CasqueAbove
Chameleon Enthusiast
My little guys are ready to start finding homes.
This is the rough basics I am giving people prior to purchase. I would like honest opinions on if it covers the basics properly or if I missed something.
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So you want a Chameleon ?
Chameleons can make some of the most interesting and rewarding pets around. However, the are not a beginner pet. This doesn't mean it can't be your first pet, It just means you will need to do some research first.
Often the term difficult is used, but I think specific is a better way to describe their care. Chameleons have very specific requirements in terms of heat, uvb light, humidity, air flow and diet. If you take these into account when setting up, your new pet you will do well. The difficult part comes in the fact that if any one of these is off, the animal will suffer, fail to thrive and ultimately die. For Yemen (Veiled ) Chameleons, females can live up to 7 years and males have been known to go 10+ when given proper care. Fortunately knowledge and modern equipment this can all be very manageable.
The important thing is to be committed to the long term care. Don't try to take shortcuts.
For the care of Chameleons I am not going to rewrite the book, I will give the basics of my care, and encourage you to research and learn.
Here are some good sources of up to date and accurate information, written by experts.
https://www.Chameleons.info/en/
https://Chameleonacademy.com/
Another good source of information and help is
https://www.Chameleonforums.com/
My Basics:
Basking zone < 80 for female and < 85 for males.
Ambient Temp @ 75 Night time temps should drop to a minimum of 70 and as low as the low 60s.
Humidity: 30% to 50% daytime and 90% - 100% at night
T5HO UVB 6% or 5.0
I use automatic misters or pump type sprayer type bottles. Foggers ant night to cool and increase humidity.
I am including a rough price list of the equipment for a new Chameleon.
Chameleon Supply list:
Total: $380
This is a rough guide of the minimum you will need to keep a Chameleon. However through some shopping and looking on Crags list, and Facebook Marketplace often you can find much of what you will need at a lower price.
This is the rough basics I am giving people prior to purchase. I would like honest opinions on if it covers the basics properly or if I missed something.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you want a Chameleon ?
Chameleons can make some of the most interesting and rewarding pets around. However, the are not a beginner pet. This doesn't mean it can't be your first pet, It just means you will need to do some research first.
Often the term difficult is used, but I think specific is a better way to describe their care. Chameleons have very specific requirements in terms of heat, uvb light, humidity, air flow and diet. If you take these into account when setting up, your new pet you will do well. The difficult part comes in the fact that if any one of these is off, the animal will suffer, fail to thrive and ultimately die. For Yemen (Veiled ) Chameleons, females can live up to 7 years and males have been known to go 10+ when given proper care. Fortunately knowledge and modern equipment this can all be very manageable.
The important thing is to be committed to the long term care. Don't try to take shortcuts.
For the care of Chameleons I am not going to rewrite the book, I will give the basics of my care, and encourage you to research and learn.
Here are some good sources of up to date and accurate information, written by experts.
https://www.Chameleons.info/en/
https://Chameleonacademy.com/
Another good source of information and help is
https://www.Chameleonforums.com/
My Basics:
Basking zone < 80 for female and < 85 for males.
Ambient Temp @ 75 Night time temps should drop to a minimum of 70 and as low as the low 60s.
Humidity: 30% to 50% daytime and 90% - 100% at night
T5HO UVB 6% or 5.0
I use automatic misters or pump type sprayer type bottles. Foggers ant night to cool and increase humidity.
I am including a rough price list of the equipment for a new Chameleon.
Chameleon Supply list:
-
- Lighting.
- UVB - T5HO not T8 5.0 or 6%. Make sure fixture has reflector Recommended : https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/prot5/ 36in. You will want to go diagonal in a standard 2x2x4 cage.
- $80
-
- Heat – Light Dome fixture with 60watt to 75watt incandescent.
- $20
- Plants – Make sure to include light for Live plants. There are various types available, most will do fine.
- $40
- Housing
- There a few options for housing your Chameleon. Some things to keep in mind is to provide as much area as you can. Ventilation is extremely important. It must be a screen, or screen glass hybrid. NO aquariums
- $150 and up
- Live Plants. Some do not realize the importance or this, but for a happy healthy Chameleon, and to not be fighting with heat and humidity. They are a must.
- $50
- Hydration.
- Misters, sprayer, foggers, dippers. There are again options here, but plan on at least
- $100
- Supplements and Food. You will need to properly supplement your Chameleon. This will require 3 different vitamins. Ca with D3, Ca Without D3, and a multivitamin.
- $30
Total: $380
This is a rough guide of the minimum you will need to keep a Chameleon. However through some shopping and looking on Crags list, and Facebook Marketplace often you can find much of what you will need at a lower price.
