Parasites and Ethics - Coccidia Found in Furcifer pardalis

Executive Summary Coccidia Basics Structure Life Cycle Known Species Isospora brygooi Choleoeimeria glawi Eimeria vencesi Discussion Reference TL;DR This article examines three of species of Coccidia which are known to infect Furcifer pardalis and poses a theory that Choleoeimeria glawi (Figure 3) are more likely to cause serious illness based on extant literature and our experience. More clinical research is warranted because we are not specialists in parasitology or veterinary microbiology, and we did not attempt to bifurcate our clinical results by Coccidia species.

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Chameleon Academy: Chameleon Breeder Husbandry vs Keeper Husbandry

This is a discussion about whether breeders should get a pass for poor husbandry. We know that the practical constraints of breeding animals for a profit yields a compromising attitude towards husbandry. I believe it should be uncompromising, and I am happy to hold myself to the same standards as my customers. Bill is a leader in this movement and I hope we can encourage more breeders to commit to higher standards of care.

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Parasites and Ethics: Ethics

We believe that sharing information about our experience with parasites will not only help our customers keep their animals healthy, but it could help build awareness and promote preventative actions throughout the industry. Our hope is that it will accomplish that goal and build stronger relationships with our customers. Eventually, it will result in long-term project sustainability and a stronger community of hobbyists. Most people would not publish this story about parasites on their business page because most people are concerned about short-term revenue and less concerned about their integrity and animal welfare.

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Chameleon Academy: The Chameleon Hour, Oct 7, 2022

This episode kicks off with a discussion about chameleon safe plants, Michael Nash on diapause, and finishes up with a discussion between Bill and I about creating a safe environment for chameleon hatchlings.

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Chameleon Academy: Hatchling Care Panel Q & A

This is a great discussion with three men who have more experience than I do: Bill Strand, Sean McNeeley and Chris Young. These guys are some of the OGs of chameleon husbandry, and I really enjoyed listening as much as I enjoyed the opportunity to share my experience. Sorry about the bad entry - I had not done many podcasts at this point lol

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Baby Panther Chameleon Growth Rates under different UVI levels

We raised two clutches of baby Furcifer pardalis (Panther Chameleons) under controlled conditions to answer a simple question: How do the growth rates of baby Panther Chameleons raised under UVI 3 and UVI 6 compare? Background Michael Nash recently studied two groups of baby Furcifer lateralis and found that UVI 7 and UVI 3 resulted in no noticeable difference in growth rates for that species. He descibes his research in this post.

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Parasites and Ethics: Origin Story

Rye, for good luck. We received 5 females from reputable CB sources that had issues during/after quarantine since 2017. The first 2 were in 2017. They never had great appetites and seemed to have respiratory issues. We brought them to the vet and kept them isolated for 60 days; however, the vet did not see anything wrong with them, and after they seemed to be healthy enough, we tried to breed them.

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Chameleon Academy: Chameleon Cage Type Decisions Part 1 - Hybrid

Bill did a great two part series on different caging strategies. We jumped on for the first part because we use a lot of hybrid enclosures here in Maryland. It helps us keep their cage within a healthy humidity range and protects our walls from water damage. Podcast Link: Ep 211: Chameleon Cage Type Decisions Part 1 - Hybrid

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Parasites and Ethics: Intro

tldr; Every animal you acquire, whether it be captive bred (CB) or wild caught (WC), should receive multiple fecal exams. A positive fecal should be managed in consultation with a qualified vet who has experience working with chameleons. Many different species of parasites do not shed at a constant rate, so a negative fecal is not a gaurantee that the animal is clean. We found Coccidia in 2 out of 25 exams that we performed in June-July 2021, and plan to run fecals on every animal in our possession and share the results/methods here.

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General Husbandry: Furcifer pardalis (Panther Chameleon)

Enclosure I tend to use indoor 24"x24"x48" screen enclosures for males, and 18"x18"x36" screen enclosures for females. I add horizontal and vertical boards to the frame which can support 3 levels of horizontal perching branches as well as hold up plants. In the base of the enclosure, I put 12" of bioactive space with drainage, soil barrier, abg mix, spag moss and leaf litter. For microfauna, I use springtails and isopods some red wrigglers and lesser mealworms.

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