An Annotated Webliography On
Chameleons



Above is a picture of a Veiled Chameleon, this particular one being a former pet of mine.

Compiled by Matthew Sharritt

LIS 694:  Digital Librarianship
Dr. Peter Jacso
June 2002

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OUTLINE

Introduction

Scope of this Project

Evaluation Criteria

Ranking Standard


MAIN CATEGORIES:


SUB-CATEGORIES:

 

 


 

INTRODUCTION

I chose a topic of chameleons, because they are very interesting creatures, and I used to have one as a pet.  Chameleons are most famous for being able to change colors, but they have many other interesting physical features.  They have prehensile tails, like a monkey, to serve as a fifth limb to help in climbing trees and wrapping around branches.  Their feet are bifurcated (like clamps), and their eyes can move independently.  Often Chameleons are confused with anoles, a small lizard found in the south-eastern United States.  True chameleons, or old world chameleons, are most prevalent in Madagascar- an island off Africa.  There are other populations in Asia, and recently chameleons have been populating much of the Hawaiian Islands.  A good overview of chameleons by Encarta Online Encyclopedia is given below:

 

Chameleon, common name for certain lizards that are well known for their ability to change colors. The chameleon changes color when it is frightened and in response to light, temperature, and other environmental changes. The color change is caused by hormones that affect special pigment-bearing cells in the skin. Its color does not always change to match its surroundings, however, as is commonly believed.

The chameleon has a remarkably long, sticky tongue, which darts into the air to catch insects. Its body is unusually shaped, and most chameleons are specially adapted to living in trees. The lizard's long, thin legs raise it from the ground, and its toes are divided into opposable sets of two and three digits that enable it to grasp branches rather than cling to them as with claws. The strong, curled tail is also adapted to grasping. Many chameleons have large domed, or casqued, heads, and males may have as many as three horns, sometimes used for combat. One striking three-horned species is Jackson's chameleon of Africa. The chameleon has a short neck that is of limited mobility; however, the eyes are big and can move independently of each other in many directions. The chameleon has no external eardrum, or tympanic membrane. Chameleons range in size from just a few centimeters to as large as 63 cm (25 in).

More than 100 species of true chameleons exist. They are found in Africa, Madagascar, Spain, southern Europe, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, and the Seychelles Islands. Several color-changing lizards in the United States, commonly called anoles, are also popularly called chameleons.

"Chameleon," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2002
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

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SCOPE

This webliography aims to serve the needs of the prospective or current chameleon owner, or those who are interested in chameleons.  Following is a sampling of some of the best open-access resources on the Internet which contain information about the history, care, behavior, and resources related to chameleons.  Personally, I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the information available on the Internet about chameleons.  This information was obtained by searching many of the large search engines and indexes such as Google, Yahoo!, Northern Light, Infoplease, Atomica and MSN.  Some other information was found through other various searches and indexes, such as HerpIndex.com, About.com and Discovery.com.  Listed below are a sample of some of the top resources, selected based on the rankings from the criteria provided.  By reviewing the entries below, you will find that chameleons can make a very fun and interesting pet.

 

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ANNOTATED ENTRIES

 

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Encyclopedia.com
This resource provides a great overview of a chameleon's location in the wild, eating behaviors and physical characteristics.  A good scientific classification of what phylum, subphylum, class, order and family is provided.  This resource has some good information on chameleons, but some additional information could be added to the description of the chameleon.

Encarta Online Encyclopedia
This resource has an excellent definition of a chameleon, along with an overview of a chameleon's lifestyle and physical features.  Many additional items are included here, with links to other lizards that change color, a chameleon's classification, and a great video of a chameleon eating- by using it's long gelatinous tongue to catch an insect in mid air.  Excellent information and additional materials are provided here, by a reputable source.

Columbia Encyclopedia
This site has both a dictionary definition of the chameleon, and an additional encyclopedia version of what a chameleon is by describing its physical features, habitat and classification.  Chameleon locomotion is described along with the external factors that affect the animal's color via their hormones and nervous system.  The encyclopedia entry was a bit short, but contained some relevant information nonetheless.

