Baby Chameleons Getting Younger

[Texas Panther Man]

lol, Lee you beat me to it and i didn't read through all the posts.

Im Scott Lee is Tx Ranger. Its all good though your not the first to confuse us. Both raise falys an both being in texas. lol

 

[Flapenn]

My local pet shop had a baby Cham for sale. It was itttty bitty. I asked the guy how old it was and he said one week. I asked him why he got one that young. He told me the supplier he gets them from were all out of older ones so he didn't care and just got some babies. I spoke my mind and left. I wanted to get him just so someone wouldn't kill him but I had to resist.

 

[chipop]

month and a half

i just bought my new veiled at an exotic pet store and they said it was only around a month or so old. I'm just guessing that people are having more demands for younger chameleons since they look cuter.

 

[Carlton]

i just bought my new veiled at an exotic pet store and they said it was only around a month or so old. I'm just guessing that people are having more demands for younger chameleons since they look cuter.

I very much doubt anyone is demanding younger cham babies. Less responsible breeders don't want to feed them any longer than they have to, so they sell them to retailers who want them cheap. I'd also say most people buying those tiny babies at pet stores are impulse buy newbies who don't realize how much trickier the littlest ones will be.

 

[pssh]

I think there are a number of factors to consider. The species makes a big difference in size, so a 2 month old veiled could very well be eating crickets that are the same size as or even bigger than what a 3-4 month old panther would eat. Plus the individual chameleon size can vary hugely in clutches. Then there is the experience of the new owner. If they have kept hatchlings before, then they can probably deal with a young chameleon (as long as they are okay with it being that young.) Then there is the whole ethics vs. price thing. It's cheaper to sell a chameleon younger, but morally it's not so hot (usually.)

I think it's totally inappropriate to sell a young chameleon without the new owner/buyer knowing exactly what they are getting into. Just because a chameleon has made it through the first two months of its life doesn't mean it will make it to month three. Once you get to 3 months old the chances of them living seem to be much better than when they are younger. 4 months is even better!

 

[Ulrich]

I agree with you that the economics rule. Selling them off so young saves a lot in terms of maintenance costs. Also lately there has been quite a hype about keeping Chams (here in Hong Kong at least). I meet breeders who admit to be very new to the business, selling off translucent veiled babies of less than a month for huge money. At that age you cannot really predict deformations or diseases yet. Reduces the breeder's risk and cost and puts the responsibility fully into the buyer's hand. Yet the hatchling's health relys on the treatment of the mother.