Chameleons
Above is a picture of a Veiled Chameleon, this particular one being a former pet of mine.
An Annotated Webliography On
Chameleons
Above is a picture of a Veiled Chameleon, this particular one being a former pet
of mine.
Compiled by
Matthew Sharritt
LIS 694: Digital Librarianship
Dr. Peter Jacso
June 2002
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I chose a topic of chameleons, because they are very interesting creatures, and I used to have one as a pet. Chameleons are most famous for being able to change colors, but they have many other interesting physical features. They have prehensile tails, like a monkey, to serve as a fifth limb to help in climbing trees and wrapping around branches. Their feet are bifurcated (like clamps), and their eyes can move independently. Often Chameleons are confused with anoles, a small lizard found in the south-eastern United States. True chameleons, or old world chameleons, are most prevalent in Madagascar- an island off Africa. There are other populations in Asia, and recently chameleons have been populating much of the Hawaiian Islands. A good overview of chameleons by Encarta Online Encyclopedia is given below:
Chameleon, common name for certain lizards that are well known for their ability to change colors. The chameleon changes color when it is frightened and in response to light, temperature, and other environmental changes. The color change is caused by hormones that affect special pigment-bearing cells in the skin. Its color does not always change to match its surroundings, however, as is commonly believed.
The chameleon has a remarkably long, sticky tongue, which darts into the air to catch insects. Its body is unusually shaped, and most chameleons are specially adapted to living in trees. The lizard's long, thin legs raise it from the ground, and its toes are divided into opposable sets of two and three digits that enable it to grasp branches rather than cling to them as with claws. The strong, curled tail is also adapted to grasping. Many chameleons have large domed, or casqued, heads, and males may have as many as three horns, sometimes used for combat. One striking three-horned species is Jackson's chameleon of Africa. The chameleon has a short neck that is of limited mobility; however, the eyes are big and can move independently of each other in many directions. The chameleon has no external eardrum, or tympanic membrane. Chameleons range in size from just a few centimeters to as large as 63 cm (25 in).
More than 100 species of true chameleons exist. They are found in Africa, Madagascar, Spain, southern Europe, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, and the Seychelles Islands. Several color-changing lizards in the United States, commonly called anoles, are also popularly called chameleons.
"Chameleon," Microsoft® Encarta®
Online Encyclopedia 2002
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
This webliography aims to serve the needs of the prospective or current chameleon owner, or those who are interested in chameleons. Following is a sampling of some of the best open-access resources on the Internet which contain information about the history, care, behavior, and resources related to chameleons. Personally, I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the information available on the Internet about chameleons. This information was obtained by searching many of the large search engines and indexes such as Google, Yahoo!, Northern Light, Infoplease, Atomica and MSN. Some other information was found through other various searches and indexes, such as HerpIndex.com, About.com and Discovery.com. Listed below are a sample of some of the top resources, selected based on the rankings from the criteria provided. By reviewing the entries below, you will find that chameleons can make a very fun and interesting pet.
ANNOTATED ENTRIES
Encyclopedia.com
This resource provides a great overview of a chameleon's location in the wild,
eating behaviors and physical characteristics. A good scientific
classification of what phylum, subphylum, class, order and family is provided.
This resource has some good information on chameleons, but some additional
information could be added to the description of the chameleon.
Encarta Online Encyclopedia
This resource has an excellent definition of a chameleon, along with an overview
of a chameleon's lifestyle and physical features. Many additional items are
included here, with links to other lizards that change color, a
chameleon's classification, and a great video of a chameleon eating- by using
it's long gelatinous tongue to catch an insect in mid air. Excellent
information and additional materials are provided here, by a reputable source.
Columbia Encyclopedia
This site has both a dictionary definition of the chameleon, and an additional
encyclopedia version of what a chameleon is by describing its physical features,
habitat and classification. Chameleon locomotion is described along with
the external factors that affect the animal's color via their hormones and
nervous system. The encyclopedia entry was a bit short, but contained some
relevant information nonetheless.
