from africa?
- Thread starter fishman
- Start date
Chris Anderson
Dr. House of Chameleons
Its a classic scam. The legal paperwork for a shipment from Africa is significant and the costs of international shipping far too large for a single animal. The person is trying to scam you, bottom line. Exporters generally have a $2000 minimum order before they'll bother to spend the time and money to arrange a shipment.
Chris
Chris
fishman,
I think Chris is right. You really don't want a wild caught chameleon anyways. If you are set on purchasing a chameleon, I highly recommend doing your research first and then looking at some local captive breeders. What chameleon species are you interested in?
I think Chris is right. You really don't want a wild caught chameleon anyways. If you are set on purchasing a chameleon, I highly recommend doing your research first and then looking at some local captive breeders. What chameleon species are you interested in?
Chamgirl
Avid Member
Agreed, it is better not to buy wild caught chameleons UNLESS you intend to breed them or are introducing new bloodlines to your current breeding stock.
I have been there and done that with wild caught chameleons. I have kept three different individuals in total but I decided a couple of years ago that I would only be buying captive bred from now on. This is because I want to encourage captive breeding by supporting those who do it and because I disagree with collecting chameleons from the wild just to be kept as a 'pet'.
Wild caught may be cheaper to start with but chances are they will be full of parasites and it is virtually impossible to accurately age them. It is often the old and sick that are caught first because they are the slowest, easiest ones to catch. You may buy an individual that hasn't got long to live or is sick.
I have been there and done that with wild caught chameleons. I have kept three different individuals in total but I decided a couple of years ago that I would only be buying captive bred from now on. This is because I want to encourage captive breeding by supporting those who do it and because I disagree with collecting chameleons from the wild just to be kept as a 'pet'.
Wild caught may be cheaper to start with but chances are they will be full of parasites and it is virtually impossible to accurately age them. It is often the old and sick that are caught first because they are the slowest, easiest ones to catch. You may buy an individual that hasn't got long to live or is sick.
I purchased a panther from Chameleons Only earlier this year. I can easily recommend them. There are a few others with good reputations. Try searching for 'respected breeder' in the forums.