 

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BOOKS

Barnes and Noble.com
This resource has some great books on chameleons.  I used the website's search tool, and entered in the query 'chameleon' to get some good results.  Below are some recommended titles:

Chameleons: Their Care and Breeding  by Linda J. Davison

The Chameleon Handbook  by Jacques Leberre and Francois Le Berre

Care and Breeding of Panther, Jackson's, Veiled and Parson's Chameleons, Vol. 1  by Philipe De Vosjoli and Gary Ferguson
 

Amazon.com
Amazon.com has a huge selection of books, and one is able to search by keyword or by category.  I did a search by keyword using 'chameleon care'.  Here are some of the recommended titles:

Chameleons: Everything About Selection, Care, Nutrition, Diseases, Breeding, and Behavior (Barron's Pet Owner's Manuals)  by Richard D. Bartlett

Chameleons Vol.1: Species  by W.K Schmidt

 

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ASSOCIATIONS

American Reptile Association
Although this website doesn't deal specifically with chameleons only, it provides some good information for all reptile owners, with vet listings by state, pet supply information, and some reptile care guides.  This site contains a discussion board where one can openly post messages or questions about their reptiles, and get responses from other reptile owners.  Many reptile experts and veterinarians are listed on this site to provide assistance to those who need it, which could be very helpful with an injured or sick animal.

International Chameleon Working Group
The International Chameleon Working Group is a group established in 1992 interested in chameleon biology and conservation.  They publish a newsletter, called 'The Chameleon'.  Through this page, you can contact the ICWG coordinator to discuss membership or subscription to their newsletter.  This site could use some updating, but it is still a good resource to know about if you're interested in chameleon associations.

 

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ARTICLES / RESEARCH PAPERS

The Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) Purchase and Captive Care
This article, appearing in the 1997 issue of Reptiles Magazine, has an excellent overview of what it is to own a veiled chameleon.  Veiled chameleons are the most common chameleon to breed and have as a pet because of their large size and hardiness.  There is a great section on purchasing a veiled chameleon- specifying what features to look for, what a good price is, and where the best places are to look for chameleons.  Following is another great section on housing a chameleon, describing the ideal habitat and likes of the lizard.  Finally the article finishes up with the ideal diet for a chameleon- which stresses the need for variety.  Overall this article gives an excellent to the beginner / intermediate chameleon pet owner.  Even an expert would probably pick up a tip or two from reading this article.

Geckos, Chameleons, Iguanas . . . Oh, My!
If you're considering buying a pet lizard, but aren't sure if you want a iguana, chameleon or gecko, then this article is for you.  This article, at Pets-and-Life.com, gives a great description of each of the three lizards' personalities, behaviors, and attention requirements.  A gecko is great for a beginner because it doesn't need a huge cage or a lot of attention.  If you're looking for an iguana, they can be playful and befriend your dog or cat, and grow up to six feet long.  Iguanas like room to play around, so give them plenty of room to climb, jump and swing around.  Chameleons are great pets, but need a proper habitat with good ventilation and frequent watering.  They are more solitary, but are very interesting.  They can get stressed easily, so you want to handle them slowly, and watch their color for seeing what mood they're in.  Overall, this article provides a good sampling of the most popular pet lizards, and gives a great comparison if you're trying to choose between the three.

How Lizards Behave
This article, at PetPlace.com, provides insight into the peculiar behavior of lizards.  Most people owning a pet will observe these odd behaviors, and this article helps to translate them.  Some odd behaviors of chameleons are discussed, such as changing colors and puffing themselves full of air to look more threatening when they are trying to defend their territory (males only).  Chameleon owners will see this odd behavior and probably find it comical.  This article is very interesting to those wondering what their lizards are thinking when they act peculiar, and provides a logical explanation of what's really going on.

