Sharp-nosed chameleon (Kinyongia oxyrhina)

Short answers

Sharp-nosed chameleon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×60×90 cm (mesh / height).

Sharp-nosed chameleon: What temperature does it need?

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

Sharp-nosed chameleon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0).

Sharp-nosed chameleon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 4–7 years.

Sharp-nosed chameleon: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

20–26 °C

Night temperature

14–18 °C

Basking spot

28 °C

Humidity

70–90 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×60×90 cm (mesh / height)

Substrate

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

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, flies

Feeding interval

daily to every other day

Key facts

Adult size

13–17 cm total length

Life expectancy

4–7 years

Origin

Tanzania – the Udzungwa 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 a single, blade-shaped nasal appendage. Like all Kinyongia, keep it cool; above 28 °C the animals immediately go off their food.

Do you keep this species?

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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
• Matschie's two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia matschiei) – Intermediate
• Strange-nosed chameleon (Kinyongia xenorhina) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Sharp-nosed chameleon (Kinyongia oxyrhina) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×60×90 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.