Found in the grasslands of Yemen, the Veiled chameleon is very unique. Both males
and females sport a large casque on their heads. The males have a larger one than the females, sometimes reaching up
to 4 inches in height. The casque servers many purposes. It channels water down to the corners of the mouth as well as
increases the size of the chameleon. This then makes the chameleon look larger and intimidates predators. Males are
larger than the females, reaching up to 2 feet in total length. Females grow to a size of about 14 inches. Colors
usually consist of red, yellow, blue, and green. Due to much success in captivity, veiled chameleons are now
readily available as CB ( Captive-Bred ) chameleons. Hence there is little need for importing animals from the wild.
Captive Care
Veiled chameleons should be housed singly because males become very territorial.
Their enclosures should be constructed of screen to allow proper ventilation. They should be no smaller
than 48"H x 24"W x 24"L. You should provide plenty of climbing branches along with dense areas of foliage. The daytime temp
should be 85 with a 10-15 degree temperature drop at night. Humidity should be kept at about 65%.
Reproduction
Veiled chameleons are fairly easy to breed as long as their basic requirements are
met. The female should be placed into the male's cage because of a territorial matter they have. If the female turns
dark colors, remove her. However, if she stays light colors, she will then try to escape from the male, but he will
catch up and mount her eventually. Don't be worried if it is a little rough because Veiled chameleons tend to be
rough during courtship. A gravid female will turn an all around black, with orange and blue patterns. After 20-30
days after copulation, the female will deposit her eggs. Usually a clutch ranges from 30-40 eggs. However, there
have been cases in which gravid females deposited more than or less than those figures. It all depends on the size
of the female, how much food it eats, and the amount of calcium in her diet. These eggs should be incubated at
around 82 degrees in moist vermiculite. After 6-8 months the eggs will hatch. The babies are relatively easy to sex,
due to the fact that males have a tarsal spur on each of their hind feet. These look like very small bumps on the babies. For
care of these babies, please refer to the section on Newborn Care on this website.