Barnes and Noble.com
This resource has some great books on chameleons. I used the website's
search tool, and entered in the query 'chameleon' to get some good results.
Below are some recommended titles:
Chameleons: Their Care and Breeding by
Linda J. Davison The Chameleon Handbook
by Jacques Leberre andFrancois Le Berre Care and Breeding of Panther, Jackson's, Veiled and Parson's Chameleons, Vol. 1 by
Philipe De Vosjoli andGary Ferguson
Amazon.com
Amazon.com has a huge selection of books, and one is able to search by keyword
or by category. I did a search by keyword using 'chameleon care'.
Here are some of the recommended titles:
Chameleons: Everything About Selection, Care, Nutrition, Diseases, Breeding, and Behavior (Barron's Pet Owner's Manuals) by Richard D. Bartlett
Chameleons Vol.1: Species by W.K Schmidt
American Reptile Association
Although this website doesn't deal specifically with chameleons only, it
provides some good information for all reptile owners, with vet listings by
state, pet supply information, and some reptile care guides. This site
contains a discussion board where one can openly post messages or questions
about their reptiles, and get responses from other reptile owners. Many
reptile experts and veterinarians are listed on this site to provide assistance
to those who need it, which could be very helpful with an injured or sick
animal.
International
Chameleon Working Group
The International Chameleon Working Group is a group established in 1992
interested in chameleon biology and conservation. They publish a
newsletter, called 'The Chameleon'. Through this page, you can contact the
ICWG coordinator to discuss membership or subscription to their newsletter.
This site could use some updating, but it is still a good resource to know about
if you're interested in chameleon associations.
The
Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) Purchase and Captive Care
This article, appearing in the 1997 issue of Reptiles Magazine, has an excellent
overview of what it is to own a veiled chameleon. Veiled chameleons are
the most common chameleon to breed and have as a pet because of their large size
and hardiness. There is a great section on purchasing a veiled chameleon-
specifying what features to look for, what a good price is, and where the best
places are to look for chameleons. Following is another great section on
housing a chameleon, describing the ideal habitat and likes of the lizard.
Finally the article finishes up with the ideal diet for a chameleon- which
stresses the need for variety. Overall this article gives an excellent to
the beginner / intermediate chameleon pet owner. Even an expert would
probably pick up a tip or two from reading this article.
Geckos, Chameleons, Iguanas . . . Oh, My!
If you're considering buying a pet lizard, but aren't sure if you want a iguana,
chameleon or gecko, then this article is for you. This article, at
Pets-and-Life.com, gives a great description of each of the three lizards'
personalities, behaviors, and attention requirements. A gecko is great for
a beginner because it doesn't need a huge cage or a lot of attention. If
you're looking for an iguana, they can be playful and befriend your dog or cat,
and grow up to six feet long. Iguanas like room to play around, so give
them plenty of room to climb, jump and swing around. Chameleons are great
pets, but need a proper habitat with good ventilation and frequent watering.
They are more solitary, but are very interesting. They can get stressed
easily, so you want to handle them slowly, and watch their color for seeing what
mood they're in. Overall, this article provides a good sampling of the
most popular pet lizards, and gives a great comparison if you're trying to
choose between the three.
How Lizards
Behave
This article, at PetPlace.com, provides insight into the peculiar behavior of
lizards. Most people owning a pet will observe these odd behaviors, and
this article helps to translate them. Some odd behaviors of chameleons are
discussed, such as changing colors and puffing themselves full of air to look
more threatening when they are trying to defend their territory (males only).
Chameleon owners will see this odd behavior and probably find it comical.
This article is very interesting to those wondering what their lizards are
thinking when they act peculiar, and provides a logical explanation of what's
really going on.
