Hi! My name is Bill Strand and chameleons have been a major part of my life for coming on four decades now. It all started with a passion for dinosaurs and I, luckily, never grew out of that wonder. I have been a hobbyist, a small scale breeder, a large scale breeder, and an educator in the community. And I love podcasts!
You’ll be able to find all sorts of things that I have been and am involved in with the chameleon world. I co-founded the Chameleonnews.com eZine in 2002 and wrote many articles that built that website. I started it to bring together chameleon knowledge from all over the world. Two years later, after 11 issues, I handed the reigns over to Chris Anderson and he has taken it even further. Check out the Chameleons! eZine. It is the single best depository of chameleon knowledge that exists. And you’ll see some pretty crazy pictures of me in my more adventurous days! In November 2012, I even came back as a guest editor for the 10th anniversary issue. That was an incredible honor!
I currently lead the SouthBay Chameleon Keepers group which meets in Southern California. The meetings are open to all. If you are in the area and interested in dropping by then hop on to our Facebook page and look for the announcement for the next meeting! SouthBay Chameleon Keepers Facebook
I have always been interested in better enclosures for my chameleons and would be making different enclosures every year both for indoors and outdoors. In 2013 I decided to take everything I have learned and professionally produce cages that incorporate features that specifically target what we need for chameleons. We need external drainage, the ability to mount horizontal branches without stressing the screen, the ability to keep mist inside the cage, larger sizes, and clear walls that have both ventilation and light weight. Through the Dragon Strand caging company I have been able to solve all of these problems and offer these products to the chameleon community. My goal is to provide us with the tools we need to create lush naturalistic vivariums where the enclosure interior is just as beautiful as the chameleon. With three different caging lines and the patent pending Dragon Ledge supports, Dragon Strand has brought the most innovation we have seen in chameleon caging since the modern production screen cage was developed.
And what is next? I am looking forward to bringing my love for chameleons to the air in this new medium (for chameleon people at least!) I will be sharing my experiences and bringing on the experts in the field. I expect we will be having a blast with this!
Thanks for joining me in this conversation!
Bill Strand
Host of the Chameleon Breeder Podcast
