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Ruwenzori Side Striped Chameleon

Ruwenzori Side Striped Chameleon
Chamaeleo rudis

The Ruwenzori Side Striped Chameleon is a montane species, inhabiting low bushes and grasses of the alpine zone. They are a vivid green in colour and are an ideal species for beginners.


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What does the Ruwenzori Side-Striped Chameleon look like?

This small species can reach an adult size of 17cm (7 inch) but averages out at 10-15cm (4-6 inches). Their colour is usually a vivid green, but some specimens may be shades of brown, grey or blue-grey. The eye socket sometimes turn a blue colour and dark green or green-yellow vertical bars are present on the body and tail. A yellow-white line runs from the back of the head to the base of the tail, this is stronger in males. Small spikes are present running along the back and they have a small crest.

The Ruwenzori Side-Striped Chameleon looks similar to the Side Stripe Chameleon, but these are often brown or grey. These also give birth to live young with an average litter size of eight, they only measure 3-4cm (1.5 inch) when born.

Where are Ruwenzori Side-Striped Chameleons from?

Found living in bushes, shrubbery, tall crops, thicket, reed beds, tall tussock and along the roadside vegetation in northern Tanzania and East Africa.

How do you keep Ruwenzori Side-Striped Chameleons?

This is an easy species of Chameleon to keep as they do not require high temperatures and live in small groups with one male and several females.

To house an adult pair, the Exo Terra Terrariums or Exo Terra Flexariums make ideal enclosures, we use the 45x45x60 Terrarium. Provide a woodland type set-up with peat, coconut fibre or orchid bark as the substrate. Place a number of branches with artificial or live plants, if latter, check that these are not poisonous. Provide a basking area of 25C that should be connected to a dimming thermostat. Temperatures must not exceed 30C, this can be fatal. Room temperature of 15-20C is required at night, no extra heating is needed. Use a low UV lighting, we use the Daylight Terrarium Lamp Repti Glo 2.0 Lamp

Feed your Ruwenzori Side-Striped Chameleon a varied diet consisting of crickets, locusts, house flies, wax worms, cockroaches and the occasional mealworm. Insects from the garden can be collected as long as no pesticides have been used. Feed young Chameleons twice a day and adults every two days. The food does not need dusting, we have had reports that this can cause major problems with the Chameleons health. Like all Chameleons they will not drink from standing water, running water should be provided either by a waterfall or spraying daily. If you opt for a waterfall, still spray your Chameleon to ensure it is drinking enough water.

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