Breeding the Veiled Chameleon
For those with a veiled chameleon who are looking to breed it, this article
describes the intricate work required to breed your pet. This requires a
lot of work, but can reap a lot of benefits- a female chameleon will lay
anywhere from 12 to 80 eggs, and if they are successfully raised, the baby
chameleons can sell for $25-50 wholesale. This is a potentially profitable
expedition, but keep in mind that there is a lot of work involved- from creating
a nesting spot for a pregnant female, to harvesting the eggs, to incubating the
eggs, and finally putting in a lot of work caring for the new hatchlings.
If you love chameleons, this can be a fun project to undertake, with a decent
profit if you have a successful outcome.
The CHAMELEON Information
Network
This particular website is very comprehensive with everything having to do with
chameleons. Special sections on purchasing a chameleon, housing a
chameleon, watering a chameleon, proper nutrition for a chameleon and signs of
trouble are included. Everything one would need to know from start to
finish is included within this site. This site has a popular following,
with a 'Chameleon Information Network Community' containing links to chameleon
suppliers, newsgroups, literature, nutrition, sellers and veterinarians
specializing in reptiles. Overall this site is very useful and contains
excellent information.
The Chameleon Journals
The Chameleon Journals is an excellent website containing a wealth of
information on chameleons, along with a listserv that chameleon owners can
subscribe to. There is a huge section under 'iCham DB' - a chameleon
database with a very large number of topics that one can look up. There is
a huge photo gallery, and a FAQ section. This is the most impressive
chameleon website I have ever seen- this is a definite must for chameleon owners
to check out!
The Chameleon Community
The Chameleon Community has many excellent resources for chameleon owners, with
links to newsletters, FAQs, care sheets, photo galleries, books, classifieds,
breeders, and many other categories of information. Some very useful
information can be found under these categories, and there is specialized
information for individual species of chameleons. However, a bit more work
could be put into the site, with messages like 'under construction' under topics
such as the photo gallery. Overall, this website has some great
information that can be useful to a variety of chameleon owners.
Chameleon Care
and Information Center
This website specializes in giving care and breed information on most common
chameleons. There is some very helpful information on detecting illnesses
in chameleons, and good remedies for curing them. Again there is some good
information on chameleon housing, breeding, food / feeding, and a unique section
on caring for neonates (babies). Some good links are contained in the
reference section, but would benefit from the 'forum' links working properly.
This site isn't very fancy, and has some dead links, but contains good
references and some helpful information on caring for young chameleons and
chameleons with illnesses.
Jackson's Chameleon
Information
If you own or are looking for information on a Jackson's chameleon, this is the
site for you- this site is a bit small, but contains excellent information on
Jackson's chameleons. A great overview of behavior, history (origin),
purchasing criteria, housing, breeding and illness guides are given. I
especially like the sections on behavior and range (historical section).
The behavior section lists the factors involved in the chameleon's color
changing such as mood and environment (great pictures) and the historical
section has good maps of the origin of the species in Africa, and their recent
population boom in the Hawaiian Islands. The pictures section is a
'must-see' as well- with excellent pictures of Jackson's chameleons.
Chameleons Online
Chameleons Online has excellent navigation, and provides relevant and succinct
information that is well organized by topic. This is a great resource for
finding chameleon information, and is categorized by a 'quick tips' section, a
housing, feeding, and watering section, an interaction section describing
chameleon behavior, a section on illnesses, a section on proper cage cleaning,
and species information. Helpful links are provided linking you to
breeders, books, veterinarians, and a helpful message board. Great books
are listed under the 'works cited' section of the website. This site looks
very reputable, and appears to be here to stay. It is obvious that a lot
of time, effort and resources went into this website, and it is definitely worth
checking out.
SUB-CATEGORIES
S & S
Reptiles - Veiled Chameleons
This section of the S & S Reptiles website has excellent pictures of the veiled
chameleon- a particular species of chameleon that is very popular among breeders
and pet owners. Pictures are given to show how to tell the difference
between male and female, and an additional photo gallery that has many excellent
pictures of veiled chameleons. Some general tips on caring for reptiles as
pets is also given, which could be helpful to a new pet owner.
