Matschie's two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia matschiei)

Short answers

Matschie's two-horned chameleon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×60×100 cm (mesh / height).

Matschie's two-horned chameleon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 20–26 °C (COOL), basking spot 28 °C, at night 14–18 °C.

Matschie's two-horned chameleon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0).

Matschie's two-horned chameleon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 4–7 years.

Matschie's two-horned chameleon: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

20–26 °C (COOL)

Night temperature

14–18 °C

Basking spot

28 °C

Humidity

70–90 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×60×100 cm (mesh / height)

Substrate

Coco humus, dense planting, fine branches, a rain system

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, flies, wax moths

Feeding interval

daily to every other day

Key facts

Adult size

25–35 cm total length (males up to ~41 cm)

Life expectancy

4–7 years

Origin

Tanzania – the Usambara Mountains

Protection status

CITES II

Brumation

A cooler spell of 8–10 weeks

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Chameleons are pronounced loners, and even the mere sight of another of their kind means constant stress — you can see it in dark colouring, refusal to feed and weakened defences. Males fight in earnest, and females are harassed by males. So screen neighbouring enclosures from each other as well. For breeding, introduce the female briefly, stay with them and separate them again afterwards.

Notes

The male has two long, scaled nasal horns. A montane forest species – cool nights and daily misting are decisive. It lays eggs, unlike many Trioceros.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

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Related species

• Adolf Friedrich's chameleon (Kinyongia adolfifriderici) – Expert
• Böhme's two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia boehmei) – Expert
• Carpenter's chameleon (Kinyongia carpenteri) – Expert
• Fischer's two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia fischeri) – Intermediate
• Taveta two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia tavetana) – Intermediate
• Magombera chameleon (Kinyongia magomberae) – Expert
• Strange-nosed chameleon (Kinyongia xenorhina) – Expert
• Sharp-nosed chameleon (Kinyongia oxyrhina) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Matschie's two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia matschiei) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×60×100 cm (mesh / height)), substrate (Coco humus, dense planting, fine branches, a rain system), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.