tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post2687839881533064015..comments2024-03-12T03:23:42.976-04:00Comments on NeuroDojo: Miniature chameleons: beyond the “Squee!”Zen Faulkeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811309183398223358noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-63078851263148528552013-01-31T20:22:31.071-05:002013-01-31T20:22:31.071-05:00wow, these little animals are so cool! I wish that...wow, these little animals are so cool! I wish that people stop cutting down so many trees. us human don't need that much space! just get some bunk beds and large tents imported from China or something. wait! a reserve for the chameleons would be great! many chameleons could be moved there to reproduce and live happy, tiny lives! ok, i have to start e-mailing German Scientists about my idea! Zen, do u think a reserve is a good idea?Lauren Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-1092947492634082522012-10-05T13:07:17.025-04:002012-10-05T13:07:17.025-04:00Joe: The pet trade can have a voracious appetite f...Joe: The pet trade can have a voracious appetite for animals, so the only way I see that ending well is if they bred easily in captivity, like guppies. Otherwise, I think marketing them as pets is a quick route to oblivion.<br /><br />The story of the stick insects from Lord Howe Island make me a little more optimistic about captive breeding: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/02/24/147367644/six-legged-giant-finds-secret-hideaway-hides-for-80-years" rel="nofollow">http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/02/24/147367644/six-legged-giant-finds-secret-hideaway-hides-for-80-years</a>Zen Faulkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07811309183398223358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-71137097824899925372012-10-05T10:15:09.415-04:002012-10-05T10:15:09.415-04:00It seems to me that the pet trade could save them ...It seems to me that the pet trade could save them and their small numbers! What are the chances dogs and cats could go extinct, even if both are eaten in some countries?<br /><br />Btw, props for sources!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12646784293529040772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-47933424860473986762012-07-20T18:38:11.467-04:002012-07-20T18:38:11.467-04:00It seems to me that the UN should be granted the a...It seems to me that the UN should be granted the authority to intervene in such situations and force nations to preserve their species and their habitats.archaeopteryxhttp://www.in-his-own-image.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-15194553989733314582012-02-18T11:44:58.504-05:002012-02-18T11:44:58.504-05:00CellularScale: I don't know how difficult it i...CellularScale: I don't know how difficult it is to breed something like chameleons when you're starting from almost zero knowledge about the species.<br /><br />Worse, their ranges are <i>so</i> tiny, I worry about how many are out there to collect for captive breeding. The entire species might consist only of hundreds of individuals. If so, collected a few tens of individuals for a captive breeding program might have bad consequences.<br /><br />If we know about chameleons to be confident that we could breed them, and we either (a) knew the population could handle capture of some individuals, or (b) were in absolute last-ditch effort to save the species - then I'd say go for it. I still think, “Protect their <b>already designated as protected</b> habitat properly” would be the better plan.Zen Faulkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07811309183398223358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-63099195300851957472012-02-18T00:29:38.430-05:002012-02-18T00:29:38.430-05:00What a squeetastic species! Do you think captive b...What a squeetastic species! Do you think captive breeding programs would help their chances? Also, do they 'color display' like veiled chameleons?TheCellularScalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18379669883853001278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522311.post-61228079958407900332012-02-15T11:20:16.652-05:002012-02-15T11:20:16.652-05:00I've done paleontological fieldwork in the are...I've done paleontological fieldwork in the area where these species came from. . .in fact, I spent a fair bit of time at one of those localities (didn't look for or see these new chameleons, though). In many ways, the author's text doesn't do justice to how dire the situation actually is in that part of Madagascar. Much of the forest surrounding one locality is secondary growth, and what few patches of original forest remain are clearly being cut down fairly regularly. It's a sad, sad situation.Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16171447306687358664noreply@blogger.com