AcaPixus Image Gallery
Some very cool pictures of many different chameleons are contained here.
This site looks a bit lacking in authority, being a 'Geocities' website, but
still contains some great images of chameleons. Check this out if you want
to see the difference between species of chameleons, and view the very different
physical features and colorings among the species.
Chameleon Picture
Gallery
This page looks lacks authority, but has some good thumbnails of chameleons.
Species' latin names are listed under each picture, and images are grouped by
species. This site has great images, but is far from the authority on
chameleons. Still, a good page to look at to check out different species
of chameleons and their coloring / physical features.
Chameleon
These series of pages is aimed at children, but provides an overview of
chameleons along with some great thumbnails that you can click on for great
chameleon pictures. This site contains some basic information on
chameleons which goes nice with the pictures. Some of the pictures are
spectacular- showing some of the wild colorations that chameleons can show.
This site could do without the annoying pop-up ads, but still contains some
great pictures that you shouldn't pass up.
Panther Chameleon Care
Sheet
This page provides some good information in the form of a care sheet for panther
chameleons. Much of the information contained here will apply to other
chameleon types. This page has some very good tips on how to set up a
chameleon habitat, such as getting good lighting, good air flow, and drip
systems for the chameleons to drink. This site contains some excellent
tips for a chameleon owner.
Chameleon Life
This is a comprehensive website dealing with the proper care of a chameleon,
from proper housing, proper nutrition, to proper care. Detailed pages on a
chameleon's metabolism, feeding / watering needs, housing / temperature guides
and potential veterinary problems are given. A special section for online
help and advice by a specialized reptile veterinarian is available for advanced
questions not answered on the other informative pages. A link is available
to a special reptilian clinic specializing in rare reptilian surgeries.
This is a must-have for any reptile owners, especially chameleon owners, that
need help caring for their pet.
LLL Reptile and Supply
Company, Inc.
Provided at this site are some good but short care guides for chameleons and
other reptiles. They are very short in length, but would make good
printouts to hand to a new chameleon owner. The information provided gets
across the basic needs of the lizards, and assists the pet owner in the basic
set up of a chameleon's cage and feeding requirements.
The Chameleon Enthusiast
Some great care information is provided on this website, and a great FAQ section
and 'owner's manual' are included. The 'owner's manual' section of the
site is where most of the information is contained, and is very good. I'm
not sure how reputable this site is, but it was written by someone with a love
for chameleons. Spend a minute on the main page 'rolling-over' the links-
a very cool effect is created on the chameleon in the center.
Crested Gecko
Crested Gecko has chameleons for retail purchase, along with some good images
and information for the new chameleon pet owner. This page would be good
to print out for a new pet owner who needs information on how to set up a proper
habitat, and give good tips on how to feed and water the chameleon. There
is a small section describing how to handle a chameleon, but a bit more here
would be helpful since this describes the personality of the animal. This
site sells veiled chameleons and panther chameleons, and there are good pictures
of the veiled chameleons only. Since they sell panther chameleons too,
some pictures would be helpful in purchasing so that a difference can be seen
between the two species.
Kammerflage Kreations
Kammerflage Kreations is an online retail store headquartered in the San Diego
area that specializes in selling chameleons. In addition to chameleon
sales, there is a great list of information on chameleon care- including good
housing information, food / supplements, and proper treatment of a chameleon.
There are also books and 'chameleon art' for sale. If you're interested in
buying a chameleon, this is a great place to look- chameleons are listed by
species and bloodline, along with pictures to help one see what they're buying.
Overall a great retail site, but might benefit from some external links to
pertinent information.
Wormman's Worm Farm
If there is a staple food for chameleons, then crickets would be it. Every
chameleon owner needs to get insects for their chameleon to eat, and this is a
great resource for doing so. A large variety of chameleon food is provided
on this website at decent prices. This is the place to buy your chameleon
food in bulk, and avoid those expensive and frequent trips to your local pet
store, especially if you have more than one insect-eating pet.