Beginner help

[Boscoct]

Hi. I am doing research into eventually owning a panther chameleon in the next 12 months. I'm new to the whole reptile thing and wanted people's honest opinions.

How hard/easy is it to care for a chameleon?

I understand there is alot of work and am more then prepared for it. I'm just curious what other people went thru when they started up

 

[Nursemaia]

It's a lot of money

 

[Boscoct]

I am definitely aware of that. I am talking about general care and any issues people came across when they first got a chameleon and any beginner advice

 

[MSMorgan]

Boscoct,

Glad you found us. There's a wealth of information here that will keep you enthralled! Seriously, there's so much here that you could read for 24/7 for a month and not cover it all. My advice to your question, "How hard/easy is it to care for a chameleon?" is to click on each of the tabs on the home page and start reading everything you can get your hands on. Caring for a chameleon is no more difficult than any other animal to care for, if you're prepared for what to expect. Read, read and read some more. Then, find one or two members/keepers here that have posted up about what you're looking for and shoot them a couple of PM's. Heck, you might even find someone that's living close to you to meet and talk chameleons. Glad to have you here.

 

[Johannx]

Each cham has its own needs... maybe you can start with a veiled... If you consider yourself very careful, you can start with a panther... a lot of money, but it worth it...

 

[Jared910]

People will shy you away from it, but as long as your dedicated and really put in the effort, you can definately do it. I spent a long time really researching what to do and spent a lot of time getting the enclosure set up perfectly, but now that it's all set up, it's not all that intense.

 

[Boscoct]

Thank you everyone for the advice keep it coming.

 

[jamest0o0]

Depends on what you mean by difficult. I wouldn't say so, but they definitely aren't for kids. Costs a decent bit of money and a lot of initial time to learn and set things up. I'm still new to owning a cham. it's only been a few months, but i've definitely gotten more comfortable. what's great is, if you have the time, it is very rewarding. I love every minute i get to spend interacting with my guy and coming up with new additions to his cham room. I lucked out with an extremely personable panther, he takes to walking on pretty much anyone, loves to explore, and never hisses or bites. My only complaint with him is he's been a picky eater.

I think the only thing that worries me with chams is how serious illnesses can come off seeming minor until all of the sudden it is too late. Makes the paranoia in me go crazy. So expect to go to the vet at some point.

i read stuff for about a year before owning one and i'm still learning everyday. The fact you're asking what people think says you're probably responsible enough to own one. Just read up on their needs and decide if it's right for you.

 

[Boscoct]

Depends on what you mean by difficult. I wouldn't say so, but they definitely aren't for kids. Costs a decent bit of money and a lot of initial time to learn and set things up. I'm still new to owning a cham. it's only been a few months, but i've definitely gotten more comfortable. what's great is, if you have the time, it is very rewarding. I love every minute i get to spend interacting with my guy and coming up with new additions to his cham room. I lucked out with an extremely personable panther, he takes to walking on pretty much anyone, loves to explore, and never hisses or bites. My only complaint with him is he's been a picky eater.

I think the only thing that worries me with chams is how serious illnesses can come off seeming minor until all of the sudden it is too late. Makes the paranoia in me go crazy. So expect to go to the vet at some point.

i read stuff for about a year before owning one and i'm still learning everyday. The fact you're asking what people think says you're probably responsible enough to own one. Just read up on their needs and decide if it's right for you.

Thank you. I only thought of it a week ago so early in the research. I have a parrot so understand the whole "don't show their sick till it's almost too late". Birds are the same

 

[Graves923]

As mentioned above each chameleon has its own needs. Do as much research as possible and don't hesitate to ask about anything here.

Suggestions I would make is first, to invest in a mist system like mistaking or climist. I wish I had don't this first before buying my chameleon lol.

Next, search for a local exotic vet or reptile vet. You never know when something might happen that you'll need an experts advice or treatment on.

Third, when you have the cham, be observant. When you are doing you daily cage maintenance or feeding, take a look over your chameleon. Look for signs that something might be off or unusual. Doing this will help you catch something before it becomes a major issue.

 

[Boscoct]

As mentioned above each chameleon has its own needs. Do as much research as possible and don't hesitate to ask about anything here.

Suggestions I would make is first, to invest in a mist system like mistaking or climist. I wish I had don't this first before buying my chameleon lol.

Next, search for a local exotic vet or reptile vet. You never know when something might happen that you'll need an experts advice or treatment on.

Third, when you have the cham, be observant. When you are doing you daily cage maintenance or feeding, take a look over your chameleon. Look for signs that something might be off or unusual. Doing this will help you catch something before it becomes a major issue.

Fortunately I work at a large pet store with a reptile section and the guys there are pretty knowledgeable but I always think it's good to ask questions everywhere to gather experiences etc and yes I know about needing a mist system. First thing I got told to get

 

[Johannx]

I have 10 panthers... ambanja, ambilobe, nosybe, anthala, nosy mitsio, masoala, nosy faly, and ambilobe females for the rest (redbar, Bb and WC)... they are quite different, even their temper... look for the one you like (how it looks like), and put time and effort to understand their needs, and you won't regret it...

 

[animjason]

One of the hard things about owning a Chameleon is remembering they are more for show, and not handling. If you want something to cuddle grab a Boa Constrictor. Mine loves Netflix lol.

We got lucky with a Chameleon that enjoys coming out of his cage, but we still avoid over-handling.

 

[Boscoct]

One of the hard things about owning a Chameleon is remembering they are more for show, and not handling. If you want something to cuddle grab a Boa Constrictor. Mine loves Netflix lol.

We got lucky with a Chameleon that enjoys coming out of his cage, but we still avoid over-handling.

Snakes are definitely out of the question lol. I'm ok with them but can't feed them. I already know their mostly for show. I have a parrot so he spends most of his time on me when I'm home unless I'm cleaning so I'm not looking at it as a cuddly pet

 

[Johannx]

Sure, not for handling... i have to take them out their cage once every 2 days... except the ambilobe... he is WC...