Another Newbie....

[Fairy_tail]

Hey everybody.

I'm currently just starting to reasearch chameleons. I have no plans to get one soon, as I believe in reasearching any animal fully before purchase. Additionally I want to make sure this is an animal that is for me.

I'm not sure which species is correct for me. I think the senegal are totally adorable, but jacksons and veiled are also very pretty. Can anybody give me some insight on which are hardier and such?

As far as caging go's, what I'm considering would be appropriate and correct me if I"m wrong...
Basics:
65gal(28x16x30) reptarium with liner
5.0 uvb lighting zoomed
Heatlamp/light(Any suggustions on the wattage?)
Vines/plants in the enclosure
I'm leaning towards an exoterra fogger for humidity and moisture. Or would a simple dripsystem be sufficiant?
Moss on the bottom of cage

I think(?) the basking temp should be around 90 going down to around 70 at the bottom.
And for feedings- crickets, silkies, waxworms, hornworms?

Any help would be appriciated! I currently have 3 bearded dragons so I'm not a TOTAL newbie to reptiles, but that is the only reptiles I'v really owned besides firebellys and anoles.

Also adding a pic here, I was holding him at the petstore today. They were told he is a Senegal.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I'm currently just starting to reasearch chameleons. I have no plans to get one soon, as I believe in reasearching any animal fully before purchase. Additionally I want to make sure this is an animal that is for me"...glad to hear this! Here are some sites that are worth reading (there were a couple more that I always recommend, but they are down right now)...
http://adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/

You said..."I'm not sure which species is correct for me. I think the senegal are totally adorable, but jacksons and veiled are also very pretty. Can anybody give me some insight on which are hardier and such?"...most people say that Senegal's are not the easiest chameleon to keep well in captivity. (I don't have much problem with them myself.) The are virtually all WC...so unless you get a baby you will have little idea of what age they are. Jackson's are more difficult than veileds or panthers. Veileds or panthers are the most common ones for people to start off with. Veileds often have a grumpy personality...panthers less so. One of the most common problems I hear of with veileds is that they can develop MBD, but as long as you watch the supplements and gutload your insects it can be prevented.

For the caging, etc....
make sure that there is no glass or plastic between the UVB light and the chameleon.

You said..."I think(?) the basking temp should be around 90 going down to around 70 at the bottom. "The wattage of the basking light is what ever is needed to reach the appropriate temperature in the basking area...which varies from species to species.

If you use real plants in the cage, make sure they are non-toxic and well washed (both sides of the leaves) before putting them in the cages. I also recommend covering the soil with stones that are too big to ingest to prevent the chameleon from ingesting any soil (either on purpose or by accident).

You said..."Moss on the bottom of cage"...I don't recommend using any substrate for any arboreal chameleons.

You can feed crickets, silkies, waxworms, hornworms..but you can also use butterworms, phoenix worms, superworms, roaches, and more. Only use waxworms once in a while since they are very fatty.

You said..."Any help would be appriciated! I currently have 3 bearded dragons so I'm not a TOTAL newbie to reptiles, but that is the only reptiles I'v really owned besides firebellys and anoles"....then I guess I don't have to mention gutloading or supplements, eh??

You said..."Also adding a pic here, I was holding him at the petstore today. They were told he is a Senegal"...it is a Senegal, but I can't tell you the sex for sure without seeing the base of the tail.

 

[Fairy_tail]

Thank you so much for the links! I'll be reading through them shortly.

I just figure if I start my research now, if and when I'm ready to get one, I'll be armed with the correct knowledge. The senegal I posted was a captive bred male(sexed by the breeder) that my local petshop got over the weekend. They prefer to purchase from breeders instead of companys and such. I got some basic info from them, but there always is more out there!
We're in the middle of buying a house and I was told no more pets. LOL. But a girl can hope can't she? The petshop is owned by friends and they have been instructed not to sell me any more creatures.
Onward with research

 

[kinyonga]

What country are you in? I don't know of anyone who is breeding senegals. They are difficult to get to reproduce.

 

[Fairy_tail]

What country are you in? I don't know of anyone who is breeding senegals. They are difficult to get to reproduce.

I'm in the USA. I live by chicago, but I believe the breeder was from georgia.... I'm NOT positive tho.

 

[kinyonga]

Thanks!

Senegals are one of my favorite chameleons....but then I say that about a lot of them!