Will's chameleon (Furcifer willsii)

Short answers

Will's chameleon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×60×90 cm (mesh / height).

Will's chameleon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–28 °C, basking spot 30 °C, at night 16–20 °C.

Will's chameleon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0).

Will's chameleon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 2–4 years.

Will's chameleon: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–28 °C

Night temperature

16–20 °C

Basking spot

30 °C

Humidity

70–85 %

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, wax moths

Feeding interval

daily to every other day

Key facts

Adult size

13–17 cm total length

Life expectancy

2–4 years

Origin

Eastern Madagascar – rainforest

Protection status

CITES II

Brumation

A cooler dry spell of 6–8 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

A small, short-lived forest chameleon; the male has two small nasal horns. Very fine food is needed; the short lifespan is normal for the species, not a keeping mistake.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Angel's chameleon (Furcifer angeli) – Expert
• Antimena chameleon (Furcifer antimena) – Intermediate to expert
• Campan's chameleon (Furcifer campani) – Expert
• Unicorn chameleon (Furcifer monoceras) – Expert
• Forked chameleon (Furcifer bifidus) – Expert
• Belted chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) – Expert
• Minor chameleon (Furcifer minor) – Expert
• Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Will's chameleon (Furcifer willsii) 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.