buying chameleon online?

[sarahbrooke]

Hi! i'm looking to buy my first panther chameleon and have been researching them and care for quite some time now. Unfortunately, I live in middle-of-nowhere georgia. I have seen plenty of breeders with options to buy them online. I am considering this since the nearest place I would be able to buy one otherwise is about 5 hours away. Has anyone ever actually done this? What was your experience like?

 

[camimom]

Most of the long time owners on here have purchased chams online and had them shipped.

Including myself.

Chams are boxed, and shipped, most hcams wont spend more than a night in the box.


Its perfectly normal.
I wont say there have never been complications, but they dont happen often.

 

[ReptileLove18]

i would suggest looking at some of the breeders that are sponsors of this forum, they are all very reputable breeders! thats the most important thing bout getting a cham is gettting it from a good breeder who takes care of their chams!
i had a very bad experience with getting a cham from a petstore and later found out it was gotten from a breeder who knew little to nothing about them and inbred his chams, my little guy suffered from it so i am very adament about making sure you get one from a reputable breeder.
things to look for when searching for a place to order a cham from:
a health guarantee for at least 3 days, 5 is better to have time to have it checked out to make sure its healthy
them putting a heating or cooling pad in the box to insure proper temperature for the cham during transport
a dead upon arrival guarantee, if it arrives dead they replace it
pictures of the baby before hand are always nice as well

im ordering my next cham from one of the sponsors that provides all of the listed things and are great breeders!!

 

[drcrossfire]

I have shipped/received lots of chameleons (and geckos) and it is a very convenient way to get your reptiles. As long as shipped properly, it is not something to hesitate over.

Though the people at the post office think you're crazy

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum!

The wisest thing is to have the enclosure properly set up before your new chameleon arrives.
You may wish to look over this nice caresheet:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

It is also smart to locate a vet with plenty of reptile knowledge before you absolutely need one.
The ARAV vets have a special interest in reptiles, so this list can help you to find a good vet:
http://www.arav.org/find-a-vet/

If there is a local reptile club, they may also know of good vets.


The final key thing is to buy from a reputable breeder, particularly one who gives a good health guarantee.

 

[Squirell]

Im looking to buy one shortly here too. Check out Screameleons. They sell whole kits as well as some very nice looking Chams

 

[Rush2112]

Use a site sponsor for sure. I ordered my Nosy Be Male Panther from Bruce at http://www.chameleonparadise.net/

 

[dlegare]

All my Chameleons wer purchased online and shipped overnight priority with am delivery. All my Chams shipped with no problems and they are all doing fabulous.

I personally can attest to Screameleons, The chameleon Company, and a Chams forum member Vinniem1210.

I would highly suggest having the shipment sent priority am delivery and watch the weather. You don't want to ship if the temperatures are too low or high

Also check out Shipyourreptiles.com Thats how my last Cham was sent.

Good luck.

 

[absolutbill]

Another thing to consider is to have your cham held at the facility, instead of put on the truck for delivery. You can usually cut out a few hours that way, even if you are in the middle of nowhere. And I also agree about setting up your cage in advance - have everything ready, plants, mister, vines, lights, etc., and run it for a couple of days prior to your cham's arrival. That way you can gauge where the mist will hit on the plants, and make sure the temps are hot enough in the basking area. The last thing you want is to have a new cham and have to "fiddle" in their cage while you are trying to build their trust. I've had 4 chams in my life, 3 of which were shipped, and have not had a single problem. Good luck - go with any of our sponsors and you should have a wonderful experience.