Getting started

[merissahissa34]

Alright. I dont know much about chameleons. I have a 12x12x18 exo terra and was wondering if i could fit a chameleon in it. is it too small? i do NOT have a lot of room for a big tank. so what species should i choose that wont get stressed out from the tank size? I would want a female. I know what they eat but i need help on an enclosure. Whats the humidity levels and what tem. should i keep it at? Please help.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Hi I just wanted to welcome you to the forum!!! Most people have either Panthers, veileds, Jackson's or pygmy chams. You could probably start a baby panther, veiled or jackson's off in this enclosure but they would out grow it very quickly and need to be moved to a different enclosure pretty quickly depending on how old and small they are. Pygmys are tiny so you could keep them in there forever. All depends on what type of cham you want

 

[carol5208]

As Jaxy girl said that enclosure is very small and you would need to upgrade to something as the cham grows. Just curious as to why you want a female? they take a little more care than the males with laying eggs and all. Are you aware that they can lay eggs without being mated with a male?

 

[carol5208]

temps and humidity vary somewhat depending on what species you chose.

 

[merissahissa34]

I want a pygmy cham. I cant buy a new tank so I will go with the small species. Have anytips for these chameleons?

 

[JaxyGirl]

I think pygmies are a good choice for your size tank and what's really nice is that you really plant your tank and make it look really tropical. I don't know much about pygs so hopefully someone will chime in here to help you out

 

[lisa h]

I want a pygmy cham. I cant buy a new tank so I will go with the small species. Have anytips for these chameleons?

Great choice! Consider getting a couple or three, as they live in small groups. I find that mine all sleep close together. Do a quick search here on "pygmy enclosures" and you'll find a huge amount of information. After that you can shoot us some specific questions. There are quite a few pygmy keepers here.

 

[DEVO]

Hey Merissa welcome to the chameleon forums.I have to agree with Lisa and Jaxy,pygmies are the only choice you have for a 12x12x18 exo terra glass terrarium.Now pygmies can be very difficult to keep for a first time chameleon keeper,so make sure you know how to care for them before you get started.In your case i recommend that you start with a RIEPPELEON BREVICAUDATUS(BEARDED PYGMY CHAMELEON)they are very hardy compare to other pygmies and they also eat a wider variety of common feeders.Try to find some captive born specimens,the big advantage is knowing the age of the chameleon you want to purchase it is rather important since they dont live much more then 3 years.RIEPPELEON BREVICAUDATUS prefers a temperature between 70-80F,you have to create a heat gradient for the chameleons thermal regulation,the top of your cage near the lights should be around 77-78F while the bottom at ground level should be around 70-72F with a slight drop of temperature at night 62-65F,you should really try and avoid temperature warmer then 80F during the day and under 60F at night to prevent health issues.Mist your cage 2-3 times a day,make sure your chameleons get a chance to clean their eyes and drink,keep humidity around 70% with a spike of humidity after misting.Please keep in mind that pygmies are not recommended for first time chameleon keeper.