here i go again
here i go raining on the parade a again, but better to realize now than regret after the fact
the reality check here is, chameleon keeping cost money. not just the cage, or the lighting or thermometers/hygrometers, multiple supplements, but other should have husbandry items like a nice viewer, a digital scale , mister(s), pump sprayer(s)etc.
another thing to consider is chams need live feeders, a variety of them, usually a larger variety than your local petstore can provide, and petstore feeders are often infested and sometimes even unavailable.
even for a single cham, petstore feeders can get pricey, especially if someone is on a low budget. a single adult cham could easily go through $5-10 week in feeders, sure, you can buy cheaper through the mail, but that means larger purchases, it also means. you need even more equipment to house and maintain (even raise) your feeders.
another harsh reality is that it is not uncommon for chams to get sick, and the symptoms often require vet care. generally speaking, chams should ideally have a vet checkup every 1-2 years anyway, so figure probably $75(US)for that, plus fecals. its also not unreasonable to assume that your cham could get sick at anytime, and require an emergency vet visit, so figure another 75 for that, and if it requires a fecal test, or blood test then thats even more money, plus likely meds and follow up visits. imo it would be prudent to budget at least the cost of one vet visit per year, and your reptisun should be replaced every 6-12mths or so too.(depending on who you ask)
understand, not trying to dash your dreams or harsh on your situation. its just that many (most) new keepers dont fully give thought to, or recognize, the full overall cost of keeping a chameleon. its often more than they anticipated or are prepared for. another thing to consider is if your cham needs $ spent on it (like for vet care or meds, tests, or equipment it doesnt have) and doesnt get it, then it will likely perish. if your cham needs an emergency vet visit. it likely wont survive 2 weeks until you get paid.
i hope you view this post as helpful not critical, its not my intention to criticize, i just dont want to see another "help my chameleon is dying, but i cant afford to take care of it" thread, something we see all to often here on cf. jmo
ps imo, you would be better off in the long term if you bought an aluminum framed cage, jmo
A few points - Don't be buying a Chameleon and be planning on doing things cheap (uv bulbs need replacing every 6 months!) Some gutload stuff can be expensive, buying and looking after feeder insects takes time and money too.
nothing is better then a happy healthy cham
