News

There is a lot to take in when you are planning to care for hatchling chameleons! I give you the five commandments that will get you started on a solid foundation!

Note: This topic is discussed in the weekly Chameleon Academy Newsletter and is reviewed in a Saturday Chameleon Workshop on YouTube. Click here to join in with the weekly newsletter discussions: Chameleon Academy Newsletter sign up

We are diving deep into a rarely discussed topic in chameleon husbandry—hatchling care. In the past it has been discussed in the context of being a breeder and, sometimes, being surprised by Jackson’s chameleon babies. But we are now exploring a new area where we working on raising baby chameleons in an enriched way with maximum quality of life for the chameleon and the highest satisfaction for the keeper. Hatchling care is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it comes with its own set of unique challenges. If you’re not prepared, those first few months can be overwhelming. This episode is one of a number we will have this season which aims to help you be able to feel confident in your ability to care for hatchlings.

Today I would like to distill decades of hatchling care into the Five Commandments of Hatchling Chameleon Care. Of course, that is just a flashy way of presenting to you five of the most important things I have chosen from the decades of experience I have had in raising baby chameleons. The hatchling stage is the most delicate stage of a chameleon’s life and it isn’t the best way to get introduced to caring for a chameleon. But we have to start somewhere if we are going to introduce hatchling care to the general chameleon community. Here are some lessons I invite you to learn from my experience so you don’t have to learn them from yours!

So, whether you’re an experienced breeder, a first-time chameleon owner dealing with a surprise clutch, or just someone fascinated by these incredible creatures, this post is for you. Let’s get started!

The first commandment is simple but important: All chameleons get their own cage from day one.

I know, I know— this is something many of us experienced chameleon breeders have a harder time accepting than the breeders who are just starting out. We used to keep clutches of babies in groups because it was much easier on us. Group raising allowed us to move more babies through the system and out to customers. So, from a production stand point it was the way to go! But we had to learn skills in figuring out who were the bullies and once we moved the dominate ones out the beta individuals would take the place of the alpha individuals so it was a constant shifting effort that we kept going through until we could finally ship them off to their new homes. Sometimes with bite marks that would disappear in a couple of sheds or wiped tails or, just with emotional stress which no one can see anyways. But we always knew that the best way to raise chameleons was individually from day 1. We have just gotten to a point in our community growth that enough people are putting their foot down and saying we are going to do what is best for the chameleon, no matter how inconvenient it is for us. Welcome to Gen E, the enrichment generation. It is a great place to be!

So, since this is a little controversial, let’s at least touch on the background of it so we can discuss it intelligently.

Chameleons are solitary creatures by nature. Even as hatchlings, they see each other as competition, not as siblings. Every moment they spend together increases their stress levels. Stress in a hatchling leads to suppressed immune function, stunted growth, and a reduced ability to compete for food or self-care like basking. The longer chameleon babies stay together, the worse it gets.

Chameleons, when they hatch, disperse. I saw this firsthand when I was in Madagascar. I came across a clutch of panther chameleon eggs that was in the process of hatching. It was an incredible find. I couldn’t find the exact location of the eggs. I was just watching hatchling chameleons scurrying in different directions with soil still attached to their skin. As expected, they were dispersing in all directions. They weren’t interested in staying together, huddling up, or forming any kind of group. Each hatchling was off on its own adventure, seeking its own space.

And this wasn’t just a one-time occurrence. Every time I found baby chameleons in the wild, they were alone. That’s just how they’re wired. While we, as humans, might interpret that as lonely, we have to remember that chameleons experience the world differently than we do. Their survival depends on being independent from the moment they hatch. Being alone isn’t lonely for them—it’s natural.

They establish territories, avoid unnecessary conflicts, and only come together briefly for mating. So, when we raise them in captivity, we need to respect that natural instinct and give them the space they are biologically designed to have.

Now, there is one situation where you might see baby chameleons grouped together, and that’s when they form what I call baby balls. This is where all the hatchlings converge on the same space and clump together, sometimes even perching on top of each other in a tangled mass. It might look like they’re seeking companionship, but that’s not what’s happening.

This clustering is simply a result of their genetic programming leading them to the same location because it has the characteristics they are instinctively seeking—such as the right amount of cover or a specific type of perch. It’s not because they want to be together.

So, how do you implement individual caging? Ideally, each hatchling should be placed in an adult-sized cage. This is actually the easiest setup for you as a keeper because it allows you to create multiple microclimates, enabling your baby chameleon to find exactly the conditions it needs to thrive.

You can use smaller nursery cages, but understand that the smaller the cage, the more skill it takes to get the microclimates just right. Fewer microclimates mean fewer options for your chameleon to self-regulate. Additionally, the smaller the cage, the sooner they will outgrow it. If you’re keeping your hatchling as a pet, it’s best to just start with the adult-sized cage. If you don’t have an established customer base, but want to eventually sell some, raise them in cages that will allow them to grow into subadulthood. If you’re a professional breeder with an active customer base and you are confident you can sell them soon, you can use cages sized to hold them until they reach a marketable sales weight. The key is that a single chameleon in a small cage is better than a group of chameleons in a large cage.

