General questions about Veiled and Jacksons

[knicks0820]

Hi, I am new to this forum....and have been reading lots of posts and different opinions.
I am very experienced with all sorts of herps...(rhino's,cubans,frilleds,sulcata ect)
BUT never a Chameleon....I live in Phoenix...and the dryness and house temps have generally scared me away from trying.
I keep the house at 76 day and night.I fear this is too warm (for night)???

And today I held both a jacksons and a veiled. Both about 5 inches...I was captivated by how slow,and sweet they were.

Am I stupid for even trying this in hot AZ?

And will this sweet veiled become mean as he reaches maturity?
And on the flip side...will the jackson who was hissing until I picked him up and calmed down....become mellow with age and handling?

Thanks for any help and advice you guys can give!!!
-Mike

 

[bluewuta]

When I lived in Tempe I had a really hard time doing the Jacksons chameleons as it was always to hot for them. The veileds did awesome there. They loved the outdoor inclosures with a misting system.

 

[AllFallDown]

I have yet to care for a Jackson's. I read here that they can be more challenging as they are much more sensitive to humidity and such. Veileds are more forgiving of less than ideal humidity. In their native habitat (In Yemen/Saudi Arabia) they have grown accustomed to fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

I can tell you that my veiled is not a very "sweet" guy at all. He likes to bite me when I try to pick him up. Sometimes, it seems more like a "I'll show you who's boss" kind of bite (these times, he'll come out willingly you just have to let him do his thing for a few minutes). Sometime he genuinely seems upset (I leave him in that case).

Once he is out, hes fine- climbs all over me.

I faced a similar dilemma as you. I was not sure if I wanted to get a veiled given their reputation for being biters. I will say I am very glad I did. I really like his personality. Not a boring lizard at all.

 

[knicks0820]

I am not too worried about being bitten....It was just this little dude actually seemed like he wanted to climb and explore......I guess that all could change with sexual maturity though ?

My cubans and rhinos were the opposite....you had to actually gain their trust and once I did...I was good as gold with them.....so chameleons seem different

Sounds like veiled may be my best choice,for temp reasons.....and the personality is just a gamble