Yes it is young but somebody has to raise it.
Shouldn't that be the person(s) who hatched it, and why
aren't they?
What's the reason for selling them so young (besides this "BYB
†" being in way over their head)?
† BackYard Breeder (
an unprofessional breeder)
Yes it is young but somebody has to raise it. You seem to have some knowledge and experience so there’s no reason it can’t be you.
Those
sound like some of the same rationales for buying baby chams from Pet—.
Yes that young is a bigger risk but $100.
It's
$200 now. Why the sudden 100% increase? Another red flag(?)
One of the things that can go wrong in those first 3 months
* that may not show up before that age is "
failure to thrive". Another—as
salty dog pointed out—is difficulty of sexing correctly. There are more. The $100 or $200 that might be saved now could
easily be made up for—or surpassed (and then some)—in
avoidable vet bills.
Ultimately, OP will make their own decision.
My hope is that it will be a thoughtful
informed decision made with a cool head and not a hurried emotional decision based on cuteness,
$aving a few
$, pressure tactics, etc.
With
Positivity in mind, some things to look for: (from the Resources Section):
Signs of a healthy chameleon:
- A healthy chameleon should be active in its environment and be standing up rather than laying on its perch.
- The chameleon should be able to move about the cage with good balance without falling or stumbling.
- The eyes should be fully open at all times and actively looking around to monitor its surroundings.
- The arm and leg bones should all be straight, toes should all be intact and the chameleon should have a strong grip.
- Skin should have nice vibrant coloration all over the body and all the spines on the back should be present.
- Patches of shedding skin are normal if present. The skin is shed periodically depending on age and growth rate.
- The tail should be able to grasp branches and curl up smoothly.
Symptoms of an unhealthy chameleon:
Purchasing A Chameleon (has more on what to look for/avoid)
Rescuing From Pet Stores [Wherever]
Unfortunately the unique needs of chameleons are still often overlooked by pet stores and many chameleons in pet stores are in poor conditions with caging being inadequate or are already showing signs of illness. The first response of the compassionate customer is always "I should rescue it from these terrible conditions!" This may surprise you, but it is actually recommended to not purchase these animals in poor conditions. We all want to save an animal in need, but to the pet store that chameleon is just another product that needs to be sold for profit, and it's all about the numbers. If you purchase that chameleon to save it the pet store sees that as no more than a successful sale, and they will quickly replace it with a new chameleon to sell in the place you opened up. Nothing will encourage them to improve conditions since they can sell them to you without investing in proper care. However, if that chameleon does not sell then the store does not find that profitable and will stop stocking chameleons in those terrible conditions. It is much better to spend your money supporting responsible breeders or even other stores that put in the effort to make sure they have healthy animals in good conditions.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/purchasing/
*I was tired last night when I wrote previous post—my bad. Couldn't think of the term at the time.
. Did she post the sire?
the sir was looking good colors wise, but the casque was swollen, the dams were both black with pink spots, looked both gravid to me, one was very fat and she said that was the mother of the babies (looked like full of eggs to me)