The cages don’t have to be fancy—how much you invest in quality depends on how long you plan to use them. What matters most is that the inside of the cage has everything the baby chameleon needs to thrive.

This commandment cannot be emphasized enough: Always verify the location of your chameleon before opening or closing the cage door.

I’ve seen too many heartbreaking accidents happen because of the clash of the door and the hatchling’s body being where they are not expected to be at the absolute wrong time. Hatchlings are tiny, fast, and unpredictable. They can be half on the top panel/half on the door, or suddenly drop to the bottom just as you’re closing the door. Or immediately snake their tail around the hinge side of the door frame. A single mistake can lead to a broken leg, a crushed tail, or worse.

I’ll never forget the moment when I was filming a segment about this very issue, and right on camera, one of my hatchlings dropped from its perch at the last second—just as I was closing the door. I caught it just in time, but it was a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong.

Hatchling chameleons are significantly more active than their adult counterparts. They are constantly exploring their surroundings, making their location unpredictable. While this curiosity is natural, it can pose serious risks when opening and closing cage doors. There are four key danger zones to be aware of:

1. Opening the door – If a chameleon has one set of legs on the door and the other on a screen panel, opening the door can injure or even break its legs.
2. Latch mechanisms – If your cage has an internal latch, your chameleon could be perched on it without you realizing it. Engaging the latch may injure the chameleon, especially if the mechanism is difficult to see.
3. The hinge side of the door – When a door is opened, a chameleon may slip into or around the hinge side. Closing the door could crush its body or cause a serious tail injury, often resulting in a permanent double kink. This one is a nefarious one. A chameleon’s tail goes everywhere like it has a mind of it’s own. It is constantly looking for a better anchor spot and if the chameleon is on the side of the cage near where the door opens, that tail will snake around the door frame. And, while it can be obvious on the three other sides, the hinge side is often blocked from view by the closing door so any tail snaked around that corner will easily be missed and the tail could be broken in two places. I have even heard a report of chameleons trapped there as the door was too tight on their tail. All of this needs to be avoided!
4. Unexpected dropping behavior – When frightened, chameleons may instinctively drop to escape perceived threats. If a hatchling drops while you are closing the door, it could be caught and injured. I have had hatchlings near the door drop when I open the door – which is easy to see, but I have also had them drop as I am closing the door which is not as easy to see. Crushing a hatchling in a door is a soul scarring experience that I hope none of you have to experience.

The only way to prevent these accidents is to always identify your chameleon’s location before opening or closing the door. Granted, sometimes they are hiding so well you can’t find them before opening or closing the door. If you cannot see them, do not proceed until you have checked all edges and potential hiding spots around the door. Pay particular attention to the door frame and hinge side to ensure their safety. If you can’t find any evidence of them around the latch mechanism or door frame – especially the hinge side – then you can carefully open or close the door. Here is your permission to be paranoid.  Be ridiculously paranoid. I am serious about this.

Commandment three is for those of you incubating eggs: Never give up on an egg until it hatches or molds over.

I know how hard it is be patient. We chameleon breeders have to deal with incubation times that are 9 months, 12 months, or even 24 months long. The snake breeders think we are nuts. But, we cannot choose our afflictions, can we? I guess we can, but chameleons are so awesome is it really a choice or are we just acknowledging that we enjoy the bright center of the universe? Anyways, all those incubation times on the care guide? Those are average estimates. The eggs can hatch before or long after those estimates depending on the external conditions and your vacation schedule. And, if you don’t think they somehow know to hatch right as you are walking out to the door to the airport you haven’t been doing this long.

Keepers want to candle the eggs to show that there is development and ask what they should do if the egg goes beyond the estimated hatch time. And the one answer experienced breeders will tell you every time is – if it isn’t molding over then keep incubating. Sometimes the eggs just get off schedule and get confused with their timing. And they will end up hatching many months after they were suppose to. It is not uncommon for this to happen.

So, how do you know if they are healthy or not? Simply, dead eggs will mold over. Eggs are alive and have a protective layer that defends against the various elements of nature that want to use it for the energy it has inside. As long as it is defending itself against the ever present mold spores it is alive. But once it dies, the mold spores can take hold and your egg will mold over.

There really isn’t much you can do beyond keep it in the right temperature and moisture. After that it is all in the egg’s court to grow or die.

Now, I completely understand the reason why this urgency is more than just being impatient. We can have the cage up and running for months. That isn’t a problem. It is actually a good thing to let it run over time and stabilize everything. But food production – that is another thing. We need to start our fruit fly production a month before we need them if we want it to truly be producing at full steam when the eggs hatch. With just a couple of eggs you can wing it by calling around to ask for producing fruit fly cups from companies, but if you have six or an entire clutch of 30 chameleons, you need your fruit fly production at full swing when they hatch. And you can’t just start when they hatch because, if you are aggressively feeding, they may grow out of fruit flies before you get into full production! So, every week beyond the date you expect them to hatch is another week you are keeping full fruit fly production up without mouths to feed them! Unfortunately, that is just how it is. I have no solution to this situation! It is just part of what we have to deal with!

