New publication: A book about the tiger chameleon

New publication: A book about the tiger chameleon

by Alex Negro Book publications

Until now, there was no book that dealt with the keeping of the tiger chameleon. You had to painstakingly search for individual reports on keeping tiger chameleons from various sources and puzzle together small pieces of information to form a larger unit. With the newly published book by Markus Grimm, who has been a member of the AG Chamäleons for almost 20 years, this has now changed. Markus Grimm was responsible for the first breeding of the tiger chameleon in 2004 and teaches courses on chameleons in Switzerland.

The first quarter of the book is about chameleons in general. The distribution and the diversity of the different species and their habitats are presented. A brief overview of possible diseases of chameleons in terraristics as well as tips on what should be considered when buying a chameleon completes this part of the book. Then it’s on to the tiger chameleon itself. The distribution and habitat of the small chameleons on the Seychelles islands of Mahé, Praslin and Silhouette are presented. This is followed by herpetoculture: basics such as terrarium size, ventilation and climate technology are explained as well as CITES listing and corresponding keeper obligations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the biology of the tiger chameleon, some information is repeated and specified for the species. The sex determination of the tiger chameleon is explained in detail so that even a beginner should be able to select suitable animals for a small breeding group after reading the book. The author gives concrete recommendations on food quantity and food insects. Many personal experiences of the author form the main focus of the book. The book concludes with a detailed section on the reproduction of the tiger chameleon in the terrarium. Mating, pregnancy and egg-laying are discussed in richly illustrated detail. The author also dispels the myth that Archaius tigris only lays its eggs in leaf axils. It does show this behaviour frequently, but there are also tiger chameleons that bury their eggs in the ground like other egg-laying chameleon species of the Indian Ocean. Egg incubation and hatching as well as the rearing of the young complete the species presentation.

The book is aimed at anyone who is considering keeping Archaius tigris. The large font makes it easy to read. In some places, the lack of picture descriptions, some technically vague information and a lot of detached photos disturb the reading flow a little. The first quarter of the book also sometimes gets lost in other chameleon species. However, it then finds its way back to the tiger chameleon to deliver the world’s first book of its kind on Archaius tigris. The advanced chameleon keeper will certainly enjoy the last third of the book most, with many details on the propagation of the species and rearing of the young. For the novice keeper, the book offers a great deal of very valuable information for good, chameleon-friendly husbandry.

The book is only available in German. It is self-published and can be ordered from the author.

 

The tiger chameleon (Archaius tigris) – keeping, care and reproduction
Markus Grimm
131 pages, Self-published
ISBN 978-3-033-09238-9
currently at the introductory price of 20 CHF/€ excluding shipping
otherwise 22,90 CHF (currently 22,90 €) excluding shipping
Order directly from the author markus-grimm@gmx.ch

New publication: A book about the European Chameleon

New publication: A book about the European Chameleon

by Alex Negro Book publications

“The common chameleon – Chamaeleo chamaeleon” fills a small gap in the reptile book market, because until now there was no comparable book dealing only with this species. The authors are Jürg Meier, professor emeritus of zoology at the University of Basel in Switzerland and member of the AG Chamäleons, Juan Pablo González de la Vega, herpetologist from Andalusia and Joaquín Santaolalla, head of the Biodiversity Control Centre at the Málaga Veterinary Office.

At the beginning of the book, the species Chamaeleo chamaeleon is introduced, its habitat and the differences to Chamaeleo africanus, the second chameleon species native to Europe. The rest of the first half of the book then deals mainly with basic knowledge about chameleons in general. The body structure, the modified hands and feet, the highly specialised eye, the ability to change colour and the famous tongue shot are discussed among other things. Again and again, results from scientific studies are incorporated into the text. The second half of the book deals with the life cycle and occurrence of Chamaeleo chamaeleon. Predators are introduced, and mating and reproduction, as well as the different colour dresses of the animals, are explained. Photos of nest-building, egg-laying and hatching of the small chameleons complete the presentation of the species. Finally, the endangerment of the European chameleon and current conservation efforts in Spain are discussed. Many photos and graphics illustrate the text.

The book is aimed at laymen – people who do not know much about chameleons and would like to learn more. It is easy to read and easy to understand, only a few sections get a little lost in scientific terms. A bit of a pity is some pixelated and altogether very colourful graphics in the book, which detract from the valuable overall impression. Ultimately, however, this does not detract from the purpose of the book. It awakens enthusiasm for chameleons, especially among interested nature lovers who have had nothing to do with these fascinating reptiles until now. And that is exactly what it was designed for. The book is currently being used in Málaga as a small textbook in environmental lessons at school and as a purchasable read for curious travellers and locals.

The book is available in German and Spanish. It is self-published and can currently be obtained from the author (see below) or from the Chameleon Centre of the Veterinary Office of Málaga, Spain.

The common chameleon – Chamaeleo chamaeleon
Jürg Meier, Juan Pablo Gonzalez de la Vega, Joaquín Santaolalla
128 pages, Jumeba Sachbuch Verlag
ISBN 978-3-907338-00-1

20 € including shipping
Order under https://jumeba.ch/shop/ or directly via the first author j.meier@jumeba.ch