Chameleon troubles...

T

ttshibby

Member
Hello everyone! Im just getting into this hobby frmo being off for a few years and have been reading quite a bit on these forums.

I have been reading the heath section recently and am starting to worry. Are chameleons extremly difficult to keep? I seem to hear about them passing away all the time without definate cause. Obviously there is a cause but it must be hard to tell until its hard to treat. Is this the case? or are they generally easy to keep under the right setup. Thanks for any help guys.
 
Chameleons are very hard to keep. Alot of new owners do not have the correct set up, correct lighting nor give the correct supplements and sometime even when you are doing everything right you still loose them. Jann
 
Definitely agree with you there, If you want problems get a chameleon, if you don't want problems get a gecko or a snake.

jannb said:
Chameleons are very hard to keep. Alot of new owners do not have the correct set up, correct lighting nor give the correct supplements and sometime even when you are doing everything right you still loose them. Jann
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ttshibby said:
Hello everyone! Im just getting into this hobby frmo being off for a few years and have been reading quite a bit on these forums.

I have been reading the heath section recently and am starting to worry. Are chameleons extremly difficult to keep? I seem to hear about them passing away all the time without definate cause. Obviously there is a cause but it must be hard to tell until its hard to treat. Is this the case? or are they generally easy to keep under the right setup. Thanks for any help guys.
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IMHO - The secret to a healthy Chameleon is the owners commitment. It is not a difficult thing to do. If you research and follow the advise of this forum you will not have a problem. There are always problems that are out of your control. If you follow the steps below you will have a lot greater chance of success.

Their are definitely easier animals to care for than Chameleons. If you follow the steps below you will have a good chance for success.

Research - Learn all you can and find a good breeder (NO PET STORES)

Ask - Ask any question you can not find the answers to on this forum

Plan - Gather all the materials you need for housing , watering and feeding

Build - Have your cage and everything you need to setup ready before the Chameleon arrives

Evaluate - Ask others about your setup and post pictures

Change - take criticism and make modifications.

Maintain - Continue to care for the Chameleon - Clean , feed and water

Enjoy - Enjoy your chameleon for years.
 
ttshibby said:
Hello everyone! Im just getting into this hobby frmo being off for a few years and have been reading quite a bit on these forums.

I have been reading the heath section recently and am starting to worry. Are chameleons extremly difficult to keep? I seem to hear about them passing away all the time without definate cause. Obviously there is a cause but it must be hard to tell until its hard to treat. Is this the case? or are they generally easy to keep under the right setup. Thanks for any help guys.
Click to expand...

not all the time. Honestly, imho, here are the major reasons why chameleon seems to die out of no reasons at all:

1. Under research keepers. People are impulsive and they buy chameleons and put it in the habitat that suits for the keeper's leisure rather than the animal.(glass tanks without adequate revamping for air circulation, no thermometer, etc etc)

2. They die out of the keeper's obliviousness of the symptoms. I have helped people locally that told me their chameleon's leg looked fine in the email only to find out in person that the chameleon's back leg are almost spun backward from MBD.
:eek: I manage to remain calm in helping them (but in the back of my head, i'm screaming "What on earth makes you think that leg is fine?!!")

3. Petstores recommendations.
(I just helped someone that fed her 8 months old female veiled solely on fruitflies based on petstore "expert" staff's advice).

4. Keepers not willing to commit to provide the best care for his/her chameleons.
Chameleon care is not impossible. However, it is time, space, and financially consuming. If you are not ready for all three requirements, then you are not ready for a chameleon.

------------
Generally, if you absolutely keen on keeping the right habitat and care for your chameleon, it will thrive in the captivity with little problems.
Off course, just in keeping any kind of pet, there are wild cards.

They don't die out of no reasons at all. That is why I always suggest people to do necropsy when that seems to be the case for educational purpose.
 
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dodolah said:
not all the time. Honestly, imho, here are the major reasons why chameleon seems to die out of no reasons at all:

1. Under research keepers. People are impulsive and they buy chameleons and put it in the habitat that suits for the keeper's leisure than the animal.(glass tanks, no thermometer, etc etc)

2. They die out of the keeper's obliviousness of the symptoms. I have helped people locally that told me their chameleon's leg looked fine in the email only to find out in person that the chameleon's back leg are almost spun backward from MBD.
:eek: I try to remain calm (but in the back of my head, i'm screaming "What on earth makes you think that leg is fine?!!")

3. Petstores recommendations.
(I just helped someone that fed her 8 months old female veiled solely on fruitflies).

------------
Generally, if you absolutely keen on keeping the right habitat and care for your chameleon, it will thrive in the captivity with little problems.
Off course, just in keeping any kind of pet, there are wild cards.

They don't die out of no reasons at all. That is why I always suggest people to do necropsy when that seems to be the case for educational purpose.
Click to expand...