So, patience is key. Incubating eggs can be nerve-wracking, especially for first-time breeders. But remember, your job is to maintain proper conditions and let nature take its course. Your patience will pay off when you see those tiny hatchlings breaking through their eggshells. Bottom line: incubate your eggs until they hatch or mold over. Never give up on them.

There’s a misconception that hatchlings need tiny enclosures so they don’t get lost or struggle to find food. But in reality, a larger cage is easier for the beginner to set up properly because it allows for you to create more microclimates, proper basking spots, and natural movement so they can take care of themselves!

A well-set-up adult-sized cage makes it easier for a hatchling to thrive. As far as any difficulty finding food, feeling stressed because of the open space, or the danger of them falling, They won’t have trouble finding food if you provide a well-placed feeder run. They won’t get stressed if the setup is designed properly. And chameleons are designed to live in the trees. They do not fall. Most importantly, the larger the cage is the more space they’ll have to explore, thermoregulate, and take care of themselves. This is what you want because they are the ones who know what they need. The smaller the cage the more responsibility you take on your shoulders to know what they need. This is because the smaller the cage the fewer microclimates you can create. That makes sense right? If I have a 6.5” x 17” x 17”, which is the size of a standard professional nursery cage, you can create about two microclimates. So, with two choices, you better have the skill and experience to choose and maintain the right two! With an adult size cage you have many more microclimates and gradients that you can provide. You don’t have to decide what they are limited to. You can provide it all and let them crawl in and out and place themselves exactly where they need to be depending on their need at the moment.

And, don’t worry about not being able to see them at any given time of day. They are taking well enough care of themselves. And, ironically, the more hiding spaces you give them, the more confident they are that they are safe and they actually use them less.

If at all possible, start your hatchlings individually in the full adult-size enclosure for their species. They’ll thank you for it with better growth, reduced stress, and healthier development.

The final commandment is about nutrition: Always have food available.

Hatchling chameleons are in a race against time. Their bodies are growing quickly, and they need constant access to food to fuel that growth. This doesn’t mean crickets and fruit flies have to be crawling everywhere (that would just stress them out), but it does mean there should always be food available. Have a feeder run cup that you put in size appropriate feeders so your chameleon knows where to always find food. Don’t worry about them finding it. They will be trucking around their cage and they will find any treasure trove of food. I do a feeder run cup and I have a separate cup to the side which has a fruit mash inside of it to attract natural fruit flies. During the warmer months I can have a constant swarm of wild fruit flies there for the chameleon to pick off at will. In the months where that isn’t possible I dump flightless fruit flies there on the mash. Fruit flies live for the fruit so they will not be escaping out of the cage. They will stay right there.

Now, you will want to get your baby onto crickets as soon as possible. Fruit flies are easy and nutritious, but it is crickets that really start putting on the weight. I switch them over as soon as possible. Usually I have them on fruit flies until they can take down a one week cricket. Then it is crickets from there on out until I can get them on Dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae, and super worms. This isn’t some secret magic formula. This is just the way I do it. Everyone will have a different way of doing it. So, it is not worth getting into fights as to the one true way to do it. The important thing is that you have food available ad libitum, meaning at all times, when they are going through their childhood growth spurts. Give them all the fuel they need to grow up! Of course, pull back when they are adults, but that is another podcast. This episode is all about the hatchling stage!

And there you have it—the Five Commandments of Hatchling Chameleon Care. These five simple but crucial guidelines will set your baby chameleons up for success:

1. KEEP CHAMELEON HATCHLINGS IN THEIR OWN CAGE FROM DAY 1
2. VERIFY YOUR CHAMELEON’S LOCATION BEFORE OPENING OR CLOSING THE CAGE DOOR
3. INCUBATE YOUR EGGS UNTIL THEY HATCH OR MOLD
4. RAISE YOUR HATCHLING IN THE LARGEST CAGE POSSIBLE
5. ALWAYS HAVE FOOD AVAILABLE

Hatchling care is a fascinating, rewarding journey, and by following these commandments, you’ll be giving your chameleons the best possible start in life.

Thank you for being part of this chameleon academy outreach. As always, every week has a topic which is presented in the weekly chameleon academy email newsletter. You can join the conversation by subscribing tot the newsletter yourself. The newsletter is a serious outreach for me. I know you are used to getting newsletters that are haphazardly thrown together to check a to-do box. But I put a great deal of effort into figuring out what is best for the community, where I want to take my herpetoculture, and writing substantial educational newsletters. So, try it out and see if it gives you the chameleon fix you are looking for!

And with that, I think it is time to send you back out into the world to be excellent to each other!

You can sign up for the newsletter here: Chameleon Academy Weekly Newsletter