Giant Spiny Chameleon
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- Common Group: CHAMELEONS
- Common Name: Giant Spiny Chameleon, Verrucosus Chameleon
- Scientific Name: Furcifer verrucosus
- Distribution: Madagascar
- Size: 18" - 23"
Natural History
Verrucosus Chameleons are found on the island of Madagascar, although data on exactly what parts of the island they are most commonly found is sparse. They are a large, simply colored species, with most individuals being green and grey colored. Most individuals available in the hobby today are originally wild caught, but there are a handful of keepers in the states working with them, so we may see more captive bred babies available as time goes on.
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Size and Longevity
These are one of the largest chameleon species available today, with exceptionally large adults reaching lengths of 18 - 20", and some individuals as long as 23"! With good care, chameleons acquired as adults can be expected to live up to 5 years in captivity, and for young or captive bred individuals, lifespans of 5 to 10 years should not be unexpected.
Housing
As very large chameleons, Verrucosus Chameleons also require quite a bit of space. One of the most common ways of housing them is in a traditional wire cage, such as the 24 x 24 x 48" screen cage made by ZooMed. In addition, consider using softer and larger mesh cages, such as the larger Reptarium cages for housing these chameleons outdoors in suitable weather.
In addition, as one of the largest chameleon species, it is also worth looking into a style of housing known as "free ranging", where a suitable environment for the chameleon is arranged in a way that the chameleon can freely roam part of a room, or loose within a green house. Creating such an environment is beyond the scope of this caresheet, but there are numerous forums and websites out there today that can help guide you through the process.
Heating and Lighting
While uncommon within the hobby, those who have kept Verrucosus Chameleons have found that their care requirements are extremely similar to Veiled Chameleons. This means that providing them with a nice, hot basking area is not only a good idea, it is actually essential for them to do well. A basking area in the low to high 90's is suitable, with ambient temperatures in the rest of the cage ranging from the mid 80s down to your room temperature. This can be achieved a couple of different ways, depending on your personal preference.
The traditional method of lighting and heating chameleons is to use a fluorescent tube light, typically a ZooMed 5.0 ReptiSun, in combination with a basking light. This can be either an incandescent bulb, such as a ZooMed Basking Bulb or Halogen Light. This allows for more flexibility in the wattage of bulb used to create the basking area, increasing it in winter and decreasing in summer if your local climate fluctuates significantly.
More recently, Mercury Vapor Bulbs have come onto the market, and have developed into extremely useful and high quality bulbs perfect for use with diurnal animals, such as Verrucosus Chameleons. As a species that enjoys a hotter basking area, these style of bulbs work well, providing plentiful heat and UVB in one easy to use bulb. ZooMed Powersun Bulbs are a moderately priced option with an excellent guarantee to go along with them, although depending on your price range and dedication, you can find a variety of bulbs available to meet your need.
Regardless of how you heat your chameleon during the day, it is vital to provide them with UVB in addition to a white basking light to simulate daylight. At night, supplemental heat is recommended if temperatures in the chameleon's cage drop below 75 degrees. A ceramic heat emitter is the longest lasting heat emitting device that will work for night time heat, although red bulbs are also adequate for night time heat. It is important to use a night time light that does NOT emit white light so that your chameleon can sleep at night.
Substrate and Cage Furnishings
When deciding on a substrate to use for your chameleon, there are a few considerations that come into play. The substrate you use should be easy to clean and capable of holding moisture to help contribute to humidity within the cage. Orchid Bark, Cypress Mulch, or pulverized coconut husk can all be used to cover the bottom of your cage. Some keepers even opt to use no substrate all; the reasoning behind this is to prevent any substrate from being ingested when your chameleon flicks its tongue out to eat. It is up to you to decide what you should and shouldn't use, but there are ways to prevent substrate ingestion. In addition, a chameleon as large as a Verrucosus is capable of passing most bedding particles through its digestive system, or simply spitting them out if they get into its mouth.
Setting up cage decor can be one of the funnest aspects of keeping your chameleon. Live ficus trees, manzanita branches, grapewood, wooden vines, and bamboo roots can all be incorporated into your cage as solid climbing branches and perches for your chameleon. In addition, consider adding lots of foliage for it to hide behind. Verrucosus chameleons can be somewhat shy and timid in captivity, and the addition of foliage will help your new pet to feel more at home and comfortable. Tropical vines, abutilon jungle vines, Philodendron plants to add large leaf cover (you can use wire to attach the leaves higher in the cage!), and live tropical plants can all be added to the cage to help increase foliage. Get creative!
Water and Humidity Requirements
While these chameleons do not need constantly high humidity, they do require a lot of moisture. The use of a fogger can help you increase humidity if you live in a very dry climate, and the drip that can develop where the fog meets the cage wire is also a water source for your chameleon. Verrucosus chameleons will drink a lot, and often, so in addition to a fogger, misting them with a hand spray bottle or pressure spray bottle is a must at least twice a day, or three or four times a day if needed. Because these chameleons will drink heavily, you can begin by misting them, and then continue to provide water using a dripper. A running waterfall is also an option, or you can use a timed misting system, like ExoTerra's Monsoon System or the top of the line Mist King Systems. It is important to provide lots of fresh water to your chameleon regularly, so do not skimp of this part of their care!
Nutritional requirements
Verrucosus Chameleons, once acclimated, will readily accept a wide variety of commonly available live feeder insects. These include, but aren't limited to, crickets, giant mealworms, superworms, waxworms, silkworms, hornworms, and various species of cockroaches. Some chameleons become accustomed enough to captivity to accept prey items off of tweezers, which broadens the available range of feeders to include canned insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, and snails.
In addition to incorporating a variety of insect prey into your chameleon's diet, you should also dust all insects offered with a high quality calcium powder containing D3 for chameleons housed indoors, or without D3 for those housed outside for at least 10 hours a day, every day. In addition, a reptile multivitamin should be offered regularly, according to the manufacturer's directions. There are numerous schools of thought on how frequently chameleons should be supplemented, with some saying it should be as seldom as once or twice a month, and others suggesting that chameleons should be supplemented every feeding. It is a difficult and complicated topic, and if you are new to chameleons, it is probably best to err on the side of supplementing a little more frequently.
Handling
As with all chameleons, Verrucosus do best when enjoyed from a distance and left alone. Handling a chameleon is typically a stressful experience for the animal, (even if it seems okay at the time) and may ultimately shorten its life. Verrucosus chameleons can become aggressive when handled, and may bite the unwary when a hand is placed in the cage. It is best to simply leave them in their cages to thrive, rather than handle them often.