Breeding the Veiled Chameleon
For those with a veiled chameleon who are looking to breed it, this article describes the intricate work required to breed your pet.  This requires a lot of work, but can reap a lot of benefits- a female chameleon will lay anywhere from 12 to 80 eggs, and if they are successfully raised, the baby chameleons can sell for $25-50 wholesale.  This is a potentially profitable expedition, but keep in mind that there is a lot of work involved- from creating a nesting spot for a pregnant female, to harvesting the eggs, to incubating the eggs, and finally putting in a lot of work caring for the new hatchlings.  If you love chameleons, this can be a fun project to undertake, with a decent profit if you have a successful outcome.

 

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COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITES

The CHAMELEON Information Network
This particular website is very comprehensive with everything having to do with chameleons.  Special sections on purchasing a chameleon, housing a chameleon, watering a chameleon, proper nutrition for a chameleon and signs of trouble are included.  Everything one would need to know from start to finish is included within this site.  This site has a popular following, with a 'Chameleon Information Network Community' containing links to chameleon suppliers, newsgroups, literature, nutrition, sellers and veterinarians specializing in reptiles.  Overall this site is very useful and contains excellent information.

The Chameleon Journals
The Chameleon Journals is an excellent website containing a wealth of information on chameleons, along with a listserv that chameleon owners can subscribe to.  There is a huge section under 'iCham DB' - a chameleon database with a very large number of topics that one can look up.  There is a huge photo gallery, and a FAQ section.  This is the most impressive chameleon website I have ever seen- this is a definite must for chameleon owners to check out!

The Chameleon Community
The Chameleon Community has many excellent resources for chameleon owners, with links to newsletters, FAQs, care sheets, photo galleries, books, classifieds, breeders, and many other categories of information.  Some very useful information can be found under these categories, and there is specialized information for individual species of chameleons.  However, a bit more work could be put into the site, with messages like 'under construction' under topics such as the photo gallery.  Overall, this website has some great information that can be useful to a variety of chameleon owners.

Chameleon Care and Information Center
This website specializes in giving care and breed information on most common chameleons.  There is some very helpful information on detecting illnesses in chameleons, and good remedies for curing them.  Again there is some good information on chameleon housing, breeding, food / feeding, and a unique section on caring for neonates (babies).  Some good links are contained in the reference section, but would benefit from the 'forum' links working properly.  This site isn't very fancy, and has some dead links, but contains good references and some helpful information on caring for young chameleons and chameleons with illnesses.

Jackson's Chameleon Information
If you own or are looking for information on a Jackson's chameleon, this is the site for you- this site is a bit small, but contains excellent information on Jackson's chameleons.  A great overview of behavior, history (origin), purchasing criteria, housing, breeding and illness guides are given.  I especially like the sections on behavior and range (historical section).  The behavior section lists the factors involved in the chameleon's color changing such as mood and environment (great pictures) and the historical section has good maps of the origin of the species in Africa, and their recent population boom in the Hawaiian Islands.  The pictures section is a 'must-see' as well- with excellent pictures of Jackson's chameleons.

Chameleons Online
Chameleons Online has excellent navigation, and provides relevant and succinct information that is well organized by topic.  This is a great resource for finding chameleon information, and is categorized by a 'quick tips' section, a housing, feeding, and watering section, an interaction section describing chameleon behavior, a section on illnesses, a section on proper cage cleaning, and species information.  Helpful links are provided linking you to breeders, books, veterinarians, and a helpful message board.  Great books are listed under the 'works cited' section of the website.  This site looks very reputable, and appears to be here to stay.  It is obvious that a lot of time, effort and resources went into this website, and it is definitely worth checking out.

 

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SUB-CATEGORIES

 

IMAGE GALLERIES

S & S Reptiles - Veiled Chameleons
This section of the S & S Reptiles website has excellent pictures of the veiled chameleon- a particular species of chameleon that is very popular among breeders and pet owners.  Pictures are given to show how to tell the difference between male and female, and an additional photo gallery that has many excellent pictures of veiled chameleons.  Some general tips on caring for reptiles as pets is also given, which could be helpful to a new pet owner.

