Description:
Scientific name: Gonocephalus chamaeleontinus
Life span: 10 years
The bodies of chameleon forest dragons are small and laterally compressed with prominent vertebral keels. Typically, they are green. Forest dragons have brilliant blue skin around the males’ eyes and orange and tan markings on their bodies. Their short, triangular-shaped skulls have spines above the eyes and a powerful, triangular appearance. They have movable eyelids and conspicuous ear holes, just like the majority of lizards. Their five clawed digits are distributed along their long, slender limbs, which are slightly longer on the back than the front.
Native Region/Habitat
The damp, tropical woods of Southern Malaya, Sumatra, and Western Java are home to chameleon forest dragons (Indonesia). They are arboreal creatures and are frequently seen clinging to tree trunks and branches.
Behavior:
Especially when it encounters people or other predators that may be identified by their changing hues from bright to dark, chameleon forest dragons are readily alarmed and disturbed.
Care As a pet/In captivity:
A complicated and pricey vivarium arrangement is necessary for chameleon forest dragons to thrive, but it is a fun challenge to construct.
Because these lizards live in trees, a high cage is required. A 3-foot-high glass vivarium with a screen top has been successful for many keepers. For an enclosure with such a high humidity level, ventilation is crucial. At least three sides of the vivarium should be covered with paper or sheets of cork bark because the tree dragons can be a little flighty at first. Better still are backgrounds with vegetation since they provide greater surface area for tree dragons to climb.
For proper drainage, the substrate must include a layer of gravel or clay balls. The substrate itself might be made of Eco Earth or orchid bark. If moisture cannot easily flow through the substrate to the drainage layer, bacterial and mold issues may develop. You might wish to select a bioactive substrate since it allows springtails and other tiny creatures to break down trash and produce new soil for plants.
Since these tree dragons are always located close to flowing water, a system of streams or waterfalls is necessary. They can be pricey but are useful for the animal by maintaining a high level of humidity as well as being aesthetically pleasing. The enclosure’s pond will serve as both a water dish and a pond.
There are different recommendations for this animal’s heating and lighting. Keep them at a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They also require a UV source.
Feeding:
Chameleon forest dragons are insectivorous, like many lizards. Grasshoppers and locusts are other acceptable and dependable sources of food, in addition to crickets. However, they choose worms that move slowly, such waxworms, earthworms, or silkworms. Freshwater snails have been recorded as a favourite diet of these lizards, but keepers’ reactions to this food have been mixed. The snails in your vivarium may also serve to purify the water if it has a pond.
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