Sunning

Looking like a 7th week step in growing up, even Darin gets to shed...

In the never ending search for "Goldilocks" crickets (not too small - not too big), I ended up innovating a cricket sifter. Small ones can crawl through and fall into the lower container and the biggest will stay above.

While sorting the crickets and cleaning the cages, the little guys get to enjoy some (precarious) sunshine!

Everybody napping and hanging out afterwards...

Water Shed

Percy finally shed the annoying skin that was on his face. He had been rubbing against leaves all day. He looked a bit like Jason Voorhees in the hockey mask but it all came off in one piece.

The parents have taken to drinking straight from the squirter instead of that old boring "licking it off the leaves" thing. Kinda tough to shoot and squirt at the same time!

More Sunday Best

 

Sunday Best

Here's the kids... 2 days old.

Fitting in to the new place just fine -

Napping -

Hunting -

Being fierce -

Six week old brother Percy -

Being kids -

And just being super cool -

Percy Shedding

It's these little things that are perfectly normal that are so great. The little guy is growing up!

And the new digs are multiplying -

As Riquel pointed out, 12 is quite a few to have in one little cage! I also had the realization (today) that what started as one <ref> is now 15! Yikes!

Infestation

Here's the 10 new additions -

 

It was literally like a Barrel of Monkeys <ref> ! Not sure if naming these is really an option any more. Unlike kittens or puppies that have a black nose or orange ear, these guys are changing colors and patterns all the time! They are chameleons after all!

Ten more!

On Friday, August 22nd, Mo'i was crawling around the upper part of her cage in an unusual way and the male, Igor was agitated as well. It didn't take long to notice a new, little baby Jackson's Chameleon clinging to the cage.

In all she had 10 (!) new offspring.

Chameleons are viviparous, which means they hold the eggs inside until they "hatch" and they are born live <ref> . The egg sacks come out very sticky, which must make sense for an animal that lives high up in the trees. After they are delivered, they sit for a short time and then out comes a squirming baby.

What a distracting way to start your work day! I got help from Linda, Jon, Matias, Caitlin and of course Maria.

A few even "hatched" in our hands -

Doing well

Siena got to meet Percy upon returning from her archeological adventure in Kazakhstan -

... and with that batch of babies all taken care of, the parents seem to be doing fine -

Proud dad Igor -

Still kind of "hefty" mom Mo'i -

... and little sis' Nani -