Rudis Chameleons
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Rudis Chameleons
*Common Group: Chameleons *Common Name: Rudis Chameleon, Ruwenzori Side Striped Chameleon *Scientific Name: Trioceros rudis *Distribution: East Africa *Size: 5-7"
Natural History
A montane species found in East Africa, this is a small and unobtrusive little chameleon. Not much is known about these chameleons in the wild, although they survive in cooler temperatures on average than most chameleons commonly kept in the reptile hobby. These little chameleons are quite pretty, and come in shades of greens and turquoises, and often have yellow bars or stripes.
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Behavior
Because these chameleons are small and often eaten by predators in the wild, they are sensitive to frequent handling and can stress easily. It is not recommended to handle these chameleons often. Rudis Chameleons do best when housed singly, in cages at least 16" x 16" x 30", or pairs can be housed together in a cage at least 24" x 24" x 36", as long as plenty of visual barriers are provided.
When housed correctly, these chameleons can make excellent display animals that come out to bask and view their surroundings. Excessive handling can cause Rudis chameleons to hide constantly and refuse to feed, so care must be taken to ensure the chameleons do not become overly stressed.
Captive Environment
When housed correctly, Rudis chameleons make hardy and durable captives. "Correctly" entails a suitably large cage with plenty of foliage for hiding, as well as a cage that is made entirely out of screen or mesh to allow for air flow. Without enough ventilation, Rudis chameleons will not thrive and can develop serious illnesses or even die. A single chameleon can be housed in a cage as small as 16" x 15" x 20", but would do much better in a cage as big as 18" x 18" x 36". A pair can be safely housed together if provided a large enough cage, which ideally would be 24" x 24" x 48".
In addition to a large enough cage, Rudis Chameleons should be provided plenty of leafy foliage to hide in. This can be accomplished with fake vines, branches, live plants, magnetically attached fake plants, and just about anything else can can naturally provide cover and basking areas for the chameleons.
Temperature and Lighting
While these chameleons can survive under cool temps, and often it is recommended that they are kept cool, they do enjoy basking under relatively high temperatures when provided. The key seems to be to provide a wide range of temperatures; the basking area can be in the 90s as long as the coolest area of the cage drops to the mid 70s. This is where a larger cage is extremely beneficial, as the taller cage allows for a wider range of temperatures. Rudis chameleons readily bask when provided the opportunity, so be sure to provide adequate basking temperatures whenever possible.
Use of a mercury vapor bulb makes heating and lighting easy, as they emit plentiful amounts of UVB and heat in one source. An alternate way to heat and light a Rudis Chameleon cage is with the traditional strip light and basking light combination, which requires a fluorescent light that emits UVB as well as a basking bulb to provide a suitable basking spot for them. A source of night time heat is not needed in most cases, as these chameleons can take quite extreme drops in temperature. However, every situation and every chameleon is different, so if yours is not thriving without night time heat, it is worth considering.
Humidity and Water Requirements
Rudis Chameleons, like most other chameleons, do not recognize or drink from standing water. This means they must be regularly misted with water to drink, which can be accomplished with a hand spray bottle, pressure spray bottle, or even a fogger system set on a timer.
While Rudis Chameleons thrive with high humidity, their need for ventilation is more important. Do not attempt to increase humidity by covering sides of the cage or blocking the screen off in any way; if humidity is that much of a concern, consider using a timed fogger or misting system.
Nutritional Requirements
In the wild, Rudis Chameleons eat an extremely varied diet, and every effort should be made in captivity to provide a varied diet for them. Happy, healthy Rudis Chameleons will cheerfully eat appropriate sized crickets, hissing cockroaches, dubia roaches, mealworms, waxworms, silkworms, hornworms, and tomato worms. Some can even be taught to feed off tongs, in which case you can offer them an even wider range of canned insects such as caterpillars, snails, silkworms, and earthworms.
All insects should be dusted in a high quality reptile calcium containing D3 every other feeding for adults, and once a week insects should be dusted in a high quality reptile multivitamin. Due to their smaller size, they do not need as much calcium as often as larger species of chameleons do, so a little less is better than a little more when it comes to their vitamins. This doesn't mean they don't need the extra calcium, just that they do not need as much.
If your Rudis chameleons are housed outdoors 12 hours or more a day, their insects should be dusted in a calcium without D3 to prevent a D3 overdose. Outdoor chameleons are exposed to enough natural sunlight that they are able to manufacture their own D3 without a supplement.
