Ep 121: Parson’s Chameleon Husbandry with Craig Durbin

The Parson’s Chameleon is one of the most sought after species and, for good reason. It is a wonderful chameleon to keep. The challenges in reproducing this chameleon have kept the Parson’s chameleon rare. But recent successes by some dedicated breeders have given us a chance to enjoy the holy grail of chameleon keeping – captive bred specimens. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Craig Durbin of Primo Chameleons as he shares his experiences with the Parson’s Chameleon.

The Parson’s Chameleon is a genus that consist of two subspecies. The most common is Calumma parsonii parsonii. This is the impressive giant of a chameleon that most people think of when they hear the name. The other subspecies is Calumma parsonii cristifer which is a bit bigger than a full grown male panther chameleon. They both come from Madagascar.

 Putting together a podcast on the Parson’s Chameleon is not an easy thing. Although their care and husbandry for a long lifetime are no more complicated than any other chameleon, their incubation has long been a source of challenge. And it is only in the last couple years that a reliable method has been shared publicly. And now we are starting to see the fruit of that sharing. Captive bred parson’s chameleons are now available on a regular basis. Parson’s Chameleon breeders tend to be secretive and I am very happy to be able to talk with Craig Durbin today. Craig is one of the leaders in the effort to establish Parson’s Chameleons in captivity.

This series on the Parson’s Chameleon will come in three parts. This first one is part 1 of my talk with Craig Durbin on the husbandry of the Parson’s Chameleon. The next episode will be a talk on the breeding of Parson’s Chameleon. I then bring on Aaron Allred who has bred Calumma parsonii cristifer, the smaller subspecies of Parson’s Chameleon.