A male Rhampholeon Kerstenii

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There are many different types of Pygmy Chameleons that have become increasingly popular recently, these include the Bearded Pygmy Chameleon (Rhampholeon brevicaudatus ) and the Kenyan Pygmy Chameleon (Rhampholeon Kerstenii) are generally the most common in petshops. They are relatively easy to care for but can be a little tricky to maintain when it comes to temperature in warm weather. Pygmy Chameleons stay very small, with adults growing no bigger than 8cm front nose to tip. They live between 2-5 years in captivity. They originate from Africa and Madagascar. We would not recommend pygmy chameleons as a first chameleon/reptile as although they are not difficult to care for, they are not a very hardy species and small mistakes can be fatal. This care sheet will guide you through the various aspects of caring for Pygmy Chameleons, covering all topics required to keep them successfully.

Pygmy Chameleons only need small setups which is great for those who don't have room for a large enclosure. A 30x30x30cm / 30x3045cm glass exo-terra or any small fish tank (with no gaps to escape but it will need some kind of ventilation like an exo-terra has a mesh top). They do need a decent amount of humidity so although there is a variety of enclosures you could house them in we would recommend an exo-terra a it hold humidity but also allows good airflow with a mesh top. In the wild pygmy chameleons blend in with the debris of the forest flooring, so in captivity they need alot of foliage for them to hide and feel secure in. Vines and bark also make good decor and gives them something to climb upon. Pygmy chameleons can live in pairs/groups of one or mixed sexes. They will generally not drink from a water bowl and if the water is more than a few mm's they can drown in it so its best not to give them a water bowl and just to spray the enclosure with water 1-2 times per day and they will lick the water droplets, this also keeps the humidity up.

Coco fibre/ eco earth - Advantages: holds humidity very well, looks natural. Disadvantages: can be messy removing/changing, can mould if kept too warm/damp.
Orchid bark - Advantages: looks natural, easy to change, hold himidity. Disadvantages: pieces of bark may get caught on their tongue when feeding and cause impactation.
Kitchen roll - Advantages: Easy to change, cheap. Disadvantages: looks very unnatural, wont hold any humidity.

Pygmy Chameleons are very small and as babys pinhead crickets or small fruit flies should be fed daily, preferably in the morning hours. As the pygmy's get to adult size the can feed on slightly larger food but as adults will most likely still be on small to small/medium crickets due to their size. We have found the best way for them to find the food and feed well is to embed a small tub into their substrate so the top of it is at floor level, we then dropped the food into the tub making it easy for the chameleons to see and catch.
All the pygmy chameleons food needs to be supplemented with calcium and its also a good idea to gutload their food with either a gutload formula or a piece of fruit or veg, this provides the chameleons food with a source of water which in turn is also good at keeping the chameleon itself hydrated.