First chameleon (from an egg)??:

ipena92

New Member
Hello everyone,
I am considering getting my first chameleon. Now I've done my research and am aware this is no easy task. I'm not the type of person to jump into raising animals without first doing lots of research. Research is still on going but I'm confident i will know how to properly care for a panther chameleon by the time I decide get one. My main question revolves around raising one literally from an egg. There's a guy selling eggs(he's guaranteeing them as long as we follow his care guide for hatching). Now the most obvious benefit to this that i can see is getting in on the handling and feeding so early that hopefully the animal always has strong positive associations with you versus one you get older who might come hesitant to interact with you. What I wanna know basically is, is buying an egg an awful idea and if it's not, what care information is different from raising a hatchling compared to one that you would buy at a few months old already. For all of you with much more experience what would you say is the right decision in terms of someone's first chameleon?
 
Since this is your first chameleon it will not be an easy task but not impossible. In my opinion and experience it was difficult raising 3 from eggs. I also had a sub adult by the time they hatched. If you only get one egg it shouldn’t be as stressful, the more you get the more difficult I think.
As far as hand feeding and getting them use to you, that doesn’t always happen the way we imagine. I have one that took over a year to get to the point where she wasn’t running for the hills. She never hand fed well.
It’s very important to have the set up done before it hatches. I bought real plants and let them grow in the bin. By the time they hatched there was perfect coverage for them. If the breeder has instructions, follow them. You can also come here for advice. There are other members that can chime in with their experience too.

Edit: It was also stressful raising a 2 month old compared to an adult I previously had.
 
Personally after being in the hobby for a few years now and this forum if this is your first chameleon I would be hesitant on getting an egg. Not to mention there is a certain window of time that they can actually be shipped after they are laid.

Babies can also go through a die off period where for no apparent reason they can pass. They are harder and without any prior cham experience it is going to just make it that much more difficult. It is more then just the ABC'S of what to do it is learning their behaviors so you know when something is off.

I really think your first one being a 3-4 month old is a good idea. Buy from a reputable breeder so you know lineage, health, and gender. Babies this age are a lot of work too lol. But they have gotten through their risky period so if husbandry is spot on then you should be able to raise a healthy guy or gal.
 
Oo one more question, is a 30x18x30 screen enclosure suitable for an adult panther chameleon? Also, I've read that younger chameleons need smaller enclosures, would an 18x12x20 be small enough but suitable until they transition to the larger enclosure? Or will I need something even smaller to start with a chameleon a few months old ?
 
The minimum enclosure size needed for an adult male panther is 2’x2’x4’ tall, but preferably 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger. The minimum enclosure size for an adult female panther is either 2’x2’x4’ tall or 36”x18”x36” tall, but preferably 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger, They don’t need smaller cages and can go right into a big cage, but if you’re concerned, you can either start in smaller cages or section off the big cage until he/she gets bigger.
 
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