which friendlier - veiled or panther

We are not yet owners of a chameleon but are going to a reptile exhibit this weekend hoping to find a local breeder. Our main dilemma is whether to get a veiled or a panther. Friendliness is the most important factor (along with ease of keeping our chameleon alive-lol) to us.

So which is more friendly - the veiled or the panther?

Thanks!
Marla

This is a no contest. Panther! Here we go.

I vote panther because even though they can have attitude too they seem to be less agressive then vails

chameleons should not be handled unless you are cleaning a cage or moving them to new cage or taking to a vet. veileds are named the most aggresive but from expierence chameleons are not friendly by no means! some have gotten lucky and got some really nice ones that let you hold them but some do not even let you near their cage! if you are looking for a lizard you can hold you should look into a bearded dragon

my male panther was the most friendly, if you're looking for ease of care too try and get a male of either species. females can lay eggs semiannually and require additional attention

I've had both friendly panthers and veileds, as well as very mean panthers. So I think it's pretty much luck of the draw, but the general consensus is that panthers are generally less temperamental so I guess a panther is safer.

I have one panther that is so chill that I can take him to reptile shows or university events to put him on display and he does so well. He'll let people pet his tail and doesn't darken, fire up, puff out, hiss, or bite. It's just another day to him!

It is a crap shoot, but tendency may lead toward Panthers as being slightly less aggressive. I guess its like saying a pit bull is less aggressive than a rottweiler.

I'd say Panther from what i have read, but the freindlyest chameleon IMO is a Jackson Xanth. Jackson Xanths don't have all the colors panther and veilds do but, they do have horns (if you get a male) which makes up for the colors

i see this is your 1st post congats and welcome to the forum,
and in my experience panthers, that being said they can be mean too. each cham has its own personality, thats one of the great things about them
my panther has never shown a speck of anger or attitude. ( to me anyway, worms are a different story LoL )

i wouldnt get a chameleon if youre planning on handling it frequently.

with that said you can handle them, just not often. theyre more of a display animal than a "pet" like a fish.

panthers tend to be more tolerant, but female veileds are about the same.

big male veileds are a no no for the touchy.

ive been bitten (one was more painful than my 4 1/2 foot savannah monitor) many a time and had my hand literally raped (epically gross)

good luck with whatever you get though. we'll be here for your questions XD

Panther! I get my panthers out EVERYDAY!!

PantherEnvy said:

It is a crap shoot, but tendency may lead toward Panthers as being slightly less aggressive. I guess its like saying a pit bull is less aggressive than a rottweiler.

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Pits are super friendly unless you abuse them. And even then they will usually never be aggressive towards humans. Same goes for rottweilers

Ive owned plenty of veileds and panthers. Panther male would be my vote. One of my panther males that I have now will actually grab onto me every time I open his enclosure and climb on my head. The nicest cham I ever had though was a veiled female who would eat out of my hand while sitting on my shoulder it was a shame when she got egg bound and died after only 2 years.

hilltowner said:

We are not yet owners of a chameleon but are going to a reptile exhibit this weekend hoping to find a local breeder. Our main dilemma is whether to get a veiled or a panther. Friendliness is the most important factor (along with ease of keeping our chameleon alive-lol) to us.

So which is more friendly - the veiled or the panther?

Thanks!
Marla

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I think it really does depend on the chameleon. My first was a veiled who was ok with being held. My second veiled was an adult WC Yemen who Was SUPER chill and loved being out. My newest panther is ok with being out but i have to trap him to get him out of the cage. I guess I've bean lucky with nice chameleons

I have only experience with a pair of baby veileds since January. They seem "friendly" enough, are hand feeding, and runt to the door when they see me coming. I've heard about their aggressiveness, but it is something I have yet to witness. Maybe when they get older, but I think with getting them younger (1 month old?)and familiar with everything it might not happen. Maybe they get more attitude when they get their colors. Time will tell.

My veileds or only aggressive right before I get them out of the terrarium, but even then the worst that I have experienced (from both my male and female) is a headbutt and hiss. They are both incredibly friendly outside of the terrarium, and my female has even been to some "Tangled" themed birthday parties for small children! They love her, and she puts on quite the show posing for pictures! I absolutely love my veileds!

Thanks!

Thanks so much for all the great feedback! I'm a wildlife biologist by training and we've had snakes, hissing cockroaches, hermit crabs, dogs, cats, fish, ducks and the like, so I like to think that though a chameleon is challenging, we're prepared. We know that they are not big on being handled, but hearing stories of people being hissed at when being fed made me want to consider the mellower of the group. We are going to the Mid-Hudson Reptile Expo this weekend in Poughkeepsie, NY and are hoping to find some local breeders. We live near Albany, NY and would love to find a breeder of panther chameleons nearby. If anyone knows of someone in the area, let us know.

Thanks again for the welcome and helpful advice! Marla:

i vote panther I've worked with both and i think i will go with panthers based on my experience!

I have several veileds and panthers and I'd say hands down veileds are less friendly, and that's putting it mildly. Of my 4 adult panther males, I've never even been gaped or hissed at. Of my 14 veileds, male and female, I'm rarely ever not hissed at or worse. I think to get a mild mannered veiled, especially a male, you have to get lucky. They really just don't like hands and fingers that close to them (unless your holding a delicious superworm)

From my personal experience chameleons are very terratorial animals but after them seeing your hand (the big thing that feeds them) after a while they become more friendly, but like others say on this thread they are more display animals and to have a cham in your house is the perfect addition enjoy whatever you decide to get