Hello im new to the site and would like a bit of help...

[springbok333]

I've been thinking of getting a chameleon for a while now and i was thinking either a panther chameleon or Yemen chameleon.
how much roughly would an entire set up be. also can you handle them cause ive read mixed views about handling them and would like peoples opinions please??

 

[Courtney]

you should not actively hold any chameleon unless necessary. There are some chams that love to relax on you from time to time. its not any specific species or gender though it depends on the cham. some are very agressive and do not like being messed with at all. My rule of thumb is a cham is living art work. look observe take good care of it but please dont touch. hope my insight helps. you need to do extensive research before you get in over your head. if you work all day you need to be able to have extra time before work to feed water/drip and mist your cham..it requires misting and a driper several times a day. what you need to do is decide on a cham and do extensive research on that species before you bring it home. and since it is your first cham go with a male. that lowers your chance of something going wrong but not by much.

 

[pssh]

I recently bought an entire set up with an adult sized cage for about 200-240. The price mayvary a bit depending on how thrifty you are and how much your local stores sell supplies for.

With males you have no egg laying issues, but since you're here you can pic either gender. As long as you do your research a female can be just as easy to care for as a male. There are ways to prevent egg laying as well, so with a female you may not even have to deal with eggs. Ultimately, it's up to you, but I recomend getting a chameleon no younger than 3 months.

 

[Carlton]

I'm not sure how to estimate the cost of a setup as we don't know your room or where you live (and the temps and humidity you have), or what stores or suppliers you have nearby.

Maybe a list of equipment you'll need will help instead:

Screen or partially screened cage (either DIY or purchased) minimum of 2'x2'x4' for an adult cham.
UVB lighting: linear tube fluorescent ReptiSun 5.0 is a good standard.
Basking spot lighting: a regular house lightbulb can work fine.
Thermometer: a non-contact temp gun is perfect (check out Tempgun.com)
Humidity gauge: NOT the small analog stick on types from pet shops, but a good digital type.
Several live potted plants: Ficus, Schefflera (umbrella plant), or Pothos are commonly available and work OK. More plants in the cage are generally better.
Some type of water dripper, hand sprayer, or misting system or all three.
Feeder insects and bins to keep them in, gutload to maintain them.
Calcium dust, Calcium dust with D3, and a herp vitamin dust

 

[samthecham]

Chameleons usually should not be handled, as this can stress them out. They are a display animal. An entire setup will probably cost about $150-$250, shipped (if you need it to be shipped and depending on what comes in the setup). The more items, the more expensive, so the cost can vary a lot.

 

[jessica]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
If you check out the site sponsors alot of them will sell complete set ups, also www.lllreptile.com (another sponsor) has good prices!

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

There is a lot to learn before you buy a chameleon. You need to know about husbandry including lighting, supplementing, insect care, etc. if you want to be able to keep a chameleon successfully. Here are some sites with good information...
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
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://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=102
http://adcham.com/

 

[joshua n janet]

i got a boy n a girl and they both dont try 2 bite or his only wen u scare them by showin that u scared cuz i handle mine and wen i take long 2 grab them they start 2 get scared and start runin from me but the best thing 2 do is just let them get use 2 chillin on ure hand then u can play wit them