Good advise. I would give you some rep but I have to wait before I can give you any more. ;)
 
WOAH! lets not knock on petstores!.

im sorry if you guys got shitty petstores around were your at but i am comfident in the pet store near me, especially the guys in the reptile section, they are all well educated in reptiles.

its corporate pet stores you can't trust!
 
Sang said:
WOAH! lets not knock on petstores!.

im sorry if you guys got shitty petstores around were your at but i am comfident in the pet store near me, especially the guys in the reptile section, they are all well educated in reptiles.

its corporate pet stores you can't trust!
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i'm sure the pet store near you is a good one.
But, imho, compared to the 'bad' petstore, the good one are only a speck in quantity.
 
Sang said:
WOAH! lets not knock on petstores!.

im sorry if you guys got shitty petstores around were your at but i am comfident in the pet store near me, especially the guys in the reptile section, they are all well educated in reptiles.

its corporate pet stores you can't trust!
Click to expand...

IMO - Some pet stores may be very educated and respected. Unfortunately I have met plenty of educated reptile petstore owners/employees who don't have a clue about Chameleons. I am sure some are really good with reptiles but it does not always work for Chameleons. It is good you have found a petstore that seems to be competent. As a rule I never use a petstore. Not for a dog and not for a Chameleon.

With a respected breeder you will always know you are getting a healthy animal and it is the animal you are expecting. Unless the Chameleons are bread by the owner you are working with a middle man.
 
Chain pet supply stores are just that, pet supplies. They offer animals as a sideline to tempt people to buy their supplies. A reptile store may (or may not) be more knowledgeable about chameleons. A lot depends on what they specialize in. A lot of them like snakes because they are easy to keep.

The very best place to buy a chameleon is through a breeder. Hands down. There are a few disreputable breeders out there, but many folks do it because they love chameleons rather then the money they can sell them for. They do take a commitment to keep them healthy and even sometimes nothing you can do works, but that is like any pet you may have.
 
No matter where you get your information, make sure you do your own research, confirm what you have found either by peers or written articles or research, and put it in to action and observe.:D

pet stores can have good keepers, but you need to be educated enough to figure that part out. :confused:

Welcome to the forums.:D

OPI
 
of course, i underdstand i wouldn't go into this with just the advice of my petsore.

but im lucky that here in arizona i got two pet stores that both specialize in reptiles..they got rid of everything else.

tom *who i just ran into 5 mins ago at subway* was pissed that the owner don just accepted a snake as a take in, and now they noticed mights, he just spent the last 5 1/2 hours cleaning.

tom and one other guy are both breeeders and i believe have bachelors in an animal science. *not that it makes them anymore qualified.*

but ive been doing business with them for almost 20 years of there 25 year business.
 
Sang said:
of course, i underdstand i wouldn't go into this with just the advice of my petsore.

but im lucky that here in arizona i got two pet stores that both specialize in reptiles..they got rid of everything else.

tom *who i just ran into 5 mins ago at subway* was pissed that the owner don just accepted a snake as a take in, and now they noticed mights, he just spent the last 5 1/2 hours cleaning.

tom and one other guy are both breeeders and i believe have bachelors in an animal science. *not that it makes them anymore qualified.*

but ive been doing business with them for almost 20 years of there 25 year business.
Click to expand...

Sounds impressive!
 
There are both good and bad pet stores. I seen some that do "nothing" right and I have seen some that have good set-ups and good information.

Similarly, there are both good and bad "breeders". I have seen many "breeders" who sell the babies to inexperienced people when they are too young. I have seen babies that are not healthy being sold.

As doodlah said...lack of research and people who buy on impulse can lead to deaths that don't seem to have a reason. There are good websites out there and there are ones with misinformation. How does the newbie/impulsive buyer know which ones have good information? If they are lucky they find good ones or stumble on a forum where there are people who have good advice.

The way people keep their chameleons varies and yet there are successes keeping them in these ways. Some of it has to do with where the person lives...for instance, you wouldn't keep a chameleon alive in a glass cage in a very hot climate but in areas of Europe, England and Canada this is quite possible. IMHO, longevity and reproductive successes should be indicators that the chameleons are being kept somewhat like they should be.

Here are some sites that I feel have information that is worth reading....
http://www.adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm
https://www.chameleonforums.com/supplementation-mbd-1-a-2451/

Hope this helps!
 
Keeping chams does not need to be a scary endeavour. Take stock of your resources. A good vet in case you need them , find a mentor , good reference material, and an open mind.

If you are of a character that believes you "know it all" you will fail. HEck , we see those type here on the forum and they come and they go. Can't even keep a goldfish alive.

So, with the will , and the patience, you can be successful...
 
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice! im still working on my terrariums and have researched everything as much as possible.
 
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