AcaPixus Image Gallery
Some very cool pictures of many different chameleons are contained here.  This site looks a bit lacking in authority, being a 'Geocities' website, but still contains some great images of chameleons.  Check this out if you want to see the difference between species of chameleons, and view the very different physical features and colorings among the species. 

Chameleon Picture Gallery
This page looks lacks authority, but has some good thumbnails of chameleons.  Species' latin names are listed under each picture, and images are grouped by species.  This site has great images, but is far from the authority on chameleons.  Still, a good page to look at to check out different species of chameleons and their coloring / physical features.

Chameleon
These series of pages is aimed at children, but provides an overview of chameleons along with some great thumbnails that you can click on for great chameleon pictures.  This site contains some basic information on chameleons which goes nice with the pictures.  Some of the pictures are spectacular- showing some of the wild colorations that chameleons can show.  This site could do without the annoying pop-up ads, but still contains some great pictures that you shouldn't pass up.

 

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CARE GUIDES

Panther Chameleon Care Sheet
This page provides some good information in the form of a care sheet for panther chameleons.  Much of the information contained here will apply to other chameleon types.  This page has some very good tips on how to set up a chameleon habitat, such as getting good lighting, good air flow, and drip systems for the chameleons to drink.  This site contains some excellent tips for a chameleon owner.

Chameleon Life
This is a comprehensive website dealing with the proper care of a chameleon, from proper housing, proper nutrition, to proper care.  Detailed pages on a chameleon's metabolism, feeding / watering needs, housing / temperature guides and potential veterinary problems are given.  A special section for online help and advice by a specialized reptile veterinarian is available for advanced questions not answered on the other informative pages.  A link is available to a special reptilian clinic specializing in rare reptilian surgeries.  This is a must-have for any reptile owners, especially chameleon owners, that need help caring for their pet.

LLL Reptile and Supply Company, Inc.
Provided at this site are some good but short care guides for chameleons and other reptiles.  They are very short in length, but would make good printouts to hand to a new chameleon owner.  The information provided gets across the basic needs of the lizards, and assists the pet owner in the basic set up of a chameleon's cage and feeding requirements.

The Chameleon Enthusiast
Some great care information is provided on this website, and a great FAQ section and 'owner's manual' are included.  The 'owner's manual' section of the site is where most of the information is contained, and is very good.  I'm not sure how reputable this site is, but it was written by someone with a love for chameleons.  Spend a minute on the main page 'rolling-over' the links- a very cool effect is created on the chameleon in the center. 

 

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RETAIL SALES / PURCHASING

Crested Gecko
Crested Gecko has chameleons for retail purchase, along with some good images and information for the new chameleon pet owner.  This page would be good to print out for a new pet owner who needs information on how to set up a proper habitat, and give good tips on how to feed and water the chameleon.  There is a small section describing how to handle a chameleon, but a bit more here would be helpful since this describes the personality of the animal.  This site sells veiled chameleons and panther chameleons, and there are good pictures of the veiled chameleons only.  Since they sell panther chameleons too, some pictures would be helpful in purchasing so that a difference can be seen between the two species.

Kammerflage Kreations
Kammerflage Kreations is an online retail store headquartered in the San Diego area that specializes in selling chameleons.  In addition to chameleon sales, there is a great list of information on chameleon care- including good housing information, food / supplements, and proper treatment of a chameleon.  There are also books and 'chameleon art' for sale.  If you're interested in buying a chameleon, this is a great place to look- chameleons are listed by species and bloodline, along with pictures to help one see what they're buying.  Overall a great retail site, but might benefit from some external links to pertinent information.

Wormman's Worm Farm
If there is a staple food for chameleons, then crickets would be it.  Every chameleon owner needs to get insects for their chameleon to eat, and this is a great resource for doing so.  A large variety of chameleon food is provided on this website at decent prices.  This is the place to buy your chameleon food in bulk, and avoid those expensive and frequent trips to your local pet store, especially if you have more than one insect-eating pet.

 

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