon passion.

How do I mount plants in my screen chameleon cage? In this episode we review your options. We gets our hands dirty and talk tactics! How do you create a branch support grid? What angle do you mount your plants? How many anchor points are needed? We answer all these questions that you may not know you have until you actually try to put a live plant in the cage!

Plants are a functional cornerstone of a chameleon's cage. They are also a source of great beauty. In this episode I get you started on using live plants in your chameleon's environment. With just a little bit of knowledge you can turn your chameleon cage into an incredible chameleon environment!

Today we explore poisonous plants and pesticides. Be aware of the plants going into your caged make the right choices. This episode gives you the foundation to understand how poisonous plants and pesticides affect us as chameleon keepers.

This week we explore a listener question about chameleon husbandry in high humidity environments. And then we learn of an exciting new show being put on by artist Evan Skredersku - The 8th Continent Show. This show/auction/presentation is a fusion of art and science in the Los Angeles art scene. 30% of the proceeds from the auction goes to Madagascar conservation. Listen in as Evan describes his vision!

Welcome to the Outer Fringes!  In this special podcast feature we go over other reptiles and amphibians that can be kept in a similar fashion as chameleons providing you with an easy way to expand your hobby! Luis Wiedemann joins us again and we talk about the gecko genus Uroplatus as this fascinating gecko genus is right up the alley of chameleon keepers

Take a step back in time as Philippe De Vosjoli, the man behind the Advanced Vivarium Systems books and the Vivarium Magazine, takes us on a tour of the early days of keeping chameleons. The vision and inspiration that the community had 20 to 30 years ago is still relevant for us today!

Jackson's Chameleons have established themselves in Hawaii. Today we talk with Mary Lovein who lives among the chameleons. More than just a thrill to see chameleons in the wild, she has been able to observe Jackson's behavior in their natural state. She comes on the podcast to share what she has noted over the years of watching the chameleons come and go.

Dr. Greek is an exotics veterinarian with long time experience with chameleons. Finding this kind of vet is a victory for any chameleon owner! In this episode we talk to him about what he sees with chameleons in his office.

Today we talk about finding, or creating, good homes for the chameleon babies you raise up. A big part of this is setting yourself up so you do not get pressured to make a quick sale. That way you can be selective as to where you sell the baby chameleons you worked so hard to raise up.

If you are interested in getting a chameleon, this episode is for you! We condense the most important points about chameleon keeping into one hour of listening! Now, understand that this is a high level overview. Each one of the topics reviewed could easily be an entire episode on their own! But this episode gets you started with some answers, but mostly to let you know the right questions to ask.